In a market where there are many mid-range smartphones, the details make the difference. Oppo seems to know it well and demonstrates it in the care given to Reno8 Lite 5G, smartphone we tested for this review. A device that has quality design and construction, good performance for everyday use and excellent autonomy. But is that right for you (especially considering the price)? We help you understand it with ours Oppo Reno8 Lite 5G review.
Our Oppo Reno8 Lite 5G review
Opening the Oppo Reno8 Lite 5G box for this review, we immediately recognized the line. We recently reviewed the Oppo Reno7 and loved that Oppo retains the rounded corner line, the flat display. But above all the attention to detail.
We have tested the version Cosmic Black of the smartphone, which from a distance looks simply black. But approaching the gaze and playing with the reflections you will appreciate the luminous texture, really elegant. And what moreover does not retain fingerprints at all (even in these hot days when the fingers are sweaty more). If you want a more iridescent version, you can bet on the version Rainbow Spectrum.
Instead of a bump for the camera, find a texture change that becomes smooth in the rectangle containing the three sensors and flash. Two of which are standing out from the back of the smartphone and they are surrounded by bright LEDs. They light up when you charge your smartphone, when you play, when you receive a notification. A peculiarity that smartphone manufacturers would not usually put in a mid-range device, where style usually pays the price of savings. But not on Oppo’s Reno line.
The measures are also small and well studied. The thickness is only 7.49mm (on the Oppo website we read that the Rainbow Spectrum model is slightly thicker at 7.55 mm). Weight only 173 gramswhich are well balanced in the hand.
The build quality seems excellent to us, the buttons (power on the left and volume on the right) click satisfactorily. Below, in addition to the porta USB-C and unfortunately mono speaker, there is the entrance 3.5mm jack, which is sure to please audiophiles.
Also in the package one cover it’s a caribatterie da 33W.
A good quality screen
Oppo Reno8 Lite 5G does not have a record screen ratio, a 90,80%: especially the lower frame is a little thicker than average. But during our review it did 6.43 inch screen convinced us. Even if she has some limitations.
The resolution FHD+ (2400×1080) is more than enough, however the refresh rate da 60Hz is a little below expectations: there are many smartphones (including Oppo) that offer more in this price range. However the AMOLED technology allows you to have a perfect contrast, for a good quality result. The brightness reaches a maximum of 600 nitswhich is sufficient in most situations.
That of Oppo Reno8 Lite 5G is therefore one good quality screen, although not excellent, and during this review it did not disappoint. If those like us who see many different smartphones every month notice the defects, for most users they will go unnoticed: he has all the credentials.
Oppo Reno8 Lite 5G review: performance
The new smartphone of the Reno line has a processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 695, which has two excellent qualities on its side: 5G support and excellent energy management, which lengthens the battery. But it is not a gaming smartphone, also because of the memory UFS 2.2 da 128GB, not the fastest. It will also open up graphically intense games like Genshin Impact, but hardcore gamers may see a drop in performance after heavy use. Here the graphics benchmarks, in line with other smartphones that use the Snapdragon 695.
But if you don’t need a gaming device, we liked the performance in everyday use of the Oppo Reno8 LIte 5G during the review. The 8GB of memorywhich you can expand using flash memory, are more than enough for everyday use. We have never experienced any slowdowns of any kind, it also handles multitasking well.
The system ColorOS 12 uses Android 11 however, so you don’t have some of the latest news. But the system is reliable, even if we would have preferred fewer apps pre-loaded on the operating system. Interesting the AirGestures to control the smartphone without touching the screen (even if we used them mainly to ‘explore’ the phone, it is not something that comes naturally to us).
Good quality of calls and video calls, the management of the Bluetooth signal and GPS. Nothing to say: you will not have unpleasant surprises with this smartphone.
Oppo Reno8 Lite 5G: camera
Like many smartphones in this price range, although technically it has three sensors, you will find yourself using it above all64MP main lens with f / 1.7. On the plus side, it is an excellent optic for shooting, especially in good light conditions.
In outdoor shots, we really liked how Reno8 Lite 5G balance the colors, creating pleasant contrasts without exaggerating them. The colors are slightly brighter than the natural ones, with a pleasant effect. That the more experienced will be able to calibrate with the Pro mode of the good Oppo photographic software. Low light performance isn’t perfect, but the night mode calibrates pretty well if you have a steady hand.
The company promised that Oppo Reno8 Lite 5G is one “smartphone from professional portraits”And the focus management proves it. The portrait mode is suggestive while being very simple to use. Different speech instead for the Macro da 2MP, which requires a distance of at least 4cm from the subject and significantly decreases the image quality. Closes the department a 2MP monochrome depth sensor.
As for the videos, the software stabilization does a decent job if you have a fairly steady hand. Otherwise, especially in low light, it becomes difficult to shoot good videos.
La f16MP selfie camera satisfies, allowing even some more complex shots if you have the patience to use the various settings. HDR and face recognition help improve social shots.
Autonomy and recharge
Oppo has equipped the Reno8 Lite 5G with one 4500mAh battery, which combined with the Snapdragon 695 processor and a good management of the workload by the software, allows you to have a really good autonomy. Even doing our best to put the smartphone under maximum stress, we ended the day with over 30-35% battery. With an average use we were able to close the second working day without too many problems.
The 33W SuperVOOC charging it is not the fastest in circulation in the Android world (even if it beats all iPhones), but it seems more than enough. The full recharge remains under the hour and even with a few minutes you can increase the autonomy by a few percentage points in case of emergency. For the vast majority of users, no more is needed.
Oppo Reno8 Lite 5G review: worth buying
The mid-range in the Android world is truly full of value. Under 400 euros you can find devices for all needs, from the very powerful ones to those with great autonomy. Unless you want photographic perfection, spending more is usually not needed. So the rivals for the Oppo Reno8 Lite 5G are very many.
The new Reno offers a better design than many rivals in the price range, with great battery life and a good quality experience. There are more powerful smartphones for those who want to play games, higher refresh rate screens and more complete photographic departments. But Oppo Reno8 Lite 5G does everything right and does it with style.
Also good value for the price, taking advantage of the introductory offer. In fact, you can find the smartphone on the Oppo Store a 399,99 euro, with included Oppo Enco Air2 (market value € 69.99, here our review). With the included earphones it can be an affordable bundle.
But also Oppo itself offers smartphones of similar quality at lower prices. The Oppo Reno7 costs less than 300 euros, has the refined design of the Reno line and gives up relatively little (especially since many users can give up 5G without missing it, at least for now).
The purchase is therefore recommended with the bundle, while if you do not need headphones, perhaps it is better to wait for the price to drop a little: it is a quality smartphone, but the competition (even internal) is high.
PRO
- Design with attention to detail
- Good overall performance
- Great autonomy
VERSUS
- Good main camera (but only that)
- Not high processor power
- Competitions (also of other Oppo Reno smartphones)