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Smartphone manufacturer, OPPO, launched the OPPO Reno5 in the Kenyan market in February 2021. The Reno5 is part of the Reno series that have been popular in the Kenyan market. The phone is retailing at Ksh. 41,999.

I got to test drive the smartphone and these are my thoughts.

Out of the box

  • OPPO Reno5
  • Charger plug
  • USB-C cable
  • Earphones
  • Screen protector
  • Back cover
  • Manual

OPPO Reno5 Specifications

Network: 2G/3G/4G
Screen size: 6.26 x 2.89 x 0.31 inches
SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Screen: 6.43 inch OLED touchscreen
OS: Android 11, ColorOS 11.1
Chipset: Qualcomm SM7250 Snapdragon 765G
CPU: Octa-core (1×2.4 GHz Kryo 475 Prime & 1×2.2 GHz Kryo 475 Gold & 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 475 Silver)
GPU: Adreno 620
Internal storage: 128GB
RAM: 8GB
Main camera: Quad camera setup
64 MP (wide)
8 MP (ultrawide)
2 MP (macro)
2 MP (depth)
Selfie camera: Single 32 MP (wide)
Battery: Li-Po 4300 mAh, non-removable battery with Fast charging 65W
Colours: Aurora Blue, Moonlight Black, Starry Dream

Design

The phone comes in an arc design with the power button on the right of the phone. On the left side of the phone is the dual SIM card port which also houses the MicroSD port. The left side also has the volume buttons.

The main camera is at the back in a quad-set up while the selfie camera is at the left top of the front screen. The screen also houses the fingerprint sensor at the bottom middle of the phone.

The phone speaker is at the top of the phone while the 3.5mm headphone jack is at the bottom of the phone. Next to it is a charging port (middle), loudspeaker, and a mouthpiece.

The home button is in the middle with the rest of the controls are on the left and on the right.

The build of the phone is great and is a bit heavy compared to the other Reno5 devices.

Screen

The phone comes with a 6.43 inch OLED touchscreen that is really bright. It comes with automatic lighting feature that adjusts the light depending on the lighting conditions around you.

The screen is large enough that makes it easy for various actions such as playing videos and video games. Watching videos on it, on any platform, is a great experience. The large screen also makes using visual apps such as TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram and it also makes reading and editing documents easier.

You can also use multiple apps at once by turning on the multi-windows feature. However, this feature does not work with all apps. It also comes with other features such as eye comfort, dark mode, adaptive sleep and OSIE visual effect.

Connectivity

The phone comes with dual SIM and I used it with Safaricom and Telkom Kenya SIM cards. 4G on the phone is quite fast depending on the strength of the network.

On Safaricom, I was able get download speeds of between 20-40Mbps and upload speeds of between15-20Mbps. On Telkom, downloads were between 15-30Mbps and uploads of between 10-20Mbps.

The also comes with Bluetooth, Micro USB, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hot Spot and FM radio.

Software

The phone runs on Android 11 coupled with OPPO’s own ColorOS 11.1. It comes pre-installed with Google apps such as Gmail, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Google Maps among others.

It also comes with OPPO apps such as Phone Manager, Game Space, O Relax among others.

The phone works well with the software, especially since it comes with the fast Android 11, and it gives a good overall experience.

Storage

The phone comes with 128GB internal storage which is quite adequate. I really tried to fill it up with apps, pictures and music and video downloads but I could only get to 100GB.

In case the memory is not enough, you can add a memory card which is upgradable to upto 256GB.

Final thoughts

The OPPO Reno5 is quite a workhorse and for its price it is quite a formidable phone and it works quite well even when used heavily.

The phone is retailing at Ksh. 41,999 and it is available at OPPO Kenya shops countrywide.