Oppo Reno8 Pro review

Introduction

It seems that confusion is now an inevitable part of an Oppo phone launch. What we have at the office for review today is the international Oppo Reno8 Pro. Simple enough on the surface, right - Oppo recently released a trio of Reno8 phones in China and now they are making their way to other markets. Well, kind of, since the international Reno8 Pro is not the Chinese Reno8 Pro - the one that is kind of pioneering the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset. Instead, Oppo took the Chinese Reno8 Pro+ and rebranded it as the Reno8 Pro for other markets, just like the rumors foretold.

So, the device we are currently reviewing is the Oppo CPH2357, known as the Reno8 Pro, but not to be confused with any of the Reno8, Reno8 Pro or Reno8 Pro+ Chinese models.

Oppo Reno8 Pro specs at a glance:

• Body: 161.2x74.2x7.3mm, 183g; Glass front, aluminum frame, glass back.
• Display: 6.70" AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 500 nits (typ), 800 nits (HBM), 950 nits (peak), 1080x2412px resolution, 20.1:9 aspect ratio, 394ppi.
• Chipset: MediaTek Dimensity 8100-Max (5 nm): Octa-core (4x2.85 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G610 MC6.
• Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM; UFS 3.1.
• OS/Software: Android 12, ColorOS 12.1.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm, 1/1.56", 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f/2.2, 16mm, 112-degree, 1/4.0", 1.12µm; Macro: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.4, 22mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm, AF.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 4500mAh; Fast charging 80W, 1-45% in 10 min, 1-100% in 31 min (advertised), Reverse charging.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); NFC; stereo speakers.

The Reno8 Pro (CPH2357) might not be the market introduction of the Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 we were originally hoping to get, but that doesn't make it any less of an all-around excellent and interesting device.

The MediaTek Dimensity 8100-MAX chipset used here is also rather exotic. We've only seen it once before in the OnePlus 10R. We are also eager to see just how well it's matched with the 4,500 mAh battery since Oppo clearly prioritized the thin profile for the phone's design. Whether you personally find the rather polarizing camera island design appealing or not, the Reno8 Pro is unquestionably a "design-heavy" device with its thin profile, premium materials, build and finishes.

It is also a pretty heavy hitter in the hardware department. Its 6.7-inch AMOLED display stands out in particular with features like 10-bit color, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+ certification and impressive advertised maximum brightness values. We already mentioned the Dimensity 8100-MAX chipset. It is paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of fast UFS 3.1 storage. The Reno8 Pro also has an impressive 32MP, Quad-Bayer selfie camera equipped with autofocus. The rest of its cameras also seem good on paper, with a 50MP main snapper, 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro.

Unboxing

Before we get into any of that, we have to look at the retail package for the Reno8 Pro. It ships in a thick and solid cardboard two-piece box. Its blue color is quite eye-catching, and it does a great job protecting the phone during shipping.

There is an 80W SUPERVOOC charger in the box. It is rated for 5V@2A or 5-11V@7.3A of output. Unfortunately, Oppo is still sticking to Type-A ports on its chargers. You get a nice and thick USB Type-A to Type-C cable in the box, which you might want to hold on to since it is rated to handle the high 7.3A required for the fast charging to work.

Last but definitely not least, a thick transparent TPU case is inside the box, so you can slap it on the phone and start using it immediately. A nice little added bonus.