“Very balanced” (01 nat.); “A Good Vintage” (Les Numerics); “An Investment You’ll Never Regret” (Friendroid)… The specialized tech press was enthusiastic about the release of the Oppo Reno8, considering this mid-range smartphone one of the best in its category. Sold for €599 (256GB) since it was officially released in the fall, does this 5G model live up to its good reputation? 20 minutes Caught it and took the time to test it.
eye-catching design
Like its rivals, Oppo is looking to invest in the mid-range smartphone segment. This is where we find customers who cannot or who do not want to invest in a smartphone for 1,000 euros or more. But this is also where you find demanding buyers, ready to dedicate a serious budget for their new smartphone, it comes close to 600 euros, as long as the prestigious terminal is of good quality. With a price close to the Google Pixel 6 Pro or the Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra, the Oppo Reno8 attracts first of all with its design.
intrusive apps
Adopting the principle of a rear photo module melted into the shell, the Reno8 is reminiscent of the Find X Pro from the manufacturer. But here, the hull is made of plastic (in black or “shimmery” gold!), and it shows. Of course, the weight of the device, only 179 grams (for 160.6 x 73.4 x 7.7 mm), is pleasantly impressed. The feeling of somewhat poor quality persists. The three photo sensors* are still protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and the smartphone is IP54 standard, therefore protected against dust and splashes of water.
On the front, there’s a 6.4-inch AMOLED screen (160.6 x 73.4 x 7.7 mm). And it can also be seen: the image quality, its dense and vivid colors, with very deep blacks, dazzle the eye. Too bad for older players that it’s only 90Hz non-adaptive, at a time when 120Hz is wanted to be widespread.
We’re sorry that a lot of unwanted applications load themselves after the first configuration: Booking, O Relax, Auto Doctor, Zoom , or like sports Dice Dreams, Rolling Twins… our first contact with mobiles has come to disorient and leave us feeling a little deprived. Once cleaned up, we quickly find that the Reno8 is noticeably faster.
fast, even for games
Running on Android 12 with the manufacturer’s pleasant Color OS 12.1 software overlay, the device is powered by MediaTek processor (Dimensity 1,300) coupled with 8GB of RAM. That provides a pretty good balance for the Reno8’s feature set, even for most video games. The presence of stereo speakers of fairly decent quality, although a bit loud, added to the good experience during our testing, especially for watching some episodes of our current series, such as the thriller Life On Arte. TV, or amazing documentaries the disappearance of the vatican, on Netflix. On the other hand, the smartphone does not have a mini jack for wired headphones.
selfies that hurt
The photo component of the Reno8 is well thought out. The smartphone’s rear sensor trio adapts to any situation, even if the low-light capabilities of the ultra-wide-angle sensor may not live up to expectations. Often anecdotal on smartphones, the macro mode knows how to be practical with pretty decent results. For filming in up to 4K at 30 frames/s (and in full HF, up to 120 fps), the smartphone defends really well in video.
We’re also surprised by the quality of the front sensor, a 32-megapixel one that managed to light up our wrinkles during our tests, and which delivers particularly well-defined photos. This sensor, unfortunately without autofocus, allows filming up to Full HD with very solid image quality. Not to be overlooked in video: the Reno8 offers an “ultra-stabilized” mode to be activated manually. Even if this (digital) function comes out a bit “cropped” in the image, its contribution can be invaluable if you film while the smartphone is moving or moving.
ultra-fast charging
If the autonomy of the Reno 8’s 4,500mAh battery seems quite conventional (offering a big day of use), its 80W (supplied) fast charger is a strength. 30 minutes is enough to fuel up your smartphone before you head out for the evening, which is far from negligible.
Is the promised good deal real? Yes, undeniably, because the Reno8’s shortcomings (screen refresh rate, lack of wireless charging, lack of autofocus for selfies, etc.) make up for the overall quality of the service, living up to expectations, even by demanding ones. Huh. Even if the 599 euros claimed by Oppo for its toy is a significant amount, we can still find it cheaper: for example 499 euros in SFR or Sosh.
In addition, the best month to buy a new smartphone will be February, which is about to start, hoping for possible savings on the sale prices of many terminals. This is due to the proximity of the Mobile World Congress telephony fair in Barcelona (this year, from February 27 to March 2), where many manufacturers announce their new products. This automatically creates a drop in prices for products already on sale. In the meantime, we can already present the Reno8 in refurbished form where we flushed it for … 399 euros!
* Rear: 50-megapixel main sensor (23mm equivalent; f/1.8) + 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle sensor (16mm; f/2.2) + 2-megapixel macro sensor (22mm; f/2.4)) . Front: 32-megapixel wide-angle sensor (23mm; f/2.4).
