Right on the heels of the Find X2, the Reno4 Pro made an entrance in the lockdown smartphone market and was met with both scepticism and eager buyers. Oppo made a permanent home in India over the past year, setting up showrooms across metros equipped with dedicated service centres for the long-term brand loyalists. The lockdown did little to tamper with the release of new smartphones from the Chinese brand despite the ongoing dissent.
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- Dimensions & weight: 160.2 x 73.2 x 7.7 mm ; weight: about 161g
- Rear cameras: Main: IMX586, 48MP, 1/2”, 0.8um, 4:3, 4-in-1 camera supported ; Wide-angle: Hi846, 8MP, 1/4”, 1.12um; Macro: OV02B10, 2MP, 1/5”, 1.75um, 4:3; Mono: GC02M1B, 2MP, 1/5”, 1.75um, 4:3
- Front camera: 32MP Selfie Camera ; f/2.4 aperture, 5P lens, AI beautification, intelligent fill light mode, support night mode algorithms
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon SDM720G (8 cores); CPU Speed: 8 cores, max CPU clock rate: 2.3GHz (2 big cores + 6 small cores) ; CPU Cores: 8 cores ; GPU: Adreno 618@750MHz
With most smartphones opting for the glass back for either wireless charging or aesthetics, I was pleasantly surprised with the grip-friendly feel of the Reno4 Pro. Perhaps its position as a mid-range device has pushed for the polycarbonate body but do not discredit this material just yet. The matte finish of the Silky White review unit offers tactile comfort for those with the most buttery of fingers. The couple of times I fumbled with it, I did not find myself panicking as much as I did with other devices. Getting this dirty is no small feat. It is not just the feel, it is the weight too. When I lifted the device out of the box, Reno4 Pro, at 161 grams, has little resistance in mass, proving itself to be a nimble gadget in the surest of hands. And the Corning Gorilla Glass 5 is sturdy too, but I am personally looking forward to a smartphone integrated with the latest Victus variant so I can bravely put the durability to test.
The Reno4 Pro is whip-quick thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon SDM720G of 8 cores. Switching between a heavy gaming session to YouTube to texting and back to gaming was pretty seamless, and backed up by impressive battery power.
Seamless switching
I would have loved to see 120Hz refresh rate on the 1100 nits display but one has to compromise when formulating a high-functioning mid-range smartphone. I also would have enjoyed an HDR10+ experience but the display still does a good job of keeping everything pretty: gaming, streaming, social media, and even just plain old texting. The thin bezels that wrap around the equally thin frame help with the illusion of infinite edges.
Personally, I have never been a fan of Oppo’s cameras. Be it the ‘beautifying’ effects of selfies (which some people actually feel are a plus for the brand), or the overall composition of light versus shadow. I prefer the empowering results of an iPhone, a Pixel or a OnePlus. However, the quad camera system does a lot: up to 5x zoom, a nifty Pro mode, an effective Night mode and crystal clear video recording. Photography, especially during golden hour, is a wonder in natural light for the the Reno4 Pro. Indoor lighting may see some compromise though — unfortunate in these home-bound times.
Charge it up
The typical 4000mAh battery is a champ. Much like with the Find X2, the Reno4 Pro features 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 flash (not just fast) charge. For someone who is constantly struggling to find a charger and maintain some battery life, I could put the Reno4 Pro at 1% on charge and in 15 minutes, I would see an almost full charge. I was sceptical (and still am) about the long-term effects of this on a phone battery and processor but Oppo claims their Gallium nitride (GaN), or third-generation semi-conductor material, helps alleviate any future stress the flash charging may put on the device. I would like to see more smartphone brands take this on or even develop their own such feature, especially given the increasing reliance on mobiles during a post-COVID-19 world.
The Reno4 Pro is a great mid-range device with plenty of bells and whistles to keep with the lineage of the Reno series, which is known for its affordability and reasonable rates. Invest in this knowing you are not opting for something as rich as the Find X2 or, if referring to rival brand equivalents, an iPhone SE or a OnePlus Nord. This is, however, a good shot for a first phone buy or a sturdy device with decent horsepower for the children while you continue working from home.
The Oppo Reno4 Pro retails for ₹34,990 across major online and offline retailers.
