The OPPO Reno 5 Pro was one of my favorite smartphones from the brand in 2021. It offered powerful hardware, a gorgeous display, and an attractive design — all at a price point that was rather aggressive by OPPO’s standards. Later that year, OPPO also launched the Reno 6 Pro which I called a renovated version of its predecessor. This was because the Reno 6 Pro brought about iterative upgrades that didn’t make a lot of difference.
About 6 months later, we now have the OPPO Reno 7 Pro following the exact same philosophy. Yes, there’s a shiny new design with flat edges because that’s the new trend in the Android world. But apart from that, there’s not a lot that has changed with the Reno 7 Pro. At its heart, it’s still a Reno 6 Pro just repackaged into a newer chassis with some minor changes. That’s not something that concerns the end-consumer, though. What’s important is to know whether or not you should get the OPPO Reno7 Pro and that’s what I aim to do with this review.
OPPO Reno 7 series: Specifications
| Specification | OPPO Reno 7 Pro | OPPO Reno 7 5G |
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| Battery & Charging |
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| Security | In-display fingerprint scanner | In-display fingerprint scanner |
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| Connectivity |
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About this review: OPPO India sent us the OPPO Reno 7 Pro and the device was used for a period of ten days before writing this review. OPPO did not have any input into the contents of this review.
Design
OPPO has done a great job at making the phone look and feel fantastic
The Reno 7 Pro is the best-feeling flat-edged Android phone right now
The glass back is pretty generic since we’ve seen a similar design on previous devices in the Reno series. Nothing special here. What is special though is the illuminating ring around the camera module. It’s neatly tucked around the perimeter of the camera module and glows each time you receive a notification or when you’re charging the device. If you remember a few years back, notification LEDs were common on the front of smartphones but were soon phased out due to increasing display sizes leading to a lack of space and an abundance of excuses.
This ring brings back that feature that too in an elegant manner. Since the LED is on the back, though, you’ll have to place your phone face down in order to see it clearly. If you’re using the case provided in the box, you can still see a hint of the illumination on the top edge of the phone since the case diffuses the LED. Some might find it gimmicky but I personally liked having this LED. This is probably the only department where OPPO has done something new.
Display
As mentioned earlier, the display too has been flattened out on the Reno 7 Pro along with the frame and the back. The Reno 6 Pro had curved edges on either side of the display which I’m personally a fan of. I know a lot of people don’t like curved displays due to various reasons but I like the aesthetic of a display that just flows into the frame of the phone. However, that’s now gone and what you get is a flat display with a hole-punch cutout on the top-left corner.
It is still an AMOLED display with a 1080p resolution and 90Hz refresh rate, just like the one on the Reno 6 Pro. The colors are excellent and the viewing experience is right up there with other premium phones with OLED displays. The 6.55-inch display is relatively handy so the phone doesn’t feel too large to hold or use. One gripe that some people may have with this display is that the refresh rate is capped at 90Hz while competitors are offering 120Hz displays in this price range.
Personally, I can’t tell the difference between a 90Hz display and a 120Hz display so this didn’t bother me too much. If you’re someone who can tell the two apart or you just want a higher refresh rate for bragging rights, this is one aspect that can bother you. There’s an in-display fingerprint scanner on the phone for biometrics which is both fast and accurate. There’s HDR 10+ support on the phone so if you watch a lot of content on OTT platforms, you’re going to have a pleasing experience. And yes, OPPO has finally given us a stereo speaker setup that further enhances the media-watching experience.
Like the flat edges on this phone, I dig the flat display as well purely because of the way it looks. OPPO has kept the bezels around the display to a minimum which actually makes a big difference when viewing the front of the device. Despite being a fan of curved displays, I prefer the flat design on the Reno 7 Pro. This phone is a looker from the front.
Performance and Software
There’s not a lot for me to talk about here since the OPPO Reno 7 Pro uses the same Dimensity 1200 chipset that was found on the Reno 6 Pro. OPPO mentions that the Reno 7 Pro uses the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 Max SoC that has been co-developed with OPPO. However, there’s no difference in the way the CPU or GPU functions, and the clock speeds of this CPU are also the same. The only difference as a result of this collaboration between MediaTek and OPPO is that the Reno 7 Pro shows better visuals on the display compared to its predecessor, or at least that’s what OPPO is claiming.
The MediaTek Dimensity 1200 is a proven performer
A newer chipset would have made the upgrade from the Reno 6 Pro feel more substantial
ColorOS 12 runs well on the device, though, and I didn’t face any lags or hiccups throughout my usage. You get the usual set of features like dual apps, game mode, resizable multi-window, and a bunch of themes to choose from. If you like using a custom UI that gives you tons of features, you will feel right at home using ColorOS. If you want a simple UI that’s closer to AOSP, you will need some time to get used to the interface.
Cameras
Let me get straight to the point. The 50MP primary camera on the Reno 7 Pro clicks pictures that are pleasing to look at in most lighting conditions. In daylight, the colors look great and so does the dynamic range. The natural bokeh when clicking close-up shots also looks attractive. Shots tend to be slightly on the cooler side which some people may prefer, especially if you like photos with higher contrast levels. Even in low-light situations, the phone can capture good shots with the in-built Night Mode. There is a noticeable loss in the levels of details and the white balance can get slightly messed up, but I would say OPPO has done a good job with the primary camera on the Reno 7 Pro.
The Reno 7 Pro clicks pictures that are pleasing to look at in most lighting conditions
What’s good though is the 32MP selfie shooter. Selfies look crisp with saturated colors and impressive dynamic range. Skin tones are slightly off as it tends to brighten the face a little, but nothing too drastic. Edge detection in portrait mode also looks great. If you take a lot of selfies or you make short-form content for social media, you will like the front-facing shooter on the OPPO Reno 7 Pro.
Battery and Charging
There’s a 4,500mAh cell on the Reno 7 Pro that did not have any issues powering through an entire day’s use of social media apps, browsing, clicking some photos, a 20-minute video call on Google Duo, and binge-watching a few episodes of Shark Tank India. I ended most days with 6-6.5 hours of screen-on time which I think is adequate. The phone is slim and light but doesn’t compromise battery life.
The phone is slim and light but doesn't compromise battery life
Should you buy the OPPO Reno 7 Pro?
I chose this particular title for a reason. The OPPO Reno 7 Pro is essentially a Reno 6 Pro repackaged in a new chassis with some minor improvements. Remember how at the end of each episode of Scooby-Doo, they would remove the mask from the bad guy’s head and it would turn out to be someone they already knew? The Reno 7 Pro is exactly that. Remove the flat edges and display, and you have a Reno 6 Pro right there.
For a starting price of ₹40,000 (~$530), the OPPO Reno 7 Pro doesn’t offer the best value unless a good-looking phone is on top of your priority list. The Reno 7 Pro has a beautiful design, a great display with slim bezels, solid performance, reliable cameras, good battery life, and fast charging. You see, it’s a perfectly good phone. However, there’s nothing really that justifies that asking price especially when you factor in the older chipset that was found on the previous-gen Reno 6 and the fact that the phone still runs on Android 11. OPPO’s track record with updates isn’t exactly stellar either which makes matters worse.
- The Reno 7 Pro is the latest phone in the Reno series that comes with a refreshed design.
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Unless you’re really impressed with that design, there are better phones in the market at this price range. The OPPO Reno 5 Pro was launched at an aggressive price of ₹34,999 and if they could match that with the Reno 7 Pro, which I’m sure they very well could since they’re using older hardware, my verdict would have been different.
The post OPPO Reno 7 Pro Review: Old wine in a new bottle appeared first on xda-developers.
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