OPPO Reno7 Z 5G Review - Good looks and reliable performance

OPPO Reno7 Z 5G is one of the latest creator-focused 5G smartphones in the Philippines.

OPPO Reno7 Z 5G

To recap, the handset features a nice and stunning boxy design with protruding lenses and Dual Orbit Lights at the back. It is available in Cosmic Black and Rainbow Spectrum. As you can see, we are loaned with the former.

It also sports a 6.43-inch rigid AMOLED screen with a 180Hz touch sampling rate, FHD+ resolution, punch-hole for the 16MP selfie camera, and an In-Display fingerprint reader.

Under the hood, the Reno7 Z 5G is powered by a 2.4GHz 6nm Snapdragon 695 octa-core processor with Adreno 619 GPU, 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, 128GB expandable storage, and 4,500mAh battery with USB-C 33W SUPERVOOC.

For cameras, the handset comes with the 64MP f/1.7 with PDAF + 2MP monochrome + 2MP f/2.4 depth + LED flash. 

But is OPPO Reno7 Z 5G worth the upgrade? Let's find out!

For our review part 1: OPPO Reno7 Z 5G Unboxing and First Impressions

Multimedia Experience

Rigid 6.43-inch AMOLED screen

OPPO Reno7 Z 5G's rigid 6.43-inch AMOLED screen is packed with a 180Hz touch sampling rate. There's no mention of Gorilla Glass protection, but the handset comes with a pre-installed screen protector.

The display quality brings us what we expected: bright, vibrant, punchy colors, and immersive. Whether we put it on a system-wide dark mode or light mode, the display experience on both is amazing.

Of course, it supports 10 points of multitouch that are responsive, quick, and accurate.

As for the sound, OPPO Reno7 Z 5G has a single bottom-firing loudspeaker at the bottom right. The sound is full, pleasing, and loud. Even if we yank the volume to 100 percent, we didn't notice any distortions.

The speaker is not stereo, but it's decent on its own..

The handset has a 3.5mm headphone jack slot on the bottom left but it didn't come with in-box earphones. We tested it with our pair and the sound was enjoyable as well.

The dual microphones did a great job, too. It gave good calls and clear voice quality. Overall, OPPO Reno7 Z 5G's audio is splendid.

Cameras

Triple rear cameras, two protruding lenses

OPPO Reno7 Z 5G features a triple rear camera setup consisting of 64MP f/1.7 w/ PDAF, 2MP monochrome, 2MP f/2.4 depth, and LED flash. 

The two lenses are protruding while the other one is lying flat on the left side, and across it is the LED flash. All of them are housed in a rectangular, flat design with "AI PORTRAIT CAMERA" text at the bottom.

Camera modes

The stock camera app has the following modes: night, video, photo, portrait, time-lapse, panorama, sticker, slo-mo, extra HD, macro, dual-view video, expert (pro), and text scanner.

The pro mode allows control for: ISO 100-6400), shutter speed (1/8000-32 seconds), EV (+-2), white balance, focus, and lens.

Rear Camera Samples

Daylight

Daylight 2x

Daylight 5x

Daylight 2

Portrait

OPPO Reno7 Z 5G produced detailed and vibrant daylight photos. The default auto settings get the job done. The images are also close to natural-looking. The bokeh effect is clean and separates the subject from the background nicely. 

We also like to commend the digital 5x zoom for giving us an adequate amount of detail.

Indoor

Indoor 2x

Indoor 5x

Indoor 2

Indoor 2x 2

Indoor 5x 2

Our experience with indoor-taken photos is similar to those taken under daylight. The images have satisfying colors, contrast, sharpness, and vibrancy. The photos are natural-looking, too.

Low light auto

Low light portrait

Night mode

Night mode 2x

Indoor night mode

For low light, we received a few soft images using the auto (photo) mode. But it doesn't shy away from the brightness and details of the image taken with night mode.

Impressive primary camera!

Frankly, we would sometimes get confused about which one is taken with night mode and which is not. 

The 2x and 5x digital zooms are available in the night mode.

Punch-hole selfie camera

OPPO Reno7 Z 5G has a lone 16MP selfie camera housed on the upper left punch-hole. 

The night mode, video, photo, portrait, time-lapse, pano, sticker, and dual-video view are usable in the front shooter.

Of course, we have beautification, HDR, screen light, AI enhancement, and filters.

Selfie Camera Samples

Daylight selfie

Daylight portrait selfie

The selfie camera works great in well-lit areas whether using the default auto or portrait mode. The images were sharp, detailed, bright, and natural-looking.

Impeccable bokeh!

We also love how the bokeh effect brilliantly separates the subject from the background.

Indoor selfie

Indoor portrait selfie

Indoor selfie 2 (with screen light on)

Indoor portrait selfie 2

Indoors, we also got excellent selfies. The images were still natural-looking and has enough details, sharpness, and brightness. The bokeh effect is unwavering, too.

Low light selfie 

Low light portrait selfie

For low light, we're amazed at how the OPPO Reno7 Z 5G didn't struggle! The images came out so nice even if we're using the photo mode. It seemed like we didn't need the night mode, but we're sure it'll come in handy when needed.

Note that the screen lights up when using the night mode, hence, making room for brighter selfies at night.

Video recording is available up to 1080p at 30fps. You can digitally zoom up to 6x while taking videos.

Performance

The benchmarks

OPPO Reno7 Z 5G is powered by a 2.4GHz 6nm Snapdragon 695 octa-core processor, Adreno 619 GPU, 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, and 128GB internal storage expandable up to 1TB.

OPPO Reno7 Z 5G benchmarks:

1. AnTuTu - 378,586

2. GeekBench 5 - 676 (single-core), 1990 (multi-core)

3. 3D Mark WildLife - 1211 at 7.30 average fps 

4. CPDT - 412.85 MB/s sequential read speeds and 345.95 sequential write speeds

As expected, OPPO Reno7 Z 5G is a speedy handset. It can handle any tasks, even multitasking. We also didn't face any struggles, even if multiple apps are running in the background.

Genshin Impact (top), Mobile Legends (bottom)

Gaming tests a smartphone's graphics. As expected, OPPO Reno7 Z 5G can handle light games (e.g., Mobile Legends). As for the heavy Genshin Impact, the handset's settings are at low by default, but it can manage medium settings. Some stutters and heating are noticeable when playing for a long time.

Decent for gaming!

For security, the handset has face recognition and an under-display fingerprint reader. Both are responsive and snappy throughout our test.

For connectivity, we have WiFi 802.11ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.2 (SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC), OTG, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS, Galileo, and dual SIM.

The Dual Orbit Lights also serve as a notification tool when there are missed calls, messages, and even battery status.

4,500mAh battery juices up the OPPO Reno7 Z 5G. It also comes with 33W SUPERVOOC charging support. We tried testing it using our usual PC Mark battery test but for some reason, the result won't show up. 

Battery settings

In real-world usage, OPPO Reno7 Z 5G can last up to almost two days! It is composed of texting, calling, social media & web surfing, music playbacks, and casual gaming.

Of course, we won't forget about the 33W SUPERVOOC charger! OPPO Reno7 Z 5G only needs less than an hour. It's something you won't notice most especially when you're preparing to go somewhere.

Fast charging!

It doesn't have Qi wireless charging support though.

ColorOS 12

Running the software department is the ColorOS 12 based on the nearly two-year-old Android 11. OPPO managed to put a Smart Sidebar feature for quick access to commonly used apps and Flexible Windows for multitasking.

Overall, we're impressed with the optimization and user-friendliness of OPPO Reno7 Z 5G.

Pros - Slim design, matte black finish, immersive display, Dual Rrbit lights, powerful performance, amazing cameras, 33W SUPERVOOC, loudspeakers, 3.5mm jack

Cons - No ultra-wide cam, still on Android 11, the price could be an issue for some

OPPO Reno7 Z 5G Specs

Display: 6.43-inch Rigid AMOLED screen w/ 180Hz touch sampling rate, FHD+ 2400 x 1080 resolution at 409 ppi

CPU: 2.4GHz 6nm Snapdragon 695 octa-core processor

GPU: Adreno 619

RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X

ROM: 128GB UFS 2.2 expandable via microSD card slot up to 1TB

Back Camera: 64MP f/1.7 w/ PDAF + 2MP monochrome + 2MP f/2.4 depth + LED flash

Selfie Camera: 16MP f/2.4

Battery: 4,500mAh w/ 33W SUPERVOOC

OS: Android 11 w/ ColorOS 12

Connectivity: WiFi 802.11ac (2.4GHz/5GHz), 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.2 (SBC, AAC, aptX, LDAC), OTG, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, QZSS, Galileo, dual SIM

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic

Others: In-Display fingerprint sensor, Dual Orbit Lights, USB-C, Colors: Cosmic Black, Rainbow Spectrum

Dimensions: 159.85 x 73.17 x 7.49 mm (Cosmic Black), 7.55 mm (Rainbow Spectrum)

Weight: 173 g

Price: PHP 19,999

Verdict

The familiar OPPO box

OPPO Reno7 Z 5G offers good looks and reliable performance.

It's a beautiful smartphone packed with an immersive display, amazing cameras, fast 33W SUPERVOOC charging support, loudspeakers, and pretty fast performance.

Some would take a 3.5mm headphone jack slot for granted, but it's something worth it because you get to listen to music and charge your phone at the same time. The dual orbit lights at the back are also quite cool.

OPPO Reno7 Z 5G is one of the better smartphones on the market, however, for people looking for a lower-priced smartphone that offers similar features, processors, and configurations, the handset's price tag could hinder them from getting this unit.

We also find it weird not seeing an ultra-wide shooter on phones nearing the PHP 20K range.

Do you agree with us?

Build/Design - 4.25

Multimedia Experience - 4.25

Cameras - 4.25

Performance - 4.25

Average - 4.25/5