[OPPO Reno8 (Reno 8)] Yean_to_travel:
Product review of Oppo Reno8

I’ve been using the Oppo Reno8 for 2 weeks and these are my impressions.

I got the phone in Shimmer Gold and I must say that this is the most beautiful phone colour. As the name suggests, the phone literally shimmers in the light. At different angles, the surface of the phone reflects light differently and appears in rainbow colours. On top of it, it is fingerprint resistant. In fact, I was reluctant to put on a phone case. Fortunately, the phone comes with a clear phone cover with a cut out for the camera, included in the box! Here are some images of the beautiful phone:

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Weighing only 179g, with a large screen size of 6.4 inches, I could watch videos on the move while holding my phone comfortably. The colours were also nice and vibrant, with a screen resolution of 2400 X 1080 pixels. I often edit photos on my phone, so the range of colours displayed is really important for me.

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The operating system is ColorOS 12.1. A super cool function I discovered the phone had was Air Gestures. This function allows you to scroll, answer phone calls or play/ pause videos without touching the phone. I tried it out while trying to follow a video to cook a new dish and it was super convenient. I could easily pause and play the video when I needed more time for any step without touching the phone (and making it oily or covered with flour!)

For a photographer, the cameras on the phone are crucial. Oppo Reno8 features the Dual Sony Flagship Sensors. There are 3 rear cameras. The specs of the main camera are 50MP, 1/1.56"; f/1.8; FOV 86°; 7P lens; AF. The specs of the Macro camera are FOV 89°; 3P lens; FF and the specs for the wide-angle camera are f/2.2; FOV 112°; 5P lens; FF. Specs for the front camera are 32MP, 1/2.74"; f/2.4; 32MP (f/2.4); FOV 85°; lens: 5P, FF. I was impressed by the quality of the selfie camera due to the high resolution. It also has some “beautifying” effects which makes me look good even when I didn’t have time to put on any make-up!

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I put the cameras to the test the moment I unboxed it. One known limitations of phone cameras is the ability to function in low light settings and this was what I tested out. You can check out my unboxing video to see how it performed. I then tested taking photos at 1 location using the default “photo” mode, the “night” mode and also the “pro” mode. I often use the pro mode when I want to control the iso and exposure time but I was curious to see how the night mode performed for users who may not be comfortable with using the pro mode.

The subject I chose was the rain vortex at Jewel, Changi Airport. F 1.8 and 5.42mm was used for all 3 photos, using the main camera.

The 1st photo was taken using default settings, iso was 3609 and exposure 1/100sec.

The 2nd photo was taken using night mode. I was prompted to hold the phone steady. The iso was reduced to 967 and exposure time increased to 1/20 sec. Note that if you do not hold the phone steady, the image will be blurred.

The 3rd photo was taken using pro mode, I set the iso at 100, the minimum (to decrease noise), and exposure 1/3 sec, the longest possible without having over-exposed areas (to create the silky water effect).

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Comparing the 3 photos (unedited, straight out of phone), you can see that the pro mode was sharpest and had most silky water effect. The night mode is a good “in-between” for users who are not familiar with using pro mode. One limitation to note is that the pro mode can only be used with the main camera and not wide-angle camera.

I also took tested taking portraits at night using both the main camera and selfie camera. The subject appeared bright in spite of low ambient lighting. These are some of the shots.

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11 minutes was all that was required for me to charge the phone up to 50% using the 80W SUPERVOOC charger included in the box. It sounded too good to be true until I tried it out for myself. The battery was super long lasting; I brought it out for an entire day taking photographs and uploading them to Instagram and there was still 50% left when I got home at night!

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In conclusion, it was a beautiful phone with good screen resolution and battery life. I was pleased with the performance of the camera at night and surprised at how well the selfie camera performed. The price point is also very competitive. Give it a try and you might be impressed as well!