OPPO Reno3 review - a smartphone with artificial intelligence for 30 thousand rubles
Devices / / January 06, 2021
At the end of March, OPPO showed off two new smartphones: Reno3 and Reno3 Pro. We already wrote the latter, but the standard Reno3 also deserves a mention. We will tell you how the novelty with five cameras and a MediaTek processor with an eye to AI-capabilities proved to be.
Table of contents
- Specifications
- Design and ergonomics
- Screen
- Software and performance
- Sound and vibration
- Camera
- Autonomy
- Outcome
Specifications
Platform | Android 10, Firmware Color OS 7.1 |
Display | 6.4 inches, 2,400 x 1,080 pixels, AMOLED, 60 Hz, 411 ppi, Always On |
Chipset | MediaTek Helio P90, PowerVR GM9446 video accelerator |
Memory | RAM - 8 GB, ROM - 128 GB UFS 2.1, microSD |
Cameras | Primary: 48 MP, 1 / 2.0 ″, f / 1.8, 26 mm, PDAF; 13 MP, 1 / 3.4 ″, f / 2.4, 52 mm (2x zoom), PDAF; 8 MP, 1 / 4.0 ″, f / 2.2, 13 mm (wide angle); depth sensor 2 Mp Front: 44 MP, 1 / 2.8 ″, f / 2.4, 26 mm |
Communication | 2 × nanoSIM, Wi-Fi 5, GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GSM / GPRS / EDGE / LTE |
Sound | 3.5mm, Dolby Atmos |
Battery | 4025 mAh, fast charging VOOC 3.0 |
Dimensions | 160.2 x 73.3 x 7.9 mm |
Weight | 170 g |
Design and ergonomics
The smartphone is made in the typical glass-metal sandwich design, but the manufacturer has done a lot of work on the colors. The gold-tone aluminum frame matches well with the mother-of-pearl backdrop.
90.8% of the front panel area is occupied by a screen with a teardrop notch for the front camera and rounded corners. All this is covered with protective glass with an oleophobic coating, fingerprints and dirt easily removed. Also, an optical fingerprint scanner is built into the display, which is triggered in 0.3 seconds.
Power and volume buttons are located on the right and left sides. On the left there is also a tray for two SIM cards and microSD. The bottom end is reserved for a 3.5 mm audio jack, a multimedia speaker and a USB Type-C port.
The smartphone fits comfortably in the palm of your hand thanks to the rounded corners and edges, although the dimensions do not allow using it with one hand.
The manufacturer did not stint and included a silicone case. It enlarges the gadget a little more, but protects it when it falls. This is especially important when the body is glass on both sides.
Screen
OPPO Reno3 received a 6.4-inch screen made using AMOLED technology. The matrix resolution is Full HD +, which in terms of the diagonal gives a pixel density of 411 ppi. The indicator is typical for a model of this class, the clarity is sufficient in most cases.
Still on the small font you can see the graininess. The reason is in the structure of the Diamond pixels (there are twice as many green diodes as there are red and blue ones). This is why IPS screens with a similar pixel density appear sharper than AMOLED.
Unlike the Reno3 Pro, the smartphone screen operates at 60Hz and its edges are not curved. If the first can be attributed to the minuses, then we welcome the last point. While displays with curved edges look impressive, they are much easier to break and harder to replace.
The matrix itself is of high quality: the color rendition is close to natural, the viewing angles are wide, the margin of brightness and the level of contrast are also satisfactory. Flicker suppression mode is provided in the settings. It reduces eye strain at low brightness settings.
Software and performance
OPPO Reno3 runs Android 10 with a proprietary shell Color OS 7.1, which significantly changes the interface of the "green robot". Nevertheless, the control logic here is common with other Android smartphones. In addition, you can include a Material theme to make the skin match Google's design code and blend well with system apps and services.
The novelty is based on the MediaTek Helio P90 chipset, made according to a 12-nanometer process technology. It includes eight processor cores: two high performance Cortex ‑ A75 clocked at 2.2 GHz and six energy efficient Cortex ‑ A55 clocked at 2 GHz. It also includes the PowerVR GM9446 video accelerator.
The latter is powerful enough to run World of Tanks: Blitz with medium settings at a stable 60 fps. At maximum quality in loaded scenes, drawdowns of up to 30 fps occur, which significantly impairs the gaming experience.
The smartphone is equipped with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of permanent memory. This will be enough for most users, and especially demanding ones will be able to expand the storage capacity using memory cards.
OPPO has also worked on optimization. Reno3 received an AI-based Anti-lag Engine internal memory manager. It prevents the system from cluttering up and slowing down over time.
Sound and vibration
The smartphone does not boast powerful stereo speakers like the Reno3 Pro. The multimedia speaker is located at the bottom and easily overlaps in games. And although the sound is good by the standards of mono speakers, in 2020 you want to have stereo sound.
The speaker and microphones are quite decent, there are no problems during conversation on both sides. I am also pleased that the model is equipped with a 3.5 mm audio jack - you can connect any headphones or system via AUX. There are also Dolby Atmos surround sound presets.
The vibration motor is standard by the standards of Android-smartphones. The tactile response is not clear enough, but at least there is no rattling, like in cheaper models.
Camera
OPPO Reno3 received a system of four cameras. It includes a 48-megapixel standard module, a 13-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x zoom, an 8 megapixel shirik and an additional module for determining the depth.
Many camera functions are tied to artificial intelligence. Thus, the smartphone is able to take 108-megapixel images using smart interpolation. In addition, neural networks recognize the shooting scenario and adjust the color rendering for it.
In good light, the photo quality is decent, but at night everything is not so rosy. The camera aggressively suppresses noise, making the image look like a watercolor sketch. The 44MP front camera takes clear and detailed selfies.
Video is recorded in maximum 4K resolution at 30 fps.
Of the interesting things - advanced stabilization, which compensates for even strong shaking while running.
Autonomy
The OPPO Reno3 has a 4,025 mAh battery inside. By modern standards, the capacity is not the highest, but in practice the smartphone can easily withstand a day of active use with social networks, web surfing and YouTube. You will only need recharging if you are playing a lot or filming.
So that you do not waste a lot of time with sockets, the smartphone is equipped with VOOC 3.0 technology, which charges the battery in about 1.5 hours. For this, a 20 W adapter is included in the kit.
Outcome
OPPO Reno3 offers a versatile camera with its own chips, user-friendly firmware optimized by AI, and decent battery life. Among the shortcomings, one can note not the highest gaming performance - competitors at Qualcomm are ahead in this regard. Otherwise, this is a sturdy smartphone that can be considered for purchase.
In general, the choice of a model under 30 thousand has become even more difficult, which we are only glad to see. Yet competition is the key to progress.
Buy
The author thanks OPPO for the device provided for testing. The company had no way to influence the test result.
Read also🧐
- Review of Huawei P40 Lite - a spectacular smartphone for 20 thousand rubles
- Realme X2 Pro is called the killer of Xiaomi. But is it really so? Parsing Lifehacker
- First look at Realme C3 - a smartphone for 10 thousand with everything you need