AT A GLANCE: OPPO Reno 10 Pro+ | Useful Cameras Only!

2MP no entry.

We were very surprised to find the Oppo Reno 10 Pro+ in our studio, let alone be one of the first to have it in the Philippines. It’s a flagship phone from the build itself. It’s a phone that is meant to take the Reno series into a much bigger spotlight, it’s a phone that only has essentials, no filler.

That’s right! Years and months of using 2MP cameras on smartphones are soon coming to an end, and Oppo knows this. The Reno 10 Pro+ 5G sets that stage. The rear panel features a 50MP Sony IMX890, an 8MP Ultrawide, and a 64MP Telephoto camera with OIS. The front has a singular 32MP camera. See, no macro and depth cameras. These are done purely through the main lens now. We’re going to test the cameras once we’re done playing with the device.

SPECS:

• 6.74″ FHD+ (2772x1240px) Curved AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, 1 billion colours, 1400nits peak brightness, ProXDR Display Control
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm)
• CAMERAS:
  • 50MP (Primary), f/1.8, 1/1.56″, Omnidirectional PDAF, Sony IMX890, OIS, 4K@60fps
  • 8MP (Ultrawide), f/2.2, 112° FOV
  • 64MP (Telephoto Periscope), f/2.5, 1/2″, 3x optical zoom, 120x digital zoom, OIS
  • FRONT: 32MP, f/2.4, 90° FOV
• ColorOS 13.1 based on Android 13
• 5000mAh, 100W SuperVOOC Fast Charging
  • 10W Reverse Charging
• IR Blaster, Stereo Speakers, USB-C, Hi-Res Audio
• 5G Services, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.2, Dual Nano-SIM Slot, Wi-Fi 6/6e, NFC
• Silvery Grey, Glossy Purple

UNBOXING:

The box may seem ordinary at first. It’s a white box with a big 10 and the name of the phone written over it. The back is also clean and empty. However, if you slightly put the box at an angle, you’ll realize it’s actually a spectrum box where the silvery lining changes its colour whenever a piece of light hits it. It’s such a neat effect that also appears on some of Oppo and Vivo’s phones. The Vivo V27 5G actually boasts this “colour-changing” effect.

Inside the box is nothing out of the ordinary. There is a smaller box with the sim ejector tool, a grey silicone case (Look, not clear this time!), and pieces of paper inside. Underneath that is the phone wrapped in paper showing its basic specs. The phone itself is protected with a very thin plastic screen protector which barely helps against scratches. The phone is protected not with Corning Gorilla Glass, but with Asahi Dragontrail Glass, like the OnePlus Nord 3.

Finally, there is your 100W SuperVOOC fast charger. The cable is pretty thick so it will not break so easily but the brick itself is plain and looks identical to our US-standard OnePlus brick but with 20W more capacity.

DESIGN:

Even though the Reno series is designed to be midrangers and experimental devices, the Reno 10 Pro+ 5G falls under the flagship category all on its design alone.

First, its frames and back panel are made of aluminum. The frames are also shiny, but not plastic shiny. Because of that, the phone felt slightly heavier than the OnePlus Nord 3 5G. The protruding camera hump is also made of aluminum.

And speaking of the camera hump, we’re not a fan of this design. The camera arrangement on the Reno8 Pro felt much cleaner than the one here. Maybe if the cameras here are arranged similarly to the Huawei Y90 or Reno8 T, it would look much better.

Second, the display. It’s a 6.74″ FullHD+ Curved AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 1400nits brightness. These traits are normally present only in flagships. Because the screen wraps within the edges, it felt massive and definitely a pain for those who need to install tempered glass on it. However, that also means the screen is pretty immersive when watching movies.

When we tested it outside, it felt like nothing changed. It’s pretty bright when tuned to its maximum brightness and the colours do not fade or get ruined, as if you were inside your house. This should be the case since you’re using this to take videos and photos most of the time.

We also love the very high contrast the phone has when it comes to text. So it’s easy to read PDF files and articles like this one here. It also has a trick up its sleeve (or edge): the so-called ProXDR display. This feature enhances images by giving their dynamic range a boost. When we used it, it works as well as it sounds. The name is most likely inspired by Apple.

Finally, the cameras. Not only does it lack the useless 2MP auxiliary cameras, but also, the three rear cameras are assisted with Oppo’s MariSilicon NPU. This is the custom NPU which made the Find X6 one of the best camera phones to date, according to DXOMark. Having it on a much more affordable device is a great idea. This alone makes the Reno 10 Pro+ 5G feel like a watered-down Find X6 Pro, and that’s a great thing because there is little compromise here. So subtle that it feels like cheating.

We are yet to test the adaptive refresh rate so stay tuned for the full review.

SUMMARY:

Is this thing even a midrange phone? Doubt it. If Oppo is putting this in the midrange segment, we believe they are mistaken, because the Reno 10 Pro+ 5G looks like a flagship, has a flagship chipset, and is definitely intended to be a flagship, like the Find series.

The curved 120Hz AMOLED, the triple 50MP+8MP+64MP combo (and 32MP selfie), and the MariSilicon NPU make the phone feel like a cheaper alternative to the Find X6 series. Reminder: the Find X6 Pro sits at second place currently on DXOMark, so the Reno 10 Pro+, carrying almost similar technologies, should be able to compete close to it.

We’re already impressed with its aluminum build. It is quite a premium device but also, it is slightly heavier than the OnePlus Nord 3. Hey, a little weight gain is nothing to worry about when you get a flagship phone on your hands.

We’re going to take the phone out for a spin soon and once we’re done, we’ll let you know of the results, so stay tuned fellow techies!