OPPO Reno 6 Pro review: A great mid-ranger with a big problem

OPPO is doing all of the proper issues in 2021; the To find X3 Pro is among the ideally suited Android telephones, and the Reno sequence is a viable choice to the likes of the Galaxy A52. The Reno 5 Pro 5G debuted simply six months in the past, however its successor is already right here.

The Reno 6 Pro is now to be had in world markets, and there are a few standout options: the MediaTek Dimensity 1200 platform provides the newest Cortex A78 cores, and there may be a better 4500mAh battery that makes use of 65W rapid charging. As upgrades move, there is not a lot to speak about right here. The Reno 6 Pro stocks the similar 90Hz AMOLED display, similar 64MP digital camera and 32MP entrance shooter, and a equivalent design aesthetic as its predecessor. However the up to date {hardware} must give it an edge over the Reno 5 Pro, and the slightly better battery lets in it to last more.

In the end, the Reno 6 Pro is as iterative as updates get in 2021, however the truth that this telephone serves as the root for the OnePlus Nord 2 makes it that a lot more fascinating. The Nord 2 will function the Dimensity 1200 chipset, equivalent battery with 65W rapid charging, and makes use of the similar chassis because the Reno 6 Pro albeit with a few tweaks to permit it to face out.

Necessarily, the Reno 6 Pro provides us an early take a look at OnePlus’ upcoming mid-ranger, however it is not all clean crusing. With the telephone costing a top rate over its predecessor, it misses out on a key characteristic on this class: price. So let’s take a take a look at what is new, and whether or not you must select up the telephone.

The Reno 6 Pro debuted in China on the finish of Would possibly, and made its option to India on July 14, 2021. The telephone is to be had in 8GB/128GB and 12GB/256GB variants, and is offered in two colour choices: Aurora and Black. The tool is now up for pre-order in India, with gross sales kicking off July 23 for ₹39,990 ($537). That is for the 12GB/256GB model; at this second, the 8GB style is not coming to India.

OPPO Reno 6 Pro Design and show

From a design standpoint, the Reno 6 Pro is indistinguishable from its predecessor. It has the similar chamfered aspects, the similar svelte 7.6mm body, and a digital camera housing that is just about same — the flash module is now nearer to the fourth digital camera module, however the massive rings across the 3 primary cameras are the similar throughout each gadgets. The digital camera module itself is shaped out of plastic, and the design rings a bell in my memory of the OnePlus 9R.

The Reno 6 Pro has the similar design as its predecessor however with an exhilarating new trend.

Even if the design itself hasn’t modified an excessive amount of, the Reno 6 Pro is among the best-looking mid-range telephones you’ll be able to purchase nowadays. The smooth profile blended with that beautiful iridescent trend — there may be a new Reno Glow design this time — makes the telephone stand out, and the ultra-thin bezel maximizes display genuine property.

As for that Reno Glow gradient, the telephone now shifts between more than a few blue and gold hues in step with gentle hitting its floor, and it makes the again shimmer. I am a fan of gradient designs, and I really like how the tool catches the sunshine at more than a few angles. The matte end makes it more uncomplicated to carry and use the telephone as neatly, and if you are out there for a tool that turns heads, this may occasionally just do advantageous. Should you suppose the design is simply too competitive, the telephone is to be had in a extra somber colour possibility.

Since the Reno 6 Pro has a better 4500mAh battery, its weight has been greater by means of a nominal 4g to 177g; it’s nonetheless some of the lightest telephones on this class. You’ll be able to in finding the facility button to the fitting and the amount rocker to the left, with the principle speaker tucked away subsequent to the USB-C charging port. As is now the case for many mid-range telephones, you will not in finding a 3.5mm jack right here.

Coming to the show facet of items, there is not too big a distinction over the Reno 5 sequence. The Reno 6 Pro makes use of a 90Hz Samsung-made AMOLED display with brightness that is going as much as 800nits when viewing HDR10 content material. The telephone holds up admirably relating to brightness — I did not understand any problems even beneath vibrant glare — and due to that AMOLED panel, colours glance unbelievable.

And similar to the Reno 5 Pro, you get a Gorilla Glass 5 layer at the display that provides a respectable degree of coverage towards tumbles and scratches. As a result of no longer a lot has modified, the Reno 6 Pro additionally misses out on stereo sound. With even funds telephones selecting up some type of stereo audio system at the moment, that is a big omission from OPPO. The only speaker sounds excellent sufficient in its personal proper, however a stereo configuration would have made a significantly better possibility, specifically making an allowance for how a lot the telephone prices.

OPPO Reno 6 Pro Efficiency

Whilst OPPO hasn’t tweaked the full components an excessive amount of with the Reno 6 Pro, one house the place the tool has picked up a substantial improve is the interior {hardware}. The telephone is powered by means of MediaTek’s Dimensity 1200 platform, that includes one Cortex A78 core that is going as much as 3.0GHz, 3 A78 cores at 2.42GHz, and 4 energy-efficient A55 cores at 2.0GHz.

There may be additionally a nine-core Mali-G77 GPU beneath the hood, and the beefier cores blended with greater clocks give the Reno 6 Pro a noticeable spice up in efficiency over its predecessor. I used the telephone for slightly below two weeks and did not see any slowdowns by any means. In reality, in maximum day by day use instances, it’s on par with flagship designs just like the Snapdragon 870.

It is a testomony to MediaTek’s efforts during the last two years that it is in a position to create a mid-range platform that may measure as much as the most efficient that Qualcomm has to supply; it is no surprise that the Nord 2 is the usage of the Dimensity 1200 in lieu of a Snapdragon chipset.

There is not any scarcity of RAM or garage both, with the bottom style providing 8GB of RAM and 128GB of garage. Like its predecessor, the Reno 6 Pro comes with Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, and will get a more moderen Bluetooth 5.2 modem. There may be additionally NFC and AptX HD as usual, and one function that OPPO completely nailed is the haptics; the vibration motor delivers fine-tuned comments and is among the ideally suited on this magnificence.

As for battery existence, I simply were given a day’s value of use out of the 4500mAh battery, averaging slightly below 5 hours of screen-on-time over the process 18 hours. Battery existence hasn’t been a topic for many 2021 telephones, and the Reno 6 Pro continues in the similar vein; you wouldn’t have to price this telephone sooner than the day’s out even with heavy use.

And whilst you do want to price it, there may be 65W rapid charging that absolutely fees the battery in beneath 35 mins. My one quibble is that the charger itself does not paintings over the USB PD protocol, which means you will be unable to price different gadgets with it. Every other omission at the Reno 6 Pro is wi-fi charging, however it is not too big a pass over making an allowance for there are only a few mid-range telephones that experience the function.

OPPO Reno 6 Pro Imaging

Identical to the design, no longer a good deal has modified at the digital camera facet of items. The Reno 6 Pro options a 64MP f/1.7 number one lens alongside with an 8MP wide-angle module, 2MP macro, and 2MP portrait lens. There may be the similar 32MP shooter on the entrance as neatly, and with the tool, OPPO is positioning video as a differentiator.

There may be a new bokeh video mode, however the Reno 6 Pro does not stick out from its predecessor.

The Reno 6 Pro has a new function referred to as Bokeh Flare Portrait Video that provides cinematic bokeh when recording video. The function permits you to set the bokeh degree and depends on AI to search out gentle resources within the background and create bokeh spots, and it really works beautiful neatly in real-world use. However my greatest quibble at the video entrance is that the telephone remains to be restricted to 4K at 30fps with no stabilization.

The solution is going all the way down to 1080p if you wish to use the integrated EIS, however the truth that the tool is located as a video-first possibility whilst lacking those desk stakes options is a big letdown. There are telephones on this class that provide 8K video at 30fps and 4K at 60fps with stabilization and HDR, and by means of omitting those options, the Reno 6 Pro is at the backfoot. Moreover, the digital camera wishes get admission to in your telephone state; it is going to no longer paintings if you happen to deny get admission to. That is not typically the case for many telephones, so I am not solely certain why OPPO is calling for it right here.

As for the digital camera interface itself, you’ll be able to in finding the taking pictures modes specified by a ribbon on the backside, toggles for AI, flash, timer, HDR, and Google Lens, and switching between the more than a few lenses and zoom ranges. The telephone is rapid to dial in on a topic and there is no lengthen when taking pictures stills. You’ll be able to in finding a variety of taking pictures modes tucked away at the back of the Extra tab, together with a handbook mode that will give you granular keep watch over over your photographs.

The 64MP digital camera is a recognized amount, and similar to the Reno 5 Pro, it takes implausible pictures in with reference to any lighting fixtures situation. The consequent photographs have a variety of element, little to no noise ranges, and have a tendency to have an oversaturated high quality to them — making them glance great when shared on social media platforms. The telephone does a great process in low-light as neatly, preserving highlights and colour constancy whilst minimizing noise. You are going to understand visual grain on the edges in a few low-light photographs taken in little to no ambient lighting fixtures, however total the telephone does a excellent process retaining the element.

The 8MP wide-angle lens is great in sunlight, handing over pictures with a equivalent colour profile as the principle lens. On the other hand, it struggles to take respectable photographs in low-light stipulations. As for the 2MP macro, you might be at an advantage no longer the usage of the lens in any respect; the fixed-focus module calls for a lot of effort and the consequent photographs do not go muster. Video recording may be respectable sufficient in its personal proper, however there may be noticeable jitter in low-light eventualities, specifically in 4K.

General, the Reno 6 Pro continues in a equivalent vein as its predecessor with regards to taking pictures, and I will be able to’t assist however really feel that OPPO must have performed extra at the video entrance to make the telephone stand out.

OPPO Reno 6 Pro Tool

OPPO modified the feel and appear of ColorOS during the last two years, and the result’s an interface that feels trendy and polished. The telephone runs ColorOS 11.3 according to Android 11, and the brand new model choices up a few fascinating options taken from OxygenOS. There may be a new gaming mode that stocks the similar interface as OxygenOS, and also you even get an APD taste that is similar to Canvas AOD.

ColorOS 11 will get a lot proper, however it’s nonetheless missing with regards to updates.

ColorOS 11 additionally has tough customization gear, and it moves a excellent steadiness relating to options. There may be a fast release mode that allows you to release movements and apps once you liberate your telephone. You’ll set it up within the settings, and it really works the next manner: after you liberate the telephone the usage of the in-screen module, proceed urgent down in that house even after you get to the house display. Then you’ll be able to see a menu that holds as much as 5 apps or movements, and you’ll be able to drag your finger over to the corresponding icon to release that app or motion.

I do not essentially see the price of it with regards to launching an app — there may be a lengthen of a few seconds sooner than the menu pulls up, so you might be at an advantage unlocking the telephone and launching the app without delay. Nevertheless it comes in handy for appearing movements, like calling a touch or including an match in your calendar. With OnePlus now the usage of the ColorOS codebase, search for options like those to make their option to the Nord 2 and upcoming OnePlus telephones.

The most important factor with ColorOS 11 is the replace frequency. OPPO continues to lag at the back of its opponents on this specific house, and that should trade if it needs to contend within the mid-range phase towards the likes of Samsung.

OPPO Reno 6 Pro The contest

There may be an awesome quantity of selection if you are out there for a mid-range telephone at this time. The Realme X7 Max is a great choice to the Reno 6 Pro because it additionally options the Dimensity 1200 and the similar 64MP digital camera on the again. You additionally get a 120Hz AMOLED display, stereo sound with a 3.5mm jack, and 4500mAh battery with 50W rapid charging. There is not any distinction within the instrument both, with Realme UI that includes ColorOS as the root. Beginning out at ₹26,999 ($360), the X7 Max undercuts the Reno 6 Pro by means of a substantial margin.

Then there may be the Nord 2 to imagine. The telephone options near-identical {hardware} to the Reno 6 Pro, and it is going to run OxygenOS 11.3, the primary OxygenOS construct that is according to the ColorOS codebase. We will have to attend and notice how the instrument differs to previous iterations of OxygenOS (evaluation popping out quickly), however from a {hardware} standpoint, there may be a lot to love with the Nord 2. The OnePlus 9R may be a stellar choice to the Reno 6 Pro. It has extra tough {hardware}, a 120Hz AMOLED display, cleaner interface with much less bloatware, and can get extra instrument updates.

After all, if you wish to have a extra mainstream selection, the Galaxy A52 remains to be a implausible total possibility. The telephone has a 90Hz panel, and whilst the Snapdragon 732G does not measure as much as the MediaTek Dimensity 1200, it’s respectable sufficient for many day by day use instances. The A52 additionally has great cameras, trendy interface with extra options than you’ll be able to use, and it is going to get 3 Android updates.

OPPO Reno 6 Pro Must you purchase?

You must purchase this if …

• You need a swish telephone with a ravishing design
• You are in search of flagship-tier {hardware}
• You need dependable cameras
• You wish to have all-day battery existence with 65W stressed out charging

You must no longer purchase this if …

• You need a telephone with a excellent price
• You need rapid instrument updates
• You wish to have wi-fi charging

General, the Reno 6 Pro continues OPPO’s push into the mid-tier phase. With the telephone launching simply six months after the creation of the Reno 5 sequence, there may be not anything right here that in point of fact stands proud. That mentioned, the Dimensity 1200 provides a respectable efficiency building up, and the battery building up alleviates any worries in regards to the telephone working out of price sooner than the tip of the day.

3.5
out of five

So whilst it might not be as progressive a trade because the Reno 5 sequence, the Reno 6 Pro nails the fundamentals with its 90Hz AMOLED display, stellar 64MP digital camera, and trendy ColorOS 11 interface. The similar issues that plagued the Reno 5 Pro have carried on right here as neatly; you might be no longer going to get updates on time, there is no ingress coverage, and also you fail to spot wi-fi charging as neatly.

In the end, the pricing makes it onerous to suggest the Reno 6 Pro. There are some distance too many gadgets that provide beefier {hardware}, higher cameras, and significantly better price. OPPO’s telephones do not typically ship the most efficient price, with the producer as a substitute depending on its offline community to push gross sales, however even in that context the Reno 6 Pro feels overpriced. The verdict to just be offering the 12GB/256GB style within the nation is not a good one.

That mentioned, the Reno 6 Pro is not a unhealthy telephone by means of any measure — it’s the most efficient OPPO mid-ranger I have used but — but it surely prices an excessive amount of for what it in the long run provides. Should you like what you notice with the tool, do your self a choose and select up the Reno 5 Pro or look ahead to the Nord 2 and POCO F3 GT.