Oppo Reno7/F21 Pro review

Introduction

A non-exhaustive list of the devices in the Oppo Reno7 family in our database includes 7 models and differentiating them takes some deliberate effort. This one we have for you today, with the most vanilla of names, is the Reno7 proper.

There are no other monikers, and the absence of 5G in the title implies no next-gen connectivity - which is indeed the case. The Reno7 Lite is 5G-capable despite its lite name, but aside from that, it shares most of its DNA with this 4G-only handset. And while we're on the topic of family connections, essentially the same handset as the Reno7 is sold in India under the F21 Pro moniker, so our findings here should apply to that one as well. Just make sure you don't confuse it with the F21 Pro 5G - the other alias of the Reno7 Lite. If we managed to clear things up - great, if not - we can easily shift the blame to Oppo.

Oppo Reno7 • Oppo F21 Pro • Oppo Reno7 Lite • Oppo Reno7 5G

The Reno7's specs don't sound overly exciting, but it's still decently well equipped. You get a 90Hz OLED display, 8GB of RAM and at least 128GB of storage, while the Snapdragon 680 should be powerful enough even though it's lacking 4K recording.

Still, perhaps more notable is the camera experience is the omission of an ultrawide unit, though a dedicated 'microscope' camera, complete with a ring light, might make up for it. The main camera is 64MP, which is par for the course, and the 32MP selfie shooter is a popular choice, too.

We are liking the fact that the Reno7 runs Android 12 - most other non-flagship Oppos/Realmes we've had this year were still on Android 11, even though the ColorOS overlay stood at 12. The 4,500mAh battery sounds like an adequate companion to the 6.43-inch display and 6nm chipset, and the 33W charging should bring decently speedy top-ups, though breaking speed records is off the table.

Oppo Reno7 specs at a glance:

• Body: 159.9x73.2x7.5mm, 175g; Gorilla Glass 5 front, plastic frame, plastic/vegan leather back; IPX4 water resistant.
• Display: 6.43" AMOLED, 90Hz, 430 nits (typ), 600 nits (HBM), 800 nits (peak), 1080x2400px resolution, 20:9 aspect ratio, 409ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6225 Snapdragon 680 4G (6 nm): Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Kryo 265 Gold & 4x1.9 GHz Kryo 265 Silver); Adreno 610.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC.
• OS/Software: Android 12, ColorOS 12.1.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f/1.7, 26mm, 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF; Macro: 2 MP, f/3.3, (microscope); Depth: 2 MP, f/2.4.
• Front camera: 32 MP, f/2.4, 24mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS; Front camera: 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 4500mAh; Fast charging 33W, Reverse charging.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical); 3.5mm jack; RGB ring light around the camera (notifications, charging progress).

Oppo Reno7 unboxing

Our Reno7 review unit arrived in a phone-only state - sometimes we get a suitcase full of accessories, sometimes it's like this. But retail Reno7s do ship with a 33W adapter to match the phone's spec, as well as a cable to go with it. A protective case is also included.