OPPO Reno 12 Series Launch in India: A Detailed Look at the Reno 12 Pro
On July 12, 2024, Chinese smartphone manufacturer OPPO introduced the Reno 12 series in India, marking the debut of their first wave of mobile artificial intelligence features. Among the new releases, the Reno 12 Pro stands out with its advanced camera system and unique dual-tone design. Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300, the Reno 12 Pro positions itself as a midrange smartphone with premium features. This article delves into the various aspects of the Reno 12 Pro, highlighting its design, display, camera capabilities, performance, software, AI features, and battery life.
Design and Build
Dual-Glass Finish
The OPPO Reno series is renowned for its distinctive design, and the Reno 12 Pro continues this legacy. The back cover features a dual-glass finish, with the top section boasting a matte finish and the lower part a glossy look. These two sections are divided by a thick glass strip that prominently displays the OPPO branding. The rear camera module, with its three sensors stacked vertically on a rectangular bump, is understated yet elegant.
Front Design
The front of the Reno 12 Pro is equally impressive, featuring a quad-curved glass design over a flat display, which creates a bezel-less appearance. This curved glass enhances ergonomics and helps prevent accidental touches, contributing to a premium feel and look.
Practicality Concerns
While the design is striking, it has a few practical drawbacks. The glossy lower half and the camera module tend to accumulate dust frequently, requiring regular cleaning. Additionally, the smartphone wobbles slightly when placed on flat surfaces due to the camera bump.
Durability
OPPO has incorporated durability features such as an impact-resistant internal design and Gorilla Glass Victus 2. While these enhancements suggest sturdiness, it’s advisable not to stress-test the phone to verify these claims.
Display
Technical Specifications
The OPPO Reno 12 Pro sports a 6.7-inch fullHD+ flat display with quad-curved glass protection. The display offers optimal color accuracy and vibrancy, regardless of the content on the screen. With a 120 Hz refresh rate and smooth animation effects, the smartphone delivers a premium visual experience.
Brightness and Visibility
The display is bright, ensuring good visibility in outdoor conditions from all angles. OPPO has integrated several value-added display features, including Adaptive Tone, which automatically adjusts the screen color temperature based on ambient lighting conditions. This feature reduces eye strain during prolonged use, though it can occasionally affect color contrast when consuming media.
HDR Support
The Reno 12 Pro supports HDR viewing, producing more vibrant colors and deeper blacks for compatible content. It also includes a Bright HDR video mode, which increases screen brightness for HDR-supported content. Additionally, OPPO has integrated several AI features through the side panel for an enhanced viewing experience.
Camera System
Rear Cameras
The Reno 12 Pro is equipped with a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 50MP telephoto sensor for 2x zoom capability, and an 8MP ultra-wide sensor. The primary camera captures clear and crisp photos under natural lighting, though colors can appear slightly off due to software processing, which tends to overexpose brighter sections. The ultra-wide-angle lens, however, struggles in low light and produces lackluster images in daylight.
Telephoto and Front Cameras
The telephoto camera stands out as a highlight. While photos at 2x zoom are not as clear as those from the main sensor, the colors appear more lifelike, and the sensor performs consistently well even under artificial lighting conditions. The front-facing 50MP camera is impressive, offering realistic skin tones and better saturation levels in pictures.
Portrait and Video Capabilities
For portraits, the subject separation and edge detection work well most of the time, although it can be a bit aggressive around hairlines. The bokeh effect is natural and not overdone. In terms of videography, the OPPO Reno 12 Pro supports 4K recording at 30 frames-per-second and 1080p recording at both 30 and 60 fps. However, recording with the telephoto camera is limited to 1080p at 30 fps. The ultra-steady mode is available but is limited to 1080p recording for both front and rear camera systems.
Performance
Hardware and General Use
Powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chip, paired with 12GB RAM and 256GB onboard storage, the Reno 12 Pro offers smooth and lag-free performance for daily tasks such as multitasking, web surfing, watching videos, and casual gaming. However, there were some glitches, including delays in opening the keyboard and occasional sudden app closures, which could be resolved through software updates.
Intensive Tasks
For more demanding tasks like high-resolution video recording or graphics-intensive gaming, the smartphone reaches its limits when used for extended periods. Minor heating around the frame was observed, but OPPO has included a RAM expansion feature to offer more breathing space during intensive tasks.
Software
ColorOS 14
The OPPO Reno 12 Pro runs on ColorOS 14, based on Android 14, which is stable and smooth with improved animations and transitions. The operating system includes useful features such as the File Dock on the side panel. After enabling the Smart Side Bar, users can drag a photo or a file to store it on the File Dock, which acts like a clipboard and allows sharing it on other apps. The Flexible Window option in settings turns apps and notifications into floating window tiles for multitasking.
Pre-installed Apps
However, the smartphone comes with a few pre-installed third-party apps and games, such as Agoda and Bubble Pop. Additionally, the home screen includes Hot Apps and Hot Games sections that suggest third-party apps and games. While this can feel intrusive, these apps and games do not generate unwanted notifications and can be easily uninstalled.
AI Features
AI Toolbox
OPPO has integrated several AI features into the Reno 12 Pro. The AI tool box on the Smart Sidebar automatically recognizes the content on the display and offers relevant AI-powered tools. For example, when opening an article in a web browser, the “AI Speak” feature reads out the text, while “AI Summary” generates a bullet-point summary highlighting important information. This feature is limited to browser apps.
AI Writer
The AI toolbox also has an AI Writer feature for writing assistance. When composing an email, for instance, the feature scans the screen and opens a floating window where users can input pointers, keywords, or phrases to generate text. Users can choose between tones such as “concise,” “detailed,” and “polite.” The feature performed well in tests, generating coherent and contextually appropriate text.
Voice Transcription
OPPO has integrated AI into the native voice recorder app for audio transcription and text summarization of voice recordings. Summaries are generated for recordings longer than 30 seconds and stored in the Notes app. Summaries are presented in bullet points, highlighting important sections and providing quotes from the recording. Notably, the summaries and transcriptions do not mention any names taken in the recordings, enhancing privacy. Explicit words are hidden in the text transcription.
Photo Editing
For photo editing, OPPO includes features like AI Eraser, AI Best Face, and AI Clear Face. The AI Eraser effectively removes unwanted objects from pictures, filling the empty space using generative fill. The AI Clear Face feature clears out blurry faces in group shots, although it sometimes softens facial details in certain lighting conditions. However, AI Best Face, which recognizes human faces and expressions to improve images with the help of AI, did not perform as well as the other two during testing and occasionally displayed error messages.
Battery Life
Battery Performance
The Reno 12 Pro features a 5,000 mAh battery, which is the industry standard nowadays. The smartphone easily lasts a full day on a single charge with average usage. However, extended video streaming or gaming drains the battery faster, which might necessitate recharging it within the same day.
Fast Charging
On the positive side, the smartphone supports 80W fast wired charging, allowing it to reach 70 percent in just 27 minutes from zero, making it convenient for users who need a quick power boost during the day.
Verdict
Priced at Rs 36,999 onwards, the OPPO Reno 12 Pro offers a blend of durable construction, premium design, and vivid display, complemented by a suite of artificial intelligence features. However, the smartphone has some drawbacks, including inconsistent camera performance, battery longevity issues under heavy use, and occasional performance glitches. Despite these shortcomings, the OPPO Reno 12 Pro could be a good option for users looking for a midrange smartphone that delivers a premium experience with advanced AI features.
Overall, the OPPO Reno 12 Pro stands out for its design, display, and innovative AI integrations, making it a compelling choice for tech enthusiasts and those seeking to experience the latest in mobile technology
