The OPPO Reno smartphones have traditionally been ‘camera-focused,’ but with the new OPPO Reno 12 Pro, the brand is shifting its primary focus to AI features, followed by the camera. In addition to this, the phone boasts a sleek design, an attractive display, and a reliable battery.
OPPO Reno12 Pro
What Is Good?
- Sleek and attractive design
- Premium display, 120Hz
- Great battery life, decent charging speeds
- Excellent daylight photography
- Some AI features can be useful
What Is Bad?
- Room for improvement in portrait photography
- Not for performance enthusiasts
- Bloatware apps
As for the chipset, this phone is powered by a new MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Energy chipset. And we need to see how it stacks up against competitors like the Realme GT 6 and the OnePlus 12R. Furthermore, with the influx of new AI-driven phones in the Indian smartphone market, such as the Realme GT 6, does this phone offer competitive AI capabilities? Let’s find out in my review.
OPPO Reno 12 Pro Review: Pricing and Availability in India
The OPPO Reno 12 Pro will be available, starting July 18 via Flipkart, the OPPO Store, and retail stores too. Here’s a look at the pricing.
| Variant | Price |
| 12GB+256GB | Rs 36,999 |
| 12GB+512GB | Rs 40,999 |
You can get a cashback of up to Rs 4,000 on SBI, HDFC, and ICICI Bank and the option to avail of a no-cost EMI option (up to 9 months).
OPPO Reno 12 Pro Review: Design and Build Quality
The Reno 12 Pro is available in two colours: Sunset Gold and Space Brown. I received the Space Brown colourway for review, and it looks more wine-coloured than brown. The design is an amalgamation of old school camera module and a modern-day dual-tone finish.
| Design | Specifications |
| Weight | 180 grams |
| Thickness | 7.40mm |
| IP Rating | IP65 |
| Port and Button Placements | Bottom: SIM tray, Primary microphone, USB port, Speaker grille
Top: Secondary speaker, IR blaster, Secondary microphone Right Side: Power button and volume buttons |
Almost 75% of the back panel is covered in a matte finish while the rest comes in a glossy finish. The former looks quite shiny and resists fingerprints, dirt, and debris. This pleases the Monica in me. However, the rest attracts a lot of fingerprints, though the Space Brown colourway helps minimise their visibility. This dual-tone design reminds me of the recently launched Realme GT 6T and Realme GT 6, which had a glossy finish around the camera module.
The phone is exceptionally slim and offers a premium aesthetic, despite packing a chunky battery. The in-hand feel is fantastic; it’s hard to put into words how much I love it. One-handed use is quite manageable for me, although it might be challenging for someone with smaller hands. The ergonomics of the device also make it tough to slip from your hands, so you need not worry about that too.
As mentioned in the table above, this phone has an IP65 rating, which is acceptable but is not on par for a flagship device. To help put things into context, phones like the Redmi Note 13 Pro Plus and the Motorola Edge 50 Pro, come with an IP68 rating while costing less. The haptics on the Reno 12 Pro are excellent, making typing and other stuff enjoyable.
OPPO Reno 12 Pro Review: Display and Audio
This phone features a Quad Curved AMOLED display, which offers a very classy look. It’s not entirely curved — OPPO seems to have found a middle ground between flat and curved displays. This makes the phone look premium while being practical.
I watched high-quality videos on YouTube and the colours were bright and accurate. The colours weren’t over-saturated and remained consistent, which is impressive.
On Netflix, the phone supports Widevine L1 with HDR 10 capabilities out of the box. I watched Maharaj on this phone, and the final scene of the movie looked glamorous on this phone. It’s ideal for multimedia consumption, and the curved display enhances the overall experience.
| Display | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Size | 6.7-inch |
| Type | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1080×2412 Pixels |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz |
| Peak Brightness | Claimed: 1500 nits, Tested: 782 nits |
| Minimum Brightness | 03 nits |
Indoors, the phone feels exceptionally bright. The same holds outdoors, although, under direct sunlight, I had to adjust my position slightly to see the screen. The phone also has an in-display fingerprint sensor, which performs reliably in all situations.
The claimed brightness of this phone seems inadequate given its price point. In contrast, competitors like the Realme GT 6T feature a local peak brightness of 6000 nits.
The exceptional display experience is complimented by a stereo speaker setup. It provides crisp and clear volume if you keep it around 80 per cent. Anything above that and the balance between the right and left channels goes out of the window.
OPPO Reno 12 Pro Review: Performance and Software
The Reno 12 Pro gets the MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Energy For Reno chipset, which is also featured in its sibling, the OPPO Reno 12.
| Hardware | Specifications |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Energy For Reno |
| GPU | Arm Mail-G615 |
| RAM | Up to 12GB |
| Storage | Up to 512GB |
| Storage Test | 699294 |
| CPU Throttling Test | 71 per cent of its max performance |
| Software Version | ColorOS 14 based on Android 14
Three years of OS updates and four years of security patches |
| Connectivity Details | Dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.4 |
In the Antutu v10 benchmark, the Reno 12 scored 27,604 points less than the Reno 12 Pro. Hence, there’s hardly any difference between the two in this regard. On the contrary, the Realme GT 6 crossed the 1 million mark, while the Motorola Edge 50 Pro still has a lakh more points than the Reno 12 Pro. So clearly, churning big numbers is not Reno 12 Pro’s forte.
For everyday tasks, the phone handles everything smoothly. I used it for browsing Instagram, watching high-quality YouTube videos, and streaming Netflix series without issues.
Regarding gaming, casual games like Subway Surfers were okay, as I encountered occasional lags and stutters that affected gameplay. For heavier games like BGMI and Call of Duty: Mobile, check the table below for detailed performance metrics.
| Game | Graphic Quality | FPS | Result |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | Maximum: Very High Quality + Very High FPS | Maximum: 60fps
Minimum: 53fps |
During Team Deathmatch, the top frame of the phone was getting warm, but it was still comfortable to hold it. |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | Minimum: Low Quality + Max FPS | Maximum: 40fps Minimum: 32fps |
I noticed a few stutters during the gameplay. |
| BGMI | Maximum: HDR Quality + Ultra FPS | Maximum: 40fps Minimum: 37fps |
While the frame rates were good at Ultra, the gameplay wasn’t buttery smooth. I noticed many lags and stutters. |
| BGMI | Minimum: Smooth Quality + Extreme FPS | Maximum: 60fps Minimum: 57fps |
At Smooth quality, the quality of the game was quite good. |
Overall, the frame rates were good, however, the gameplay wasn’t buttery smooth. I noticed many lags and stutters. Hence, the gaming performance is decent but it’s not the best. Hardcore gamers might consider options like the Realme GT 6 and the OnePlus 12R.
The Reno 12 Pro operates on ColorOS 14 based on Android 14, offering extensive customisation options. These include Quick Return, Smart Sidebar, Smart Suggestions, and One-handed Mode, among others. That said, despite the flagship tag, it still comes with a bunch of bloatware apps like the infamous Hot Games and Apps.
Furthermore, this phone is packed with AI features. Refer to the table below to see what else this phone has to offer.
| AI Features | What Does It Do? | How Well Does it Work? |
| AI Portrait Retouching For Selfies | This feature can detect facial recognition algorithms that can enhance the facial features to reduce blemishes. | It enhances features like the skin, head, cheekbones, and more. However, I wouldn’t use it because it makes the photo look artificial. |
| AI Eraser 2.0 | This feature allows you to remove unwanted objects and people from photos. So, if someone photobombs your picture, you can easily erase them using this tool. | This tool accurately removes the unwanted object. It also adds a new object around the mask, which makes the picture look even better. |
| AI Clear Face | This tool lets you capture group photos and automatically switches to optimised mode. Once the photo is taken, users can edit facial features, hair, and eyebrows. | I couldn’t use this feature because it wasn’t available on my review device. I’ll update this section if I can access it later. |
| AI Best Face | This feature will come in handy in a group photo where someone’s eyes are closed | Again, I couldn’t use this feature because it wasn’t available on my review device. I’ll update this section if I can access it later. |
| AI Studio | With this feature, users can turn any photos into a digital avatar or profile picture. | The OPPO Reno 12 Pro has an AI Studio app, which can transform individual and group photos into digital avatars, consistently performing well. |
These AI features undoubtedly enhance the overall user experience, but after a few days of usage, I did not see myself using them often. Other features include the AI Toolbox, which provides support from Google Gemini, and AI Recording Summary, which captures useful summaries, especially during meetings. While some AI features are not available during my review, I’ve been told an update is being readied up for this.
OPPO Reno 12 Pro Review: Cameras
The Reno 12 Pro features a triple camera setup on the back. The primary camera captures excellent pictures in daylight, with accurate and consistent colours that aren’t overly brightened. However, the camera occasionally struggles with excessive lighting, resulting in improper white balance. Under appropriate lighting conditions, I didn’t encounter any noise in daylight photography.
| Camera | Specifications |
| Primary Camera | 50-megapixel with OIS, f/1.8
Sony LYT-600 Sensor |
| Secondary Camera | 8-megapixel Ultra-wide camera, f/2.2 Sony IMX355 Sensor |
| Tertiary Camera | 50-megapixel Portrait Camera, f/2.0
Samsung S5KJN5 Sensor, 2x optical zoom |
| Selfie Camera | 50-megapixel with Autofocus Samsung S5KJN5 Sensor |
| Video Recording Capabilities | Up to 4K at 30fps |
The ultra-wide camera captures decent photos but can invite noise around the edges at times, which can make them appear unnatural. However, it offers a wide field of view. Overall, the pictures it captures are more than usable.
This phone features a 2x optical zoom that can extend digitally up to 20x. The telephoto camera performs well in daylight, delivering sharp images without noticeable grain or noise. However, at 5x zoom, photos start to show some grains. Shots at 2x and 3x zoom levels capture excellent detail and accuracy. In low-light situations, though, the quality suffers with noticeable grain and room for improvement.
I expected this phone to excel in portrait photography, but it fell short of my expectations. It tends to smoothen skin, creating an artificial appearance. While the edge detection is generally accurate, it’s not flawless. Moreover, it does perform well with bright lights in the background. It finds itself struggling to balance the dynamic range, hopefully, an update fixes this issue.
When it comes to selfies, this phone excels at capturing social-media-ready pictures. It tends to smooth out blemishes and pores, providing a polished look without needing additional editing before posting online.
OPPO Reno 12 Pro Review: Battery and Charging
The Reno 12 Pro features a 5,000mAh battery, which is on par with other phones in the market.
| Battery | Specifications |
| Battery | 5000mAh |
| Charging Adapter | 80W SUPERVOOC, Charger in-the-box |
| Charging Time | 56 minutes |
| PCMark Battery Test | 12 hours 48 minutes |
In the PCMark Battery test, the phone lasted 12 hours and 48 minutes, which is impressive. However, the Reno 12 lasted 15 hours and 45 minutes in our testing. This is almost three hours longer than the Pro version, despite the same battery capacity. Both phones were tested under the same conditions.
In real-life usage, the phone can easily last an entire day of using the cameras, casual gaming, and social media scrolling. You get an 80W charger in the box, which takes the phone from zero to 100 per cent in 56 minutes, which is good. However, OPPO claimed it would take 46 minutes to fully charge, so our testing showed it took 10 minutes longer than expected.
OPPO Reno 12 Pro Review: Verdict
The OPPO Reno 12 Pro features an impressive dual-tone design, which is sleek and attractive, a quad-curved display that looks premium and functions well, and a reliable battery life that lasts more than a day with moderate to heavy usage.
Moreover, the AI features on this phone can benefit some people, making everyday tasks easier. While the cameras perform well for the most part, they need a few updates to have things fixed, especially the portrait mode.
If portraits are something that you prefer, try looking at the Xiaomi 14 Civi and the Vivo V30 Pro. For avid gamers, phones like the Realme GT 6 and OnePlus 12R offer superior gaming performance and should be considered.
In conclusion, the Reno 12 Pro is a Re-YES for most users who want stable and reliable performance with a few sprinkles of AI features, but a Re-NO for performance enthusiasts.
