Oppo Reno13 Series - Serious Value for Money

Oppo is a big player global smart phone sales, ranking fourth or fifth in market share depending on which survey you read and which quarter you're referring to.

Here in New Zealand, Oppo ranks a clear third and yet time and again, when people ask me which phone I'm using, they claim they've never even heard of Oppo.

It's weird.

More often than not, the reason they're asking me about my phone is because they've seen the photos I've been taking. Oppo has always taken a camera-first approach to smart phones.

And this year's Reno series is no exception...

At NZ$699, NZ$999 and NZ$1399, the Reno13 F, Reno13 and Reno13 Pro are all priced to be a very competitive alternative to devices with similar specs from the likes of Samsung and Apple.

It's hard to make a like-for-like comparison though, because while one handset may have a superior camera, if it has an inferior chip running it, that doesn't count for much.

What I can do is compare the Reno13 Pro with the Reno13 F - because I've been sent both to test.

Firstly, let me just say how impressed I was with the sub-$700 device. I was expecting a lot of compromises, especially with photo quality and the performance of the chip. I didn't need to worry.

Without getting to bogged down in the nerdy stuff, let's start with the chips; the Pro sports the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 while the F runs on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 Mobile Platform. Neither of these chips are the flagship product from their respective suppliers but those suppliers are both well regarded and I can't say I experienced any performance issues at all. Admittedly the Reno 13F wasn't quite as snappy as its twice-as-expensive sibling - but it still operated very smoothly, with apps installing and opening quite speedily. This is despite the Pro having 50% more RAM and twice the internal storage.

In fact, when it came to using both handsets, if I was judging them on usability alone, I couldn't honestly justify the $700 price difference. 

Both are eSIM capable, which is a relief for me because I chucked my physical SIM card away years ago.

Likewise, both devices have large, 5,800mAh batteries, although the Pro will charge much faster with the 80W SuperVOOC power brick included in the box.

And that's how it is with most features on these two handsets; the Pro just adds that little bit extra. For example, both displays offer refresh rates at up to 120Hz but the screen on the Pro is bigger - 6.83-inches as opposed to 6.67-inches - and can run at a higher resolution, which means side by side the Pro looks clearer and a bit more colourful.

The Pro's screen is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, which adds to its durability - although, because its flexible AMOLED display curves slightly at the edges, I did run into the old simultaneous touch problem; that's where my fat fingers register touches on the edges at the same time as what I'm trying to control in the middle of the screen. This results in nothing happening at all. It's a price I'm willing to pay though, because a curvy phone like this definitely feels more premium in the hand.

My review Reno13 Pro is Plume Purple, which reflects light in a very eye-catching way on the back panel. My Reno13 F is a much more subdued, Graphite Gray. Both phones come in both colours but again, the Pro is slimmer and feels less plasticky than the F model.

Both handsets carry an IP69 rating against dust and water. I don't think I've ever encountered an IP69-rated device before and I had to look up exactly what it means. Apparently, now you can not only drop your phone in the toilet, you can literally squirt it with a high-pressure hose. Which you might want to do if you've dropped it in the toilet, I guess?

I paired the same set of earbuds with both phones and was intrigued to discover how much better they worked with the Reno13 Pro. Turns out this is because the Pro connects using the latest Bluetooth 5.4 protocol which is much stronger and transmits at very low latency compared to the Bluetooth 5.1 on the Reno13 F. You'll need a decent pair of buds to make the most of it though - luckily, Oppo is currently offering its own Enco Air4 Pro buds for free with a Reno13 Pro purchase. I haven't tried the Enco Air4 Pros but I do know they are also Bluetooth 5.4 enabled. 

Camera performance is where the Pro really starts to pull ahead. As I said in the intro, I've never met an Oppo phone that didn't take great pics but I'd argue the Reno13 Pro can hold its own with the best of the best. On the back, both Pro and F have 50MP wide and 8MP ultra-wide sensors, although when you really dig down, the Pro's lenses are more well endowed.

The third sensor on the F is a 32MP macro lens - so yes, it'll do great close-ups but I'd rather have the 50MP telephoto sensor on the Pro. That means way better zoom shots and quality close-ups too.

It's not a level playing field around on the front side either. The F has a 32MP camera which is very respectable - especially for a phone in this price-range. You can shoot lovely bokeh (blurred background) portraits if you like and even create panorama selfies. You can shoot dual-view video (using front and rear cameras simultaneously) and the selfie-cam can film in 1080p@30fps - very good quality video for a forward-facing camera.

But not as good as what the Pro can do. 4K@60fps from a selfie-cam? Crazy. You get auto-focus too.

Don't get me wrong. The Reno13 F's camera performance is great. It's just that the Pro's is quite a bit greater.

Both phones have an underwater mode though. So that whole IP69 thing must be for real, right?

Now for my pet peeve. As usual, Oppo has left wireless charging off both devices. I wouldn't expect it from the $699 device but every iPhone charges wirelessly and has done for years. As do Samsung's Galaxy S and Z series devices. Because Oppo's SuperVOOC charging has always worked so well, effectively out-charging the opposition, it's never made wireless a priority but that needs to change. I can't be the only one who finds plugging and unplugging my phone clumsy and annoying - not to mention the fact cables, plugs and USB ports break and wear out a lot more often than wireless charging pads do.

Or is that just me?

If it is, and if pure camera performance is your priority, you won't find many phones that can out-photo the Reno13 Pro, certainly not at NZ$1399. On the other hand, if you just want a phone that'll take a licking, keep on ticking and is more feature-packed than many others in the below $700 category, the Reno13 F is definitely worth a look. And by the way, it's 5G, so could be the perfect replacement for those of you with older devices that are going to stop working at the end of the year.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Oppo Reno13 Pro.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Oppo Reno13 F.

Samsung Galaxy A-Series (2025) - The Most Confusing Time of the Year

Why bring out one phone when you can launch six?

Once again, Samsung is in the process of swamping the market with mid-range Galaxy A-Series phones. Yes, there are half a dozen to choose between this year, starting at just NZ$229.00.

If that isn't overwhelming enough, there are still four A-Series handsets from last year listed on Samsung's New Zealand website. If you're wondering how to tell the difference, the 2025 models all end in a "6." Because, of course they do. What's confusing about that?

Hopefully, if you're in the market for a sub-$1000 phone, you'll come across a well-trained sales expert who can carefully and precisely explain the differences between all these devices.

If you're shopping online, I guess it's up to me.

Unfortunately, I'm only going to be able to help you with the Galaxy A36 and Galaxy A56, the two higher-end variants of this year's crop. It's hard enough reviewing two phones simultaneously, let alone six. 

Essentially, the main differences between A-Series phones of any given year mostly comes down to build quality, camera performance and above all else, processor power.

This last thing can be somewhat wonky to get your head around if you're not the kind of phone-user who cares that much about the latest and greatest in phone tech. In fact, let's face it, this year you might only be buying a new phone out of necessity because they're turning off the 3G network and you need something capable of 4G... or perhaps even 5G?

Both the A36 and A56 options Samsung have brought to New Zealand are 5G-capable. They both have large, 5000mAh batteries that'll cruise through a full day (and probably a second) and they both have sumptuous 6.7-inch Super AMOLED displays. Those displays - and the rear panels - are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus +. This makes them very hard-wearing indeed and I was surprised to see it on phones in this price range. The IP67 water and dust protection is another welcome durability feature.

Both phones come in three "Awesome" colourways - Lavender, Lime or Black for the A36 and Pink, Graphite or Lightgrey for the A56. Although they look almost identical, if you hold them both at the same time you'll immediately feel the first difference; the A56 has more durable metal rails around the edge which gives it a much more premium, solid and generally less plasticky feel.

The next big difference is also on the outside but you won't be able to spot it by looking at it. Although both handsets have a 50MP three-sensor primary camera module on the back, the Ultra-Wide lens is 12MP on the A56 as opposed to 8MP on the A36.

I've taken excellent photos with both devices but for some reason, the A56 seems to result in slightly clearer images and videos with truer colours.

That reason probably has a lot to do with why I'd choose the A56 over the A36 every time; processing power. The performance gap is noticeable with just about everything you do with either handset... Scrolling and navigating around the device is smoother on the A56. Opening apps is much slower on the A36 - especially opening the camera app. And changing orientation from portrait to landscape and back again is also laggy and choppy on the A36.

Interestingly, the end results are generally quite comparable and the major feature both devices bring to the table in 2026 is Galaxy AI. Or Google Gemini. Or both. Or maybe it's the same thing. 

To be honest, this whole AI racket is a real mess. You can obviously add other AI apps to these phones too and if you're subscribed to a whole suite like Microsoft 365, then you're probably introducing Copilot into the equation as well.

Even Google can't quite seem to decide if you should be summoning Gemini or Google Assistant. The point is, you don't have to shell out for a $1000+ flagship to access a lot of this stuff. If you want this stuff, that is.

One place where Samsung's version of AI really comes to the fore is editing photos. There's a lot you can do to clean up your pics after the fact - things like removing unwanted people and objects in the background for example. Again, this takes a bit longer with the cheaper phone but it can still do it.

The A36 starts at NZ$649.00 while the A56 is definitely in the next bracket up at NZ$799.00. In saying that, I can assure you the 256GB A56 is a far superior device and well worth every cent. If it had wireless charging I'd be more than happy to use it as my daily device. And if, like me, you have a relative you need to move off 3G by the end of the year, either of these phones would be a major upgrade and a great replacement.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy A-Series. (A36 and A56 devices available from March 28, 2025)

Apple iPhone 16e - Welcome to the Family

It's been almost three years since Apple last released an "entry-level" handset.

At the time, although I was impressed with its performance, aesthetically the design was an out-and-out throwback to a much earlier era of iPhones; the ones with small screens sandwiched between two inexplicably large blank spaces top and bottom - and yes, although by then the "Home Button" was long gone on the iPhone flagships, the SE still had one. How quaint.

And the camera? Well. Enough said,

Still, at just NZ$799.00 it was a pretty cheap iPhone.

Well, finally there's a new pretty cheap iPhone. It's not AS cheap. But it's way prettier.

The Apple iPhone 16e doesn't look, feel or behave anything like previous SE models which is presumably why Apple didn't call it the next generation iPhone SE.

And after using the 16e for a week or so, I can certainly understand why they were determined to make it clear this new device is a legitimate member of the iPhone 16 family.

Holding it and looking at it front-on, there's very little to distinguish it from the base-model iPhone 16. The 6.1-inch super retina display is the same size and it's protected by the same Ceramic Shield that makes all modern iPhones so hard to destroy.

When you turn the iPhone 16 on you'll notice there's a notch at the top of the display which has morphed into the slightly less-intrusive "Dynamic Island" on the other late-model flagships. While it has its uses, I'm betting the vast majority of iPhone owners consider the Dynamic Island a nice-to-have rather than a must-have - that's if they even know what it is. So no great loss there.

Just like its more expensive siblings, the 16e has an Action Button, the programmable shortcut that can launch your favourite app, set the phone to silent or call your mum. It doesn't have the Camera Control shortcut sensor all the other 16-series devices have, so you'll have to zoom and change filters the old-fashioned way.

Which brings us to the most obvious compromise on this handset, the camera itself. 

You won't find too many single-lens shooters on today's smartphone shelves which is why Apple has labelled this one a Fusion camera. To be fair, somehow they have managed to integrate 2x optical telephoto zooming abilities into this 48MP sensor, so it does indeed behave a bit like "two cameras in one."

To prove it, here's a shot of the view outside my window. Admittedly, it'd be better if it was Ultra-Wide, but that's definitely off the table here...

Pretty much what you'd expect from any iPhone; natural colours, excellent light-and-shade balance - especially on the tree in the foreground.

Now let's zoom...

This is the some shot at 7x zoom. Despite a generous helping of digital assistance, the row of houses about 1km away looks pretty damn clear to me.

You can still shoot in Portrait mode, although you have to switch to it manually in the camera app. Those of you lucky enough to own a recent iPhone flagship will know you can just press the little f symbol to achieve the same bokeh effect as I have here with doggo in the back seat.

So no little f... what a tragedy.

Look, I get it. If you're super fussy about your photos, this probably isn't the iPhone for you. And as far as video goes, I'm afraid I have to tell you, the 16e does 4K in Dolby Vision.

Wait...

What?

Yes, as you'll see in my video at the bottom, only true video aficionados are really going to care too much about any shortfalls here.

But what about Apple Intelligence and all its cool tricks? Image Playground? Genmojis? Clean Up for your photos?

Not to worry. As a genuine member of the iPhone 16 clan, the 16e even has the same generation of chip; the A18. In fact, the 16e has something the other 16s don't; Apple's in-house C1 cellular modem. This means more efficient mobile data and Wi-Fi connectivity on top of the already speedy A18 CPU - that all adds up to some very welcome battery life statistics.

You may also be surprised to hear the 16e can charge wirelessly too, although it isn't MagSafe compatible so if you have invested heavily in magnetic chargers and accessories, you'll also need to invest in a 3rd-party MagSafe-friendly case.

When I first saw the iPhone 16e's specs, I thought it was too good to be true. Practically nobody is going to spend an extra $400 just to get MagSafe or Dynamic Island. Sure, there's just no way the camera setup can physically compete with the iPhone 16, Plus, Pro and Pro Max. But it's certainly not bad.

And I guess that's why this isn't really a "budget" option. Remember how I said 2022's iPhone SE was only NZ$799.00? The 16e starts at NZ$1199.00. In saying that, there's no longer a 64GB version, so the gap closes pretty quickly when you start at 128GB.

I think the iPhone 16e is worth every penny, and then some. It's fast, it's durable, it has excellent battery life and a fabulous display. If you're not a professional photographer, this is the mid-range phone I'd be considering right now.

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Apple iPhone 16e.

Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra - AI Takeover Almost Complete

What does A.I. mean to you?

Is it a genuine suite of tools you can easily access to increase your productivity? Or is it just a glorified search engine, presenting you with occasionally inaccurate information, albeit in a more accessible, conversational tone?

Personally, even now, I'm still an A.I. sceptic. I don't see how "learning to use" a specific set of A.I. features helps me save time, especially when I can't trust the factual integrity some of the results.

But I might be the Lone Ranger here. Certainly if Samsung's latest flagship launch was anything to go by.

Tuning into last month's Galaxy Unpacked event, I was left feeling it wasn't really about the phones at all. There's been a seismic shift. The focus was squarely on Galaxy A.I. and Gemini. The S25 handsets were merely the latest conduits to access those A.I. tools.

Which is a shame, because after spending a week or two with the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, I have no doubt it'll be one of the phones of the year - regardless of how much A.I. has been bundled into it.

Critics will claim this year's Ultra isn't that much different to last year's - but then, they say stuff like that every year. At least there's no confusing the 2025 version with the 2024 one; the titanium edges have been squared off while the corners of the handset are now curved, no longer the sharp points reminiscent of the Galaxy Note devices of yesteryear.

With no more pointy corners stabbing into your palm, the S25 Ultra is now more comfortable to hold, despite still being one of the largest phones around. 

The 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display provides sublime viewing in all light conditions (as usual) - in fact, just like Samsung's flagship TVs, the S25 Ultra now boasts an even more effective anti-reflective coating which means improved outdoor performance.

Speaking of performance, as you'd expect, there's been a chip upgrade too; despite early rumours of an in-house Exynos chip running the show, a bespoke collaboration between Samsung and Qualcomm sees the introduction of the Sanpdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy instead. I won't linger on the significant gains in power, speed and efficiency this new processor offers - obviously there's a noticeable bump when doing things like gaming and video editing.

Samsung has done a lot of work to keep the S25 Ultra cool too, with a 40% larger vapour chamber and every other available space jam-packed with some kind of magical thermal material to keep operating temperatures at their optimum.

Strangely, neither all this extra cooling or a more efficient chip seem to have done much to improve battery life. The 5000mAh cell is the same capacity as last year's and if there have been any improvements in how long a full charge lasts, I haven't exactly been blown away. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the S25 Ultra won't get a heavy user through a long day, it just won't get you through two.

Another notable (excuse the pun) design decision was to strip the on-board S-Pen stylus of its bluetooth abilities. For years now the S-Pen has been able to double as a remote; playing and pausing media, clicking through slides in Power Point presentations and wirelessly firing off selfies - always easier to control than setting a timer and hoping you get back in shot in time. But now the S-Pen is just a pen. Samsung must have gleaned that most users either chose not to use the S-Pen's bluetooth functions or more likely, didn't even know about them. While I've read some disgruntled customers have penned a petition to bring the supercharged S-Pen back in 2026, given I too never used it much, I can't really complain.

Perhaps the S25 Ultra's most significant upgrade (other than the god-like neural processing power we'll come to shortly) is the improvement to the Ultra Wide camera, going from 12MP to 50MP. This not only means a more detailed, higher resolution result but in my testing I felt the new sensor took pics that were much more consistent in terms of colour and contrast with those taken with the 200MP primary shooter.

For example, this was shot on a bright day with the excellent 200MP main camera...

Now let's go wider...

You'll see the sky is perhaps ever so slightly more blue, but in terms of brightness and contrast, very consistent... and lots of detail.

Speaking of which, what happens when we compare the Ultra Wide with the Zoom sensor?

Tricky in such bright light to see doggo in much detail - except...

The Zoom lens nails it. I think I zoomed in even more than 10 x here and yet there's no real noise or graininess to my eye. Pretty impressive.

When it comes to video, 10-bit HDR recording is now applied by default. This makes it one of the best low-light shooters I've used to date. Again, that super-duper new chip is hard at work, reducing noise and boosting clarity.

Wait, is that A.I.? I'd argue it is, and it's my preferred kind; the A.I. I don't know is happening. Don't worry though, there are plenty of more obvious examples baked into this device.

Like Audio Eraser - which could be my new favourite feature. You know how these days most camera apps offer you the option to delete distracting people and objects from the background of your pictures, using A.I. to fill in the space? Audio Eraser is a similar tool, except it works with the sound on your videos. The classic example is concert footage. Presumably when you play it back you'd prefer to hear the artist who's performing, rather than the group of drunk teenagers forgetting all the words, just out of shot beside you. Now you can use the Audio Eraser function to extract an editable, multi-track audio master from your recording. Then you can boost sounds like music while reducing crowd noise - or perhaps muting it completely. It's like having a sound-editing suite squeezed into your phone.

There are a host of other A.I. tricks you can access (assuming you can remember what they are and how to use them). Many, like Circle-to-Search, rely on Google Gemini, not just Galaxy A.I. to work. This all gets very confusing, very quickly. I mean, I know I can now circle anything on my screen and Gemini will list off all sorts of relevant information, be it an app on my home screen or a car caught in freeze-frame in a movie. But who do I thank for that? Galaxy A.I.? Gemini? Or both?

Samsung has also made a big deal about inter-app functionality. In theory, this allows Gemini - or Galaxy A.I. - or both? - to access a photo you took of fish tacos from your Gallery, look up the location of a restaurant that serves them nearby using Google Maps, then arrange a dinner date using information from your Contacts and sending a calendar invite through Google Mail.

Seriously, even if it worked first time - is that something you're going to trust your phone to do for you just by asking it? And what if I'm using non-Google or non-Samsung apps like Outlook and Waze? I've had varying degrees of success playing around with some of these new tools. Yes, they're starting to become more intuitive but when my phone still thought I was trying to call Tim on my way home instead of Time Saver Traffic to report an accident, I think there's a way to go yet.

As I so often find with freshly-launched flagship handsets these days, it's hard to figure out which of these fancy A.I. features are specific to the newly released handset and which will eventually become available to previous generation models in future software updates.

Which all means as far as I'm concerned, A.I. alone is not a good enough reason to upgrade.

I can't help thinking if Samsung had spent extra time highlighting more traditional features like camera and processor upgrades, that'd make a more compelling argument. Not to mention the completely superficial - yet no less valid - cosmetic changes like rounded corners and an impressive seven different colours to choose from. (Three are online-only, but they're still options)

A.I, by its very nature, is constantly evolving and refining itself and I'm not denying its exponentially growing importance as part of any piece of tech like this. But you'll still need the best phone to get the best out of it and let me assure you, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is definitely one of the best.

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.