A good smartphone understands the user, not because it is a complex computer but because whoever made it has paid attention to human details.
When you take a picture or shoot a video in primary or secondary mode, there should be a thrill, a gentle unvoiced gasp – “ooh, this is sophisticated!” – but it should feel familiar and friendly.
After taking off a lemon-green jacket and unboxing the OPPO Reno5 F from its black case, I try to hold it with a firm grip. It slips into the centre of my palm. The weight is familiar even though I have never seen or held it until this moment. There is an easy invitation to flip through and see what the phone has to offer. I indulge.
The OPPO Reno5 F comes in Fluid Black and Fantastic Purple; this one is a fantastic purple device that displays different colours when held under different lights and angles. It comes with a massive USB type C charger, and wired earphones. Also in the box are a safety guide, a quick guide, SIM ejector and a transparent case for guarding the phone.
Design
I’ve moved around the city with the device in my hand. At 172g and 7.8mm thickness, the phone bears an ultra-slim design, feels light and convenient to whip out and hold even in seemingly crowded places. The Reno5 F is powered by the Flowing Light Design technology and the 3D curved back cover helps make the device steady and comfortable for the user.
Cameras, Light, Video
The Reno5 F has a responsive and clear camera, which focuses on the subject and isolates necessary colours to produce a great image. This is made possible by the 6.43” AMOLED display screen and 60Hz refresh rate of the device.
It all comes together on the 2400 x 1080 resolution which makes the experience a visually compelling full HD display. The Reno5 F comes with AI Quad Cam – 48MP Main Camera, 8MP Ultra Wide Angle Camera, 2MP Macro Camera, and 2MP Mono Camera – and a 32MP front-facing camera. Still images on a calm evening distinguish clearly between colours and provide a real-life view of the scenery.
Videos are pretty great too. The Dual-View video enables different configurations for shooting and viewing oneself in selfie mode, a useful convenience for creators who want to stay in control while in the mood.
Creators can either see themselves in a half-by-half view, or in a circular or square thumbnail view that hangs on the top right of the screen. As with regular videos, Dual-View can be shot in multiple shades with zoom ins and outs enabled every step of the way.
The device leverages OPPO’s imaginative colour processing, light processing and post-processing technology to empower creators with portrait videos that stand out and assign a unique signature.
Scene detection capabilities optimize brightness and improve colour saturation for both images and videos. The device leans into OPPO’s AI Scene Enhancement prowess to manipulate color, saturation and brightness to fit a wide variety of indoor and outdoor scenes.
Video shooting is taken to an unprecedented level with AI-Color Portrait video. It recognizes human subjects and after differentiating them from the background, retains only the colours of the humans in focus. It works in real-time and is enabled with both front and rear cameras.
Gaming
Gaming on the Reno5 F is a pleasant adventure. It relies on the powers of ColorOS 11.1 to provide an immersive experience. A test run with ‘Real Racing 3’ was smooth, showing clear pictures and crystal sound. The device tilts to the left and right, as well as the video are resolved without any lags or delays.
With Game Mode, the user can shut out distractions from interfering with the gaming experience. Game Mode turns on the Do Not Disturb feature, disabling incoming calls, alarms and other notifications. But the Bullet Screen Message feature ensures important messages scroll at the top of the screen.
HIgh-frequency gamers will love the Gaming Shortcut Mode which reserves memory space to prevent games from taking long periods to load. Users will also be pleased to see that a game can be in floating mode should there be a need to check email or other apps in the middle of a game.
Beyond gaming, Color OS11.1 enables a seamless switch from one screen to another. It also powers OPPO Share and Nearby sharing for easy exchange of files between users.
Battery and Charging
Charging is one of the Reno5 F’s advantages. After unboxing, the device survives by itself for more than a day without charging. It takes about an hour to charge fully to 100% and goes on to produce more than a day’s power.
The battery comes in at 4310mAh and is powered by a 30W fast charge capability that puts a user’s anxiety at rest.
To match the latest battery and power technology in the device, it is necessary to use the 30W VOOC Flash Charge adapter that comes in the box. Pairing both gives best value and assures optimum performance at all times.
RAM and Storage performance
The Reno5 F has 128GB of storage space of which 3GB is composed of pre-installed apps and the system files take up 13.4GB. It comes with an 8GB RAM and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 720G SoC.
Privacy and well-being
As an Android device, the Reno5 F comes with the state-of-the-art features for security, privacy and digital wellbeing. Passwords can be set in three ways: lock screen, fingerprint and face. App lock and Kid Space protections are available, as are “Find My Device” and “Emergency SOS” functionalities for recovery in case of loss.
Pricing and Availability
The features above put the Reno5 F which is priced at N129,900 in the mid-range category, providing good value for money for the user whose priority is convenience and sophistication. This trend-setting device competes very well with its advancing visual features and will be a bargain snap-up. It will be available to pre-order on https://www.jumia.com.ng/mlp-oppo-store/ till the 21st March, 2021 or in all accredited retail stores nationwide. Pre-order the Reno5 F and you get a FREE power bank priced at N15,900. For more information, visit the OPPO’s official website www.oppo.com/ng.
Technext Newsletter
Get the best of Africa’s daily tech to your inbox – first thing every morning.
Join the community now!
