Oppo Reno 6 5G Review: Can it Square Off in the Sub-30K Strife?

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Oppo Reno 6 5G Review Summary:

Expert Rating: 3.5/5

Design

Audiovisual

Connectivity

Performance

Camera

Battery

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Pros

  • Unique design
  • Smooth and savory display 
  • Fancy filters for photos and videos
  • Stupid fast charging
  • Feature-packed software
  • 5G future-proofing

Cons

  • No 3.5mm headphone Jack
  • No micro-SD card expansion
  • No OIS in video recording

Oppo had launched the Reno 6 5G alongside the Pro model and both phones share a set of similar features too. But, the vanilla Reno 6 is priced way cheaper. And to hit that price point, the brand has trimmed down a few specs such as a slightly smaller 6.43-inch display, a lesser 4300mAh battery, MediaTek’s mid-ranger chip Dimensity 900, and an LPDDR4x plus UFS 2.1 memory configuration. Design-wise too, the Reno 6 stands apart not just from its bigger sibling but the competition. And so if you want the best of what the Reno series has to offer, check out the Reno 6 Pro 5G (review). However, if your budget is within the ₹30,000 price bracket, then, read on to know how the Reno 6 5G squares off against other phones in the segment. [हिंदी में रिव्यु पढ़ें]

This is the Smartprix review of the Oppo Reno 6 5G and by the end, you’ll know whether you should buy the phone or not.

Here are all the contents and components we will be covering here —

Oppo Reno 6 5G Unboxing

Oppo’s packaging for the Reno 6 5G is simply muah. The black textured finish on the box is so soothing to the touch. Anyways, upon unpacking, inside, you’ll get the following:

  • The handset
  • 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 Charger with Cable
  • USB Type-C Earphone
  • Protect Case
  • SIM Card Tool
  • Screen Protect Film (Pre-applied)
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Important Product Information (including the Warranty Card)

Also Read:

Contents


Oppo Reno 6 5G Indian price and specs

Dimensions and Weight: 156.8×72.1×7.59mm; About 182g
Screen: 6.4” FHD+ AMOLED, 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, HDR10, 750nits peak brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection, In-display fingerprint reader
CPU: 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 900
GPU: Mali-G78 MC4
RAM: 8GB LPDDR4x
Storage: 128GB UFS 2.1
Rear cameras: 64MP Main Camera + 8MP Wide Angle Camera + 2MP Macro Camera; and a Color Temperature Sensor
Front camera: 32MP
Battery: 4300 mAh with 65W charging
OS: Android 11, ColorOS 11.3
Connectivity: Dual-mode 5G, Dual Nano Card Slot, Dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, Dual-band GPS
Price: Rs. 29,990


On with the review now.

Oppo Reno 6 5G: Design

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Let’s get the iPhone 12 design inspiration out of the way. If you want something that looks like the Apple phone but with Android in it, this would interest you. Reno 6 is a flat and square slab coming in two eye-catching colors — Aurora and Stellar Black. I have got the former and its prismatic glaze is remarkable. Still, if I had to pick one, my draw would be the blacky. But, that is only once my palm and pinky adjust to its angular structure. It doesn’t sit as snugly in my hand as curved or other contemporary phone forms. I feel I need some getting used to this shift in design.

That said, you might appreciate the square more than the rounded edges. Also since it is smaller in dimensions compared to the Reno 6 Pro, one-handed reachability should be better. It isn’t that hefty either at around 182g. The textured in-hand feel also helps in making it anti-glare and smudges. Moreover, the boxy design should prove sturdier than curved glass in accidental drops.

Anyway coming to the sides, you have a flushed than usual volume rockers (left), power key (right), SIM slot, USB-C 3.1 port, dual-mics, and speaker grille. The buttons were clicky with the bundled case.

Before we proceed further, note that there doesn’t seem to be any water resistance rating on this device. And the X-linear vibration motor’s feedback isn’t as energetic as it was on the Pro model.

Oppo Reno 6 5G: Audiovisual

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The screen is a tad smaller at 6.43 inches diagonally but is still an AMOLED panel with FHD+ resolution. The real estate is 91.7% screen with a 20:9 aspect ratio and a black rim surrounding it. The brightness is okay (even outdoors). There is SGS Eye Care mode to filter blue light emission. There is support for HDR10, HLG, and HD streaming on DRM-protected OTT platforms.

Swiping from the edges on a flat fascia isn’t as smooth as a curved screen, but there are no edge-touch issues either.

Where it feels smooth is in the animations and response times thanks to a 90Hz refresh rate in tandem with a 180Hz touch sampling rate. Not segment-leading, but serviceable.

Coming to audio, a moment of silence for the missing 3.5mm jack. Once you get by that, you may make use of the included USB-C earphones in the box, or listen wirelessly over Bluetooth (5.2, aptX), or rely on the decently loud solo speaker.

That brings us to —

Oppo Reno 6 5G: Connectivity

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Calls were clear and audible for both parties. There is dual SIM VoLTE, VoWiFi, dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, Dual-band GPS, NFC, and support for Dual-mode 5G with bands like n1/n3/n5/n8/n20/n28/n7/n38/n40/n41/n66/n77/n78. That’s a healthy array of connectivity options.

Moving on…

Oppo Reno 6 5G: Performance

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Reno 6 5G ships with a 6 nm-based Dimensity 900 chipset with two Cortex A78 prime cores (running at up to 2.4GHz speed) and six Cortex A55 efficiency cores (clocked at up to 2.0GHz). This is supported by 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM (with VRAM support up to 5GB) and 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage.

This isn’t a bad setup as it could handle my everyday use without any lag or issues. It’s just that the processor is underpowered in comparison to what’s offered by the competition. This shouldn’t matter if you are a casual user but if you are a power user, take a look at the performance tests below for a better idea:

Oppo Reno 6 5G BenchmarkScores
Antutu420946
Geekbench 5 Single | Multi715 | 2029
PCMark Work 2.08408
3DMark Wild Life Extreme | Wild Life | Sling Shot Extreme (OpenGL ES 3.1) | Sling Shot587 | 2014 | 3726 | 4725
Androbench Sequential R/W (MB/s)977.42 | 678.89
Androbench Random R/W229.33 | 214.01
GFXBench Aztec Ruins Open GL (High Tier) | Car Chase | Manhattan 3.114 FPS | 19 FPS | 35 FPS
Conversion of 2:35min 1080p 60fps MP4 video to MKV using Video Transcoder app9 mins

As for gaming, titles like BGMI (with HD Graphics and High Frame Rate), Genshin Impact (with Low Graphics), PES 2021, Asphalt 9 (with High Graphics) were playable at 30 FPS. COD Mobile maxes out at Medium Graphics and High Frame Rates.

In half an hour of gameplay, the battery fell 11% and the temperature rose from 34.6℃ to 38.0℃. Nothing that you need to worry about.

You get to keep tabs on FPS scores, turn off nosy notifications, open chat apps in floating windows, record gameplay, and control several other aspects of your gaming session using the in-built Game Toolkit. The vibration isn’t that fun, speakers are alright. Just don’t block it while holding the device in landscape orientation.

ColorOS 11.3 (based on Android 11) has so many good things going for it. Game Toolkit is just one of the goodies. Some of my favorite features are Enhanced Dark Mode, highly flexible screenshot option, Google Discover integration on the homescreen, Screen Recording, Smart Sidebar, Quick Launch, Floating Window, and Conversation Bubbles. There is a bunch of bloatware but most of them are removable one way or the other. While you are at it, go disable those pestering browser adverts and Lock Screen Magazine. Another minor gripe I have with this skin is how it doesn’t let me remove notifications by a single swipe.

The software affair isn’t done here. It extends to cameras too —

Oppo Reno 6 5G: Camera

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

By the back, there are three rear cameras including a 64MP main shooter (f/1.7 aperture), an 8MP ultrawide snapper (f/2.2 aperture and 119˚ FoV), and a 2MP macro unit (f/2.4 aperture). On the front, there is a 32MP camera for selfies and video calls.

Let’s look at the samples out of Reno 6 5G now.

In broad daylight, shots came out fine with a good amount of details. If you tap on the AI Enhancement feature, the results would be a tad more contrasty and saturated. There’s a toggle for the Full 64MP mode and 108MP Extra HD upscaling. The results present more detailed and defined pictures. But, you’d have to tolerate a larger file size.

The pics from a 120° field of view are there if you want a wide perspective. Lesser color intensity, fewer details, and distortions by the edges, etc are some things you have to bear with. Next to the 0.5x option, there are digital zoom options up to 10x. Like the ultrawide, it can come in handy.

Macro shots let you get closer to the subject but details are hazy. Brands should ditch the 2MP sensor and at least provide a 5MP one instead.

When it comes to human subjects, before taking clicks, do disable beautification, if you don’t want to look like a doll. I had the AI beautification on at 40% and as you see in the results below, facial features were brushed up.

The edge detection can fail in difficult areas like contours of ears, hair follicles, etc. But if you make use of funky color modes then the final result is much cooler than an ordinary bokeh effect. I like how the background seen through my glasses also appears monochrome and colorful in AI Color Portrait and Bokeh Flare Portrait stills. Like the case of the Reno 6 Pro 5G, here too you get these filters on both the front and backside.

However, I couldn’t get AI Color Portrait Video to work on either side. Not sure if it’s a fault of my review unit. I’ve contacted the brand regarding this and as soon as I get any reply, I will update it here.

Other than that, you get the same Bokeh Flare Portrait Video, AI Highlight Video, and other trickeries here too. They will be shot at 720P 30FPS only. For proper 4K30 recording, you’ll have to shoot without filters and flair. There is no OIS and hence the clips are a little less stable. There is a way around this too which is to record in Ultra Steady mode (but again it will be down to 1080P @60FPS and with a zoomed-in frame). Flip to the front, and the selfies or Google Meet calls will be at 1080P @30FPS.

During the moon hours, definitely use the dedicated night mode as it keeps down the noise, meters the lit-up areas properly (to stop blooming), and better exposes the entire frame. Zoom with Night Mode on is usable up to 5x. Ultrawide and Zoom shots without night mode are bad.

All portrait filters work at night time too, provided there is ample light. The quality isn’t much though.

Now let’s see what keeps all the light on in this phone:

Oppo Reno 6 5G: Battery

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The 4300mAh battery on the Reno 6 5G ran for about 9 Hrs in the PCMark 10 test. Within the Battery section in system settings, you get options like Super power-saving mode, Optimized battery use, and Optimized Night Charging which are meaningful features to have. The latter is perhaps built with the 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 charger in mind. This white adapter and thick cable combo fill the phone from zero to full in about 28 mins. That’s just awesome.

And at last, it’s time for —

Review Verdict: Should you buy Oppo Reno 6 5G?

Editor’s rating

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Reno 6 5G’s main appeal is that square figure that’s unlike anything in this range. But, it’s a double-edged sword for reasons I’ve mentioned in the design section. Still, if that excites you, then besides it, in the package, you also get a smooth and savory display, a feature-packed ColorOS 11.3 software, a stupid-fast charger, a few fun camera features, and a healthy set of connectivity options. A casual user would find the rest of the offering including optics and the core hardware agreeable too. However, if you are a power user or a spec-savvy, then you know there are better options for you out there.

Reasons to buy

  • Unique design
  • Smooth and savory display 
  • Fancy filters for photos and videos
  • Stupid fast charging
  • Feature-packed software
  • 5G future-proofing

Reasons not to buy

  • No 3.5mm headphone Jack
  • No micro-SD card expansion
  • No OIS in video recording

Oppo Reno 6 5G FAQ

Q. Does Oppo Reno 6 5G has a dedicated microSD slot?

A. No, Oppo Reno 6 5G doesn’t support memory card expansion.

Q. What is the SAR value of Oppo Reno 6 5G?

A. Oppo Reno 6 5G SAR values are: 1.14 W/kg @ 1gm (Head) & 0.78 W/kg @ 1gm (Body)

Q. Does Oppo Reno 6 5G feature Gorilla Glass Protection?

A. Oppo Reno 6 5G comes with Gorilla Glass 5 protection.

Q. What are the 5G bands supported by Oppo Reno 6 5G?

A. Oppo Reno 6 5G supports the following bands: n1/n3/n5/n8/n20/n28/n7/n38/n40/n41/n66/n77/n78

Q. Does Oppo Reno 6 5G support dual-band WiFi?

A, Yes, Oppo Reno 6 5G supports dual-band WiFi 6 (2.4GHz + 5GHz).

Q. Does Oppo Reno 6 5G support VoWiFi or WiFi calling?

A. Yes, Oppo Reno 6 5G does feature VoWiFi.

Q. How many microphones are on the Oppo Reno 6 5G?

A. Oppo Reno 6 5G comes with two microphones.

Q. Which is the Android update on Oppo Reno 6 5G?

A. Oppo Reno 6 5G ships with Android 11 software with ColorOS 11.3 skin. At the time of writing, it has the June 05 2021 security update. The Google Play System update is also dated June 01, 2021.

Q. Does Oppo Reno 6 5G support HD stream on Netflix and Amazon Prime?

A. Oppo Reno 6 5G has DRM L1 certification and I did an HD stream on Prime Video and Netflix.

Q. Does Oppo Reno 6 5G support auto-call recording?

A. Yes, Oppo Reno 6 5G does support call-recording with the stock Google Phone app.

Q. Does Oppo Reno 6 5G support Dual VoLTE and carrier aggregations?

A. Although the chip seems to support 2CA, the phone itself wasn’t showing this support with my Airtel SIM (Delhi). As for Dual VoLTE, yes the Reno 6 5G supports it.

Q. Does Oppo Reno 6 5G support GCam or Camera2API?

A. Oppo Reno 6 5G comes with Level 3 hardware support level for Camera2API, which indicates the support for GCam. However, if there is a GCam build for MediaTek Dimensity 900 chip is something to be seen.

Q. Does the Dimensity 900 SoC within Oppo Reno 6 5G get hot?

A. In my usage, I didn’t come across anything which would worry me.

Q. Does Oppo Reno 6 5G feature OIS?

A. No, Oppo Reno 6 doesn’t feature OIS.

Q. Does Oppo Reno 6 5G feature 4K60 FPS?

A. The maximum video quality supported by Reno 6 5G is 4K30 FPS. So, no 60 frames per second here.

Vasan G.S.Vasan G.S.
An inquisitive mind who spends a big chunk of the day keenly tracking every emerging detail and is responsible for quickly passing on important developments to Smartprix followers. He loves to stay in his bubble scripting his destiny involving amazing technology and people with good character, passion, and brilliance.

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5 Comments
User
Samuel Oyem
Anonymous
2 years ago

Seriously awesome 5G device from Oppo and mediatek. Looks so great in design too!

Reply
User
M Baskar
Anonymous
2 years ago

Review of Reno 6 , firstly it has no call recording inbuilt which was there in all previous models. Battery also doesn’t last even for one day. Which was most talked out features. Nothing more special about this phone.

Reply
User
Prince
Anonymous
2 years ago

for less than 30K, this is a really good phone with a mediatek chipset

Reply
User
Ganesh patil
Anonymous
2 years ago

Does oppo reno 6 5g camera support external mic??

Reply
User
Ganesh patil
Anonymous
2 years ago

Does this phone support external mic

Reply

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