Oppo Reno 10 5G Review: Stylish mid-range marvel

Verdict

The Oppo Reno 10 hits all the marks for a suitable mid-range smartphone expertise. Its show, efficiency, stamina, design, and digital camera all fall someplace between ‘good’ and ‘ok’. Apart from its fast charging and a devoted telephoto digital camera, nonetheless, it doesn’t actually stand out in a very aggressive discipline.

Introduction

With a price ticket of £399, an aesthetic design and a well-rounded digital camera, the Oppo Reno 10 joins an rising class of compelling mid-rangers.

Google’s imperious Pixel 7a and the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G are maybe essentially the most high-profile members of this membership, and the Honor 90 has additionally joined of late.

It ought to shock nobody to be taught that the Reno 10 is an effective telephone. Oppo has been doing this for some time now, and doesn’t are inclined to make many obtrusive errors. What we actually want to determine is whether or not the Reno 10 has that mid-range X-factor that lifts it above all of the credible also-rans.

With such robust mid-range competitors, the Oppo Reno 10 goes to must go some if it’s to actually stand out. Whereas fairly fast charging and an uncommon portrait telephoto digital camera actually give the telephone a few distinctive weapons, it’s considerably uncertain whether or not they’re the sort of decisive distinction makers that may win the day.

Design

• Curvy, glossy glass and plastic design
• Sparkly Oppo Glow end
• Solely IPX4 rated

Oppo has crafted a good-looking, if considerably by-the-book telephone within the Reno 10. It’s bought an identical curved-edge design to the Honor 90, with a 93% screen-to-body ratio. It’s an strategy that someway nonetheless screams “flagship” even because the flat-edged look has grown extra outstanding.

In contrast to the Honor 90, nonetheless, there’s a way more premium-feeling glass rear panel right here. It’s bought a twinkly Oppo Glow end that not solely glistens within the mild – even on this darkish “silvery gray” end – but additionally apparently wards off scratches. I can’t completely converse to that, however I can attest to the truth that my take a look at unit appears as recent as we speak because it did the second I first prised it out of its field, aided by the truth that it appears to withstand fingerprints much better than most. 

This a fairly compact telephone, with dimensions of 162.4 x 74.2 x 8mm and a just-so weight of 185g. The latter is helped by way of a plastic body, which is fairly frequent on this space of the market. Sure, there’s a slight disconnect between the shiny faux-metallic end of this materials and its smooth, warm-to-the-touch nature, nevertheless it’s a sensible compromise.

Speaking of compromise, you’ll should be prepared to just accept a mere IPX4 mud and water resistance ranking. You won’t really feel this warrants mentioning in a £400 telephone, however each the Pixel 7a and the Galaxy A54 5G supply a near-flagship IP67 ranking for comparable cash.

It’s good to see that stereo audio system have made the minimize, although. They’re just a little on the reedy facet, missing in depth and bass, and I discovered that I needed to crank the quantity up just a little increased than I often would throughout video playback, however they’re clear sufficient.

One other neat (if inessential) addition is an IR blaster on the highest edge. Xiaomi typically consists of these in its telephones, nevertheless it’s good to see one other producer enabling you to take management of your TV or Hello-Fi utilizing the bundled IR Distant app. I’m positive many individuals would fortunately swap this for a 3.5mm headphone jack, although.

Display

• 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED show
• 120Hz refresh fee
• 950nits peak brightness

The Oppo Reno 10 incorporates a respectable 6.7-inch OLED show with a 1080 x 2412 (FHD+) decision and a 120Hz peak refresh fee. These specs alone imply that it outguns the Pixel 7a and the Galaxy A54 5G screens straight out of the gate, although it falls nicely wanting the majestic Honor 90 show. However then, so do lots of flagship telephones. 

Color accuracy is respectable right here, if not prime grade, and there’s HDR10+ certification. It’s not the brightest show round, nonetheless, with a claimed prime brightness of 500 nits in typical circumstances (I measured it at 485 nits with auto-brightness off) and a claimed peak of 950 nits in HDR circumstances. 

I discovered that streaming HDR-tuned film content material on something round half-brightness or much less proved to be considerably dim, even indoors. You’ll must preserve that slider cranked approach up for any critical film-watching.

All of that is good slightly than spectacular inside the mid-range market, and it’s value repeating that the Honor 90 show is a stage or two above all the pieces else in its class if that’s your precedence. On the whole, although, the Oppo Reno 10 show affords a robust viewing expertise.

Digicam

• 64MP primary digital camera
• Uncommon 32MP 2x telephoto portrait digital camera
• 8MP ultrawide

We’re used to mid-range telephone makers prioritising a single digital camera sensor in a bid to hit a selected value level. It’s simply that we’re used to that sensor being the principle one, slightly than the telephoto. Certainly, it’s fairly uncommon to discover a £400 telephone with a devoted 2x telephoto digital camera just like the Oppo Reno 10 has.

Apparently, Oppo calls it a “telephoto portrait” digital camera, which is a touch as to what it envisages you doing with it. This isn’t a lot meant for zooming in on distant objects – although you’ll be able to actually try this – however slightly for getting these clear close-ups of family and friends with out getting up of their faces.

Let’s begin by speaking about that primary sensor, although. It is a 64MP 1/2-inch sensor, which isn’t significantly huge or spectacular for a contemporary £400 telephone – actually not in comparison with the Pixel 7a, the Galaxy A54, or the Honor 90. It’s the identical sensor that you simply’ll discover operating the Poco F5 and Poco F5 Professional, albeit with out OIS backup, which is hardly a ringing endorsement.

It’s not a foul performer by any means, capturing properly balanced photographs with respectable distinction and acceptable dynamic vary. Oppo’s algorithms work arduous to brighten uninteresting scenes, as was evident while capturing the identical scene with the Sony Xperia 10 V, which is a telephone that depends on a extra ‘as seen’ strategy. Nonetheless, the Reno 10’s primary digital camera doesn’t get near the sharp pop of the Pixel 7a, even when the Reno 10’s close-up autofocus selections proved rather less eccentric.

I used to be additionally pleasantly shocked when capturing utilizing the Night time mode on a London skyline. Admittedly, I wasn’t anticipating a lot given the Reno 10’s small sensor dimension and lack of OIS, and these low-light photographs actually have a sure softness and smoothness to them, however they’re clear sufficient to seize a sufficiently static evening scene. They don’t have the startling sharpness or readability of its mid-range rivals, however they’re wonderful.

Again to that 2x telephoto, which makes use of the Sony IMX709 sensor. As a traditional 2x zoom digital camera, it does a serviceable job at getting you nearer to the motion, so long as you don’t zoom past 2x. At this pure vary it’ll offer you cheap zoomed-in photographs, and can in all probability do a greater job than cropping in on that small primary sensor would have carried out. There’s a drop-off in sharpness and dynamic vary in comparison with 1x snaps, and so they don’t fairly have that very same pronounced distinction, however once more, this goes above and past for a mid-ranger.

That’s not what this digital camera is solely meant for although. Oppo says the tech is designed for customers to shoot ultra-clear portraits with a 47mm portrait focal size, and on that entrance it’s a winner. Topics (each human and in any other case) look good and sharp, and actually pop towards the background. You’ll be able to regulate between an f/1.4 and an f/16 impact, highlighting the synthetic nature of the bokeh impact, nevertheless it nonetheless appears good.

You additionally get the choice of portrait photographs utilizing the principle 1x digital camera, with the 2x sensor presumably offering depth data. In my pattern pictures, you’ll be able to see the distinction between utilizing the 2x from a distance and stepping in nearer with the 1x. It’s good to have some real framing choices outdoors of the flagship class.

The 8MP ultra-wide is comfortably the weakest element right here, offering dimmer, murkier large photographs with blown-out highlights. In a head-to-head with the Pixel 7a’s equal sensor, it’s not even shut, although it’s removed from a complete write-off.

There’s a 32MP fixed-focus selfie digital camera round entrance, and it’ll do an OK job in balanced lighting circumstances. It considerably struggles with blowing out highlights, however that’s not unusual at this value.

Efficiency

• MediaTek Dimensity 7050
• 8GB RAM
• Stays cool underneath load

Oppo’s newest mid-range runs on a decidedly mid-range MediaTek Dimensity 7050 processor. In the event you’re unfamiliar with that identify, it’s principally a rebranded Dimensity 1080, which is the chip that powers the Xiaomi Redmi Observe 12 Professional – an older, cheaper telephone than the Reno 10.

It falls just a little wanting the Pixel 7a, the Galaxy A54 5G, and the Honor 90 in CPU benchmarks, whereas the hole widens additional in relation to GPU efficiency. The Pixel 7a particularly is streets forward by way of graphical output, because of its flagship-tier Tensor G2 chip, however the Honor 90 additionally wins comfortably with its superior mid-tier Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor.

Whereas it received’t be profitable any foot races towards its contemporaries, nonetheless, I had few complaints concerning the Oppo Reno 10’s efficiency from an on a regular basis utilization viewpoint. It unlocks shortly (through a dependable in-display fingerprint sensor), and drives its 120Hz show fluidly usually navigation.

App startup time isn’t the snappiest, however that’s one thing you’re solely prone to discover in case you’re coming from a costlier telephone (or the Pixel 7a), which most individuals received’t be. App switching is each brisk and dependable, likely aided by a beneficiant 8GB RAM provision.

One factor I’ll say for the Oppo Reno 10 is that it stays remarkably cool and composed underneath load. It doesn’t warmth up underneath pressure, resembling when gaming or operating intensive GPU benchmarks, and its efficiency stage stays constant over time. It’s the tortoise slightly than the hare in that well-known situation, which could sound like I’m damning it with faint reward, nevertheless it’s reward nonetheless.

Software program

• Android 13 with ColorOS 13.1
• Numerous bloatware
• Some lock display/notification bugs

The Oppo Reno 10 runs on Android 13, as you may count on, nevertheless it’s the corporate’s bespoke ColorOS 13.1 UI that you simply’ll be interacting instantly with. 

This tradition interface hasn’t all the time been a favorite amongst TR employees, and it’s actually not mine. Whereas it’s sufficiently responsive, there’s a slight disconnect with some pretty extraordinary duties.

Annoying little bugs like WhatsApp notifications not displaying up till you unlock the telephone and leap into the app, and the YouTube Music widget not all the time displaying up on the lock display, left me pining for the cleaner and extra dependable UIs of Google, Sony, and Motorola. 

Speaking of WhatsApp, I encountered a few situations of notifications taking some time to return by way of. In fact, I can’t low cost the chance that this was an issue with my community or certainly the WhatsApp servers slightly than the Reno 10 or Oppo’s software program, however I didn’t expertise any such delays with every other telephones round this time. 

Then there’s the largely superfluous Shelf, which assembles a bunch of sq. widgets and a common search operate onto a single display. It feels virtually completely pointless, however no less than Oppo hasn’t compelled it into your life. Different producers would have changed Google Feed with such a characteristic, however Oppo makes it non-compulsory – which after all makes it really feel much more inessential.

There are doubtlessly stacks of bloatware right here, particularly in case you’re inattentive on the set-up part. Right here the listing of non-compulsory installs stretches over two pages, and is comprised largely of throw-away video games. 

Even in case you untick all these containers, you’ll nonetheless must put up with a good quantity of pointless litter on your private home display. There’s a secondary internet browser, which by no means ceases to baffle me, in addition to a secondary app retailer and a separate Theme Retailer. 

Different, non-negotiable third-party pre-installations embody Netflix, Fb, Amazon Procuring, Spotify, TikTok, Reserving.com, and LinkedIn. Not all are wholly with out use, after all, however having a stack of apps compelled upon you all the time grates just a little.

On the plus facet, it’s good to seek out Google’s Hold and Calendar apps put in from the get-go. They don’t all the time make the minimize in such heavily-tinkered-with customized Android UIs.

Battery life

• 5000mAh battery
• 67W charger bundled in
• Ought to get you thru a heavy day

Oppo has packed the Reno 10 with a 5,000mAh battery, which matches the Galaxy A54 and Honor 90 for capability.

It produces strong stamina that may get you thru a day of average to heavy utilization with out an excessive amount of fear. I discovered this to be considerably variable, however on a day with 4 hours 40 minutes of display on time – which is firmly in ‘heavy utilization’ territory – I used to be left with 31%. A day of extra average utilization (3 hours of display on time) left me with round half a tankful. 

In barely extra scientific phrases, an hour of Disney+ HDR streaming with the display brightness set to round half sapped 5% of a cost, as did half-hour of sunshine gaming on Vampire Survivors. That’s fairly robust.

I ought to observe that for all these assessments, I switched the show to a compelled 120Hz early on in my time with the telephone and by no means switched it again to the default Auto-select mode. You would conceivably preserve much more energy in case you left this setting nicely alone.

You additionally get the advantages of fast 67W wired charging right here, which can get you from empty to full in 44 minutes. What’s extra, you really get mentioned charger within the field, in contrast to the Pixel 7a, Galaxy A54, and Honor 90. That’s two plus factors in Oppo’s column.

In contrast to the Pixel 7a, you don’t get any wi-fi charging assist, although that’s nonetheless removed from a standard provision for across the £400 mark.

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Geekbench 6 single core

Geekbench 6 multi core

1 hour video playback (Netflix, HDR)

30 minute gaming (mild)

Time from 0-100% cost

Time from 0-50% cost

30-min recharge (included charger)

15-min recharge (included charger)

3D Mark – Wild Life

GFXBench – Aztec Ruins

GFXBench – Automotive Chase

Oppo Reno 10 5G

949

2406

5 %

5 %

45 min

20 Min

74 %

42 %

638

16 fps

21 fps

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