OPPO Reno6 5G Review

Introduction

The OPPO Reno series continues to be the brand’s front in the mid-range segment delivering a premium user experience with designs that capture the eye, and blend beauty and function, capable hardware that lets you do more, and cameras that allow you to create bring out your inner creativity with each shot.

OPPO Reno6 5G is the main star, making use of the brand’s exclusive design, a high-refresh rate display, and an adaptive triple camera system that is touted to let you take good quality shots in most conditions.

History would tell us that when it comes to this product, pricing was always one of the most interesting parts, and Reno6 5G is no different, as it costs PhP26,999, which seems a lot for a mid-range phone.

OPPO Reno6 5G Specifications

Design and Build Quality

In a sea of curved designs, it is refreshing to see someone trying to stand out. The OPPO Reno6 5G sticks to more flat design, with rounded corners, which, to me, is an excellent choice, as it feels much better in the hand. I also like how the attention to detail, such as the green highlight on the power button.

The device’s rear panel uses the Reno Glow design which involves a unique glass etching process which creates a very subtle shimmering effect to the matte glass. It is dual purpose, as this also protects the surface from fingerprints. Now, all that may sound a bit gimmicky, but no. Seriously, it works so well here, and it looks fantastic.

I also like the layout of the camera module – maximizing the space without looking ridiculous. The triple camera setup is on a vertical layout, with the flash and some branding on the side.

As for button placement, the power key is on the right, while the volume rocker is on the opposite end. The bottom houses a USB-C port, a microphone, speaker grille, and the SIM slot. I’m not sure if it was deliberate, but the case doesn’t have a hole for the SIM slot, which means you’ll have to remove the case to change SIM cards.

The device has a 6.4-inch AMOLED panel delivers punchy and lively colors, sharp text, and good visibility under direct sunlight. It’s got a 90Hz refresh rate, which may not be the highest out there, but it surely elevates the viewing experience with smooth visuals.

Performance

The OPPO Reno6 5G packs a MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC, which is a step above the Dimensity 700 SoC that you’d usually see on other mid-rangers.

The performance difference is more evident in gaming, as this phone can play a demanding title – Genshin Impact, at its 60 fps setting smoothly, though on Low. This means it can take on less demanding titles like Mobile Legends on High + HFR and HD mode with ease.

For Call of Duty Mobile, you can enable Max FPS setting, but only at Low setting. This could be because the game is still yet to be optimized for the SoC.

It is an even better experience with games that support high refresh rate screens like Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition as well as Real Racing 3. Enjoy the visual treat. The device did warm up a bit while playing, but not to a point that it was uncomfortable.

Camera

For optics, Reno6 5G is equipped with a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide unit, and a 2MP macro lens. I’m surprised they opted not to include a depth sensor, but nevertheless, this is still an adaptive setup.

Sample shots generally looked great, with good levels of detail and sharpness. There are some instances wherein the light in a specific part looks blown out. Focusing speed is fast, and the depth of field effect looks clean and accurate.

Selfies also show plenty of detail and good texture, while Portrait mode also showcases good separation and accuracy.

OPPO’s Super Steady Video feature is still present, and showcases its prowess at handling shakes. Unfortunately, my trip to the stairs proved to be just a bit too much. Stabilization is also available for videos taken with the front camera.

Software

What I like about the newest versions of ColorOS is the amount of room that it gives the user to personalize the phone. It lets you change the style of the Always-On-Display, the icons, even the graphics for the fingerprint scanner, as well as the overall color theme. There’s even edge lighting which you can set for certain scenarios like when receiving a call.

What I noticed with the latest version is that they removed Game Space, which is usually a hub for all of the games installed on the phone, and offers performance related settings. These are now available via a dashboard that you can launch in-game with a swipe from the left.

Smart Sidebar is still here, and lets you quickly open selected apps, take screenshots, and even do screen recordings for your content.

Battery

Using PCMark’s Work 3.0 benchmark, OPPO Reno6 5G scored 11 hours and 37 minutes when the refresh rate is set to 90Hz and 13 hours and 27 minutes when it is set to 60Hz. Both are great numbers considering that it only has a 4,300mAh battery. What’s even more impressive is that it only took around 30 minutes to charge from around 2% to full.

Verdict

The OPPO Reno6 5G is a fantastic looking phone. The Reno Glow design really goes well with the flat design, and make the phone look very premium. It also delivers great daily and gaming performance, the UI offers tons of options for the user to personalize the device, and battery life is impressive even when using 90Hz refresh rate.

On the flip side, the AI for the camera can still be improved. Then there’s the price. It’s a great phone, it really is. But I simply could not figure out why it will be priced at PhP26,999. Except for the design, there’s really nothing groundbreaking about it. That’s just really too much. There are also other mid-rangers that offer more value for less.

OPPO should really rethink their pricing here. They should relax their aggressive push for this premium brand image, which is what makes this otherwise great product, hard to recommend.

Emman Tortoza

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Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.