OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-5720

It feels like yesterday when 5G is a rare feature reserved for the most expensive smartphones. Now, they are available in cheaper ones, like what we’re taking a look at today, the OPPO Reno 5 5G.

Besides 5G, it has a couple of features that make for a complete 2021 smartphone. With its price of Php23,990, is it the one you should get? Or are you better off saving money with the Php18,999 4G model? We find out in our OPPO Reno 5 5G review.

OPPO Reno 5 5G Specs

  • Android 11, ColorOS 11.1
  • Dual SIM, dual stand-by
  • 6.43-inch FHD+ OLED display, 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution, 410ppi
  • 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz sampling rate, 750-nit peak brightness
  • 2.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G octa-core processor
  • Adreno 620 GPU
  • 8GB RAM
  • 128GB UFS 2.1 internal storage, non-expandable
  • 32-megapixel front camera
  • 64-megapixel (f/1.7) + 8-megapixel (ultra-wide, f/2.2) + 2-megapixel (macro) + 2-megapixel (mono) rear cameras, LED flash
  • In-display fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
  • HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G
  • WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
  • Bluetooth 5.1
  • dual-band GPS, GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS
  • USB Type-C
  • Dimensions: 159.1 x 73.4 x 7.9mm
  • Weight: 172g
  • Colors: Moonlight Black, Starry Dream, Aurora Blue
  • 4,300mAh non-removable battery, 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging

Design and Build Quality

The OPPO Reno 5 5G looks very similar to its predecessor. The camera layout with three large lenses looks identical to some previous and current OPPO smartphones. So to set it apart, OPPO introduced this new Reno Glow finish for the Galactic Silver that we’re reviewing.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-5722

It has a glitter-like aesthetic that looks like it’s been studded with diamonds. This color is called Galactic Silver, with a multi-tone color that changes to gray, blue, and purple depending on where the light hits.

This paint job also makes fingerprint marks invisible. But if you want a more subtle look, a Starry Black color is available but is more prone to smudges.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-5732

The Reno 5 5G is not the lightest and most compact device around, but it’s comfortable enough to carry around. The curved corners, decent 172g weight, and 7.9mm thickness make it nice in the hands.

It’s also not the sturdiest we’ve tested. But the chassis should be solid enough to last. Just make sure you use the free protective case if you know you’re a little clumsy. But overall, we’re fine with how the OPPO Reno 5 5G looks and feels. It will be up to you if the design matches your taste.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-5723

Taking a tour, we have an all-screen 6.4-inch display on the front. The punch-hole is on the top left, tucked in the corner, so it’s not distracting. The bezels are ultra-thin, too, but the chin is relatively thicker than on the top and sides. You can also notice a tiny slit on the top of the earpiece.

The screen has Corning Gorilla Glass 5 on top of it, covered with a screen protector for extra protection.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-5724

We have the volume controls on the left side, with the SIM tray on the far-top, which can only house two nano-SIM cards. Sadly, the Reno 5 5G’s storage is non-expandable.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-5731

While on the left, we only have the lock/power switch. There’s a thin OPPO-green paint on the button as per usual. All the physical keys are placed at the right height, so it’s easily reachable. Albeit, the buttons are plasticky despite having a tiny audible click when pressed.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-5728

The top only has the secondary microphone for noise isolation. While at the bottom, there’s the primary microphone, USB Type-C loudspeaker, and headphone jack.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-5727

As I’ve already mentioned, the first three cameras have uniformly large camera glass, with the fourth one smaller as it should. All cameras are in a single glass with a noticeable but bearable camera bump.

The entire back panel is made of glass, which is a huge plus.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-5733

Display and Sound Quality

The OPPO Reno 5 5G has a 6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED screen with all the extras you’d expect from a 2021 smartphone. First, it gives you a choice between standard 60Hz for battery efficiency or 90Hz for a smoother experience. Albeit, no adaptive setting, so you have to set it yourself. A 180Hz touch sampling is also present for improved responsiveness.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Display-Review

It also has a Vivid mode for 93.28% DCI-P3 and 135.13% sRGB, and Gentle mode for 73.72% DCI-P3 and 100% sRGB. If you’re photo editing and color accuracy important, go with gentle mode. But if you consume a lot of media (Netflix, YouTube, etc.), then go with Vivid mode.

The overall display quality is great, with vibrant colors, deep contrast, and acceptable brightness in daylight with its 750-nits peak brightness. It also has Netflix HD and Amazon Prime Video HD certification for the best possible quality when streaming.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-5726

As for audio, the OPPO Reno 5 5G lacks a stereo speaker setup, which is really disappointing for the price. Thankfully, the single bottom-firing speaker is really loud with great clarity. Dolby Atmos support is also here, and a headphone jack that you can use with the free earphones or whatever external audio device you have.

Hardware and Performance

The OPPO Reno 5 5G is powered by the trusty 2.4GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G, the same chipset that other powerful midrange devices have. It comes with an Adreno 620 GPU and 8GB of RAM.

OPPO Reno 5 5G benchmark scores

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-benchmarks-Review

Like we said in our Vivo V20 Pro review, the Snapdragon 765G offers a flagship-like performance. If you don’t care about the specs list, you’d be satisfied with this one. Everything is just fast and smooth on this device, especially when partnered with its 90Hz screen.

Taking pictures, social media browsing, and other mundane tasks are seamless on this device.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-CODM-Review

The gaming experience was top-notch, too. Like in flagship phones, we could play Call of Duty Mobile under high quality and max frame rate. Popular titles like League of Legends Wild Rift, Mobile Legends, and Genshin Mobile should also play nice on this device.

Software and User Interface

The OPPO Reno 5 5G runs on the latest Android 11-based ColorOS 11.1 user interface. OPPO was able to bring the main essence of stock-Android by dressing it with their own style.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-features-5826

It looks clean, overall. The app drawer is disabled out of the box, which you can enable in the Home Screen Mode section of the settings. Simple mode is also present with larger icons.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Split-Screen-Review-NoypiGeeks

FlexDrop lets you run apps in floating mode and easily adjust the size or close it with gesture controls.

You can swipe three fingers up to instantly launch split-screen mode or swipe three fingers down to take a screenshot quickly.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-AOD

ColorOS 11.1 also take full advantage of the AMOLED screen with its robust Always-On Display (AOD) settings. There are a lot of artistic patterns, custom texts, analog clocks, and digital clocks that you can choose from. All of which are easily customizable.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-Dark-Mode-NoypiGeeks

Users can also customize how the Dark Mode looks. And if you hate the punch-hole, you can choose to hide it by making the entire top screen black.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-Game-Mode

The OPPO Reno 5 5G also has gamer-centric settings. You can swipe left to launch the Game Assistant in-game, where you can access the touch optimization settings (for touch and swipe sensitivity adjustment), choose between performance modes and others. The Game focus mode disables all notifications, quick settings, and any other possible distraction.

Bullet Screen Message displays notifications in a gliding message so you can still read it and not be too distracted.

Camera Quality

The OPPO Reno 5 5G features a quad camera setup on the back. We have a 64-megapixel main shooter with a bright f/1.7 aperture, 8-megapixel ultra-wide, and the usual 2-megapixel macro and 2-megapixel mono cameras. On the front, there’s a sharp 32-megapixel selfie camera.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-5721

Like its siblings, the device’s main focus is the cameras and the features that come with it for aspiring content creators. With the help of AI, it gained features like Ultra Night Video, Live HDR, Dual-view video that utilizes both the front and rear cameras, and Portrait Beautification Video.

But what’s important here is the actual camera quality, to which the device really delivers. The main 64-megapixel shooters take images with sharp details, vibrant colors, and deep contrast. Dynamic range is killer, too. The autofocus is relatively fast, too.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Camera-Samples-Review-5723
64-megapixel main camera
OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Camera-Samples-Review-5720
64-megapixel main camera
OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Camera-Samples-Review-5724
64-megapixel main camera

The 8-megapixel ultra-wide takes better images than other 8-megapixel ultra-wide on other phones. The details are passable, colors are decent, and the dynamic range is usable.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Camera-Samples-Review-5722
8-megapixel ultra-wide
OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Camera-Samples-Review-5721
8-megapixel ultra-wide

We also have the camera that you may never use, the 2-megapixel macro. The overall quality is fine in case you really want to take super close pictures of small subjects.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Camera-Samples-Review-5726
2-megapixel macro
OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Camera-Samples-Review-5725
Portrait Mode

If you like shooting TikTok or any talking-head videos, the 32-megapixel front camera can satisfy you. It has great colors and details for any use. You can also play with different face beauty modes without losing too much quality.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Camera-Samples-Review-5727
32-megapixel front camera
OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Camera-Samples-Review-5728
32-megapixel front camera | AI Face Beauty

Connectivity

What makes the OPPO Reno 5 5G stand out over the 4G-only model is, obviously, the 5G connectivity. Sadly, we’re living in an area without 5G coverage still. But if you’re in one (see list of 5G areas for Smart and Globe), then this could be a worthy feature for you.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Review-5730

Besides 5G, it also has other modern connectivity features like dual-band WiFi, WiFi display for wireless mirroring, Bluetooth 5.1, USB Type-C, and even NFC. All of which worked fine during our testing.

Battery

The OPPO Reno 5 5G delivers ample but not stellar battery life. This one has a 4,320mAh capacity, which was able to last for 10 hours and 11 minutes in PCMark’s battery loop test before reaching 20% of charge. That’s with WiFi and Bluetooth off and screen brightness and volume set to 50%.

OPPO-Reno-5-5G-Battery-Life-Review

This translates to a full day of light to moderate use (social media, music, taking pictures). But if you plan on gaming a lot or browsing on 5G most of the time, you may have to reach for the charger before the day ends.

Thankfully, it comes with a 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charger, which can fill up the device in only about an hour.

Verdict

The OPPO Reno 5 5G has the complete package for a modern smartphone. It has a flagship-like performance that can handle any task with finesse, a vibrant and fast display, ultra-fast charging, and 5G connectivity — all of which are packed inside a sleek and comfortable-to-hold body.

OPPO-Reno-5-4G-Review-NoypiGeeks-5725

There’s no denying that there are a couple of similar alternatives out there with a lower price. Still, the Reno 5 5G has what it takes to be worth your while.

OPPO Reno 5 5G pricing and availability in the Philippines

The OPPO Reno 5 5G has a price of Php23,999 in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the Reno 5 4G is at Php18,999. Both are available in OPPO physical and online stores nationwide.

Pros

  • Sleek, compact, and attractive design
  • Colorful, smooth display
  • Flagship-like performance
  • Great cameras
  • Fast charging
  • 5G connectivity

Cons

  • No stereo speaker
  • More expensive than competition

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *