The Oppo Reno 7 Pro: A Stylish Upgrade With Room for Improvement
Oppo’s Reno series has been a flagship staple in India for years, particularly since the company shifted focus away from its Find series. The Reno Pro models have largely followed a winning formula: sleek designs with curved displays and blazing-fast charging. While the rapid charging remains a cornerstone of the new Oppo Reno 7 Pro, Oppo has decided to shake things up with a fresh design aesthetic. This flagship also boasts a new(ish) MediaTek Dimensity 1200-Max SoC, upgraded camera sensors, and stereo speakers, representing a significant upgrade over its predecessor, the Reno 6 Pro. However, navigating this increasingly competitive market demands more than just a pretty face. Can the Oppo Reno 7 Pro truly stand out, or is it merely a cosmetic update?
Design: A Sleek Departure From Tradition
The Reno series has always been known for its attention-grabbing design, and the Reno 7 Pro doesn’t disappoint. However, instead of the expected curved display and glossy frame, the 7 Pro takes inspiration from the Reno 6, adopting a flattened aluminium frame and flat display. The bezels surrounding the display are remarkably slim, and paired with the small hole-punch cutout, the Reno 7 Pro presents a striking front-facing view. This design change is a welcome one for those, like myself, who prefer the stability and ease of use offered by flat displays over the potential typing and swiping challenges posed by curved edges.
The glass back of the Oppo Reno 7 Pro features a unique, eye-catching finish. Oppo claims to have used a laser process to create hundreds of diagonal micro-etches, visible at specific angles. The finish feels excellent and resists fingerprint smudges. The camera module boasts a multilayered design, surrounded by a light strip that glows when you receive notifications and during charging. While the inability to customize the color of this strip is a missed opportunity, you can choose which apps and events trigger the glow, adding a touch of personality.
The Reno 7 Pro does ditch the headphone jack, following the trend of modern flagship devices, and lacks expandable storage. However, it makes up for these omissions with stereo speakers, a much-needed addition to the Pro lineup. The 6.5-inch AMOLED panel delivers excellent colors and contrast, presenting a full-HD+ resolution with a 90Hz peak refresh rate and 180Hz peak touch sampling rate. The inclusion of Corning Gorilla 5 protects against scratches. Although a 120Hz refresh rate or a higher touch sampling rate would have been more substantial upgrades, the current specs cater well to most users.
Oppo demonstrates its commitment to user experience by including a generous set of bundled accessories with the Reno 7 Pro: a 65W charger, a case, a USB cable, and a SIM eject tool. All in all, Oppo has crafted a compelling design that is both sleek and functional. The phone’s slim profile (7.45mm) and lightweight feel (180g) add to its overall appeal.
Specifications and Software: A Mixed Bag of Upgrades and Omissions
The Oppo Reno 7 Pro showcases a new processor: the MediaTek Dimensity 1200-Max. This chip is essentially a standard Dimensity 1200 with two specialized optimizations for the Reno 7 Pro: AI Deblur for improved selfie quality and AI-PQ for creating an HDR-like effect in standard videos. However, there appears to be no performance gain with this "Max" version. For all other tasks, it should deliver the same smooth performance as its predecessor. The 12GB of RAM can be expanded by allocating 7GB of storage if you utilize the RAM expansion feature in ColorOS.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and a comprehensive suite of satellite navigation systems. The phone packs a 4,500mAh battery with support for up to 65W fast charging through Oppo’s proprietary SuperVOOC charger. Unfortunately, the Reno 7 Pro continues to skimp on premium features such as an IP rating for waterproofing and wireless charging. While these features are still not common in this price segment, their inclusion would have been a strong differentiator for Oppo.
While running ColorOS 12, the Reno 7 Pro is saddled with Android 11, another disappointing omission considering many new phones ship with Android 12 out of the box. ColorOS 12 offers the usual shortcuts and gestures, but also includes a plethora of preinstalled apps, a common trait of previous ColorOS versions. Most of these apps are third-party and can be removed. A new feature, Omoji, comparable to Apple’s Memoji, allows you to create digital avatars of your face or select from pre-existing options. The functionality of Omoji is limited to the always-on display and your phone’s account profile picture.
Performance and Battery Life: A Solid Foundation for Everyday Use
During my testing, using the Reno 7 Pro alongside the more affordable Reno 7, I experienced smooth, enjoyable performance. The phone’s ergonomic shape feels comfortable, the power and volume buttons provide reassuring feedback, and the display is responsive and legible even in bright sunlight. The in-display fingerprint sensor and face recognition both function accurately. I did not encounter any undesirable heating issues except during gaming, when the metal sides and back became slightly warm. Some of the preinstalled apps are notorious for spamming unnecessary notifications, but as mentioned previously, these can be easily uninstalled.
The Reno 7 Pro’s display shines when it comes to videos. Viewing angles are satisfactory, and HDR videos appear stunning. I couldn’t definitively discern the difference made by the AI-PQ feature in the custom SoC; standard videos also looked impressive, which could be attributed to the AMOLED screen’s quality.
To test the Reno 7 Pro’s handling of demanding multiplayer games, I played PUBG: New State. With all graphical settings maxed out, gameplay remained smooth, and the display response was excellent. After around half an hour of gaming, the phone did warm up, but the frame rates remained consistent throughout. While the Reno 7 Pro delivers impressive performance that doesn’t disappoint benchmark scores (it achieved 6,28,794 points in AnTuTu), don’t expect it to reach the performance levels of a Snapdragon 888 powered device.
Battery life proves to be another significant strength of the Reno 7 Pro. Our HD video loop test ran for nearly 22 hours before the phone powered off, indicating exceptional endurance. In daily usage, expect the Reno 7 Pro to comfortably last a day and a half, if not more. During my testing with medium to light use, I consistently achieved close to two full days of battery life, a testament to its efficiency. The bundled charger allows for rapid charging, delivering roughly 66 percent charge within half an hour and fully charging the phone in under an hour.
Cameras: A Promising Stepping Stone with Room for Refinement
The Oppo Reno 7 Pro boasts upgraded camera sensors compared to its ancestor. The 32-megapixel selfie camera leverages a new Sony IMX709 sensor with an RGBW pixel layout for improved light sensitivity and DOL-HDR support. Despite lacking autofocus, the f/2.4 aperture isn’t exceptionally wide, and video recording is limited to 1080p. The primary rear camera also receives an upgrade with the inclusion of a Sony IMX766 sensor, a popular choice among manufacturers this year, as seen in the OnePlus 9RT. However, the omission of optical stabilisation is disappointing. Rounding out the camera array is an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens and a 2-megapixel macro camera.
Beyond the hardware itself, Oppo has focused intently on enriching the camera app’s special features. These include AI Highlight Video and the Bokeh Flare Portrait filter, both carried over from the Reno 6 series. A new addition is the ability to adjust aperture during video recording with both front and rear cameras. The app also packs several other shooting modes, such as dual-video, expert, slow-mo, and more.
In daylight conditions, the Oppo Reno 7 Pro captured detailed photos with the main rear camera. While colors were generally satisfactory, I observed some difficulty in achieving the correct exposure in extreme HDR scenarios. The ultra-wide camera, on the other hand, performed better in these situations, although details were softer. Close-up photos taken with the main camera looked impressive, although, once again, the phone struggled to maintain consistent exposure and color accuracy under harsh sunlight. In other lighting conditions, it performed well. The macro camera proved potentially useful in good lighting.
The main rear camera holds its own in low-light conditions. Close-ups were sharp and clear, and colors remained accurate even in minimal ambient lighting. Landscape shots sometimes appeared over-sharpened, and low-light photos lacked punch unless Night mode was activated. Selfies taken with the new front camera sensor were equally impressive. With beauty filters disabled, I achieved accurate skin tones and excellent detail in daylight. Low-light selfies were also good, but I needed to be extra steady for sharp results.
The bokeh filter functioned well during daylight, creating a shallow depth of field effect and transforming bright spots into small blobs of color. This effect looked great in videos as well, but only when movement was minimal.
With regard to video recording, the Oppo Reno 7 Pro can capture 4K footage using the main rear camera, but only at 30fps. For 60fps, you must drop to 1080p resolution. Furthermore, enabling any AI effects, filters, or shooting with the ultra-wide camera limits the resolution to 1080p, a significant limitation for a phone at this price point. The quality of 4K video captured in daylight was average at best. Stabilization was good, but bright areas often appeared overexposed. The ultra-wide camera, surprisingly, delivered competent video recording, cropping the frame to avoid a fish-eye effect. Low-light video quality fell short, especially when AI processing was enabled. Footage became grainy and jittery, making it less than ideal for recording in low-light situations.
Verdict: A Stylish Upgrade for Fashion-Conscious Shoppers, but Others May Find More Value Elsewhere
The Oppo Reno 7 Pro represents a solid upgrade to the Reno 6 Pro, and Oppo’s decision to lower the price is a wise move. The flat display, stereo speakers, and enhanced camera sensors are all welcome improvements. Battery life is excellent, and the super-fast charging is a welcome bonus. The AI camera features and filters provide a playful approach to creating social-media-ready photos and videos without resorting to third-party apps.
Despite these improvements, there’s still considerable room for growth. I anticipated a more substantial upgrade in the display and SoC departments. Video recording, a sticking point with the Reno 6 Pro, hasn’t seen meaningful improvement. Even with the lower price tag, I believe competitors offer better value for money. Devices like the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G, Moto Edge 20 Pro, Realme GT, and Xiaomi 11T Pro pack more powerful processors, offer higher refresh rate displays, and even include impressive telephoto cameras, all within the same price range.
Ultimately, if prioritizing fashionable looks and unique camera features over raw performance aligns with your preferences, the Reno 7 Pro will likely satisfy. It undeniably offers better value than the Reno 6 Pro. However, it’s crucial to remember that the market is brimming with more feature-packed alternatives.
