Oppo Reno4 Pro

amazon Oppo Reno4 Pro reviews

Reno4 Pro is a product that marks a complete change in the philosophy of Oppo compared to the first Reno launched. This can be seen as an inevitable consequence of a market that changes continuously and non-stop.

It can be said that Oppo’s Reno series is one of the clearest demonstrations of the speed at which Chinese smartphone makers are going. Just over a year ago, the original Reno launched with the orientation in the high-end segment, and the selfie camera cluster “shark fin” made the press spend a lot of ink. Shortly thereafter, the release of 10X Zoom made this orientation more pronounced.

Just 14 months later, the Reno line has entered the 4th generation (not to mention the side names such as Reno Z, Reno Ace, …), and the Reno4 Pro has no shark fin or a telephoto camera anymore. Target users also shifted from the near and high-end segment to the mid-range, completely giving up the performance in the high-end segment for the Find X2.

That’s not a bad thing. The shark fin camera is unique but not practical, as evidenced by the rapid departure of the “pop-up” camera movement in general. With increasingly improved hardware (and software), we can zoom 2X, even 5X with acceptable quality without the need for a telephoto camera. The more accessible price is something every consumer wants.

The question is, in following a more pragmatic philosophy, how will Oppo Reno4 Pro put itself above its competitors? After more than a week of research, I can “reveal” to you that: It is thanks to the camera, the ability to record video, and the fun that it brings.

Camera and software rendering

Looking at the paper, the camera parameters of the Oppo Reno4 Pro are not impressive. The rear 4-camera cluster includes the 48MP IMX586 main sensor that appeared from the original Reno, the 8MP 119-degree wide-angle camera, 2MP macro camera, and 2MP depth-of-field camera, no longer telephoto camera. These parameters are similar to the Reno2 F.

In the front is a 32MP punch-hole selfie camera with an IMX616 sensor that we have seen from flagship-like Huawei P40 Pro to mid-range smartphone Samsung Galaxy A50s, instead of the 44MP “dual punch-hole” cluster used on the Oppo Reno3 Pro.

However, we all know right now that the software or the processing power of the algorithm is just as important as the hardware, and my experience with the Reno4 Pro reinforces that. Photography is still the strength of Oppo smartphones so far, and this time, the two most interesting features on the Reno4 Pro are color capture/video recording, and slow-motion recording 960 fps.

960 fps slow-motion recording is not a new feature, but they are found on the flagship, not high-end mid-range smartphones like the Reno4 Pro. To add drama to the footage, the Reno4 Pro needs to capture movement in the frame, so in some case you will find that the video you have just recorded is not recorded, very rare. But once caught, the result was quite rewarding.

Color capture/video recording is a new Oppo feature that will basically automatically recognize the subject (currently only human subjects are supported) and retain their color, while the surrounding background will black and white, for the purpose of highlighting the subject. While there is still some clumsiness in identifying and keeping colors as intended, most of the time this feature works well. Over a week of use, it can be said that this is the thing that I experience the most on Reno4 Pro.

One thing that needs to be improved of this feature is that when capturing the color retention background with the selfie camera, if you turn on the beauty feature, the skin color becomes very unnatural and the image tends to be over-exposed), whether in bright or underexposed conditions. Maybe Oppo will roll out a fix in the future.

Oppo Reno4 Pro is equipped with many other features such as super anti-shake video recording or video font removal. In general, Oppo has given users a variety of tools to unleash creativity, focusing on the ability to record video, in the context of smartphone manufacturers are taking cameras as a playground for the technology race.

In basic shooting contexts, the Reno4 Pro’s camera still does not disappoint. Images have depth thanks to vivid color reproduction and a wide dynamic range, rich in detail in well-lit conditions. The background blur is well recognized, separate from the background, smooth background, and bright, rounded bokeh. The only thing I am not satisfied with is the 2MP macro camera, the relatively low resolution causes the image to lack detail, and the touch of the screen seems to be just to balance light, not focus, which will make us a little bit difficult when determining the optimal distance for macro photography.

Design: curved screen like the elder Oppo Find X2

Unlike the Reno3 with the Reno3 Pro, the Reno4 Pro has a very clear design difference compared to the standard Reno4. Right from the front, Reno4 Pro has shown a more advanced, with a 3D curved beveled screen, similar to the flagship Oppo Find X2 launched earlier this year.

The “chin” part below is also significantly thinner, while the top is only a single selfie camera, taking up less area than the “pill” form of Reno4. This is almost the most optimal form of bezel-less design, if we want to increase the screen area further, we may have to wait until the industry makes a breakthrough in under-display camera technology.

Reno4 Pro is equipped with an optical fingerprint sensor under the screen, not excluding the possibility that this is exactly the old sensor on the Reno3 Pro because the unlocking speed and fingerprint recognition ability are completely similar.

The frame and back of the Reno4 Pro are still made of plastic, but better finished. The screen part does not protrude from the chassis like many cheap and mid-range Oppo machines, partly because the two edges are curved 3D, so when holding there is no feeling of uncomfortable. Besides, Reno4 Pro is also one of the thinnest smartphones launched recently, with a thickness of 7.7mm at its thickest point and weighing only 161g, while the Reno3 Pro is already quite “light weight” was 8.1mm thick and weighed 175g.

The back of the Reno4 Pro continues to be a new experiment from Oppo, with both the white and black versions covered with a matte matte finish for a better grip, while significantly reducing the problem of fingerprints.

There are also 4 cameras, but the arrangement of the Reno4 Pro is a bit different from the Reno4, with 4 “pearls” lined up next to the LED flash, instead of a small secondary camera. The camera cluster is significantly protruding from the back, but we can be overcome by using the transparent plastic cover included inside the machine.

Possessing a “slim” body, but Reno4 Pro still retains the 3.5mm audio port, next to the USB-C port and single speaker strip. They are slightly deviated from the chassis, most likely the internal component arrangement forces Oppo to sacrifice this balance. Sim tray 3 (including 2 nano sim and 1 microSD card tray) of Reno4 Pro is arranged on the top of the device, instead of on the left edge near the volume up button like Reno4.

Like a shortened version of Find X2, Reno4 Pro has almost set a new standard for the design of mid-range high-end smartphones. Curved screen, thin bezel, matte back, Oppo has been more practical with Reno4 Pro, but in return, this is the most beautiful Reno since this smartphone launched.

where can you get a Oppo Reno4 Pro online

Original Oppo Reno 4 Pro 5G Smartphone 12G+256GB 6.5″ 90Hz AMOLED Snapdragon765G 65W SupperVOOC Octa Core 48MP Camera 4000Mah OTG NFC Support Google by-（Real Star Technology ） (Crystal Blue): Buy it now

Original Oppo Reno 4 Pro 5G Smartphone 8G+128GB 6.5″ 90Hz AMOLED Snapdragon765G 65W SupperVOOC Octa Core 48MP Camera 4000Mah OTG NFC Support Google by-（Real Star Technology ） (Dream Black): Buy it now

Beautiful bright OLED display, 90Hz refresh rate, with HDR10

Reno4 Pro equipped with a 6.5-inch screen, Full HD + resolution, Super AMOLED panel for maximum brightness (according to Oppo) is 1100 nits. However, it is worth noting that the Reno4 Pro’s screen now supports a 90Hz refresh rate instead of just 60Hz like the Reno3 Pro, making scrolling and swiping smoother. You can choose between 60Hz, 90Hz, or simply let the phone select it to suit the application and the most displayed content.

Besides, the Reno4 Pro screen also has 100% DCI-P3 color coverage, HDR10 support for vivid and true colors, especially when watching HDR content on Netflix, Youtube. Deep blacks, wide contrast are familiar features of Super AMOLED panels that we all know.

Integrated Dolby Atmos, but because it is only a single speaker, the Reno4 Pro’s speakerphone quality is only “mid-level”. The volume is loud, not shy at maximum, but the sound quality is not outstanding.

90Hz screen affects the battery, 65W fastest charger on the market

In a recent article, BiaReview conducted a survey and found that, Reno4 Pro is currently the fastest commercial smartphone on the market, with a maximum capacity of 65W thanks to Super VOOC 2.0 charging technology.

4,000 mAh battery for about a day of use, also not too important when fully charged time is just over half an hour. However, a point to note is that the 90Hz scan frequency mode makes the machine consume more power, compared to the Reno3 Pro with similar screen size, the same 4,000 mAh battery, the Reno4 Pro “burns” more about 10%.

Performance is enough, ColorOS 7.2 software has many new points

In terms of configuration, Reno4 Pro and Reno4 are equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 720G chip, after a generation Reno3 suddenly switched to MediaTek’s Helio chip. This is a significant reduction from the Chinese domestic Reno4 Pro, which uses a more powerful Snapdragon 765G, a newer 7nm process and supports 5G networks.

Measured by AnTuTu Benchmark v8.4.3 software, Reno4 Pro achieved 258,325 points. Meanwhile, with GeekBench 5, Snapdragon 720G scored 560 single-core and 1716 multi-core points. Thus, compared to Helio P95 on Reno3 Pro, Qualcomm’s processor gives better performance from 10-15%.

Selecting three familiar titles: Lien Quan Mobile, Dead Trigger 2, and PUBG Mobile, Reno4 Pro – like many other smartphones using Snapdragon 720G – for a smooth experience if you accept a little downgrade. Strangely, even though the Reno4 Pro has a 90Hz screen, the Perfdog FPS measurement software that BiaReview normally uses still shows that the game is running at 60 fps, even if Dead Trigger 2 has a 90fps option in the settings graphics.

8GB of RAM is quite ample for Reno4 Pro to multitask comfortably, but sometimes the device has a slight lag, possibly due to the Snapdragon 720G and the Adreno 618 GPU not strong enough to “load” the 90Hz screen.

In terms of software, Reno4 Pro is pre-installed with Android 10, a new ColorOS 7.2 interface. Some outstanding features are AI App Preloading, according to Oppo, ColorOS uses an AI algorithm to predict the next user application and preload it, improving application open time. This feature learns according to the user’s habits, which means that the longer you use it, the smoother it will be (in theory), but due to the relatively short time to experience the device, I have not had the opportunity to verify or have any way to compare between having this feature or not will affect the speed.

Oppo Lab is also the first feature that debuted on ColorOS 7.2. This is a platform for testing and releasing new Oppo products, users can experience new features as well as make suggestions and suggestions to Oppo. Currently, Oppo Lab supports two new functions which are Decision Wheel, a random feature for people who need to decide something (eg what to eat tonight, what to watch, …), and Lab Ringtone, a personal Ringtone, and notification sound. However, this platform is not available on the BiaReview sample machine.

ColorOS 7.2 pre-installed quite a lot of “junk” software, including Facebook Lite, TikTok Lite, Messenger, … but at least we can still remove them if there is no need to use them. Besides, with support for Oppo Share, users can send files via wifi p2p wireless protocol to other Oppo devices or Xiaomi, Vivo, Realme, faster than traditional bluetooth.

Summary

There is not much to blame Reno4 Pro. The price is more accessible than previous generations, with eye-catching design, beautiful screen, and camera with many interesting creative tools, Reno no longer flies like when the shark fin camera was released, or boasted with Zoom capabilities lack practicality in real use. Reno is now more pragmatic, more serious, so it’s “dangerous” than much to the competition.