OPPO Reno8 T 5G Review | Geek Lifestyle

Barely a month in and OPPO Philippines is releasing another OPPO Reno8T but this time it has 5G. We had some time with the OPPO Reno8 T 5G and aside from adding 5G capabilities, do the additions make the phone worth your hard-earned Peso and deserving of a line extension from OPPO? That’s what we’ll try and unearth in this article.

Geek-sthetic

OPPO has always placed a premium on quality design. Ever since the first Reno, the brand understood that aesthetic plays a huge factor within the purchase decision of users – and that a good design also helps elevate the total enjoyment of the device.

With OPPO Reno8T, they wrapped the unit in fiberglass leather-like material down to intricate stitching and a vibrant orange hue. For the 5G variant, the team went back to the proprietary OPPO Glow design first seen on the OPPO Reno5 Pro 5G. The soft glow emitted from the proprietary printing method, gives the rear cover a matte-like finish that’s resistant to fingerprints and smudges.

The unit that we got has a colorway called Sunrise Gold – and while has more of a pale platinum hue, once exposed to light, the OPPO Glow helps disperse white light and scatters bits of yellow, red, and orange across the polycarbonate unibody.

The camera module resembles that of the OPPO Reno8 T but we void of the Orbit Light aesthetic – something we were already expecting that the model will have. Why it was removed for this iteration is beyond us.

Still if you want “personalized” notifications, tinkering with the Styles and UI of the phone, you can turn on edge light to either red, yellow, or blue.

Speaking of camera module, the 32MP front-facing camera that was flushed left on the non-5G variant is now aligned towards the center for this iteration. And overall, the phone has a finer curvature this time around as the screens on the OPPO Reno8 T 5G are curved.

Binge-Watching Factor

With a larger 6.7” FHD+ 3D Curved AMOLED Screen and having support for 1 Billion colors reproduction and 120Hz refresh rate, watching your favorite shows on the OPPO Reno8 T 5G is a pleasant endeavor. The Dual Speakers with Ultra Volume mode keeps you immersed as well when you prop your device on the table or bring it with you in your travels…or your bedroom.

The screen is protected by DT-Star Protective Glass, a tempered glass that’s designed in Japan and should help protect the phone’s curved AMOLED screen even more.

Gaming Prowess

The OPPO Reno8 T 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset. While hardly new (the chipset has been around for almost 2 years now), the 695 is a steady workhorse especially for smartphones at this price-range. It can run most apps and games at medium to borderline high graphics without much problems. The exception, of course, is Genshin Impact.

But even with demanding game titles like Genshin, the OPPO Reno8 T 5G maximizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G by supporting it with 8GB of RAM and another 8GB of Extended Virtual Memory and a large 256GB of Internal storage.

For the most part, with this configuration, we experienced very little slowdown if there ever was one (with moderate graphic settings, of course).

Geek Photoshoot Capabilities

The Main Camera of the OPPO Reno8T 5G has been slightly bumped up as well with a 108MP Main shooter instead of the Reno8T’s 100MP. Sure it’s just slightly a bit more than the non-5G variant but those are still extra image data being collected – something that seems to help at night.

: Night Mode 1

: Night Mode 2

: Night Mode 3

Of course, the Reno8 T 5G still has the signature 2MP Micro cam – where you can take almost microscopic images. While real-world usage is still limited unless you work in cosmetic, we did put the device to the test when we stayed at a Tagaytay Hotel over the weekend. I tried to inspect if the sheets were indeed as clean as they can be – and found a few dirt particles still. Removing them made my sleep much more comfortable than if I didn’t. So, kudos to that.

: Close up of my skin

For those who still uses the front-facing camera, the OPPO Reno8 T 5G still utilizes a 32MP selfie cam. It does the job in good lighting but struggles quite a bit during low-light situations.

: Regular Selfie

: Night Time Portrait Selfie

The Bokeh Flair Portrait Ai also leans a bit too harsh on low-light environment. It works best if the subject is still lighted appropriately and with ambient environmental lights at the background.

: More natural bokeh if you have more light source on the subject

: I find the Ai too aggressive when it needs to compensate for light

Everyday Reliability

For those who may find the 33W SuperVOOC Flash Charger of the non-5G Variant a tad too slow, then you’re in for a treat as the 5G version has a whopping 67W SuperVOOC Flash Charger to accompany the 4800mAh dual-cell internal battery that it has. While the 5G version has 200mAh less than the original, the 67W charger should make up for that. Plus, the device also has a Battery Health Engine and a guarantee that the battery won’t deteriorate within 48-months of use (as with their promise of 48-month fluency).

Even though the unit only weights around 172g, the built feels quite solid thanks to the reinforced display. As mentioned initially, the display is protected by DT-Star Protective Glass while the back cover uses a Polymer Wear-resistant substance which adds to the overall sturdiness of the device. As with most OPPO devices, the unit does come with a soft jelly case for extra protection.

Running on a cleaner, more streamlined, ColorOS13, apps are spaced better and gives an overall cleaner look. We still wished that the unit didn’t come with so much bloat-wear though.

Final Geek Lifestyle Recommendation

A clear upgrade from the non-5G variant, the only thing that could potentially deter someone from picking this up is the price. With an SRP of Php 23,999, the OPPO Reno8 T 5G falls on the pricier side of a smartphone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695. But, with the combination of an excellent build, somewhat decent optics, large internal memory, and a faster, flagship-like fast charger, the OPPO Reno8 T 5G could be worth considering.

If you’ve been with team green since forever and want a 5G upgrade, then the OPPO Reno8 T 5G might just be the phone for you. But if you can hold off and save up for a bit, there are much more exciting offers from the brand that will be coming your way this 2023.

The OPPO Reno8 T 5G is currently on its pre-order phase until March 9, 2023 (where you can get a free OPPO Enco Buds2 for every purchase). For more details on the OPPO Reno8 T 5G, visit them on their official social media pages.