Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G review: Stylish phone with focus on camera, performance

It runs the new Mediatek Dimensity 1200 Max processor, gets an improved 32MP front camera, and sports a sleek design. But how does the phone perform? Here’s our review of the latest Oppo Reno 7 Pro.

Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G specifications: 6.5-inch full HD+ AMOLED display with 90 Hz refresh rate | Mediatek Dimensity 1200 Max processor | 12GB RAM+256GB chipset | 50MP+8MP+2MP rear camera| 32MP front camera | ColorOS 12 with Android 11 | 4500 mAh battery and 65W fast charging

Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G price in India: Rs 39,999

Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G review: What’s good?

There’s no doubt that the Oppo Reno7 Pro is a sleek phone and just 7.45mm thick with a flat-edged design. It has 2.5D glass on both the front and back. This is easy to use with one hand. The Blue colour at the back looks vibrant no doubt, though I cannot say this is unique anymore. The Oppo branding is very subtle at the back. The phone also has a textured feel at the back, but it remains smudge-proof.

The Blue colour at the back looks vibrant no doubt, though I cannot say this is unique anymore. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

However, the rectangular camera module shatters this minimalism and might be jarring for some. Oppo has also gone for an in-display fingerprint sensor, which works accurately. But I prefer the convenience of having the sensor embedded in the power button.

Oppo has also placed the front camera in the top left corner. This is a departure from rivals Vivo and Xiaomi who have gone for a more centred placement for the front camera. The phone also has what the company calls an ‘Orbit Breathing Light’ around the camera module. This emits a pulsating light whenever the phone receives a call, message, or is placed on charging.

This can be turned off by going to Personalisations in the Settings and then you have to toggle off the Breathing light option. It took me some time to find the setting, which is annoying.

The phone features a rectangular camera module on the back. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

The Oppo Reno7 Pro gets a 6.5-inch AMOLED screen and this one has a 90Hz refresh rate. Some might be disappointed given most phones in this price segment are offering a higher 120 Hz refresh rate, but I would not call this a deal-breaker.

The phone supports HDR10+ content formats as well. The display by itself works well under most conditions, though it is a bit reflective in sunlight. I spent a fair amount of time finishing one of my K-Dramas on this device, and I enjoyed the experience. However, the single speaker at the bottom does seem like a compromise at times.

The phone comes with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage space and runs the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 Max, which is an upgraded chipset of the earlier Dimensity 1200. The phone’s performance is quite smooth, be it for regular tasks such as browsing, social media or even the more heavy-duty stuff such as games like Genshin Impact. The only concern was the phone did get warm, when I was playing the game for a slightly longer duration.

The Oppo Reno7 Pro gets a 6.5-inch AMOLED screen with 90Hz refresh rate. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

The highlight of this phone is supposed to be the camera with Oppo claiming improvements for both video, portraits and low-light performance. Putting aside the jargon that brands tend to throw when discussing the camera, the performance has many positives.

I was surprised at the night performance for both the main and ultra-wide cameras. The pictures below were taken at a hotel at night with very little lighting. I was quite pleased with both results, the colour range is fairly accurate and the camera preserves the details in the photo.

Low light shot taken with ultra-wide camera. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

Low light sample taken with Night mode. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

Low light sample taken with Night mode. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

The main camera also works well in regular lighting and the results are sharp with a good colour range. The camera will also prompt users about the right distance to keep in mind when clicking a picture to ensure optimal results.

Oppo is also highlighting the video camera capabilities for the phone, which are certainly impressive during the day. Some of the colours such as greens and reds were too saturated. The videos I took indoors of my son were quite good, despite the patchy lighting and the constantly moving subject. I thought Oppo did a better job handling skin tones in videos than in some of the portrait photos.

A picture of some antique crafts taken by the Oppo Reno7 Pro. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

A shot of some colourful flowers captured on the Reno7 Pro. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

The Oppo Reno7 Pro takes sharp images with a good colour range. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

Notice the details in the inner petals of this flower, captured by the Reno7 Pro. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

The Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G gets a 4500 mAh battery and you should be able to get a day’s worth of usage with this one. This one has 65W fast charging and Oppo claims you can get a full charge in 31 minutes. I usually put the phone to charge at around 20 per cent and got a full 100 per cent in another 30 minutes or so.

Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G review: What’s not good?

The portrait mode on the phone is supposed to be the highlight and yes it does deliver some good results, provided you can keep the subject and the camera at an optimal distance. However, it does struggle with edges and skin tones. The selfie camera’s portrait mode did not get the edges right.

Here’s a sample from the front camera of the Oppo Reno7 Pro. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

I’m not saying the selfie camera is terrible and yes, most users will be happy with the results. The selfie camera will automatically detect if someone else is in the photo with you, which is definitely useful. But the Portrait video feature needs some work in my view. If you want flawless skin in your selfies, then sure the Oppo Reno7 Pro does deliver on that front.

The phone runs Oppo’s ColorOS 12 based on Android 11. There’s no word on when Android 12 will roll out for the device. ColorOS does not let you delete some apps like FinShell Pay, Hot Apps, Music Party, etc. In fact, when I set up the phone, I saw too many apps which I would not use.

To use Oppo’s Omoji feature, you will be required to sign up for Oppo’s cloud services. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

The software interface remains confusing. For example, the setting to turn off the ‘Breathing Light’ at the back was buried under a tab called Personalisation. I should have been able to search for it in the Settings, rather than first turning on Personalisations, and then finding it.

Further, in order to use Omoji (which is Oppo’s answer to Apple’s Memoji) you have to sign up for Oppo’s cloud services. I’m not sure how many people will be keen to do that. And while Omoji is not bad in terms of the customisations it offers, sharing these is not as easy and intuitive as Apple’s Animoji or Memoji.

The phone runs Oppo’s ColorOS 12 based on Android 11. (Image credit: Shruti Dhapola/Indian Express)

Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G review: Verdict

The Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G is no doubt a feature-packed device, which delivers well on performance and camera. The sleek design also makes this one stand out compared to its closest rivals. The battery life and fast charging are also more than adequate.

There are some aspects of the camera which could be better, such as the skin tones, portrait mode’s edge detection. Software remains a point of concern.

If you are looking for a phone at the Rs 40,000 mark, Oppo Reno7 Pro 5G does make a stylish statement. The only challenge will be in proving that it is better than the OnePlus 9RT or the Xiaomi 11T Pro, which are also priced closely and pack the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset.