scorecard
  1. Home
  2. tech
  3. Mobile
  4. news
  5. Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G review – buy it if you want a mid-range smartphone with some interesting camera features

Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G review – buy it if you want a mid-range smartphone with some interesting camera features

Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G review – buy it if you want a mid-range smartphone with some interesting camera features
Tech6 min read
  • The Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G is the latest smartphone from the company, aimed at those who want a slim and camera-centric device.
  • It is powered by the Dimensity 1200 chipset and runs on the latest version of Android.
  • The Reno 6 Pro 5G is priced at ₹39,990.
The Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G launched in India earlier this month and is the latest smartphone from the company. It succeeds the Reno 5 Pro 5G that was launched last year, with a beefed-up chipset and some new camera features – after all, Oppo’s Reno series is known for its camera-centric focus.

Oppo’s formula for the Reno series has been a combination of a sleek design, focus on the camera features, and an adequately powerful chipset, at mid-range prices – the Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G is available for purchase at ₹39,990 and it comes in two colour options – Aurora and Stellar Black.

Powering the phone is the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 chipset, which is an upgrade from the Dimensity 1000+ chipset used in the previous generation.

Oppo has combined this with abundant RAM and fast storage – it has 12GB of memory, which should be more than adequate for almost every user out there, along with 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. In simpler terms, copious amounts of fast memory and storage.

Its sub-₹40,000 price puts it comfortably in the mid-range, but things have changed from last year – there’s plenty of competition now in this price segment – from Samsung, Xiaomi to Oppo’s sister company, OnePlus.

Being spoiled for choice when it comes to smartphones is usually a good problem to have, but that does make it a little difficult to make the right choice. This review aims to make this a little easier for you.

I have been testing the Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G for over two weeks now and here’s my detailed review.

Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G – simplicity is underrated

Oppo has always had a flair for striking designs – whether it’s something as simple and premium looking as matte black or something as bold as a textured, shimmery pattern.


But the design is not limited to just the colour. Oppo has adopted this language for the rest of the phone, too. There’s a metal frame running along the sides of the phone, with any bands distracting from the design. A major part of the front of the phone is taken up by the 6.55-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, with Gorilla Glass 5 protection on top.


The back of the phone is mostly bare, except for the Oppo logo on the bottom right and the camera module on the top left.

Thanks to the curved back design, the phone feels thinner than it actually is, and rests easily in the palm. And although small phones are very rare, the Reno 6 Pro 5G is easier to hold and use than some of its competing smartphones with similar display sizes.


On the whole, Oppo has done a good job by sticking to the basics and keeping things simple.

Using the Reno 6 Pro 5G in day-to-day life

Most of my smartphone usage can be divided into these four parts – messaging, voice calls, multitasking and clicking some photos.

Most modern smartphones handle messaging and voice calls very well. As an added bonus, the Reno 6 Pro 5G supports 11 5G bands, which should prove to be useful as and when 5G services are launched in India.

But the user experience starts varying a fair bit when it comes to multitasking and camera usage.

Despite coming from a phone powered by the flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset to this phone, powered by the Dimensity 1200 chipset, I barely noticed a difference when it comes to multitasking, switching between apps, app launch speeds and the overall performance.


It is worth pointing out that Oppo has refined the ColorOS interface drastically over the last two years. If you have used a OnePlus smartphone and like its design, you will feel mostly at home with the Reno 6 Pro 5G, or any new Oppo smartphone for that matter.

In terms of gaming, I tried Battlegrounds Mobile India and Call of Duty: Mobile. Both the games ran smooth and the phone never got too hot even after extended sessions. After playing Call of Duty: Mobile for 30 minutes, there was a 7% reduction in battery.

Camera performance

The Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G sports a quad camera setup on the back, with a selfie camera on the front. The back has a 64MP primary camera, an 8MP ultrawide angle camera, a 2MP macro camera and a 2MP monochrome camera. The front has a 32MP camera for selfies and video calling.


One of the primary selling points of the camera is the bokeh flare portrait effect – it works in videos by isolating the subject and defocusing the background. It works well in well-lit conditions but tends to struggle a bit in low-light conditions. It’s fun when it works, and can often give you surprising results.


Coming to still photos, the Reno 6 Pro 5G delivers good results in daylight and well-lit conditions. The colour reproduction is accurate, but the results tend to be slightly oversaturated when the AI scene enhancement option is enabled.


The overall details in the images were also good in regular and ultrawide angle shots.


The phone performs well in low-light conditions, too, but you will need a pair of still hands. Oppo could have solved this by adding optical image stabilisation support.


Front camera

On the front, the Reno 6 Pro 5G has a 32MP camera for selfies and video calling. The results were surprisingly good even when the camera is directly pointed at the light source. In portrait mode, too, the edges of the subject were well-focused, which is something that many phones struggle with.

Video and mic performance

The Reno 6 Pro 5G supports 4K video recording at 30 frames per second, as well as 1080p and 720p recording at up to 60 frames per second. Given that the phone lacks optical image stabilisation, the videos can be a little jittery if you don’t have stable hands. The electronic stabilisation works in 1080p and 720p modes.

Overall, the video and audio quality in daylight conditions is decent. The performance dips a bit in low-light conditions.

Battery life

The Reno 6 Pro 5G is powered by a 4,500mAh battery. The battery may not last an entire day, especially with moderate to extended gaming sessions. However, the 65W fast charger bundled in the box can charge it fully – from 0% to 100% - in 32 minutes.

Practically speaking, charging the phone is no longer a concern when phones charge so fast.

Should you buy the Reno 6 Pro 5G?

The Reno 6 Pro 5G handled most of the tasks well enough, leaving little to complain about. The only aspect that is worth mentioning here is the lack of optical image stabilisation, which should have been added for a camera-focused smartphone.

But overall, the design is sleek, the user interface is clean and the performance is smooth. The cameras work well in most conditions, and the 65W fast charging support is a feature you will appreciate every time you need to charge the phone.

At ₹39,990, the Reno 6 Pro 5G is a slim, powerful smartphone that packs in enough punch to make it an option worth considering. Other options in this price segment include the OnePlus 9R, the Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro 5G, and the Samsung Galaxy A72.

The OnePlus and Xiaomi smartphones are powered by top-tier Snapdragon chipsets, which should offer a slight edge in terms of performance. If that is your priority, then it’s worth considering these alternatives.

SEE ALSO:

Oppo Reno 6, Reno 6 Pro 5G smartphones with 65W fast charging launched in India – price, specifications and availability details

OnePlus Nord CE 5G Review: Buy it for the basics

Moto G60 review – 108MP snapper sounds impressive, but numbers don’t always paint a detailed picture

READ MORE ARTICLES ON


Advertisement

Advertisement