Oppo Reno12 5G review: AI-enabled smartphone for productivity & creativity

The Oppo Reno12 series is the newest entrant in the Kenyan smartphone market.
The Chinese mobile manufacturer announced the series globally in June and launched two devices in Kenya on August 22.

The Oppo Reno12 F 5G and the Oppo Reno12 5G are billed as AI devices, and their integrated Generative Artificial Intelligence features focus on boosting creativity and productivity. Oppo Kenya’s Communications Manager Fredrique Achieng said at the launch event that the manufacturer is keen on making AI technology widely accessible.

To this end, the manufacturer partnered with LOOP DFS. This digital financial services provider offers various device financing options to enable the affordable acquisition of smartphones and other electronic devices.

The Oppo Reno12 F 5G and the Oppo Reno12 5G are available for purchase at Ksh49,999 and Ksh69,999 respectively. LOOP DFS offer a 10 per cent cash-back option if purchased via their mobile application or website.

Here is our review of the Oppo Reno12 5G after spending some time with the device.

Out of the box

The Oppo Reno12 5G is packaged in a distinctive white box with an iridescent strip, a hallmark of the Oppo Reno series.

The series name is printed on the left side of the box with the bottom side being blank.

The top and back of the box have stickers with some specifications printed on them.

The Oppo Reno12 5G is packaged with an 80-watt fast-charging power brick, a USB to Type-C charging cable, a clear protective case, a quick guide, a safety guide and a SIM key. Photo/EUGENE OKUMU

Inside the box, the device sits on a moulded partition. It is wrapped in a wax paper sleep which keeps it safe.

Underneath the partition, the packaging has the protective silicone case, safety guide, set up guide and SIM key wrapped in a plastic bag.

Under that is the fast-charge power brick and the USB to Type-C cable placed inside a moulded retainer. The device is not sold with a pair of headphones.

Oppo Reno12 5G Specification

Network: 2G/3G/4G/5G
Dimensions: 161.4 mm X 74.1 mm X 7.57 mm (6.35 x 2.92 x 0.30 inches)
Screen: 6.7-inch AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection
Weight: 177 grams
SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
Operating System: Android 14, Color OS 14.1
Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy (4nm)
CPU: Octa-core (4×2.5 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
GPU: Mali-G615 MC2
Internal Storage: 512GB
RAM: 12GB + 12B, UFS 3.1
Main Camera: 50MP; f/1.8; 26mm, FOV 79° (wide-angled)
8MP; f/2.2; 16mm, FOV 112° (ultra-wide-angled)
2MP; f/2.4; FOV 89° (Macro)
Selfie Camera: 32MP, f/2.0, 21mm, FOV 90° (wide-angled)
Battery: 5000 mAh, non-removable
Colour: Matte Brown, Sunset Pink, Astro Silver

Exterior and Dimensions

The Oppo Reno12 5G is masterfully designed with a curved screen and back panel giving users a zero-pressure feel in hand. There is no associated hand fatigue with extended use of the Oppo Reno12 5G which allows users to fully immerse into its plethora of offerings for creativity and productivity with comfort.

The Oppo Reno12 5G with its 6.7-inch AMOLED display under a Corning Gorilla Glass 7i screen for protection. Photo/EUGENE OKUMU

The Oppo Reno12 5G’s monolithic glass front and smooth-finish plastic back are mounted onto the alloy frame to create a sleek integration. The seams are nicely aligned for the device’s IP65 rating for water and dust resistance.

The smartphone’s top edge has an infrared port and a secondary microphone. The infrared port paired with a variety of applications can transform the Oppo Reno12 5G into a remote controller for electronics such as TVs, air conditioner units and fans. The secondary microphone is used for ambient sound detection to keep phone calls clear. It also doubles up as a stereo recording microphone for a more immersive spatial audio experience through omnidirectional sound capture.

The top edge of the Oppo Reno12 5G with the stero speaker, the infrared port and an ambient sound microphone. Photo/EUGENE OKUMU

The bottom edge of Reno12 5G has a dual Nano-SIM tray with an additional slot for internal storage expansion. Next to that is the Oppo Reno12 5G’s primary microphone. We then have the USB Type-C charging port along with the loudspeaker to round off the features of the bottom edge.

The bottom edge of the Oppo Reno12 5G with the loudspeaker, the USB Type-C charging port, the primary microphone, and the SIM tray. Photo/EUGENE OKUMU

On the right edge, we have the volume rocker and the power button.

The Corning Gorilla Glass 7i front is monolithic with just the punched hole for the selfie camera on the display underneath it. A barely visible slit on the top edge where the screen meets the frame houses the earpiece.
Across the Oppo line of devices in recent years, this has been the minimalist trend. It optimizes the screen-to-body ratio while adapting the latest technology to keep phone calls clear despite the smaller earpiece footprint.

The Oppo Reno12 5G features a camera bump with a triple camera setup and a dual flash to illuminate photography and videography compositions. It also doubles up as a flashlight.

The plastic back of the Oppo Reno12 5G. Photo/EUGENE OKUMU

A standout feature of the Oppo Reno12 5G’s build quality is its Sponge Bionic Cushioning. This integrates inbuilt shock absorption and cushioning around components to protect them from damage on account of drops and impact. The device has a tolerance for drops as high as 1.5 meters and can withstand pressures of up to 50 kg.

A demonstration of the Oppo Reno12 5G’s Sponge Bionic Cushioning construction during a drop test. Graphic Interchanging Format Image/EUGENE OKUMU

Screen and Camera

The Oppo Reno12 5G’s AMOLED display has a 1.07 billion colour rating for a rich range of hues when viewing high-resolution images, videos and mobile games. This coupled with the HRD10+ feature gives a dynamic scene-by-scene and frame-by-frame brightness, contrast and colour adjustment to enhance a user’s viewing experience.

The Reno12 5G utilizes FHD+ to achieve a 20:9 ratio and 1080 pixels by 2412 pixels to give a cinematic viewing experience on the narrower, but longer screen.

The 6.67-inch AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i, a refresh rate of 120 Hz and a peak brightness of 1200 nits. Photo/EUGENE OKUMU

With its 93.2 per cent screen-to-body ratio and its 394 pixels-per-inch display density, the Oppo Reno12 5G presents a pleasurable viewing experience. The device’s peak screen brightness of 1200 nits and 120Hz refresh rate further enhance the optical delight a user gets when using it.

The Splash Touch and Touch Optimization features added on top of the Oppo Reno12 5G’s 240Hz touch sampling rate give it that rare combination of high responsiveness even when wet. This is uncommon as most devices are compromised when the screen gets splashes of water and other liquids.

A demonstration of the Oppo Reno12 5G’s Splash Touch and Touch Optimization feature with its 240 Hz touch sampling rate. Graphic Interchanging Format Image/EUGENE OKUMU

The Corning Gorilla Glass 7i is an added layer of protection which allows users to fully enjoy immersing in the Reno12 5G’s host of features without worrying about damage.

The Oppo Reno12 5G’s triple camera, one of its star attractions, features a 50-megapixel wide-angled lens, an 8-megapixel ultrawide lens, and a 2-megapixel macro lens. The camera has an LED flash and HDR to improve visibility across different lighting situations.

The multi-step camera bump with the triple-lens set up on the back of the Oppo Reno12 5G. Photo/EUGENE OKUMU

The selfie camera is also a capable 32-megapixel wide-angle lens with dedicated HDR for better composition illumination.

The wide-angle 32-megapixel selfie camera of the Oppo Reno12 5G has a focal length of 21mm and an f/2.0 aperture size. Photo/EUGENE OKUMU

Both cameras can record videos in 4K resolution at a base specification of 30 frames per second. Further video resolutions both cameras share is 1080p at 30 frames per second. The primary camera has a further range from 60 to 480 frames per second. It can also record super slow-motion videos at a resolution of 720p with an impressive 960 frames per second.

It provides an opportunity for great photography and videography added to its suite of integrated Generative Artificial Intelligence features which we have previously covered here and here.

Performance and Storage

The Oppo Reno12 5G has the new MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy chipset which is the device’s unseen workhorse keeping it performing optimally under varied conditions. This 4 nm chipset has a small footprint within the internal circuitry of the Reno12 which ensures that the device is conservative with its power consumption.

An area it is not conservative in however is in the Octacore processor. Oppo Reno12 5G runs four Cortex A-78 processors clocking a maximum speed of 2.5GHz. These have an additional four Cortex A-55 processors for company, making 2.0GHz when running at full speed. The result is seamlessly fast responses for a variety of functions such as the high 120Hz refresh rate when browsing and quick responses when playing video games.

The Oppo Reno12 5G’s Mali-G615 MC2 graphics card gives on-screen animations a pop rendering progress in videos and games in real-time.

The pre-installed Android 14 operating system and the ColorOS 14.1 custom skin offer the latest in security and protection. They also make the Oppo Reno12 5G highly customizable to match the user’s personality and preferences.

The Oppo Reno12 5 G’s settings menu displays the device’s specifications. Photo/EUGENE OKUMU

The manufacturer has committed to 2 major Android operating system upgrades meaning that if the hardware holds up, a user can have the Oppo Reno12 5G in proper working condition for some years to come.

Storage ranks highly on the list of considerations smartphone users have when shopping for a new device. The Oppo Reno12 5G does not disappoint on that front. A user will have 512GB of Random Access Memory out of the box at their disposal upon purchasing this device. The storage will accommodate applications, files and system files needed to keep the device running.

This internal storage can be expanded using a micro SDXC card. The Oppo Reno12 5G uses the SD3.0 phone storage standard. This Secure Digital Extended Capacity (SDXC) expands the device’s storage range between 32GB and 2TB. As there are no 2TB micro SDXC cards in commercial production at scale, users can only currently expand their storage up to 1TB. This is still plenty even for heavy device use.

The Oppo Reno12 5G also has a hefty 12GB of stock Random Access Memory (RAM) it banks on to keep applications and other operations running efficiently. This too can be expanded using the Universal Flash Storage 3.1 standard. This feature enables a user to allocate up to 12GB of unused ROM to RAM. This is vital to keep the smartphone operating optimally when running multiple applications, when streaming content over the internet, or gaming.

Battery

A pairing of the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy chipset and the Oppo Reno12 5G’s 5000 mAh non-removable battery, makes it an energy-efficient device.

The Reno12 5g has 46 per cent and 30 per cent lower energy consumption for its GPU and CPU respectively. This means that even with heavy applications running, the device can keep battery power for longer.

In terms of runtimes on a full charge, the Oppo Reno12 5G can stay powered for over 48 hours with moderate to heavy use. In power-saving mode, the device can be on standby for up to 25 days. And the recharge statistics are just as impressive.

The charging graphic on the Oppo Reno12 5G Photo/EUGENE OKUMU

A user can get over 8 hours of talk time or just over 6 hours of video playback from 10 minutes of charge. A full recharge takes only 47 minutes on the Oppo Reno12 5G.

Oppo’s industry-leading Voltage Open Loop Multi-Step Constant-Current charging system enables the supplied 80-watt fast-charging power brick to achieve these outstanding recharge numbers.

Communication, Connectivity and Sensors

The Oppo Reno12 5G has the standard 2G through to 5G network connectivity range. This enables phone calls and LTE internet access even in areas with low network quality.

One of the Reno12 5G’s AI integrations that make it a technological marvel is the AI LinkBoost. This feature quickly re-established a steady network connection after interruptions such as riding an elevator, or while walking through an underground parking lot.

Another feature worth noting is BeaconLink which boosts Bluetooth signals to enable calls between two of the same device even when there is no network coverage. This works for a distance of up to 200 meters apart.

And speaking of Bluetooth, the Oppo Reno12 5G has the latest version 5.4 Low Energy. This version offers better security for files being transferred over Bluetooth. It gives clearer and stronger connections with compatible devices and increases the range of connections so a user can connect to compatible devices from further away.

Along with the Bluetooth, the Oppo Reno12 5G has Wi-Fi, infrared, GPS, Near Field Communication (NFC) and USB Type-C 2.0 On-The-Go (OTG).
The Reno12 5G is fitted with an under-screen fingerprint reader to secure the device unauthorised access. The smartphone also has an accelerometer, a gyro, a proximity sensor, and a compass.

Our Verdict

There are no downsides to owning the Oppo Reno12 5G considering how jam-packed it is with productivity and creativity features. It also has great power management meaning you can do more of the things you enjoy for longer.

The Generative AI is especially a timely innovation which among others, promises to enhance communication options by expanding what is possible to do with a smartphone.

The display, camera, performance and connectivity are all complementary to each other giving users a chance to experience the perfect balance between work and play.

This is a device we highly recommend if you are in the market for a smartphone upgrade.