Road-Testing the Oppo Reno 10 Pro 5G

I opened the review unit of the Oppo Reno 10 Pro 5G the night before my flight to Spain. I figured the trip would be as good a time as any to check out the latest version of the brand’s flagship unit. 

First, I had to do the set-up, and because I’m already using another Android phone (another brand), setting up the new phone was a snap. It was easy enough to follow the instructions, which I appreciate, because, when you get to a certain age, you want things to be as simple and straightforward as possible. (What I didn’t care for were the pre-installed apps and games, which you can immediately delete, if you’re so inclined).

The Oppo Reno 10 Pro 5G

Photo by Oppo.

ALSO READ

Need a New Phone? Here's the Latest from Oppo and Samsung

The New Model from the Country's Leading Smartphone Brand Has a 100 Megapixel Camera

The unit itself is slim and easy to grip and already comes with a phone case. It’s about 7.89mm thick and weighs just 185 grams. After years of carrying around a foldable phone that’s quite heavy, the Reno10 Pro felt light and refreshing to hold. Although the Glossy Purple color isn’t something I’d choose for myself, it’s undeniably eye-catching and should appeal to younger consumers.

I took my first image with the phone in the pre-departure waiting area at the airport. Compared to my three-year-old phone, the difference is stark: the colors are more vivid and the resolution is way clearer. Oppo says the Reno 10 Pro has a 50-megapixel main camera and, for the first time in this range, 32 MP telephoto portrait camera that can essentially capture far away images and make them seem much closer in quality and resolution. There’s also 32 MP selfie camera with an autofocus function, which is good news for those who always want to look their best when taking photos of themselves.

Photo of Neptune's Fountain in Madrid, taken with the Oppo Reno 10 Pro 5G

Photo by PJ Cana.

In Spain, the Reno 10 Pro became my main phone, and I used it to take photos everywhere—on the streets, inside hotel rooms and moving vehicles, and of course, portraits of myself with my companions. I have no complaints with the quality of the images—whether in bright daylight (under a bright cloudless sky) or in low light during evenings, photos are as vibrant and lifelike as I’ve ever seen them. Even for casual users, which goes for a vast majority of us, Oppo made sure to equip the Reno 10 Pro with best-in-class camera feature for people take high-quality images.

Video is not that much different—the phone can record up to 4K 30fps videos using the rear camera and 1080p 30fps on the front, and you get high quality footage for your stories or reels on social media.

A Madrid city street

Photo by PJ Cana.

Another high point for the Reno 10 Pro is battery life. Manufacturers are clearly listening to users clamoring for longer-lasting phones, and Oppo is no different. Based on the specs, the phone boasts a 4,600mAh battery and offers 80W SuperVOOC fast charging. Even after a full day of taking pictures and doing simple tasks such as scrolling through social media and taking voice notes, the phone still had plenty of juice left, so much so that I didn’t even have to worry about charging it for the next day. And for those times when I did need to charge it, its superfast charging feature means it only took about 30 minutes for a full charge. 

For those curious about what keeps the phone running beneath the exterior, the Reno 10 Pro is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778 5g Mobile Platform, which, if you’re not exactly a tech nerd like me, just means that you needn’t worry about performance during regular use, such as for messaging, app use, photo and video captures, and most anything else. I didn not experience any lag even when multiple apps were open onscreen. I’m not exactly a gamer, but Oppo promises a seamless and dynamic playing experience on the phone so we’ll have to take their word for it.

The author in Segovia, Spain, taken with the Oppo Reno 10 Pro 5G

Photo by PJ Cana.

If there’s one minor complaint, it’s the phone screen’s adaptive brightness function. It’s fine when outdoors and in bright light, but for some reason it doesn’t automatically adjust to a more comfortable setting indoors and in low light. I had to adjust it manually.

Ultimately, though, the Oppo Reno 10 5G ticks off all the boxes for someone looking for excellent performance for a phone’s most basic uses—including camera functions and video and image quality, long-lasting battery life and vibrant display, premium but lightweight feel, and superior multi-tasking performance. Personally, this is the first time I’ve used a phone that isn’t one of the big two brands (Apple or Samsung) in the last 10 or so years, and I’m suitably impressed.

The Oppo Reno 10 Pro 5G retails for P29,999

Photo by Oppo.

The Reno10 Pro 5G retails for P29,999. The other variants are the Reno10 5G that retails for P23,999, and the Reno10 Pro Plus that retails for P39,999.