Oppo Reno 7 Review: Still Good Value?

The Oppo Reno 7 is the smaller sibling of the Reno 7 Pro (Review) and it has additionally been launched at a lower cost than its predecessor, the Oppo Reno 6 (Review). In contrast to the Reno 7 Professional although, the updates made to the Reno 7 are largely targeted across the design. It does get a few helpful additions resembling expandable storage and a barely bigger battery, however the options and specs have not actually modified in comparison with the Reno 6. I’ve outlined the large adjustments in my first impressions of the telephone, and it is now time to take a better take a look at the way it performs. Does the Oppo Reno 7 proceed to supply pretty much as good worth as its predecessor? Learn on to search out out.

Oppo Reno 7 worth in India

Oppo has launched the Reno 7 in India in only one configuration, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage priced at Rs. 28,999. The rise in storage in comparison with the Reno 6 is welcome, and what’s even higher, is you can increase this because of the devoted microSD card slot. The Reno 7 is accessible in two colors, Startrails Blue and Stary Black.

Oppo Reno 7 design

The brand new design of the Oppo Reno 7 seems to be good. The rounded body and curved edges of the again give this telephone a glossy aesthetic. The Reno 7 additionally will get the identical laser-etched sample on the again that the Reno 7 Professional has. It seems to be good and does’t entice fingerprints. This telephone can be slim and lightweight, weighing simply 173g.

All of this makes the telephone very comfy to carry and use, however on the flip facet, Oppo has needed to make sure compromises. The shiny body and the again panel of the Reno 7 are constructed utilizing plastic, not steel and glass like with the Reno 7 Professional. Even the Reno 6 had an aluminium body, which makes this a little bit of a downgrade.

The Oppo Reno 7 does have a headphone jack. The 6.4-inch AMOLED show is just like the one on the earlier mannequin. It has a full-HD+ decision, 90Hz most refresh charge, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for defense. The bezels across the show are comparatively slim, apart from the chin. You additionally get an in-display fingerprint sensor and face recognition utilizing the selfie digital camera within the hole-punch cutout.

The Oppo Reno 7 seems to be just like the Reno 6 from the entrance
Picture Credit score: Roydon Cerejo

The Oppo Reno 7 comes bundled with a case, a 65W charger, a USB cable, and a SIM eject instrument.

Oppo Reno 7 specs and software program

Oppo hasn’t bothered refreshing the SoC within the Reno 7 – it is the identical MediaTek Dimensity 900 from the Reno 6. That is nonetheless a comparatively current and highly effective 5G SoC, and is constructed utilizing a power-efficient 6nm fabrication course of, however having one thing newer such because the Dimensity 920 would have made this telephone extra aggressive, particularly in opposition to fashions based mostly on Qualcomm’s choices such because the Snapdragon 778G. The Reno 7 will get Bluetooth 5.2, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, and assist for the same old satellite tv for pc navigation techniques. The telephone misses out on stereo audio system, which is a disgrace contemplating how commonplace this function has grow to be.

The software program expertise on the Oppo Reno 7 is similar to utilizing the Reno 7 Professional. It runs ColorOS 12 based mostly on Android 11 and can more than likely obtain a steady Android 12 replace quickly. You get a plethora of shortcuts and gestures, a theme retailer to personalise the look of your telephone, and loads of customisations for the always-on show too, together with new Apple-like Omoji avatars. There’s loads of bloatware too, within the type of third-party apps, which have the tendency to clog your notification shade with spammy alerts. Fortunately, all of them might be uninstalled.

Oppo Reno 7 efficiency and battery life

Day-to-day efficiency was strong, in my time with the Oppo Reno 7. The SoC is highly effective sufficient to deal with generally used productiveness and social apps. The interface additionally ran easily at 90Hz, with no seen sluggishness or slowdowns within the animations. The low weight and slim physique of the telephone additionally meant carrying it round in my pocket wasn’t a burden, and one-handed use was comfy.

The Reno 7 dealt with movies and video games very effectively too. I wasn’t in a position to set up the Netflix app on my unit for some cause, however movies streamed through Amazon Prime Video and YouTube appeared good. Audio high quality was first rate however the expertise may have been higher with stereo audio system. Heavy video games resembling PUBG: New State ran effectively with the graphics high quality cranked up. Gameplay was easy and the Reno 7 by no means obtained uncomfortably sizzling even after extended periods. Benchmark numbers have been first rate too. The Reno 7 scored 4,35,227 factors in AnTuTu, which is respectable. 

The Oppo Reno 7 has a laser-etched sample on the rear, just like the Reno 7 Professional
Picture Credit score: Roydon Cerejo

The bump in battery capability to 4,500mAh (from 4,300mAh) appears to have contributed to a noticeable impression on battery life. The Oppo Reno 7 ran for a great 19 hours and 25 minutes in our HD video loop take a look at, which is three hours higher than what the Reno 6 managed. With regular use, I used to be simply in a position to squeeze out two full days of use. Charging was fairly fast too and I used to be in a position to totally cost the telephone in effectively underneath an hour utilizing the provided charger.

Oppo Reno 7 cameras

Similar to the SoC, the cameras on the Oppo Reno 7 have not seen a lot change. The AI options within the digital camera app are mentioned to have been tweaked and now you can digitally widen the aperture for a shallower loss of life of subject when taking pictures movies, similar to on the Reno 7 Professional. Nevertheless, these are minor adjustments and every part else is identical as what we have already seen on the Reno 6. Video stabilisation remains to be restricted to 1080p ,and the telephone can shoot at as much as 4K 30fps. For those who allow any of the filters or AI options when recording video, the decision defaults to 1080p.

The digital camera sensors are additionally very comparable. The Oppo Reno 7 has a 64-megapixel major digital camera with an f/1.7 aperture, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide digital camera, and a 2-megapixel macro digital camera. For selfies, there is a 32-megapixel digital camera within the entrance.

Oppo Reno 7 predominant digital camera pattern (faucet to see full measurement)

Oppo Reno 7 ultra-wide digital camera pattern (faucet to see full measurement)

Oppo Reno 7 predominant digital camera pattern (faucet to see full measurement)

Daylight landscapes and close-up photographs taken with the primary rear digital camera packed in good element and colors have been pretty correct. The ultra-wide digital camera, expectedly, captured weaker element however delivered a wider perspective. Macro images weren’t too unhealthy if taken in daylight. When AI was enabled, colors have been artificially boosted, particularly in footage of vegetation and meals. Low-light photographs have been fairly first rate and Evening mode helped enhance the publicity, whereas suppressing noise fairly effectively.

Selfies shot throughout the day packed in excellent element. Pores and skin tones appeared pure as soon as I disabled the beautification results. The Bokeh Flare Portrait filter is current right here too, and supplied a cool background impact. Selfies shot in low gentle had good element too. A display screen flash can be utilized to compensate for the shortage of ambient gentle, and this was useful.

Oppo Reno 7 predominant digital camera pattern in low gentle (faucet to see full measurement)

Oppo Reno 7 predominant digital camera pattern with Evening mode (faucet to see full measurement)

Oppo Reno 7 selfie pattern with Portrait mode (faucet to see full measurement)

Recorded movies have been affected by the identical points that I encountered with the Reno 6. 4K movies have been of first rate high quality underneath good lighting however the lack of stabilisation was very disappointing. You need to use stabilisation at 1080p, however the high quality drops and its results are magnified when taking pictures in low gentle. The power to mess around with the aperture is a pleasant contact, and the bokeh filter could make for a enjoyable video, however general, the video expertise may have been significantly better.

Verdict

It has been lower than a yr because the Oppo Reno 6 was launched, so contemplating that, I can perceive why Oppo hasn’t given the Reno 7 a serious makeover. Nevertheless, until the corporate plans to interchange this telephone with a Reno 8 inside this yr, the Reno 7 might need a tricky time discovering its footing out there. The Reno 6 was overshadowed by telephones such because the OnePlus Nord 2 (Review) and Poco F3 GT (Review) and now, the Reno 7 has to compete with them too, along with newer fashions such because the Motorola Edge 20 (Review), Realme GT Master Edition (Review) and Xiaomi 11i HyperCharge (Review) — all of which provide higher options and efficiency on the identical or decrease beginning costs.

The Oppo Reno 7 could possibly be a reliable each day driver, similar to the Reno 6 was. General system and gaming efficiency is nice, battery life is strong, and the telephone is gentle and simple to dwell with. The cameras aren’t too unhealthy in terms of stills. Plus, the flexibility to increase the interior storage is a pleasant addition to this mannequin. A few of its downsides embrace the shortage of stereo audio system, weak video recording efficiency, and a downgraded plastic physique in comparison with the Reno 6.

My recommendation for anybody looking to buy the Oppo Reno 7 could be the identical as what I mentioned in my evaluate of the Reno 7 Professional: it is a good telephone with none evident faults, however simply know that choices with extra options can be found, a few of which I’ve named above, and these options supply much more bang to your buck.