[OPPO Reno8 Pro (Global/ Reno 8 Pro+ China)] retal_to:
2. Performance​

The Geek/Nerd paradise with numbers and benchmarks. First, in everyday use, I have no issue with this matter. The OPPO Reno 8 Pro runs smoothly for applications, translations, live transcripts, gaming, videos, or even photography. You got way enough horsepower here. It’s pretty much the same level of performance as last year’s flagship. No overheating, no throttling so far I’ve experimented. So far, so good.

Let’s start with AnTuTu:

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No surprise here, The phone is top 10%, close to Oneplus 9 Pro under SD 888 and Oneplus 10R under the same SoC as the OPPO Reno 8 Pro.

AI Capability:​

AITuTu:​

For a reminder, here is the last ranking available:

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And now the result:

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No need to go further, the Max variant of the 8100 got its AI boosted vs. the 8000, and it seems they did a good job (usually around 750K for the 8000).

Geekbench ML:​

In this case, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 hits 500/550 for CPU, 1800 for GPU, and Google Tensor around 1700 for NPU.

View attachment 5712219	View attachment 5712221

Geekbench ML wasn’t able to fully perform the NPU test, maybe due to the one from Mediatek and the one from OPPO, both at the same time?! I’m still wondering if it’s a software, app, or hardware issue.

Throttling?​

It seems not, even after a burn-in-test with CPU Throttle:

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Now for gaming:​

I tried Genshin, The Division Resurgence, and some others. No lag, 90 fps, plus OPPO integrate some nice Gaming tools to change some settings and permit running them how they should be. It is compatible with Razer Kishi (What I used); the thin design and flat screen are just green lights for this. I enjoy more playing with it than some other smartphones. The battery was impressive too. When I played The Division Ressuregence, I played straight for more than 4 hours (with AC, my favorite license), and I was still able to use the smartphone until the end of the day.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/...ivision.mobile.combat.shooting.open.world.rpg

3. ColorOS and Connectivity​

ColorOS… ColorOS… ColorOS​

A second time I got this UI after the X5. First of all, Android 13 and ColorOS 13 will be available for this product. Beta starts in October. It should have 2 Major Android updates with four years of security updates, including A13. Usually, the security updates are only quarterly.

The first boot is Android 12, out of the box, with ColorOS 12.1 material design. You will surely have a D1 OTA (July Patch, in my case).

A few days ago, I received the August security patch with some corrections included.

It’s themed like many OEMs. However, you can see the Android 12 base behind the curtains and sometimes even Android itself with no customization.

However, when you dig into it, OPPO made many customizations in their system. Launcher, notifications, Icons, settings, smart sidebar, their own privacy sub-menu, including the Android functionalities. They have tons of applications such as OPPO Share, Omoji, gallery, video, even the clock, files app, O Relax (?), and so many apps like App cloner, App Enhancement, App services or others OPPO in-home system apk. Not mentioned on top of the Android Framework, you will also find an OPPO/OPlus framework to make all these works together (surely necessary for the Phone Manager that looks like the security center in MIUI).

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We are on Google App for Android for the Phone Dialer and SMS/Messages APP. No OPPO system apps for that. And I like that. So, no debate here.

At first glance, all these apps are just giving the users some native functionalities Android already integrates into Android 12. And give the impression that they are reminiscence of a China firmware variant without Google services in this local market. But lots of them are marked as EU APK variants. And many system apps can’t be uninstalled (disable only). And all of them are not available on the Google Play store as they should be if we follow Android Guidelines. I’m really waiting for all system apps under Aarch64 and available on the Play Store with uninstalling possibility.

I said earlier, no biases. I started to get used to ColorOS, it was hard at first, but now it’s becoming way better.

It gives the impression that OPPO has integrated Android 12 functionalities made by Google, added theirs on top to expand them, and managed to balance it somehow.

Let’s start with the launcher. It’s fast, allows many options, got the discover/at glance functionality, and you can add widgets (works well with OPPO widgets, less with 3rd party apps/Google widgets), change the layout of the home screens, change the shape or even colors of the icons, notification shade icons. So, you will say Material You. It seems an OPPO solution, including a wallpaper color picker.

I still think the Notification shades can be ameliorated, and they are a struggle for me. Too many operations to have a global view and enter the app. I have many email accounts and receive many emails. You can have all the notifications grouped for each inbox; that’s great. You can unfold them and see each notification for each mail. Great. But when it’s folded, clicking on the shade, you should get you in the inbox with all read and unread mail. Here, you need to unfold, select an email, go into the email in the app, go back, and then be in your inbox.

And the system is still responsive, the battery is good, and no drain due to these additions; you customized the Reno 8 Pro to get a closer look at a Pixel/Stock OS. Some options or functionality will pop, giving you more of this feel… or the opposite.

I choose the US region on the phone, meaning lots of functionalities are deactivated to comply with local regulations… No Omoji, Themes, or way to customize the OS. Usually, when these options are free (like themes), the product is you (and your data). It can be a nice touch; for me, it’s just a gimmick, like a quick ball, smart bar. I tried them. I understand the addiction, but it’s not for me. At least the goal of Android, personalize it for your own usage. And it was the same for O Relax. It allows you to relax with a mix of music and video for the time you have decided. Zen attitude. Yep, great for those who need it, nope for me.

For the quick ball, is there an example that van is handy if you need, on the fly, translation, for instance:

Quick Ball Translation tools
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You can also easily use the splitting screen functionality

Dual windows/Split windows function​

For Privacy, OPPO stated, “User privacy is about transparency. OPPO has been improving data compliance through storage and process. With servers deployed in multiple locations worldwide, OPPO guarantees that user data stays in the nearby servers, saved in a non-plain text transmitted using a proprietary protocol.”

ColorOS 12.1 comes with Private System, Private Safe, App Lock, and more security features with Android 12 Privacy Dashboards. However, on the phone, their privacy notice is outdated from November 2020. It seems the servers are in Germany for EU users, so OPPO complies with GPDR.

Okay, user data are safe and encrypted. ColorOS even integrates the new A12 guidelines as permissions of apps to use the camera, microphone, localization (approximate or precise), the data used, and the green dot to indicate whether an app uses a microphone or camera. Android 13 should bring more features concerning user privacy.

Anti-peeping feature is also included, and the system will recognize if it’s the viewer looking at the screen, so the notification or content can be hidden if tuned this way.

So, with the integration of Android 12 Features, OPPO custom-made additions, a new 3D engine for rendering, the wallpaper-based theming stuff, the smart sidebar, the nearby share integration, the quick return bubble, and all the animations On, what about the battery?

Surprisingly… Good. OPPO reaches, updates after updates, a great maturity for ColorOS 12 (12.1). It’s even a shame they move to ColorOS 13 so quickly. Fingers crossed it will keep the same stability I have now.

So far, with 3 Gmail accounts + 2 Exchange ones + photography + not a great network as fewer frequencies available here in the US with an EU variant + YouTube + some casual games here and there… You are good to go for the day. As usual, I turned my smartphone by restricting apps I don’t use, and I need to refresh when I go inside them (and believe me, it makes a massive difference as ColorOs allows Foreground Activity, Background Activity, and Auto Launch options to enable or disable).

And if there is an issue, you can activate the Super power-saving mode making your smartphone a feature phone. You can add three apps on top of the clock, dialer, and messaging apps. It will help you be reachable until you find a way to recharge your phone.

Like many OEMs, OPPO integrates the virtual RAM gimmick, adding virtual memory using your storage as paginated space for the less used apps still in memory and the multitasking mode. So, you will have from 2Gb to 7Gb more than the 8Gb or 12Gb RAM available in this variant. With UFS 3.1, the less used in-memory apps, no slowdown with that… I received the 12Gb, I decided to disable this feature.

Floating windows are also available with the OPPO Reno 8 Pro, here are some screenshots

It’s fully functional; the animations are great, nothing to add. Some OEMs have an issue implementing on top of their framework, but this is not the case here. If you’re a fan of it, you will enjoy it with the Reno8 series.

Connectivty​

ColorOS also integrates all you need for casting your screen. From Miracast to Chromecast, all wirelessly. So far, I wasn’t able to cast via the USB-C VS the X5 Series; maybe they cut corners here to keep the price low.

To share your screen on your computer, you will need to download an app, PC Connect client for Mac or Windows, allowing the connection with your phone… And that’s it. You will have a floating window on your desktop mirroring your OPPO screen. Fast and easy. Sharing clipboard functionality is also available.

https://connect.oppo.com/en-US

Wifi Situation:

The Wi-Fi 6 is 2.4Gbps compatible in the Connectivity part. However, with my device, I couldn’t connect over 1.2Gbps, while my X5 or P6Pro or even SSI smartphones were able to achieve it. I’m still wondering if we got here only 80Mhz x1 or 2x 40Mhz Antennas. I’m still waiting for an answer from OPPO in this matter.

With OPPO Reno 8 Pro​

Same spot with a Pixel 6 Pro​

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For LTE, LTE-A, LTE NR, SA, NSA, 5G, or whatever, sorry, EU variant, and I am in the US, so it won’t be representative.

For USB type c onboard, a lot of websites advertise a USB-C 2.0. Well, I’m not so sure, or it was fast. I transferred more than 8Gb in less than 5mn, and it’s more than 10-15mn with a USB 2.0 port. So maybe not 3.1 or 3.2, but 3.0 is a possibility here.

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For the Bluetooth connection, it is 5.3 LE. I’m a big fan of Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound. Even if the device is not compatible with lossless codec for the last Snapdragon Sound as it is for Snapdragon SoC and Fastconnect like the 8+ Gen 1, it is also compatible with aptX codec as LDAC (Sony). And it’s a big welcoming surprise. So Well done, OPPO, on that. It’s worth the extra money.

And also, there are no 3.5mm jack nor USB-C to Jack adapter in the box, so having a flawless BT Audio experience was needed, even for a mid-range device (Premium Mid-range in this case)

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