The Oppo Reno11 Pro is a device that stays true to the Reno series’ character. It’s heavily focused on camera and design. Straight out of the box, you can tell that the Reno series is for those who want to flaunt their stylish smartphones.
Unlike the Reno 10 series, which included the Reno10, Reno10 Pro and the Reno10 Pro Plus - Oppo has slimmed down the latest series to just two - Reno11 and Reno11 Pro. Will that work in its favour? Let’s find out.
Also read: Redmi Note 13 Pro+ review: Great design let down by weak software
The Reno11 Pro, which I got for review, closely followed on the heels of the launch of the Redmi Note 13 series, and in particular, the Redmi Note 13 Pro+. Reno is one of the most popular series from the brand, and the Reno11 Pro sits at the top of the mid-range devices. Launching at ₹39,999, the Reno11 Pro will be getting some competition with the OnePlus 12R, which was launched in India recently.
The ‘Pearl White’ colour, which I got for review, is the standout of the two colours offered on the Reno11 Pro, the other one being Rock Grey. Oppo is known for constantly tweaking the design of the Reno series devices. Despite this, Oppo keeps the devices looking elegant year after year. The Reno series is known to have a good in-hand feel. The Reno11 Pro has a marble-like (contoured) texture on the back that is very smooth. Despite the smoothness, the smartphone isn’t slippery at all. The large camera island on the rear panel, with a silver ring around it, stands out. Some like it, while some find it excessive. It has grown on me, but if I was a designer, I’d go for a subtler island.
One thing that Oppo has managed to do is to keep the weight of the smartphone in check. The Reno11 Pro weighs approximately 181 grams (about five grams lighter than the Reno10 Pro). The Reno11 Pro measures 7.69mm for the Pearl White edition, and 7.59mm for the Black Grey variant. The Pearl White variant keeps fingerprints at bay and hides scratches pretty well.
The Reno11 Pro features an in-display fingerprint scanner that works as advertised. The phone has a 3D curved 6.68-inch AMOLED display (2,412x1,080 resolution) with support for HDR10+ and up to 120Hz refresh rate. There’s a transparent case in the box, but slapping it on doesn’t help with the phone’s aesthetics. Maybe if Oppo had followed Xiaomi’s lead and provided a coloured, textured and grippy case, then it would have been better for consumers.
That tall screen is perfect for your daily Instagram scrolling sessions. The picture quality stands out whilst watching YouTube and other videos. The only downside is that the Reno11 Pro doesn’t come with stereo speakers. For a smartphone costing as much as ₹40,000, this is a huge disappointment. The speakers themselves aren’t the loudest and the clarity isn’t the best, but they are far from the worst offenders in this segment.
Sadly, there is no Ren(n)o(vation) here. The Reno11 Pro comes with a triple rear-camera setup. There’s the 50MP (Sony IMX890) main sensor (with OIS support), a 32MP (Sony IMX709) with a telephoto lens and an 8MP ultra-wide lens. On the front is a 32MP selfie-camera. The cameras are boosted by Oppo’s HyperTone Imaging Engine algorithm.
Daylight shots come out the best of the lot. The 50MP sensor does shine with great dynamic range. The AI mode can recognise the scene, adjust the settings and boost colours. Even 2X zoom from the main sensor is good. Go any bit further and you start to lose out on the finer details. The ultra-wide camera, again, performs remarkably well in daylight shots but falters whenever there isn’t favourable lighting.
The portrait mode, which Oppo wants to highlight, is very good. By default, the portrait mode works with 2X, and the colours retained are natural, pleasing to the eye. Skin tone detection, which the team at Oppo has emphasised, is on point. But we all miss the Reno 10 Pro+ and its amazing 3x periscope telephoto camera.
Night mode is good, but takes a few seconds more than on some other smartphones. The sharpness is retained and there is minimal noise. Just be sure to use steady hands.
Overall, the triple-camera system is good for the price, but I wish there was a Pro+ model this time around as well. The Reno10 Pro+ surprised everyone with its camera chops and was one of the best deals of 2023.
The Reno11 Pro comes with ColorOS 14 (based on Android 14). The smartphone will get 3 Android updates and 4 years of security updates. This is much better than what Oppo has offered in the past, so nothing to complain about here. ColorOS 14 has some smart AI features, Aquamorphic Design, efficiency, and more.
There is a little bit of bloatware pre-installed onto the smartphone, but nothing that can’t be removed. Annoying, but you can quickly move past it.
The 12GB of LPDD5X RAM and 256GB of storage ensures that the smartphone runs without any lags and hiccups. It’s a buttery smooth experience. During my two-plus weeks with the smartphone, I hardly had a moment where I would be frustrated. The Reno11 Pro runs on the Mediatek Dimensity 8200, an older chipset, but not at all a slouch.
There is one thing I’d like to highlight before moving on. The smartphone does warm up if you’re constantly using it to click photos or play games for over half an hour. It doesn’t get too hot to handle, but it is very much noticeable.
I’m happy to say that the Reno11 Pro isn’t a slouch in the battery department. The smartphone comes equipped with a 4600mAh battery, which easily lasts for over a day on a single charge. With a light-to-medium usage pattern consisting of clicking photos, playing YouTube videos, listening to Spotify, and spending hours on Instagram and WhatsApp, I was often able to get to a late breakfast, on the next day, before realising I had to plug in my smartphone.
Thankfully, the Reno11 Pro has support for 80W SuperVOOC charging (with a charger bundled in the box). To fully juice up the smartphone, you need to spare just 35 minutes.
At ₹39,999, the Reno11 Pro is pushing the boundaries of a mid-range smartphone and entering the flagship segment. Oppo is going for a design and camera-focused offering with the Reno11 Pro, and in those two departments, this smartphone doesn’t disappoint.
It’s got a great display, a boost in performance, ColorOS 14 out-of-the-box, and long-lasting battery life. The only downside is the lack of stereo speakers, and the downgrade of sorts, in the camera chops, from the Reno10 Pro+ of last year.
There are some other solid contenders in the ₹40,000 price bracket - the Nothing Phone (2), Pixel 7a and OnePlus 11R - and they outperform the Reno11 Pro in certain departments such as gaming and having cleaner Android skins.
If you’re looking to flaunt your smartphone and want a solid, reliable daily driver, then the Reno11 Pro should be on your list. But do remember that the Redmi Note 13 Pro+ is also lurking in the market.
Sahil Bhalla is a Delhi-based journalist. He posts @IMSahilBhalla.
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