OPPO Reno 12 Pro – Review

There was a time when mid-range smartphones wouldn’t warrant a second look from demanding users because without the bells and whistles of their flagship counterparts, the diluted capabilities made such devices a tougher sell. But technological leaps have cast those concerns aside as smartphones have grown more capable than ever before – and better yet, are even packing a decent punch without bleeding the wallet. 

In the case of OPPO, photography has always been its crown jewel and be it casual shots to close-up images, the company’s camera prowess continues to shine. Those highly sought-after capabilities have now found a home in its mid-range Reno series, and the latest Reno 12 Pro is a showcase of prowess without the higher price tag. It inherits the same combination of performance and value of its flagship counterparts, except there’s now an AI boost in the mix, presenting an upgrade for users who have been stuck with phones that snap photographs like a potato.

At 161.7mm x 74mm and weighing in at a light 185g, the OPPO Reno 12 Pro is easy on the hands and in the pocket, coming in slightly heavier than its predecessor, the OPPO Reno 11 Pro, which was 181g. The sleek Fluid Ripple texture looks and feels good in the palm, bringing an extra flair with a 3D-like ripple effect that changes depending on the viewing angle. 

The smartphone features a quad-curved glass design over a flat display, creating a bezel-less appearance. This curved glass not only enhances ergonomics but also helps prevent accidental touches though it does make the screen rather slippery to the touch. One flaw is that the camera module tends to accumulate dust frequently, requiring regular cleaning. As with most phones with camera protrusions on the rear, the device wobbles slightly when placed on flat surfaces.

The 6.7-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling through memes and binge-watching shows a visual delight, especially since the OPPO Reno 12 Pro is the first in the Reno family to feature a quad-curve 6.7-inch AMOLED screen that delivers rich, sharp visuals, smooth playback, and deep blacks. A USB-C port and SIM card tray can be found at the base, alongside a volume rocker and power button on the right side of the phone. 

As a mid-range device, the OPPO Reno 12 Pro isn’t trying to dethrone the iPhone 15 Pro Max or the Samsung S23 Ultra, but it’s got enough kick to handle your daily swipes and taps. Powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7300 processor and a Mali-G615 chip, it pairs 12GB of RAM with 256GB of storage. If you think you’re the kind of person who takes videos of everything that happens during the day (guilty as charged),  you can always upgrade to 512GB for more storage.

In day-to-day use, navigating between apps proved to be smooth and fluid, without any noticeable lag when switching between apps or when browsing the web. Loading content on YouTube is snappy and fast while scrolling through Instagram and TikTok is a smooth experience. However, the phone does come preinstalled with a lot of bloatware and swiping through the app menu becomes somewhat of an eyesore when you have three entire folders of apps and games taking up space on your screen.

Gaming-wise, you won’t be able to run most games at the highest graphic settings without significant stuttering but you can play games like PUBG, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Honkai: Star Rail just fine on lower settings, with some performance stutters now and then during graphic-intensive moments. Don’t expect smooth performance on more demanding titles like Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves – the OPPO Reno 12 Pro is designed for very casual play.

This phone’s real charm lies in its camera setup and AI capabilities. With a 50MP main camera, a 50MP telephoto portrait camera, and an 8MP ultra-wide camera, it’s like having a professional photography studio in your pocket. The 50MP front camera ensures your selfies look sharp and crisp, and if contributing factors impact the scene, you now have artificial intelligence, or AI, to save the day.

From enhancements like AI Clear Face which performs high-definition detail restoration to facial contours, hair, and eyebrows, to AI Eraser that removes unwanted objects within the shot, OPPO has packed AI software upgrades for every user. But not all AI has been carefully thought of and it has included an upcoming AI Best Face feature that works by tapping into generative AI to automatically identify people with closed eyes and well, opens them. The way this works is by replacing the closed eyes with the eyes of someone else in the photo, so this feature only works if there’s another person in the photo with open eyes. 

It seems weird and scary at the same time, and at the time of this review, the AI Best Face feature has not yet been released, so we were unable to test it out. What would have made more sense is the traditional approach of snapping several images at once, and taking the open eyes from an earlier moment and stitching things together, to create a moment where all eyes are open.

The camera system itself does best in natural light and well-illuminated settings, but the software processing can slightly alter colours, leading to overexposed bright areas that appear too washed out. In artificial lighting conditions, the camera often fails to accurately capture skin tones, softening facial details to mask sensor limitations. Similarly, the ultra-wide-angle lens for zooming in also performs poorly in low light with grainy results and produces unimpressive images in daylight, making it more of a novelty feature. You also cannot actually use the zoom in function to take videos, which seems like a huge waste.

These gaps in camera performance are to be expected for its price range, but for the most part, the phone does its job better than expected, especially considering how many useful AI tools come with the phone.

With AI Eraser 2.0, you can easily make photo bombers vanish by tapping or circling unwanted objects, leaving your memories pristine and picture-perfect. Putting it to use, the feature worked like a charm, easily removing unwanted people and keeping the subject of your photo. Here are some before and after pictures:

As you can see, removing unwanted humans is as easy as opening the AI Eraser and pressing the built-in ‘remove people’ function. It’s not perfect, though, as the AI does struggle to recognise objects at times, for example, baby strollers or umbrellas, leaving strange unwanted objects floating in the air if you aren’t looking closely enough. You can manually try to erase them with the AI Eraser but it isn’t a guaranteed solution either. And the AI Eraser also struggles when there are a lot more people in the background. 

The Smart Sidebar also offers an AI Toolbox with handy features such as  “AI Speak” and “AI Summary” when you open a browser. “AI Speak” reads the text aloud, while “AI Summary” provides a bullet-point summary, making it easier to digest information. This feature extends to writing assistance, audio transcription, and more, making your phone a versatile AI assistant.

Outfitted with a 5,000mAh battery, the Reno 12 Pro is built to last through your day of relentless scrolling, streaming, and snapping. It powered through and provided 11 hours of use with substantial gaming and streaming, which will prove more than sufficient for users who are light on their daily usage. And if you do run low, the fast charging is a lifesaver, getting up to full charge in less than an hour.

While the sound quality is decent, it won’t replace your home theatre system, but it’s good enough to blast your music or hands-free calls with chatty relatives. Connectivity is solid, ensuring you stay connected whether posting a selfie or streaming a tutorial on taking better photos.

At S$949, the OPPO Reno 12 Pro is a solid choice for anyone looking to upgrade their phone without paying an arm and a limb. With impressive AI capabilities, a beautiful display, and a price tag that won’t make you wince, it’s a no-brainer for photography enthusiasts and everyday users alike. Interested parties may purchase the OPPO Reno 12 Pro on OPPO’s website.