Oppo Reno 11F 5G review: This time Oppo got it right!

Today I'm excited to dive into the Oppo Reno 11F 5G, a new smartphone that has made its way into the Nepalese market, priced at NPR 44,000 for the 8GB/256GB variant. The OPPO Reno series is very popular and sells well in the offline market in India. The Reno series is considered not just mid-range but also part of OPPO's (semi) premium segment. Now, let's get into the review of Oppo Reno 11F 5G starting from its unboxing.

What's inside the box?

Right out of the box, the Oppo Reno 11F comes with the usual accessories— a SIM ejector, a 67W fast charger, a protective case, and user manuals. The phone's first impression is slightly marred by its plastic back, an unexpected choice at this price point.

Oppo Reno 11F 5G Review: Specfications

• Design: Plastic back/frames, Panda glass front, IP65-rated
• Dimensions: 161.10 mm x 74.70 mm x 7.54 mm
• Weight: 177 grams
• Display: 6.7” OLED Panel, 2.5D curved, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, 1100 nits peak brightness, Panda glass
• Resolution: FHD+ (1,080 x 2,412)
  • Chipset: Octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 7050 (6nm)
• RAM: 8GB LPDDR4x @ 4266MHz + 8GB extendable
• ROM: 256GB UFS 3.1 + 2TB expandable with MicroSD card
• UI & OS: ColorOS 14.0 based on Android 14
• Rear Camera: Triple Camera (64MP Primary + 8MP Ultrawide + 2MP Macro)
• Front Camera: 32MP Camera (Centre-aligned hole-punch cutout)
• Security: In-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
• Sensors: Geomagnetic, Light, Proximity, Acceleration, Gravity, Gyroscope
• Navigation: GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS
• Battery: 5,000mAh cell with 67W super fast charging
• Connectivity: Dual SIM, 5G, Dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth v5.2, USB Type-C
• Color Options: Palm Green, Ocean Blue
• Buy Oppo Reno 11F here

Design and Build

• 161.1 x 74.7 x 7.5 mm, 177grams
• Plastic back/frames, Panda Glass
• IP65 dust and water resistant

The design of the phone is quite flashy, featuring a marble-like appearance that catches the eye. And, as mentioned, the back is made of plastic, not glass—a contrast to competitors like the A35, which offers a glass back at this price point. However, it still manages to look sleek and not cheap. Like all the phones these days, it comes in a boxy design. It’s very thin and light, which is great, and the way it feels in your hand is really good too. And, if you're not into this flashy color, you may opt for the green one. Also, there is an IP65 rating against dust and water splash protection, which is not that bad but, I feel a higher one would have made more sense here!

Display

• Type: OLED, 120Hz, 1100 nits (peak), Panda glass (twice-reinforced)
• Size: 6.7 inches,  108.0 cm² (~89.8% screen-to-body ratio)
• Resolution: FHD+ (1,080 x 2,412), 394 PPI

Flipping over the phone, it's clear that OPPO has done a great job! The bezels are minimal, avoiding any bulky look, and notably, OPPO has included a punch-hole notch for the selfie camera. Additionally, you get a 6.7-inch Full HD+ OLED display. When watching content on YouTube in 4K resolution, HDR content looks fantastic with highlights popping brilliantly and the overall output appearing quite punchy. However, it lacks HDR certification for streaming platforms like Netflix, but this isn't much of a concern for me as the display still offers rich contrast. The 120Hz refresh rate is well-optimized. You can set the display to automatically adjust up to 60Hz depending on the content, ensuring a fluid scrolling experience. However, discussing the haptics, they honestly feel a bit cheap, as the vibration feedback isn't very strong and lacks a premium feel. On the other hand, the in-display fingerprint sensor is excellent and responds quickly. For outdoor visibility, OPPO has equipped the phone with a peak brightness of 900 nits, and it can even reach up to 1100 nits, which sounds modest compared to other phones boasting higher numbers. However, trust me, it’s sufficiently bright for most situations.

Performance

• Chipset: Mediatek Dimensity 7050 (6 nm)
• CPU: Octa-core (2x2.6 GHz Cortex-A78 & 6x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55)
• GPU: Mali-G68 MC4

The Oppo Reno 11F 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset, which is quite decent for its price range. It's comparable to the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, suggesting it's neither spectacular nor poor for the price. Additionally, when compared to the Exynos 1380 found in the similarly priced Galaxy A35, the Dimensity 7050 performs better, not just in benchmark scores but also in practical usage. In terms of gaming, the results are somewhat better. While playing PUBG, it doesn't quite hit 60 fps smoothly, but gameplay is quite good at 40 fps. Genshin Impact also runs well on low settings at 30 fps, and there are no issues at all with less demanding games. For everyday tasks, the phone handles well with minimal problems. There were occasional slight stutters, but nothing that significantly impacted the overall performance. It's worth noting that these minor issues seem more related to software optimization than the chipset's capability.

Software

• OS: Android 14, ColorOS 14

The Oppo Reno 11F 5G runs Android 14 paired with Color OS 14, offering a fresh and up-to-date software experience. It provides extensive customization options, with a wealth of choices in wallpapers and themes to personalize your device. However, one downside is the presence of bloatware; the phone comes preloaded with various unnecessary apps, random games, and an app market that might not be useful to everyone, adding clutter to the system. Oppo commits to three years of OS updates and four years of security patches, which is not that bad for user experience.

Battery

• 5000 mAh and 67W charging

The battery life of this phone is quite impressive, featuring a 5000 mAh battery that comfortably lasts a full day on a single charge with regular use. For those who don't use their phone as heavily, it can stretch to almost two days. Additionally, it includes a 67W fast charger that can fully charge the phone in about an hour, making it convenient for quick top-ups.

Camera

• Rear: 64 MP, f/1.7, 25mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.7µm, PDAF + 8 MP Ultrawide + 2 MP Macro
• Front: 32 MP, f/2.4, 22mm (wide), 1/2.74", 0.8µm

Daylight

The daylight images from Oppo sometimes tend to oversharpen images and lift shadows more than necessary, although the contrast is generally good. It competes well with the Galaxy A35, offering slightly punchier images at times.

Ultrawide

It's hard to declare a clear winner between the ultra-wide capabilities of both devices as they perform similarly, but Samsung typically has better color accuracy.

Portraits

In portrait mode, the Reno tends to lighten the tones, whereas the Samsung adds a slight red tint to faces, but the Oppo's output looks more natural and pleasing for social media sharing, with a 2x zoom option also available.

Selfies

The selfie camera performs similarly to portrait mode. The pictures from Reno have a bright and light tone whereas the Samsung adds a red tone.

Lowlight

In low light conditions, the camera's performance isn't outstanding but still usable. Photos are better when using Night mode, especially in very dark conditions, while regular lighting conditions yield decent results in normal mode.

Video

My main criticism lies with the video capabilities; although the phone can shoot 4K videos with good detail, the lack of Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) makes the footage quite unstable. Here, the Galaxy A35 outperforms it significantly. However, if you need more stability, shooting in 1080p is possible, where EIS is available to enhance video stability.

Oppo Reno 11F 5G Review: Conclusion

For the price of NPR 44,000, this phone is a decent option. Although the Galaxy A35 offers better specs (in a few segments), it is also more expensive and falls short in performance, an area where Oppo has paid attention. My main complaint with this phone is its single speaker - MEH! I was expecting a good set of stereo speakers but it is what it is. Additionally, having a glass back might have enhanced its appeal further. Apart from these points, everything else about the phone is quite good. Thus, for its price, the Oppo Reno 11F 5G is a decent mid-range option focused on efficiency and overall user experience. However, if you're looking for better performance in a similar price range, consider the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus. It features the MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Ultra chipset, which offers superior GPU and CPU performance, but at a slightly higher price of Rs. 47,999. Pros:

• Stylish design
• Decent MediaTek Dimensity 7050 performance
• Good enough cameras for photography
• 5000 mAh battery with 67W fast charging

Cons:

• Plastic back
• Single speaker setup
• Average haptics
• No EIS for 4K video recording