The OPPO Reno 6 5G is the latest smartphone from the company to launch in Kenya. The phone was launched in Kenya early this month and is available in stores for around Ksh 59,999. The price may vary depending on where you get it from but it should be around this range. This price is quite a jump from previous Reno devices that have always been available for Ksh 40,000.
The OPPO Reno 6 series is the successor to the Reno 5 that we reviewed earlier this year. Even though we get to see two phones in the same series launch in the country within the same year, they are quite different with the Reno 6 5G offering key upgrades if you ask me.
Is the OPPO Reno 6 5G worth the price the company is asking for? This is what we will find out in this review.
Before we get to the review, here are the three highlights that make this phone great:
- Premium Design
- AMOLED display
- Good Cameras
- 65W Fast Charging
OPPO Reno 6 5G Design and Build Quality
When you take the OPPO Reno 6 5G from the box for the first time, you will notice its resemblance to the iPhone 12. I got the variant with changing colours that OPPO is calling Aurora which looks really good and maybe the option for most people.
OPPO has really nailed it in the design department and the metallic finish makes it even more appealing. The phone is not that slippery and is not a fingerprint magnet as most other phones.
The back of the phone houses the triple camera setup held up in a triangular module. I will talk more about the camera later in the review. The power button is on the right of the phone while the volume keys are on the left. The SIM card slot, USB-C port and speaker grille are on the bottom section.
The Display
With the OPPO Reno6 5G we are getting a 6.43-inch display with a resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. This display has Gorilla glass protection which should protect it from accidental scratches. This is an AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Even though this is not the highest refresh rate we have seen on a smartphone, it is still good and helps provide a smooth scrolling experience.
OPPO gives users the option of choosing between a 90Hz refresh rate or scaling that down to a 60Hz refresh rate. You can change the refresh rate depending on your needs. There is no way to let the phone adjust the refresh rate automatically as we have seen on other devices and you will have to do that yourself.
As for the display itself, it is very bright and vibrant with sharp and accurate colours. This is what you expect from a display on a smartphone within this price range. The display is not reflective and this means you can easily use it outdoors and even under direct sunlight.
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Performance and Hardware
The OPPO Reno6 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 900 processor that has been paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage space. There is no MicroSD card support so keep that in mind if you are planning to buy this phone.
Using this phone, I did not notice any lags during the review period. The phone handles well and even intensive tasks do not slow it down. It is very snappy when opening and switching between multiple apps and even games. This is impressive and is exactly what I was expecting for a phone within this price.
The sound quality is good on the Reno6 5G but is not necessarily the best. We are not getting stereo speakers and I feel like this should have been the case considering the price of this phone. OPPO is including a pair of earphones that will use the USB C port since this phone does not have a 3.5 mm headphone jack. I got the OPPO Enco Air from OPPO so I have been using those instead.
When playing games, I noticed the phone gets a bit too hot and this can be unsettling for some people. It is still usable but not everyone will be comfortable with this.
Cameras
The OPPO Reno6 5G comes with a triple camera setup at the back. This is made up of a 64MP main sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 2MP macro lens. For selfies OPPO has included a 32MP front facing camera.
The 64MP main sensor does deliver a good camera performance. It can capture vibrant and detailed shots with accurate colour and dynamic range. This is the case with shots taken with good lighting and the case is pretty much the same for shots taken at night. Night mode on the Reno6 5G does a good job is reducing the amount of noise and ensuring you get shots worth sharing. In low light condition, the phone takes a significant amount of time focusing on the subject, this should be improved in the next phone in this series.
Battery
The OPPO Reno6 5G comes with a 4300 mAh battery that can easily last an entire day on a single charge. I spend most my days on the phone and I could get this phone to still have some juice left by the time I was ready to go to bed. With the battery optimization features OPPO has implemented on ColorOS, this battery will not drain fast giving you the peace of mind when using the phone.
Even if the battery runs low, the Reno6 5G supports 65W fast charging. This can top up the battery to up to 50% in less than 20 minutes. The battery can be charged fully in a little over 30 minutes which means that you can wake up in the morning and start charging it and you will have it fully charged by the time you are leaving the house.
Conclusion
The OPPO Reno6 5G is a solid phone. It is well built with an amazing design and quality. It feels premium to look at and hold. This is quite a huge improvement in the Reno series and I am impressed so far. The phone is quite powerful as the Dimensity 900 processor has proven to be reliable for many different tasks. The cameras are good as always with OPPO smartphones and the battery and fast charging really make this phone worth looking at.
The biggest debate with the Reno6 has to do with the price. Even though I like this phone, I feel like the price is a bit too high. The phone is good and all but if OPPO could sell it at a lower price, it could have been the deal of a lifetime.
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