OPPO Reno8 T 5G Review — Nice UI; Smooth Navigation; So-so Camera

So just last week, Oppo announced their latest addition to their Reno series, notably the Reno8 T 5G. Set to release soon to the Malaysia shores, we have gotten the privilege to experience the unit firsthand before its official launch in the Malaysian market. Though the unit may not boast anything too spectacular as its mainline entry, the 8 T 5G is still a formidable phone for those with prying eyes. Now do bear in mind the 8 T 5G unit is considered a midrange phone despite the “T” title behind the 8, some specifications of the phone may reign superior since it is still considered an enhancement unit to the mainline Reno 8 series, it is not in any way surpasses the Reno 8 Pro unit. So without further ado let us explore just what Oppo has to offer this round with the Reno8 T 5G.

UNBOXING

While OPPO is known for its minimalistic package design, we just can’t help but notice that the Reno8 T 5G package design is rather loud. The entire box screams for attention with lights reflecting brilliantly and dynamically. This is impressive given the fact that this is a midrange phone. The sheer attention it draws coupled with Oppo’s signature minimalistic-themed design could actually play quite a significant role in its selling point.

Unboxing the package will review the OPPO Reno8 T 5G situated right in it. Other than the unit there’s also a rather welcoming addition: The charger plug along with the USB cable. Now, what is so special about the charger? Well, as here’s a little caveat emptor for you all, some lower-tier and midrange phones nowadays have already decided to negate the inclusion of a charger and even the USB cable, having to argue that cable and charging plug could easily be found anywhere and everywhere, so it is financially (and budgetarily) sound for most tech organisations to disclude these complementary items. Of course, they do have a point, and that is why having the plug and cable included is still a favorable move among us consumers.
With that out of the way here’s a quick and sweet listing of the items that come with the 8 T 5G unit :

1. SUPERVOOC Fast Charging Plug
2. USB-C cable
3. TPU phone casing
4. SIM ejector pin
5. One (1) set of Quick Guide and Safety Guide booklet each

And that’s all you need to kickstart your user experience.

DESIGN

Kicking off our review with the unit’s external design, it actually resembles the Reno 8 Pro quite a lot (and the A78 to a certain extent), with that familiar round cut-out front camera on the front and the general side button layout, as well as the Oppo’s signature iridescence plastic design at the back of the phone. The only noticeable differences are the screen and camera overalls. The screen itself has a rectangular rounded edge with the screen curving outward stretching to the back. As for the cameras, it is located at the top left corner sitting on top of an oval-shaped island. Inserted vertically, the two main cameras composes of the 108MP camera on the top (f/1.7, 24mm (wide), 1/1.67″, 0.64µm, AF) and two 2 MP secondary cameras (f/3.3, 34mm (microscope) & f/2.4, (depth)), one of which has a 40x zooming lens. Retaining most of the Oppo Reno 8 series’ aesthetic by making minimal changes so the 8 T 5G won’t spin off too further away from its main entry counterpart.

Other general layouts include the speakers which are located at the top and the bottom respectively, making it a duel stereo speakers; The primary and secondary microphones are also located at the bottom and the top, respectively; There are no headphone jacks so only Bluetooth headsets are able to connect to the audio; And then there’s the SIM card slot that houses a dedicated SIM tray. All of these are carved onto a metallic chrome frame.

The entire device weighs around 171 g and has a dimension of 162.3 x 74.3 x 7.7 mm. The aforementioned metallic chrome prevents the phone from being slippery so it’s easy to hold and easy to navigate. The screen is also composed of Asahi Glass AGC DT-Star2 making it resistant to minor water splash.

In addition to that, the Oppo Reno8 T 5G comes in 2 colour variants: Black Starlight (Midnight Black) and Dawn Gold (Sunrise Gold); the colour we got is Dawn Gold (Sunrise Gold).

CAMERA

Reno8 T 5G cameras, to put it lightly, is a bit generic. The cameras are functional at their best. They take shots as they should and turns out decently. The front 32 MP camera (f/2.4, 22mm (wide)) did well with selfies and is able to auto-adjust according to the environment so making it one of the better features on the entire phone. The main camera on the other hand could only produce OK-quality photos even during nighttime. But will get diluted with further subsequent zoom-in shots, one of the few common problems with midrange phones.

Using the phone for portrait shots is not suggestible, especially during nighttime. This is because the secondary camera struggles to concentrate on the subject and it usually requires a few tries and taps in order to produce the desired results. So unless you’re the kind of person who prefers casual photography over hyper-detailed snapping, this is not a phone for you. But still, good selfie cam though.

However, I like the microscopic lens as a rather fun little novelty to play around with. The lens allows you to take magnified shots from 20x to 40x and I must say, it was really addicting to snap random tiny little things around my house 1-3mm away and it manage to yield a fantastic microscopic image with no details left out. It’s fascinating, it’s great, and for that, I must props to Oppo.

Video-wise, the phone could hold up to itself quite well. Being capped at 1080p 30fps, you could expect how it works as the same as most midrange phones out there. But I personally think that the video-capturing feature performs rather better than the photography features. So I guess the 8 T 5G is still good for casual vlogging after all. Here’s a sample of the video recorded through the lens of 8 T 5G :

DISPLAY & AUDIO

The Reno8 T 5G boasted an AMOLED screen that provided a higher refresh rate. It has an impressive 120 Hz refresh rate that allows prompt response upon touch and is paired with a relatively good display resolution of 1080 x 2412 pixels and 394 ppi density that better enhances the viewing experience. And since the 8 T 5G comes with a dual stereo speaker, it does add some points to your viewing pleasure. While it may not be as detailed as Reno 8 Pro, it still manages to pull off some fantastic sound work. But then the sound quality will get weaker and weaker as you reach a certain high volume with 200% being the worst. Still, the phone could get the job done when it comes to movies and videos.

PERFORMANCE

The Oppo8 T 5G comes with a Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G which is usually found in most mid-tier devices. It also runs an Android 13 and ColorOS 13 to push its midrange boundaries further into more ‘higher-yield’ territory. Allowing a more sophisticated UI interface that allows Reno8 T 5G to perform a few neat tricks like a quick access sidebar for easy navigation, loading the HyperGame made to boost your gaming experience, etc. Of course, the most prominent among all is the 5G features. It is a no-brainer as it’s already included in the title. It was made for people that prefer 5G access but with a budget and thus making it a budgeted 5G device similar to the Oppo A78.

Starting off with the gaming side, with Genshin of course. The graphic wise is as expected, smooth on the lowest setting, decent on low settings, and not too shabby when on medium settings. See the thing is, even though most midrange phones provide similar performance and the 8 T 5G is no exception. cranking up the gaming performance settings to pro gamer mode resulted in a rather impressive smooth gameplay. The shades, the lighting, and even the raindrops from the in-game weather seem rather pretty and clear. That being said the lowest setting at 60fps is still the best experience you could get. Mobile Legends on the other hand performs decently as you could expect even with higher settings. No lag whatsoever unless affected by wifi connectivity. Overheat was never an issue during our testing but it does drain the phone battery relatively quickly with the pro game mode on, around 18% within the first 30 mins.

Again in my humble opinion, even though the internal performance of the phone is by far the strongest selling point for the 8 T 5G, gaming should come as second thought if anyone is considering getting the 8 T 5G as their go-to phone. It could still be a compatible phone for casual gaming nonetheless.

For those who are keen to know about the Oppo Reno8 T 5G’s benchmarks and capacities, you may refer to below:

BATTERY

Not really an impressive battery size but having a 4,800 mAh battery is still considered adequate in terms of power sustainability. Doing absolutely nothing with the phone could easily last up to 4 or 5 days. Casual usage could probably last you a day or so. Now due to its lower battery size along with the 67W fast charger included in the package. all it takes is 10 mins to fill the 8 T 5G back to 24% and 30 mins to 54%. So 50 mins are all it needs at most to get the phone back up to 100%

SPECIFICATION

VERDICT

Like many midrange phones, the Oppo Reno8 T 5G is a dime in a dozen in its own market, but what makes it stands out a little more from its peers and competitors is the phone above average performance. Some features may have been hindered but not to a point that is unbearable. The camera may not seem to be the best tool in the shed but is still functional as it has intended. However, with that price range, it’s quite hard to justify the Oppo Reno8 T 5G as being the best mid-tier out in the market even with its 5G connectivity. Still, the device is a novelty itself for those who are long-time fans of Oppo.

TL;DR

PROS:

• Faster UI performance
• Great aesthetic
• Decent sound quality with Dual Speaker

CONS

• Steep pricing
• Underperformed camera

If you are interested to get your hands on the Oppo Reno T8, feel free to check out OPPO Official Store from Shopee, Lazada, and their official website. It is currently available for RM1,799.