Oppo Reno6 5G review

Design and handling

The Reno series have always been lookers, and arguably, the vanilla Reno6 5G has the most intriguing design of them all, this time around. Sure, the Pro and the Pro+ boast glass backs with the same Reno Glow paint job, but the Reno6 5G has that iPhone-esque design language and should appeal more to anyone liking the industrial aesthetics.

The side frame is indeed made of anodized aluminum, while the back offers a plastic mimicking the aluminum feel. And we can definitely say that Oppo has hit the jackpot with this one. We had a tough time confirming that the back is plastic. The matte surface feels really nice, while the Stellar Black color shines gorgeously depending on the lighting conditions. Moreover, as Oppo notes, the back finish doesn't attract smudges and fingerprints. They are virtually non-existent and impossible to spot, no matter how close you look.

Since there is no gap between the back panel and the side frame, it was easy to assume that the device features a metal unibody design at first.

The camera island on the back sticks out quite a bit and goes well with the overall solid, blocky design. The three camera sensors are separated with metal rings and are joined by the LED flash and a color temperature sensor for better white balance metering and color accuracy.

The side frame is flat; it accommodates the two volume keys on the left and the green-accented power key on the right. All keys are clicky and responsive but could have been placed a little lower as opposed to the fingerprint reader's position, which is a bit on the low side. The current positions certainly are a reason for some thumb gymnastics for people with bigger hands.

The bottom side is home to the speaker grille, the USB-C connector and the SIM card tray, which gives you two SIM card slots but no microSD.

The Gorilla Glass 5 sheet on the front is completely flat, features thin bezels all-around, except for the chin, which is by default the thickest of the bunch. It goes well with the square-ish feel of the body yet doesn't feel sharp or protruding around the edges. It lies flush with a subtle curve that transitions into the side frame.

Oppo Reno6 5G

The punch-hole in the upper-left corner comes off a bit too big to our taste and could have been moved a little closer to the left edge to free up some space for icons in the status bar. Not a big issue, though.

Surely, the Reno6 5G is one of the lighter 6.4-6.6" handsets around (182g), and a thickness of just 7.6mm is somewhat impressive. However, the flat and blocky design makes it feel bigger than it actually is. The matte surface of the frame and the back don't help with the grip either, and it is slightly more slippery than your average glass sandwich phone.

Don't get us wrong, we really like the serious, premium-looking chassis of the Reno6 5G, but it comes with some trade-offs you might want to consider. The absence of fingerprints and smudges is a great bonus.