The Oppo Reno 5G is one of the first smartphones for the new 5G mobile standard for free sale. We were already able to test the 5G version of the phone for a short time. Here’s our review.
Switzerland is one of the first countries in the world where the new 5G mobile communications standard is already a reality. With Swisscom and Sunrise, two network operators have already started operation in May. Swisscom is one of the first smartphones with support for 5G to offer the Oppo Reno 5G. The device is available without a contract for 999 Swiss Francs. We had the opportunity to give the phone the first hands-on test.
The Oppo Reno 5G is 77.2 by 9.3 millimeters in size and weighs 215 grams. It fits well in hand and leaves a valuable impression. The AMOLED touch screen has a diagonal of 6.6 inches and offers full HD resolution. This is sufficient, although not up to date for a device in this price range and with a comparatively large screen. The display shows strong colors, but not overdone.
At the heart of the Oppo Reno 5G is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, which supports 8 GB of RAM. The operating system, apps, and other data have 256 GB of storage space available. The main camera has three lenses (48, 13 and 8 megapixels). There is a 16-megapixel front camera available. The operating system is Android 9 installed. Added to that is the Oppo user interfaces ColorOS. The patch level was still from April and is therefore not quite up to date.
We paid special attention to the mobile communication interface. It is interesting that the technical data listed on the Oppo website speak of dual SIM, but the version of the smartphone sold by Swisscom only supports the use of a SIM card. Apparently, we have to live in the early days of marketing 5G smartphones again so that the network operators offer device variants in which only a SIM card can be operated.
The GSM, UMTS, and LTE standard covers all common frequency ranges. In addition, it comes with 5G NR. The smartphone allows for the 5G use but only a mix of operations with all wireless standards – including GSM -. A limitation to the networks, the fast data connections allow (3G, 4G, 5G), is not possible.
In practice, the download data transmission rates in the Swisscom network are currently around 300 MBit/s. This is a value that is also achievable via LTE and actually disappointing for 5G. However, it is conceivable that the network operator limits the maximum speed for end users. The ping times with values around 15 ms are better than usual from the 4G network, although not as small as might be expected.
The Oppo Reno 5G is a great way to test 5G before. For German buyers, the purchase is hardly worthwhile. Until commercial 5G networks are up and running in this country, a second, improved generation of devices should already be available.
