Those who remember the Oppo Reno 10X Zoom in Ocean Green from 2019 know how capable the phone was and how aesthetically Oppo makes its Reno lineup of smartphones. The Oppo Reno 10 series is no exception and the smartphone comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset, a hefty 5,000mAh battery with support for proprietary fast charging and a curved 6.7-inch panel with 120Hz refresh rate. Oppo is known to be experimental with its handset designs but that has taken a backseat now. Oppo has recently unveiled the Reno 10 series in India in two colour options: Silvery Grey and Ice Blue colour variant. We got the Reno 10 5G in Ice Blue model which has a gradient finish that changes hues depending on the light. While this is not unique to Oppo Reno 10 but it is still a notable highlight and makes the device look pretty when held at different angles under light. The price of the Reno 10 5G starts at Rs 32,999 and it comes with 8GB of RAM, coupled with either 128GB or 256GB of onboard storage. Given the price point, the Reno 10 5G can be good competition for the OnePlus Nord 3 and the Motorola Edge 40, among others. Here's how the Oppo Reno 10 5G fared in my review.
Oppo Reno 10 5G Design, Display, Looks And Build
The Reno 10 is a lightweight phone with an attractive design -- it is the cheapest among the three siblings in the new Reno 10 series and succeeds last year's Oppo Reno 8 5G. Oppo deserves credit for keeping the same design language across the Reno 10 series. The vanilla Reno 10 has a matte finish while the pricier Oppo Reno 10 Pro comes with a glossy design and it is difficult to tell them apart. The former obviously looks and feels better in hands, thanks to its matte design which does not attract smudges and fingerprints at all. This also means that keeping the Oppo Reno 10 clean is easy. However, I do recommend using the phone with a back cover as the phone has a glass sandwich design. The frame is made of plastic, though and that's what makes it ultra lightweight. The matte finish on the device also renders a soft appearance which looks pleasant. The curved sides and panel can easily make one think that this is a flagship phone. Holding and carrying the Reno 10 5G is very comfortable as it is ergonomic and lightweight at 185 grams. The Reno 10's design language is pleasing and so is the rear panel which has gradient colours which shift under different lighting conditions.
Oppo Reno 10 5G Battery, Performance And Software
The Oppo Reno10 5G comes with ColorOS 13.1 based on Android 13. Even though ColorOS has become refined over the years, there's still some bloatware that comes pre-installed in the form of apps like Moj, Josh, Dream11, and Snapchat, among others. The "Smart Always On Display" adds a nifty feature that would let you have control over food delivery apps such as Zomato and Swiggy and also Spotify. The phone is powered by a capable MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset which makes sure all tasks run smoothly. There was no lag or stutter while doing day-to-day tasks. Some heavy tasks did slow down the device, though. The Dimensity 7050 chip is also a bit of a bummer when compared with last year's Reno 8 which was powered by a Dimensity 1300 SoC.
The 5,000mAh battery capacity on the Reno 10 5G gets a significant bump from last year's Reno 8 which came with a 4,500mAh battery. This also means better battery life is improved. I could use the phone for over a day and a half on a single charge with moderate use, but if you're a power user, the battery life would decrease. There's an Always On Display (AOD) feature too which is a factor that can add to a reduced battery life as well. The bigger battery may also be helpful for those who love binge-watching shows on OTT platforms and playing games. The phone ships with a 67W fast charger that is very quick and kind of spoils, if you're switching from Samsung. The charger juiced up the phone from 0 to 50 per cent in about 25 minutes which is very impressive.
Oppo Reno 10 5G Camera
The rear camera setup comprises three sensors -- a 64MP sensor, an 8 MP and a 32MP sensor which looks good on paper. The cameras are an upgrade from the last year's Reno model but do they perform equally well in real life? Here's the answer: the primary camera gets the job done in the right lighting conditions but sometimes produces oversaturated images. The 2MP macro lens in the Reno 8 has been replaced in favour of a 32MP telephoto sensor in the Reno 10 5G which translated into better closeup shots. Pictures shot from the telephoto and primary sensors produce images with slightly cooler colour tones. The front side houses a 32MP camera which is the same as last year's Reno 8 5G and produces very well-detailed and nice shots. The colour accuracy of the selfie shots is worth mentioning.
Oppo Reno 10 5G Final Verdict
The new Reno 10 5G is overall a capable phone but given its price range, it faces stiff competition from the likes of Poco F5 and the OnePlus Nord 3, among others. The phone is a complete package with impressive battery and charging speed. The AMOLED panel is sharp and vibrant and makes for a good binge-watching or social media browsing companion.