At the launch of the Reno 8 series, which was a couple of months ago, Oppo said that its users would receive two major OS upgrades and four years of security updates. As promised, both devices have received the latest Android 13 OS upgrade, which is overlaid with the company’s latest ColorOS 13 UI. Aquamorphic effects throughout the UI, new Always-On Display animations, the Meeting Assistant, Multi-Screen Connect, the Dynamic Computing Engine, and enhanced privacy and security features are some of the major highlights of ColorOS 13. Here is a review of the Oppo Reno 8 Pro 5G.
What’s in the box?
The OPPO Reno 8 Pro 5G retail package has the following contents:
- Oppo Reno 8 Pro handset
- Transparent case
- SIM ejector tool
- 80W charger
- USB-C to USB-A cable
- User manual
- Safety Guide
Design and Display
| Dimensions | Display | |
| Size – 161.2 x 74.2 x 7.34mm | 6.7-inch AMOLED display | 10-bit colors |
| Weight – 183 grams | 2412 x 1080 (Full HD+) pixels | 93.4 percent screen-to-body ratio |
| 20:9 aspect ratio | Gorilla Glass 5 | |
| Color variants | Up to 120Hz refresh rate | Widevine L1 support |
| Glazed Black | Up to 180Hz touch sampling rate | Under-display fingerprint scanner |
| Glazed Green | 394ppi pixel density | |
| Up to 950 nits peak brightness |
The Oppo Reno 8 Pro has a glass back and an aluminum frame. The camera bump melts into the rear shell of the device. Overall, it has a premium appeal. On the front, there is an earpiece integrated with a speaker above the display punch-hole. The chin of the device is quite thin, which allows it to offer 93.4 percent screen space, as OPPO claims.
In September, I got the opportunity to visit the Oppo lab in Noida, India. During my visit, the company stated that the Reno 8 series is built to last because it undergoes over 300 rigorous durability and quality tests, such as free fall tests, extreme temperature tests, and others, before releasing it to the market.
The Oppo Reno 8 Pro has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a centrally positioned punch-hole. The display simply looks gorgeous thanks to those super-slim bezels that you would normally see on a flagship phone. For a better viewing experience, while watching videos, the O1 Ultra Vision Engine offers features like Image Sharpner (upscale videos), Video Color Boost, and Bright HDR video mode. Speaking of brightness, the screen supports up to 950 nits of brightness. It offers two color profiles, Natural (sRGB color gamut) and Vivid (DCI-P3 color gamut). The colors appear more saturated on the latter.
The Reno 8 Pro offers Standard (60Hz) and High (120Hz) refresh rate options. The 120Hz RR translates to a smoother experience throughout the UI. The phone supports playback of HD content from OTT platforms as well as 4K HD YouTube videos. The display is also good for playing games.
Oppo Reno 8 Pro – ColorOS 13 key features
The ColorOS 13-based Android 13 OS upgrade for the Oppo Reno 8 Pro weighs 2.70GB. It also includes the October Android security update.
The ColorOS 13 does not offer a completely different user interface as compared to the older ColorOS 12. Instead, the new version packs several new improvements to offer an overall enhanced user experience.
Aquamorphic Design: The ColorOS 13 offers a fluid experience just like the fluidity of water. Hence, the system animation and transitions appear softer and more natural. The system theme palette is inspired by the changing color of light between sunrise and sunset.
Fonts, Icons, and Layouts: The fonts are more reader-friendly even if the ColorOS 13 is used in different languages. The redesigned icons are also easily readable. The adaptive layouts provide consistent layouts on Oppo devices with different-sized screens. In addition, it offers a card-style layout, which offers different-sized cards in the Settings and first-party apps.
Enlarged Folder on Homescreen: A folder housing multiple apps on the homescreen can be kept in an enlarged state. It enables users to open internal apps with a single tap rather than opening the folder.
Quantum Animation Engine 4.0: ColorOS 13 is equipped with Quantum Animation Engine 4.0, which focuses on offering an intuitive experience by reducing as many steps as possible. With Behavioural Prediction, it reduces steps for a better navigation experience by prioritizing intended commands while using gestures.
Omoji for contacts: The Oppo Contact app can use Omoji avatars to show cute, moving characters for your favourite contacts when a call comes in.
System Illustrations: Instead of showing empty spaces throughout the UI, ColorOS 13 shows some interesting illustrations.
Quick Settings: The Quick Settings user experience has been improved. One of the improvements is that it shows media playback control.
Shelf: A swipe down on the homescreen opens the Shelf, which gives access to widgets, useful tools, and a global search.
Always-On Display: ColorOS 13 has some interesting AOD images, including “homeland,” that showcase endangered species like clownfish, polar bears, and penguins to remind users to take greater care of their environments. There are some new AODs that offer real-time information from third-party food delivery apps like Zomato / Swiggy, which show the status of the order, and Spotify. At present, only the Spotify AOD is working. Other AOD options include Bitmoji AOD and Insight AOD.
Multi-Screen Connect: The Multi-Screen Connect has been improved to offer seamless connectivity between Oppo phones and the Oppo Pad Air, as well as between Oppo phones and PC. The mirrored Oppo phone can be used to sync clipboards, sync notifications, and file transfer. In addition, it can display up to three separate screens for each app, as shown above.
Meeting Assistant: When an online meeting is going on, the Meeting Assistant can automatically detect it and optimize the network and simplify notifications to reduce distractions.
Privacy: For chat screenshots, it offers a pixelate feature, that automatically pixelates profile photos and display names. Private Safe, which allows users to store sensitive data like photos, videos, and files, can now be secured using the widely used Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
Performance improvements: Dynamic Computing Engine available on the ColorOS 13 can enhance system speed, stability, battery life, and app experience. The HyperBoost GPA 4.0 can stabilize the frame rate and reduce power consumption while playing games.
ColorOS 13 rollout status
The stable ColorOS 13 version based on Android 13 is available for devices like the Find X5, Find X5 Pro, Reno 8 Pro 5G, Reno 8 5G, K10 5G, F21 Pro, F21 Pro 5G, K10, A76, and Oppo A96.
The beta version of the OS upgrade is available for multiple devices, like the Reno 7 Pro 5G, Reno 7 5G, Reno 6 Pro 5G, Reno 6 5G, Reno 5 Pro 5G, F19 Pro+, and A74.
Photography and Other Features
| Rear Camera | Front Camera |
| Triple cam: – 50MP Sony IMX766 – 8MP Sony IMX355 (ultra-wide) – 2MP OmniVision OV02B10 (macro) | 32MP Sony IMX709 camera |
| MariSilicon X chip | Autofocus support |
| Video recording: Up to 4K at 30fps + EIS | Video: Full HD at 30fps |
| Slow motion: Up to Full HD at 960fps |
The triple camera setup available on the Reno 8 Pro is the same as that available on the Realme GT Neo 3 and OnePlus 10R. Still, photography is one of the strengths of the Oppo Reno 8 Pro, since it features the MariSilicon X chip. It misses out on Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) but comes with support for Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS). With the MariSilicon X chip onboard, it manages to shoot clearer videos in low-light conditions. The Reno 8 Pro also does a good job shooting 4K videos with good color reproduction and dynamic range in low-light conditions.
The main camera performs well in low light, and the details are quite good, but not quite as sharp as during the day. The noise is noticeable in photos taken in less ideal conditions. By default, the camera captures 12.5-megapixel images. Since the camera shutter speed is fast, users can capture multiple shots of a moving object. Users can use the 50MP mode for detailed shots. The Extra HD mode shoots in 108.5-megapixel, but the result is similar to the 50-megapixel shots.
The portrait shots using the main camera capture photos with blurred backgrounds and more focus on the subject. The ultra-wide shots come out well when there is enough light. In low light, the details on ultra-wide images decrease. As far as the macro camera is concerned, it requires a couple of attempts to get decent images.
The Reno 8 Pro captures in 32-megapixel resolution only, which means users will end up with large files. The 21mm focal length allows it to accommodate more people in a single frame. Another good thing about the front camera is that it supports autofocus, which is not common in the upper mid-range segment, and even in the flagship segment. The portrait selfies come with an impressive bokeh effect. It focuses on the subject well and does a good job at edge detection.
Shooting in low light is one of the strengths of the Reno 8 Pro, thanks to the MariSilicon X NPU onboard. In regular mode, the quality of the images is passable, but with the night mode on, it manages to capture brighter and better images with reduced noise.
Performance and Battery Life
| Peformance | Other Features |
| Dimensity 8100-Max | Dual speakers |
| 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM | Face unlock |
| 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage | Dual-frequency GPS |
| 4,500mAh battery | 12 5G bands: n77/78/38/40/41/1/3/5/7/8/20/28 BlockA&BlockB |
| 80W SuperVOOC charging | Wi-Fi 6, 2 x 2 MIMO |
| Ultra-Conductive Cooling System | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Android 13 OS with ColorOS 13 | NFC |
| X-axis linear motor |
The Dimensity 8100-Max, a customized version of the D1800 chip for Oppo phones, powers the Reno 8 Pro. The chip competes with the Snapdragon 888 chip from the Qualcomm camp. Like the flagship phones from 2021, the device offers LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1. With a massive 256GB of built-in storage onboard, the device does not offer a microSD card slot.
The bundled 80W charger can fully charge the Reno 8 Pro in just around 35 minutes. According to Oppo, the Reno 8 Pro promises 1600 charge cycles, and its Battery Health Engine (BHW) helps prolong the battery lifespan. In addition, the Reno 8 series will offer smooth performance even after 4 years. OPPO has made this claim after carrying out nearly 500 tests to achieve the 36-month Fluency Rating A mark from TÜV SÜD.
The gaming experience on the Reno 8 Pro is enhanced with a 360Hz touch sampling rate, stereo speakers, good haptic feedback via an X-axis linear motor, and an ultra-constructive cooling system. The placement of the fingerprint sensor seems to be a bit low. However, there is no issue with its performance. Also, I did not encounter any issues with its connectivity features.
The Reno 8 Pro will get the latest Android OS upgrades until the second quarter of 2024. It will also get security updates for four years. The ColorOS 13’s new improvements that I mentioned above enhance the overall experience on the Reno 8 Pro.
Verdict
In some markets, the Oppo Reno 8 Pro faces competition from phones like the OnePlus 10R and Realme GT Neo 3. These phones pack similar specs, but the Reno 8 Pro excels in the selfie photography department. The Reno 8 Pro misses out on OIS and packs a smaller battery compared to its competitors. However, the Reno 8 Pro is not only impressive in hardware but also offers better software and customer support.
Apart from black and green, there is a special limited-edition version called the Reno 8 Pro House of the Dragon, which comes in a special package that includes exclusive House of the Dragon-themed accessories. Readers can learn more about it here. It costs Rs 45,999 (~$554) and is available for purchase through Flipkart in India. The regular Oppo Reno 8 Pro is also priced at Rs 45,999.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this OPPO Reno 8 Pro 5G review are solely mine based on my experience. The review highlights some of the best features of ColorOS 13 on Oppo’s recommendation.
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