Phone manufacturer Oppo announced the Kenyan launch of the new Oppo flagship phones, part of the Oppo range, yesterday at a virtual event.
The newest addition to the Reno series is the OPPO Reno 7, which comes in two variants i.e. Reno 7 4G and the Reno 7 5G. The 4G is retailing at Ksh. 42,999 and the 5G variant which will retail at Ksh. 59,999.
We had a chance to test drive the new phone (4G version) and here are our thoughts;
Reno 7 specifications
Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE
Dimensions: 6.30 x 2.88 x 0.30 inches
Build: Glass front, aluminum back
SIM: Nano-SIM
Screen: 6.4 inch touchscreen (1080 x 2400 pixels)
OS: Android 12 + colours OS 12
Chipset: Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm)
CPU: Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Kryo 265 Gold & 4×1.9 GHz Kryo 265 Silver)
GPU: Adreno 610
Internal storage: 256GB
RAM: 8GB RAM
Main camera: 64 MP, 2 MP, 2 MP
Selfie camera: Single 32 MP
USB: Type-C 2.0
Battery type: Li-Po 4500 mAh, non-removable
Charging: Charging 33W
Colours: Cosmic Black, Sunset Orange
Design and screen
The Oppo Reno 7 comes with a frosted back cover, aluminium on the sides and an all glass front, that is protected by Corning Glass 5.
The 6.4 touchscreen, at 1080 x 2400 pixels, is super bright and brings out vivid colours. The screen is quite responsive and makes for easy scrolling and movement between various live apps is quite smooth. The selfie camera is on the front top left while the fingerprint scanner is on the lower middle.
At the back, it features a minimalist design with the back camera protruding from the back cover. On the side, we have the power button on the right and the volume controls on the left. I noticed however that you need to press the power button + the upper volume button to turn off or restart the phone which is a bit strange. The left also has the SIM card plus memory card slot.
It comes with USB-C charging port, which is at the bottom of the phone, with the speaker on the right and 3.5mm headphone jack on the left.
The phone design is compact and feels comfortable to the touch. Due to the placement of the back camera, it is wise to fit the cover that comes with the phone as it protects the camera in case the phone falls.
An interesting feature on the Reno is that the main camera lights up (or rather the LED light around it) whenever you have notifications.
Performance and software
The Oppo Reno 7 comes with Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 processor, Adreno 610 GPU plus 256 internal storage and 8 GB of RAM.
It also comes with Android 12 operating systems coupled with ColorOS 12.1. Out of the box, the usual Google and Oppo apps comes pre-installed. Some of these apps can be deleted in case you have no use for them.
My experience with the processor, RAM plus OS combo was smooth. 8 GB RAM was more than sufficient for me even when running heavy apps together or gaming. However, if you need extra RAM for the normal operation of the phone, Oppo has provided a way to expand your RAM. You however need free storage for this to happen. It is still pretty cool if you ask me.
The internal storage was a lot. I migrated all the data from the other phone I was using, which was around 100 GB, and I still could not get anywhere close to filling it. I have a feeling that it is going to be enough for most people.
Camera
The Reno 7 comes with 64 Megapixels, 2 Megapixels and 2 Megapixels at the back and a 32 Megapixel selfie camera.
The camera experience is quite with the times. They have the usual but have added a few things such as the Extra HD feature and also the 64 megapixel feature, where you get to use the main camera by itself. Both these features produce really quality images, although you can’t zoom with the 64 MP feature. You can only take pictures of objects that are nearby.
Other features that come with the cameras include;
- Night shooting feature for low light conditions
- High-efficiency video coding (HEVC) to be able to record high quality videos that save space.
- HDR and AI enhancement to automatically detect objects in a photo or video and to enhance them to get the best picture
- Portrait mode
- Pro mode
- Other include; Slow motion, time lapse, microscope and text scanner.
Here are some photos I took with the camera.
Battery
The Reno 7 comes with a Li-Po 4500 mAh battery with 33W fast charging. The battery on the phone is larger than on the Reno 6 which was 4300 mAh but it is curious that the charging has gone down from 65W to 33W. The lower wattage causes the Reno 7 to charge considerably slower, which is a disadvantage.
The phone takes around 45 minutes to get to 90% from 0%. It however does retain charge for a phone with such a bright screen. I was able to get 12 hours with heavy use and 15-16 hours with moderate use.
It has the power saving and super power saving mode features which should rescue you if the battery drains in a location where you are unable to charge your device.
Final thoughts
I have been a fan of the Reno Series for some time now and the Oppo Reno 7 has not disappointed in the least. I strongly recommend this phone and it is a must buy for those who are looking for a reliable mid-range smartphone with great battery life.
The Oppo Reno 7 4G is retailing at Ksh. 42,999 while 5G variant is retailing at Ksh. 59,999. They are available at Oppo retail stores countrywide.