What all can a phone be? It can be an all-in-one device for entertainment and productivity or just a gateway to the Interweb. But Oppo’s latest Reno Series looks to be a lot more than just a device to hit the fibre-optic highway. On paper, it has a lot of things on offer, but since Oppo sent over the Reno 15 Pro, we took it out for a thorough test drive, and it was…
When I first heard about the Oppo Reno series back in 2019, I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering off to Nevada, to the Biggest Little City in the World – Reno. But drawing parallels with the city would be downright wrong because the Reno series is geared toward youth and creativity, two aspects of life we can all relate to. And the Reno 15 series surely fits the bill with its youthful yet straightforward design. Oppo sent over a Cocoa Brown Reno 15 Pro for us to test, and what caught my fancy was the 1.8mm-thick glass back with a matte finish, which exudes class. And the Dynamic Stellar Ring design around the camera module looks impressive under varying lighting conditions. But my favourite bit is the Reno Lettering on the camera module, finished in a decorative Serif font for a touch of opulence. It has a lovely hand feel, and the build quality is superb, thanks to the frame’s use of aerospace-grade aluminium, along with high-end components like Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, a platinum-coated, corrosion-resistant USB port, and IP 66, 68 and 69 ratings, making it highly durable.
In terms of power and performance, the Oppo Reno 15 Pro is just a step behind the Flagship Find X series, because the Mediatek 8450 chipset powers the 15 Pro, and it simply blazes through everyday tasks and has no issues keeping up with editing needs for Instagram reels and YouTube shorts. Even the large 6,500mAh battery lasted longer than I expected, and to juice it back up, the 80W SUPERVOOC charger takes less than 50 minutes to reach 100 percent. ColorOS 16 is good, though it comes with a bunch of apps I don’t like, which can easily be uninstalled. It also boasts a ton of AI features, but most of them do not fit my work requirements, so they are more of a novelty for me.
My favourite feature on the Oppo Reno 15 Pro has to be the camera units. Oppo is positioning this phone as a travel content-creation powerhouse, and the camera unit is on point. Starting with the 50MP ultra-wide camera that captures crisp details when you want more in your scene, then comes the 50MP Telephoto camera with 3.5x zoom and OIS, which also captures good details with OIS being a good addition. Next up is the 50MP selfie camera with 100° FOV, and it sure captures a lot. But the biggest highlight is the 200MP main camera unit that comes with OIS. This unit captures crisp, sharp, and the most detailed images among the three back camera units. This particular unit also comes with a ton of features, like lossless crop. Image capture is superb on the Reno 15 Pro, but in terms of video, it is quite an impressive unit. It captures 4K 60FPS at all focal lengths, and that too in HDR; and the OIS on the main and telephoto cameras ensure smooth footage every time you hit record.
Overall, the Oppo Reno 15 Pro is quite a powerhouse, whether performing daily tasks, capturing moments through its lenses, or both. I appreciate the subtle design of the Pro, though I love the design of the standard Reno 15 finished in Glacier White, which has a little bow on the back that I find really cute. However, in terms of sheer performance and camera quality, I would pick the Pro variant over the standard. But please, Oppo, can we have the bow-tie in the Pro as well? Please.
