Oppo Reno5 - All starts mid-range smartphone

At the time I am preparing this review, the latest smartphone from Oppo is the Oppo Reno6 series. But unfortunately, I did not manage to purchase that unit. What I have with me today is Oppo Reno5. I have limited personal experiences with the Oppo brand. My first Oppo smartphone was Oppo Reno4, which I had a very bad experience with because I couldn't register Banking application. I couldn't wait and did not troubleshoot it. Fast forward, here I am now to share with you my experiences in using this unit.

Now I am using the front camera shooting with 1080p, 30fps only. I will type out the camera hardware specification at the label below. One of the (and the only) marketing points throughout the whole launching video is the AI capability to have AI HDR on the video. It was a new feature at that time because most of the AI feature is only on the photo, NOT the video. Nowadays, you don't smartphone because it can make calls and send sms. You buy a smartphone because you want to take better pictures and videos.

The 1st part of the video will be video shooting at night time and some sample photos.

The 2nd part of the video will be video shooting in daylight and some sample photos. 

One of the missing features in Oppo Reno5 compare to Oppo Reno4 is the 960 fps smart slow-motion video. You still can shot slow-motion and according to the official website, it can shoot up to 120fps with 720p. But one of the requirements to shot slow-motion is sufficient lightning source, otherwise, the video will be darkened and the quality deteriorates.

Another missing feature is AI Highlight Video. I wonder how many of you do use that feature? [tongue out]

The 3rd part is to test out the hardware performance. This is a Snapdragon 765G. If I compare with Samsung Galaxy A71 that used Snapdragon 730 and Samsung Galaxy A72 that used Snapdragon 720G, obviously you can feel slightly faster and smooth performance> I am not sure this is due to the Colour OS vs Samsung One UI or it is due to the hardware performance. Even though WeTest PerfDog produces more stable fps during Mobile Legend Bang Bang, but, from time to time, when the team fights, I will feel the lagging for split second.

On the battery performance, it is packed with 4,300 mAh only but the ideal standby battery efficiency performance is much better compare to Samsung One UI (something that is so obvious). There isn't any real benchmark because some smartphones will be packed with different capacities, so in a way, it is not a fair comparison on battery performance. You need to use it as though your main phone for 1 to 2 weeks, then you can make the conclusion.

In conclusion, I think Reno series is always maintained as a mid-range and camera focus (who is not) smartphone. However, the recent launch of Oppo Reno6 Pro (International) or Oppo Reno 6 Plus (China) is packed with Snapdragon 888. I would love to try out that unit but the price range is RM 2,500 above, which is out of my league (sad). I particularly like the surface finishing because it is the matte type and will not attract my fingerprint. Furthermore, it is lightweight and the dimension is still comfortable to hold in my hand. If you are picking up a new smartphone for an upgrade, Oppo Reno can be considered an all-rounded performance mid-range smartphone. However, it is still the software that makes me go nuts. For example, when I received an email notification, the screen with light up but no notification details. Maybe some of you find it ok because less disturbing, but for me is not so ok. That's all from me and looking for to see you soon.