Technology

IIE Digital Desk: Oppo is kicking off 2024 with its new Reno 11 series. What we have with us is the more premium Reno 11 Pro, and on the face of it, the upgrades seem minimal.

From its display to its camera specs, our Oppo Reno 11 Pro first impression suggests that it just looks like an old wine in a new bottle. So, can it justify its existence? Keep reading our Oppo Reno 11 Pro 5G review to find out!

Oppo Reno 11 Pro Price in India and Availability

The Reno11 Pro 5G price in India is set at ₹39,999, and will be available for sale from January 18th, 2024. The smartphone will be available on Flipkart, the OPPO e-Store, and across mainline retail outlets.

Oppo Reno 11 Pro 5G Unboxing

Inside the box, you will find the phone, 80W charging adaptor, USB-C charging cable, clear case, sim ejector tool, and manuals.

Oppo Reno 11 Pro Design

The Reno 11 Pro, clearly, is an evolution of its predecessor's design. But, Oppo has tried to spice things up with this one, and it has led to some mixed results.

Let’s start with this new colour. Called Pearl White, this colour has a marble-like back panel with a unique semi-psychedelic pattern. Some will like it, while it's gonna be overkill for others.

Also, the camera island is now bigger than before, and the lens placement inside it lacks symmetry. The camera bump not only makes this phone wobble quite a bit, but it makes gaming a bit uncomfortable as well.

hat being said, it has a nice soft-touch finish to it. And since it is matt, it hides fingerprints quite well. Thanks to its curved front and rear glass and 7.6mm thickness, the Reno 11 Pro remains an impressively sleek smartphone. Do note that the frame is still made of plastic.

Oppo Reno 11 Pro Utility

The Oppo Reno 11 Pro features 5G dual SIM support and comes with a generous 256GB of storage as standard. The phone houses an optical in-display fingerprint scanner, which provided decent performance during testing. It also includes an IR blaster, if that’s your thing.

What consistently surprises me, however, is Oppo's persistent decision to omit a stereo speaker setup in this model.

Oppo Reno 11 Pro Display

The 6.7-inch curved AMOLED display on this phone is really good in terms of vibrancy. It has a resolution of FHD+ and is Widevine L1 and HDR10+ certified.

While colour shift at edges is normal on curved display smartphones, it was a bit more pronounced on this phone. Oppo has not yet joined the nits war, as this display has a peak brightness of just 950 nits. That being said, I did not experience any trouble while using it outdoors.

ppo Reno 11 Pro Specifications and Software

The Reno 11 Pro is powered by a Dimensity 8200 chipset. It is a major leap forward from the ageing Snapdragon 778G on the Reno 10 Pro. Just see the difference in Antutu scores between these two chipsets. It’s clear that the Dimensity 8200 is the superior processor.

This also makes the Reno 11 Pro capable enough to handle heavy games. Call of Duty, for instance, runs at 60fps with very high graphics settings. That being said, Dimensity 8200 is still not the latest chipset, since the 8300 is already out.

As for software, the phone runs on Color OS 14 based on Android 14, delivering responsive performance, supported by 12GB of RAM. Color OS is a good Android skin with a lot of customisation options and efficient multitasking features.

For instance, File Dock allows for easy drag-and-drop storage of images, text, and files, streamlining work across different apps. There’s also Smart Touch, which lets you capture and extract content from screenshots, including unselectable text and images, which can be directly saved into File Dock.

However, typical issues of Color OS, such as bloatware, intrusive notifications, and unwanted 'hot' apps and games folders, persist on this device.

While most of these annoyances can be disabled, their presence is unwarranted on a premium mid-range phone. Since OnePlus ships a cleaner version of basically the same software on their phones, Oppo, you can do it too.

Oppo Reno 11 Pro Camera

The camera setup on the Reno 11 Pro is exactly the same as that of the Reno 10 Pro. You get a 50MP primary sensor, an 8MP ultrawide sensor and a 32MP telephoto sensor with 2x optical zoom.

However, while the Reno 10 Pro had colour consistency issues with its three sensors, this has been fixed to a large extent on the Reno 11 Pro.

The main sensor takes colour accurate images with good dynamic range and preserves details quite well. Even nighttime shots have good highlight control and low noise. 4K videos from this sensor have decent detail but not very impressive stabilisation.

The telephoto camera is pretty much at par with the main sensor in terms of quality, which is quite an achievement. Portrait photos also have impressive edge detection. However, the ultrawide sensor is rather uninspiring with its soft photos and lack of detail.

Like seriously, this 8MP ultrawide sensor has been overused on BBK mid-range smartphones, and it has been an underperformer everywhere. It’s high time that this sensor be retired. Anyway, the 32MP selfie shooter on the Reno 11 Pro produces accurate skin tones and good dynamic range.

Oppo Reno 11 Pro Battery life

In an era where 5,000mAh is the norm, the Reno 11 Pro is still offering a 4,600mAh battery, same as its predecessor. The battery life, with a screen time of 6-7 hours is not bad, but not class leading either.

On the flipside, Oppo supplies an 80W charger with this smartphone which takes it from 0-100 in around half an hour, so that’s great.

Oppo Reno 11 Pro and Cons

Pros:

Sleek Build: Despite the larger camera bump, the phone remains sleek with a 7.6mm thickness and curved front and rear glass.

Display Quality: The 6.7-inch curved AMOLED display is vibrant with FHD+ resolution and is both Widevine L1 and HDR10+ certified.

Performance Upgrade: Powered by the Dimensity 8200 chipset, a significant improvement over the Snapdragon 778G, offering better performance in heavy games.

Software Features: Runs on Color OS 14 based on Android 14, offering responsive performance and features like File Dock and Smart Touch for better multitasking.

Camera Improvements: Features a 50MP primary sensor, 32MP telephoto sensor with good quality and improved color consistency. Portrait photos show impressive edge detection.

Battery Charging Speed: Comes with an 80W charger that charges the phone rapidly.

Cons:

Lack of Stereo Speakers: The absence of a stereo speaker setup is a notable omission for its price range.

Not the Latest Chipset: Uses the Dimensity 8200, which isn't the latest, as the 8300 is already available.

Battery Capacity: The 4,600mAh battery is smaller than the current norm of 5,000mAh.

High Price Point: The phone's price may seem steep in a market that favors value-for-money smartphones.

Oppo Reno 11 Pro 5G Review: Should you buy it?

The Reno 11 Pro excels with good main and telephoto cameras, as well as consistent performance across the board. However, what works against it is its price tag.

In a market that’s aggressively pushing value for money smartphones, the Reno 11 Pro looks like an expensive deal. I suggest you grab one with a good cashback offer, which will turn it into a smart investment.