That Often Neglected Other Camera

You know, when I think about it OPPO has never let me down.

Far from it in fact. From the first OPPO handset I tried, I was immediately impressed with its style and honestly blown away by its camera performance.

Over the years, time and again OPPO has pushed the barriers of phone camera abilities - certainly it was an OPPO device on which I first experienced the ingenuity of a periscope lens, enabling optical zoom functionality within the limited physical confines of a virtually flat device.

Perhaps even more impressively, OPPO seems committed to bringing many of its innovations - both in design and technological breakthroughs - to its mid-range handsets, meaning consumers on a budget can also access better-than-average photo performance.

This year it's more of the same... Which means more difference, yet again setting OPPO's mid-tier offering apart from the pack...

First things first; the Reno8 5G is a very groovy looking phone - especially in the Shimmer Gold variant I've been supplied with. For several generations now, OPPO has come up with some totally unique, unibody designs that really set them apart from the rest of the pack - and it's no different with the Reno8. I've never been a massive fan of the big camera bumps most high-end phones seem to sport these days but OPPO keeps managing to make these much more streamlined with its seamless, curvy one-piece rear panel. It really does "Shimmer" too - it's a hard effect to capture in photos or on video but it's almost prismatic. Best of all, despite the shimmer it's still a matte finish so no issue with fingerprints ruining the effect. I'm not sure exactly how shimmery the Shimmer Black option is but I'm sure it's almost as eye-catching.

Flip the Reno8 over and you're presented with a 6.4-inch FHD AMOLED display - big without making the whole phone too oversized to fit comfortably in one hand. It's covered by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 - pretty tough. Unfortunately, the factory fitted screen protector doesn't seem to be quite so tough and I've already managed to accumulate quite a few scratches in the week or two I've been using the phone.

As far as using the display goes - great. It's bright, it's sharp and its 90Hz maximum refresh rate is a good selling point in this price range. Using the Reno8 is a fluid, smooth operation. When I reviewed its more premium cousin, the Find X5 Pro earlier this year I remarked on how much more refined the ColorOS interface seems to be these days - lots of features and settings tweaks without confusing and unnecessary options. The same story applies to the Reno8. Add to that 8GB of RAM, a very generous 256GB of storage (that's standard issue for this handset) and a fairly grunty MediaTek Dimensity 1300 CPU, and you've got a pretty powerful wee beastie in your pocket, once again belying its sub $1000 price-tag.

Another area where OPPO often sets the standard is battery life and charge times. Again, the Reno8 steps up to the plate here. Not only am I always left with more than 50% juice left in the tank by the end of the day, there's an 80W SUPERVOOC charger included in the box. I don't know if you've ever seen SUPERVOOC in action but it's pretty freaky seeing the charge numbers ticking up right before your eyes. Sadly, no wireless charging option though - obviously one compromise OPPO conceded to keep this phone affordable.

They haven't made too many others though; the in-display fingerprint sensor is fast and reliable - but then so is face unlocking. While other mid-tier offerings are often bulky and heavy, the Reno8 is super slim and weighs in under 180 grams.

But of course the main event here, as it usually is with most OPPO phones, is camera performance. The Reno8 proudly puts the emphasis on low-light photography and pretty much nails it - not just with the two giant 50MP Sony sensors on the back but also with the front camera; a 32MP Sony that capitalises on OPPO's new generation RGBW technology to bring light and colour to even the most terribly-lit selfies. The selfie camera often misses out on some of the most groundbreaking enhancements but not this time. OPPO claims it captures 60% more light than other RGGB sensors and reduces noise by a crazy 35% more. All I know is I can no longer hide in the shadows.

Video shot from either front or rear arrays is also quite amazing in low light - the Reno8 boasts some pretty decent stabilisation skills too. The upshot is a very capable vlogging all-rounder - as advertised.

I don't know why I'm always so surprised when a new OPPO phone turns out to be amazing - they usually are. In this case I guess I thought the Reno8's low light promise - especially low light selfies - was more hyperbole than fact. And yet, from what I've seen, OPPO has delivered again.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the OPPO Reno8 5G.