[OPPO Reno8 Pro (Global/ Reno 8 Pro+ China)] retal_to:
Night shots:​

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A big part here is the use of the NPU, MariSilicon, for the 4K HDR vs. no HDR recording videos (in H265, meaning they might not be played in your browser, so here is a shared drive in Google Photos: ):

https://photos.app.goo.gl/9ErYqbTped3Thjxa8
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No HDR​

HDR​

So here, more saturated colors, blacks are deeper, and contrast is stronger than with no HDR enabled.

Here is an example of a street video with a lot of lights, smoke, and people moving around:

Let’s go a last one:

As you can see, I hit it hard in a low light environment, not an easy task, with no gimbal too, and obviously no OIS.

The result is still here, exploitable and way enough for your social media or even for editing.

You also got slow motion and timelapse video options too, so here 2 “How-To” videos and timelapse examples (post-encoded in 720P for space-saving):

Panorama Trick

Timelapse, 3 hours in 2mn

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Slo-Mo

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Here are some random videos in daylight:

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Now, from a tech point: I was surprised to see the NPU added to X5 Series with the last Qualcomm and Snapdragon SoC. I’m still thinking the Triple ISPs are in fine better. Now we got the same with this Reno 8 Pro. Again, on my side, Mediatek ISP is better too than a 3rd party solution (especially since we don’t have 4K/60fps or even 8K available, or triple video streams at the same time recording capability, or 4K HDR selfie videos… etc etc). So Why?

The only things I’m thinking about right now are:

You don’t pay your supplier for their tools and licensing

You can have a dedicated team tuning and pushing updates whatever the SoC on the devices

You can push the same updates to every device with this NPU less time and resource consuming

Having the same NPU here and there allows them to train it more quickly and feed him with data and case scenarios.

Maybe some stuff I forget and am not aware of.

Is it right or not, it’s the trend now from Xiaomi, OPPO, VIVO etc. Do I like it? Nope. And I’m pretty sure we won’t see the benefits, as users, until mid-next year if it’s still alive.

5. The Battery and Charger:​

First, for the USA, with 110V, it’s 66W fast charging (SUPERVOOC), others 80W. It reminds me of the OnePlus 10 Pro situation, except it was 65W (coughing…). If you got a 150/160W SUPERVOOC charger from Realme, OnePlus, it would be 80W. But whatever, it’s only a 3mn difference for a full charge between 65/66W and full 80W.

It’s just surprising OPPO decided to port X5 fast charging capability to a mid-range like the Reno, while a lot of 2022 flagships are still using 18/27/33/50/55/65W charging instead of 80/120/150W available on the market.

Yep, that’s right; the Reno8 Pro doesn’t need to be jealous of the top tiers of flagships available in the market concerning this point.

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Indeed, from 17% to 100% in 33 minutes. Take a shower, grab a coffee, listen to a podcast, and you’re fueled up for more a day of battery. And yes, with many push email accounts, listening to music with TWS, smartwatch connected, GPS navigation, some gaming sessions in the commute (or streaming), social media, and posting photography shots… Your smartphone will handle it. Worst, you are a heavy player, just 5mn of charging here and there, and that’s it.

Now, two things bother me with the power outlet/charger. No USB-C port, it’s an old USB type A. I can understand the idea is to have the cable able to connect to a computer port or even Android Auto, where usually it’s still “type A.” Plus, no Type A to USB-C adapter to make the USB cable type C to type C. But again, it’s a mid-range and not a Flagship device.

The second is the size of the outlet. It’s huge for an 80W. Now we got GaN technology, and I’ve seen 150W chargers smaller than this one.

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As you can see, OPPO should release a GaN 80W, the same size as the Xiaomi 65W in the photos. It would be a killer product.

6. Final thoughts:​

Yes, if you’re searching for the best premium mid-range device with an incredible feeling in your hands, the OPPO Reno8 Pro 5G is for you. If you don’t have the money to pay for a $/€1000 flagship device, the same, the device is for you.

Now, you will think twice if you can put your hands on a new H2 2021 (or even an H1 2022 flagship for a lower price than the OPPO Reno8 Pro).

You will have to consider what is your usage of the device for every day: more into photography, selfie, night videos with HDR, gaming, social media, and maybe some stuff I’m forgetting.

And it will be a hard decision as the OPPO Reno8 Pro can easily be mistaken for a flagship with some software addition. The line is growing thinner than usual between next year’s mid-range device and the previous flagship. Usually, it was a one-year and a half gap; now, we’re even close to 6 months. And worst, the new OnePlus 10T only got the latest Snapdragon SoC + the charging time for him (around 10mn faster for a full 0 to 100 charge) VS. the OPPO Reno8 Pro 5G, and they are available at the same time on the market. However, the OPPO Reno8 Pro 5G surpasses the OP10T for all photos and videos matter.

The End