The Oppo Reno 10 series made its debut in China in late May. More than a month later, the lineup is gradually making its way to the global markets.
For the first time, the company is launching the ‘Pro+’ model in almost all regions. It acts as the brand’s flagship smartphone of 2023 outside mainland China since the Find X6 lineup remains exclusive to its home country.
Despite being the most expensive offering in many markets, the Reno family is not as premium as the Find X. It falls under the affordable premium category and focuses more on lifestyle aspects, like design and camera features.
For the unaware, we reviewed the Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus recently. The device proves that flagships can be thin and light.
The Indian division of Oppo also sent us a review unit. It is the company’s first ‘Reno Pro+’ handset in the country. Most importantly, it is the first proper Oppo-branded flagship smartphone in India since the Oppo Reno 10x Zoom.
While the phone may not feature the latest or the best hardware it is not as expensive as other flagships either. This puts the product in an interesting position.
Having used the handset for the last few weeks, I have expressed my thoughts on the device in this article. Before you start reading my opinion, I would like to put out a disclosure that Oppo had no early look or editorial input.
Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus is priced strategically
The Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus is priced at ₹54,999 in India. This pricing puts it comfortably between the OnePlus 11R and the OnePlus 11.
To recall, OnePlus is a sub-brand of Oppo but both operate as independent companies in India. However, when you take a look at their mainstream portfolio together, you get a complete picture.
Both brands together cover all the important price categories in the country. Their prime offerings start from ₹18,000 and go all the way up to ₹62,000. Thus, consumers get a OnePlus or Oppo option at every price segment.
As far as the Reno 10 Pro Plus is concerned, it can be termed a better option than the OnePlus 11R. So if your budget is under ₹60,000 and you are not a fan of the OnePlus 11 for some reason, this is a very good alternative.
The Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus is more of a lifestyle smartphone. It is not about ‘speed’ like OnePlus 11/11R but ‘fundamentals’ that matter more for a wider audience.
It has got a thin and light design, which I believe caters to more people. You also get excellent cameras and very useful rapid fast charging. All of these are part of the package that doesn’t sacrifice on the performance front either.
What’s more important is that the Reno 10 Pro Plus is more affordable than flagships from leading brands in India, such as Vivo, Xiaomi, Samsung, and Apple. So it is actually cleverly priced even though it sounds expensive.
Is Oppo trying to enter India’s premium segment?
Oppo has had its presence in India for over 9 years. But it is yet to make a name for itself in the premium category. On the other hand, its former sister brand OnePlus is a well-known player in this segment for a very long time.
The OnePlus brand is more valuable than any other Chinese smartphone brand in India. Interestingly, it does not enjoy the same status anywhere else.
This is why I think Oppo let OnePlus exclusively continue with flagship devices, while it took a backseat with the affordable premium Reno lineup. But with the launch of Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus, this long-running strategy seems to be ending.
The Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus clearly acts as an alternative to the OnePlus 11. Though both phones cost about the same, they are different from each other in many ways.
There are some features like a periscope camera that can be only found on the Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus at this price. These features make it stand out, not only from the OnePlus 11 but also from other flagships that are more expensive.
Is this truly the start of a new strategy by Oppo and will it succeed? Only time will tell. But I really hope it does, as more options spice up the competition and benefit consumers.
Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus excels in its core features
Just like its predecessors, the Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus is marketed as a ‘Portrait Expert’. I wasn’t sold on the idea with previous devices as they lacked telephoto cameras. But the new gen phone changes everything.
The Reno 10 Pro Plus arrives with a 3x periscope camera. The zoom lens uses a 64MP Omnivision OV64B sensor. Oppo has used this very same sensor on several of its devices, like Reno 6 Pro 5G, Reno 6 5G, Oppo F21 Pro, and more.
With years of experience in tuning this sensor, the company has managed to develop a very good portrait algorithm for the Reno 10 Pro Plus. You get nice dramatic portrait shots along with an option to change the aperture if required after the pictures are taken.
This 3x periscope camera also supports up to 120x digital zoom. But realistically speaking, only up to 40x zoom under good lighting is somewhat usable. It is worth noting that you get impressive details even in 20x when there is enough light.
By default, the camera gives you four viewing angles – 0.6x, 1x, 3x, and 6x. You should probably stick with them if you want the best out of the handset.
The portrait excellency even extends to the front camera. The smartphone uses the tried and tested 32MP Sony IM709 sensor with autofocus.
The main 50MP Sony IMX890 is no slouch either. However, primary cameras are generally good on handsets in this price range. The 8MP Sony IMX355 ultra-wide camera also performs well under good lighting.
Further, unlike the previous Renos in India, the new one is run by a respectable Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset. It easily handles everything you throw at it, including games but with some exceptions.
Also, it sports a 1.5K display which is sharper than regular 1080 panels. The curved screen is capable of displaying true-to-life colors if you use the appropriate color profile. It even supports HDR image viewing in Gallery and it really adds up to the experience.
As with any Reno-branded handset, the Reno 10 Pro Plus feels comfortable to hold. The weight of the product is equally distributed and it does not feel heavy in a particular location. I don’t mind the plastic frame as it not only feels strong but helps in keeping the weight lower.
Finally, thanks to 100W charging support, the device’s battery can be filled in about 30 minutes or less. Just a few minutes of charging is enough when you are in a hurry.
Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus could have been better in these aspects
Like any other product, the Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus is not perfect. There are many things that I wish it did better.
Though I love the design and in-hand feel of the phone, I am not impressed by the haptics. This takes away the soul of the handset. The vibration motor is not strong enough like on the more expensive Find X series.
For some reason, the device does not support video recording from ultra-wide and periscope cameras. I hope Oppo enables it via software update. Also, the video recording from the front camera is capped at 1080p 30fps.
The phone is equipped with good dual stereo speakers with the earpiece acting as the secondary unit. But you have to max out the volume for the speakers to get sufficiently loud.
Further, as much as I love the cameras on the device, they have their flaws. I enjoyed clicking portraits of my nephew but as a kid, he moves a lot. The shutter speed isn’t fast enough, so I have more blurry pictures of him than perfect shots. The shutter speed gets even worse when the environment becomes darker.
Additionally, the periscope camera cannot be used in low light. The phone falls back to the main sensor automatically. So you end up getting oversharpened and less detailed zoomed-in shots.
Despite supporting extreme zoom levels, the device does not come with a ‘moon mode’. I was able to get the moon in frame easily at just 40x but there’s no onboard processing to improve the shot.
I had no issue with the software as I consider ColorOS to be one of the best Android skins on the market. But I was taken aback by noticing the controversial ‘Enhanced Intelligent Services’ turned on by default.
Consumers must have the right to enable or disable sharing their critical data with brands. This is not even acceptable on budget smartphones, let alone flagships.
Last but not least, the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset inside the handset is not tuned properly. Benchmarks return lower than usual stability scores. Also, the phone can only last a day or less, especially on 5G.
Some of the aforementioned issues can be fixed via software updates. But when you are paying a premium, you shouldn’t have to wait for updates for a perfect device.
Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus is a solid alternative to OnePlus 11
I expected the Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus to cost ₹49,999 but unfortunately, it is more expensive at ₹54,999. At this price, it is just ₹2,000 cheaper than the OnePlus 11. Still, it’s a good alternative.
The two phones are different from each other. So, they don’t compete with each other. Rather they are targeted at different audiences.
I would personally go with the Reno over the OnePlus. The versatile camera setup and excellent in-hand feel makes it a better option for me. Also, I am in love with this ‘Glossy Purple’ color.
Since I don’t play games much, I don’t care about sustained performance. But if you do, OnePlus is the one for you.
Either way, I would suggest you experience these smartphones at the stores before making a purchase decision. On paper specs never tell the complete story.
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