The OPPO Reno 12 Pro is a mid-range smartphone that punches well above its weight.
Remember when mid-range smartphones were forgettable and paling in comparison to the headliners? Well, OPPO’s Reno series has flipped the script with the OPPO Reno 12 Pro, with a price tag that doesn’t sting.
sleek and ready to shine.
At 161.7mm x 74mm and weighing 185g, the Reno 12 Pro feels as if it’s been sculpted for your hand. It’s slightly heavier than last year’s Reno 11 Pro, but you’ll barely notice. The Fluid Ripple texture on the back offers a 3D-like effect that makes you stop and admire. Plus, it adds extra grip without a case.
OPPO’s quad-curved glass design wraps around the edges for a bezel-free appearance. It’s ergonomic but also a tad slippery; handle it with care unless you want to test that IP64 splash resistance rating.
Like most phones with raised camera modules, this one also wobbles on flat surfaces. Nothing new, but something to note if you’re desk-bound.
all eyes on the display.
The 6.7-inch AMOLED screen is Reno’s pièce de résistance. With FHD+ resolution, smooth 120Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 1,800 nits, this display is a visual feast. The colours pop, the blacks are deep, and the bezels are so thin they’re practically invisible.
The Hi-Res dual stereo speakers are loud, almost too loud. Interestingly, the bottom speaker outshines the top, so if you accidentally cover it, you’ll muffle the sound.
power that doesn’t pretend to be a flagship.
Under the hood, the Reno 12 Pro packs a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor and Mali-G615 GPU, paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (upgradeable to 512GB). It’s a mid-range combo, and while it won’t dethrone your standard flagships, it handles everyday tasks with grace.
Navigating apps is smooth, browsing TikTok is lag-free, and even YouTube loads faster than your patience for ads. However, the phone is preloaded with bloatware, three whole folders of it.
Gaming is where things take a slight hit. Casual titles like PUBG run fine on medium settings, but if you’re planning to conquer bigger titles like Asphalt Legends Unite, brace yourself for stutters and compromises on graphics.
cameras are mostly decent.
Photography has always been OPPO’s forte, and the Reno 12 Pro doesn’t disappoint. Its 50MP main camera, 50MP telephoto portrait lens, and 8MP ultra-wide lens deliver crisp, vibrant shots, while the 50MP front-facing camera ensures your selfies are always on point.
The AI Clear Face feature restores fine details like hair strands and skin contours, making portraits pop. But, while the AI Eraser 2.0 is decent for removing photobombers, it struggles with complex backgrounds, leaving traces of strollers or umbrellas if you’re not careful.
Low light is a mixed bag. The software sometimes softens facial details or overexposes highlights, and the ultra-wide lens struggles to maintain clarity in dim settings.
Don’t even think about zooming in during video mode; the functionality is oddly absent, and it feels like a missed opportunity.
a little extra AI magic.
2024 is the year of smartphone AI, and the Smart Sidebar and AI Toolbox provide features like AI Speak, which reads articles aloud, and AI Summary, which condenses web pages into bullet points.
battery: built to last.
The 5,000mAh battery is a trooper, powering through a full day of scrolling, snapping, and streaming. Even with heavy gaming, it lasted over 11 hours.
And if you’re running low, the fast charging feature gets you back to 100% in under an hour.
should you buy it?
At S$949, the OPPO Reno 12 Pro is a solid mid-range contender. It’s not a gaming powerhouse, but it excels in photography, AI smarts, and day-to-day performance.
For casual gamers, content creators, or anyone looking to strike a balance between price and performance, the Reno 12 Pro is worth considering. Just don’t expect it to outgun the heavyweights and you’ll walk away impressed.
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