Oppo Reno 13F 5G Review: Reno for the entry

Having recently explored the capabilities of the Oppo Reno 13 Pro, our attention now turns to its more budget-conscious sibling, the Oppo Reno 13F 5G.  Positioned as the entry point to the Reno series, the 13F 5G arrives with a price tag that’s roughly half of its Pro counterpart, immediately piquing our interest. 

With such a significant price difference, the crucial question arises: what has Oppo strategically offered, and perhaps more pertinently, what has been tactfully omitted to meet this lower price point?  Does the Reno 13F 5G still manage to deliver a genuine Reno experience, or has the experience been notably scaled back to align with its more accessible nature? 

Build

In terms of construction, the Reno 13F 5G confidently echoes the design language established by its siblings, the Reno 13 Pro and Reno 13.  Oppo’s touted “Urban Avant-Garde Aesthetic” remains clearly present, offering a visually appealing foundation.

While the review unit we received comes in the sophisticated Graphite Black, a departure from more flamboyant color options, it presents its own allure.  This matte black finish exudes a subtle yet undeniably attractive simplicity, perhaps foregoing the overt vibrancy of shades like ‘neon butterfly’ but replacing it with an understated elegance that many will find equally, if not more, appealing. 

The most discernible alteration in physical dimensions lies in the slightly expanded screen size, a minor variation within a largely consistent design framework. 

Crucially, despite its more accessible price point, the Reno 13F 5G impressively maintains the robust ingress protection found in its pricier counterparts.  It boasts a comprehensive trio of IP ratings – IP69, IP68, and IP66. 

This combination signifies a remarkable degree of durability, with IP69 representing the pinnacle of water resistance, suited for the most demanding environments; IP68 ensuring protection against submersion; and IP66 guarding against powerful water jets. 

This impressive suite of IP ratings suggests a device built to withstand the rigors of daily life and even more challenging conditions, a testament to Oppo’s commitment to build quality across the Reno 13 series.

Display

The visual centerpiece of the Reno 13F 5G is its expansive 6.67-inch AMOLED display, boasting a smooth 120Hz refresh rate.  While it might not reach the visual heights of the panel found in the Pro variant, it would be enough to provide any visual experience user is seeker for. 

Colors are rendered with a pleasing vibrancy and fullness, resulting in a screen that proves more than adequate for everyday tasks, from browsing and social media consumption to video playback. 

Furthermore, the inclusion of a 120Hz refresh rate elevates the experience significantly, introducing a buttery smoothness to scrolling and navigation, and proving particularly enjoyable experience for mobile gaming. 

In many ways, this display sets a benchmark for what one should expect from a contemporary midrange smartphone screen. 

It may not boast the full suite of premium features often associated with flagship devices –  you won’t find HDR certification, an ultra-high refresh rate pushing beyond 120Hz, or the nuanced color depth of a 1.07 billion color palette –  yet, it delivers admirably on all the essentials, providing a visually engaging and fluid user experience that truly matters in daily use.

Camera

The Oppo Reno 13F 5G arrives equipped with a versatile triple-camera system on its rear.  The primary lens is a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera, expected to handle the bulk of your everyday photography needs. 

Accompanying it is an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, and a 2-megapixel macro camera for those extreme close-up shots. 

While Oppo hasn’t explicitly detailed the sensor models behind these lenses, our initial hands-on experience has been encouraging.  Taking the Reno 13F 5G out for some preliminary photography, we’ve been genuinely pleased with the results observed so far. 

Images captured appear to possess a pleasing level of detail and color reproduction, suggesting a competent main sensor at play.  Of course, a more in-depth analysis will be required to fully assess its performance across various lighting conditions and shooting scenarios.  However, these early impressions leave us optimistic about the Reno 13F 5G’s photographic capabilities within its category.

Performance

Powering the Oppo Reno 13F 5G is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1, a system-on-chip (SoC) that firmly positions this device within the entry-level segment of the 5G smartphone landscape. 

This processor is coupled with a generous 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM and a substantial 256GB of internal storage, a configuration that is commendable for its class.  While the Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 isn’t designed to compete with the flagship processors in terms of raw horsepower, its performance profile is arguably comparable to that of a MediaTek Dimensity 1100, a chipset often found in upper-midrange devices of the recent past. 

In our benchmark testing, the Reno 13F 5G achieved a score of 10887 in the PCMark Work 3.0 benchmark, indicative of its capabilities in handling everyday productivity tasks.  For more graphically intensive workloads, as measured by 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited, the device registered a score of 649. 

Interpreting these figures in real-world terms, it becomes clear that the Reno 13F 5G possesses sufficient processing power for typical daily usage patterns –  navigating social media, web browsing, media consumption, and general app usage should all be handled smoothly. 

However, it’s equally apparent that demanding users, particularly mobile gamers seeking top-tier graphical fidelity and consistently high frame rates, will encounter the performance ceiling of this chipset. 

Also, we can play Diablo immortal at 60 Fps, high resolution with the “very high” graphic setting. During the game I do experience jittery occasionally, but overall does not affect the gaming experience.

In essence, the Reno 13F 5G offers a performance experience that is competent and reliable for mainstream tasks, but it’s prudent to adopt a ‘gentle’ approach, tempering expectations when pushing the device with graphically intensive applications or multitasking scenarios

Benchmark

Battery Life

Fueling the Oppo Reno 13F 5G is a substantial 5800mAh battery, a capacity that translates directly into impressive longevity. Our rigorous testing with the PCMark Work 3.0 battery benchmark, conducted at full screen brightness and under a heavy workload, yielded a runtime of 9 hours and 17 minutes – a testament to its efficient power management.

In practical terms, this robust battery life translates to the potential for all-day usage for the average user, comfortably navigating a full day’s worth of calls, social media browsing, multimedia consumption, and general productivity tasks without requiring a midday recharge. For users with more moderate usage patterns, it’s plausible to expect even longer endurance, potentially extending well into a second day.

This inherent stamina makes the Reno 13F 5G exceptionally well-suited for daily use, offering peace of mind and reducing battery anxiety. Furthermore, when a recharge is eventually needed, the inclusion of 45W SUPERVOOC Flash Charge technology significantly minimizes downtime. In our tests, this fast-charging system impressively replenished the battery from a near-empty 1% to a substantial 44% in just 30 minutes.

This rapid charging capability ensures that even a short charging session can provide a significant boost, quickly getting you back up and running. In conclusion, the Reno 13F 5G delivers a compelling combination of long-lasting battery performance and rapid charging, making it a reliable companion for users who prioritize battery life and on-the-go convenience.

User Experience

In daily usage, the Oppo Reno 13F 5G delivers a generally positive user experience.  The expansive display immediately stands out as a key asset, proving versatile enough to comfortably accommodate a wide range of user needs. 

Whether it’s immersive media consumption, engaging in social media, or handling everyday productivity tasks, the large screen provides ample real estate.  Furthermore, the inclusion of a 120Hz refresh rate undeniably elevates the perceived smoothness of interactions, imparting a more premium feel to scrolling, animations, and general navigation throughout the operating system. 

However, the software experience isn’t entirely without compromise.  As is often the case with devices in this price segment, the Reno 13F 5G arrives with an array bloatware. While this is a somewhat anticipated characteristic of entry-range products, it does mean that users may encounter a degree of pre-installed software that they might not necessarily want or need. 

With a bit of digital housekeeping, it’s unlikely to present a significant or lasting impediment to the overall user experience, particularly for those accustomed to managing pre-installed applications on their smartphones.

Conclusion

In closing, the Oppo Reno 13F 5G emerges as a compelling contender in the entry-level 5G smartphone arena. While it understandably makes concessions to reach its significantly more accessible price point – costing just half of the Reno 13 Pro – it impressively retains the core tenets of the ‘Reno experience.’

From its visually pleasing design and vibrant 120Hz AMOLED display to its dependable battery life and surprisingly robust build quality, the Reno 13F 5G delivers a user experience that punches above its weight class.

demanding tasks will reveal the limitations of its Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset, for everyday use, media consumption, and even light to moderate gaming, it performs admirably. Indeed, as a testament to its capabilities, we were even able to enjoy Diablo Immortal at a smooth 60fps with high resolution and ‘very high’ graphics settings, experiencing only occasional minor jitter that didn’t detract significantly from the overall gameplay.

For users seeking a stylish and capable 5G smartphone that won’t break the bank, the Oppo Reno 13F 5G presents a genuinely attractive option, proving that you can attain a significant portion of the Reno magic without paying the premium price of its Pro sibling. It stands as a testament to smart compromises and a focus on delivering core user satisfaction in the competitive midrange market.

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• Reno 13 Pro (Shopee): https://s.shopee.com.my/705f9a2fEg
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If you’re interested in the oppo Reno 13 Pro, check out our review on it: