In this review we look at the Oppo Reno 10 Pro. That is a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing: at first glance it looks like a high-end smartphone, but on closer inspection it is a bit disappointing.
Oppo Reno 10 Pro Phone Review
The Oppo Reno 10 series consists of three devices: the Reno 10, Reno 10 Pro and Reno 10 Pro Plus. Unfortunately, the latter variant does not appear on our market.
This makes the Oppo Reno 10 Pro that we discuss in this review the best smartphone that Oppo will release in the Netherlands this year. We will also not see the absolute flagships of the Chinese company, those in the Find X6 series, in Europe.
The Oppo Reno 10 Pro with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage space has a suggested retail price of 659 euros. That is cheaper than last year's Oppo Reno 8 Pro, which went for 749 euros. Moreover, the device gives a good first impression thanks to its sleek appearance. But there are a few snags.
Design is great
What a nice device. That was our first thought when we got our hands on the Reno 10 Pro. It feels sturdy, yet quite light. The back has a fine pattern that looks classy and is resistant to fingerprints. We are also pleased with the silver-grey color and oval shape of the camera island. It may look business-like, but at the same time very tight.
The second impression is also good, because the smartphone has very thin screen edges, which are bent at the sides. If you didn't know any better, you'd think the Reno 10 Pro is a true flagship.
We like the design better than that of the Oppo Reno 8 Pro, but strangely enough this new model is no longer officially water resistant. It has no IP certification.
Good and smooth screen
The Oppo Reno 10 Pro has a 6.7-inch OLED screen with a resolution of 2412 by 1080 pixels. That looks great in almost all circumstances.
Only when the sun shines very hard, which it rarely does this summer, can you have trouble reading the display. The maximum brightness is 950 nits, but that only applies to small parts of the screen. The entire display does not exceed 800 nits.
The refresh rate is 120Hz, which means that the pixels refresh 120 times per second. That looks very smooth. You can also choose to let the screen determine how often the pixels refresh.
Then it switches back to 60Hz if you type an e-mail, for example. That saves the battery somewhat. It is even possible to always run the display at 60Hz, but that looks very stuttery and we therefore advise against it.
There is no layer of Gorilla Glass on the screen, as with many other smartphones, but Asahi Glass AGC DT-Star2 glass. That should protect you from scratches. In addition, Oppo already applies a screen protector at the factory, which is nice.
For its price, hardware is below average
So far we've been pretty excited about the Oppo Reno 10 Pro, but that's about to change, unfortunately. The device runs on a Snapdragon 778G processor. That is an old beast that was already in the Samsung Galaxy A52s two years ago. A smartphone that then, in 2021, cost 449 euros. The Oppo Reno 8 Pro had a much faster MediaTek Dimensity 8100 Max chip.
Why Oppo dares to put a midrange processor from two generations ago in a smartphone of 659 euros, we do not know exactly. Perhaps the company wanted to make a luxury-looking phone for people who don't care much about performance. That's the only reason we can think of: Oppo had to cut back on the hardware because it put so much thought into the exterior.
Is the Reno 10 Pro a slow phone? Not that either. It currently processes most tasks smoothly, although we sometimes saw a small delay when switching between apps.
It gets a bit more difficult with heavy games and we wonder how this device will perform in two years. It especially stings that a much cheaper competitor such as the OnePlus Nord 3 is 50 to almost 90 percent (!) faster in various tests.
It has also been quite a long time since we saw a smartphone in this price range without stereo speakers. Still, the Reno 10 Pro really only has one speaker. It can be loud, but sounds very shrill, which actually forces you to use earplugs. Wireless then, because a headphone jack is missing. Fortunately, the fingerprint scanner under the screen works well.
Awesome main camera
On the back of the Reno 10 Pro we find three usable lenses, which is quite special for a mid-range smartphone. In addition to the 50 megapixel main camera, there is a wide-angle lens (8 megapixel) and a telephoto camera (32 megapixel).
The latter brings the image 'only' 2x closer. According to Oppo, this is a conscious choice. For example, the camera has a focal length of 46 millimeters. This brings it close to the 50 millimeter lens that many street photographers use.
Whether you believe that is of course the question. The camera may also be slightly cheaper than a copy that zooms in 3x or 5x.
Main camera
There is nothing wrong with the main camera. Photos have a nice contrast, shadows fortunately remain fairly dark and the HDR function also works well. In addition, the colors look very nice.
Wide angle lens
The wide-angle lens is a bit stark compared to that. Due to the low resolution, the level of detail is disappointing and the photos are downright blurry in the corners. It's a nice lens for the side, but you can't shoot more than pictures for social media with it. Because the software tries to compensate for the small sensor, they have an artificial look.
Telephoto lens
The telephoto lens is qualitatively in between the main camera and wide-angle lens. It shoots quite good photos, but we always have reservations about a camera that only zooms in 2x. With a good main camera, such as that of this Oppo Reno 10 Pro, you can easily zoom in 2x digitally without enormous loss of quality.
We would have preferred a lens that brings the image 3 or 4x closer. The app also offers the option to zoom in 5x, but that is purely digital and does not look nice.
Portrait function
On the other hand, the Oppo Reno 10 Pro has an excellent portrait mode that provides fine, blurred backgrounds. Even the photo on the right looks fine, while it must not be an easy job for the software to separate the layers in it.
Night mode
When night falls, we see the same pattern as during the day. The main camera shoots the best photos by far, but the telephoto lens also does quite well. The wide-angle lens falls through the basket. That photo is very out of focus and, moreover, the software has made it much too bright.
Fairly short software support
The Oppo Reno 10 Pro runs on Android 13 with Oppo's own ColorOS skin over it. It fits a lot and looks very busy. Moreover, there are again many apps pre-installed on the phone that you are probably not waiting for.
We will not name them, because then we will advertise even more. That's it, of course: advertising, which these companies probably pay Oppo heavily for.
You only get two major upgrades, to Android 14 and 15. That's scant, just like the three years of security patches that Oppo promises. Competitors such as Samsung and OnePlus are doing better. For example, the aforementioned OnePlus Nord 3, which has a suggested retail price of 449 euros, will receive three new Android versions and four years of security patches.
Fast charging, good battery life
The battery of the Reno 10 Pro has a capacity of 4600 mAh. We achieved a screen time of about seven hours, spread over a day and a half. Of course, these figures depend on your use and how bright you set the screen.
Still, we dare to say that there is nothing wrong with the battery life. Even if you spend all day on your smartphone, you will almost always make it to the end of the day.
If that doesn't work, then there's no man overboard yet. Oppo puts an 80 Watt charger in the box, which takes the device from 0 to 100 percent battery in about 35 minutes.
Fifteen minutes on the charger means that you can go ahead for quite a few hours. Refueling battery juice wirelessly is unfortunately not possible.
Conclusion Oppo Reno 10 Pro review
Form over function. That's the best way to describe the Oppo Reno 10 Pro. The first impression of the device is very good, because the design and screen are fine. If you take a closer look, the smartphone unfortunately turns out not to be as high-end as hoped.
The Snapdragon 778 chip in particular is a disappointment. It is a lot slower than the processor of its immediate predecessor and that of its main competitors. In addition, the Reno 10 Pro no longer has stereo speakers and has to do without an official IP rating.
If you are very fond of the appearance, you can of course consider this device. It has a good main camera and charges nice and fast. Keep in mind the moderate update policy. Only two new Android versions and three years of security patches is on the thin side in this price range.