OPPO Reno12 F 5G Unboxing, First Impressions, Camera Samples - AI for less

Recently, we were able to grab a hold of the new OPPO Reno12 F 5G.

OPPO Reno12 F 5G in Olive Green

With this device, OPPO aims to make the Reno12 Series 5G experience with AI more accessible to Filipinos. There is no official pricing yet, but expect the Reno12 F 5G to be more affordable than the vanilla Reno12 5G and Reno12 Pro 5G.

According to the company, they also made this device extra durable with water resistance, 

As a quick recap, the handset features an All-Around Armour structure, a capable 5G-ready chip, ample memory, long battery life, fast charging, strong signal, and even cameras as well as photo editing features enhanced by the power of AI.

Let's check it out.

Unboxing/Accessories

The box

The unboxing experience is the same with most Reno phones.

Everything inside

Inside, you will find the device itself followed by the rest of the accessories including the textured translucent case, paper documents, SIM ejector tool, USB-A to USB-C data/charging cable, and the 45W power brick.

As usual, it has a pre-installed plastic screen protector as well.

Similar to most modern phones, there are no earphones included in the package.

Build Quality/Design

The back design

Like its siblings, the OPPO Reno12 F 5G uses the All-Round Armour body that uses a High Strength Alloy Framework and toughened glass.

The frame may be coated with polycarbonate, but OPPO is confident in its durability.

The company claimed that it is even cushioned inside so it can survive even hard drops.

Moreover, it has an IP64 rating. It means that it is fully protected from dust ingress and it is protected from water spray from any direction.

As a matter of fact, I already dropped my unit without a case quite hard by accident. The result? Only a small dent in the corner that is hardly noticeable.

Tough.

Despite its "rugged build", OPPO ensured that this handset is stylish. OPPO said that it has a flagship-like look and we agree.

The unit I have used "Cosmos Ring Design" was inspired by luxury watches similar to many modern high-end Android phones.

It even has the multi-color "Halo Light" found on the protruding circular camera island that serves as notifications, calls, charging, music, and more.

The device arrived in two colorways, Amber Orange and Olive Green. The Amber Orange variant has flame textures in an orange gradient inspired by the 2024 Pantone color of the year Peach Fuzz. The Olive Green edition has a glittery look with flowing light and shadow effects.

The display

In front, it sports a 6.67-inch Flat OLED 120Hz FHD+ display with slim top and bottom bezels.

The chin bezel is slim but it appears that the the Reno11 F 5G has a slimmer one. Likely, it is one of the trade-offs of its cushioning to ensure that the phone will be even more durable than its already well-built predecessor.

The display also houses a top-center punch-hole for the selfie camera and its bottom part features the hidden In-Display fingerprint reader.

This has an aspect ratio of 92.2 percent and can go as bright as 2,100 nits.

Top, bottom

On top, it has a secondary speaker and microphone holes. Below, it has the USB-C, SIM tray slot, primary speaker, and another microphone.

Yes, it now has a stereo speaker with up to 300 percent loudness, an upgrade over the single speaker setup of the Reno11 F 5G.

Top, bottom

On the right, it has the power key and the volume rocker.

It measures just 163.1 x 75.8 x 7.76 mm and weighs 187 grams making it one of the slimmest and lightest phones in its class.

The camera layout

For cameras, the device is equipped with a 50MP f/1.8 main sensor paired with an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide 112-degree shooter, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro camera. The main difference with its predecessor is it now has a newer 50MP main camera instead of a 64MP snapper.

The selfie camera is at 32MP with AF.

See some of the first shots we took below.

First Photo Samples

Daylight 1

Daylight 2

Indoor close-up

Night mode

The first shots we took are alright, especially in conditions with proper lighting. For against the light shots, its HDR tech was able to pull some details to make the snaps look better. Even indoors, the snaps could be crisp with near-life-like colors. The Portrait mode also has decent edge detection and subject separation.

My issue is with its low-light camera performance. It is a bit soft and grainy even if the automatic Night mode kicks in. It had trouble We've seen better from OPPO at this price point. 

Thankfully, its 32MP selfie camera is quite good so far.

AI Eraser 2.0

Erased people in the background

By default, the phone now has GenAI as well. It has the AI Eraser 2.0 tech that removes unwanted objects from your frame with a tap. 

So far, the AI Erase 2.0 tech works as advertised and it can really fix most of your shots with unwanted photobombers in the background.

Some samples from the OPPO AI Studio

It has the OPPO AI Studio that lets users create portraits with different backgrounds costumes, themes, digital avatars, and many more. This is one of my favorite AI features of OPPO as it can create cool-looking Portraits.

OPPO is also promising that it has better connectivity similar to Reno12 5G and Reno12 Pro 5G thanks to its AI LinkBoost  360-Degree Surround Antenna Design. It is said to come with smooth network switches, connection even in weak network environments, and fast and precise positioning.

This has the company's BeaconLink tech that allows OPPO to OPPO phones with the same tech to make voice calls even without a mobile signal using Bluetooth at a maximum distance of 200 meters in open areas.  This could be useful in emergencies and more.

Also, according to OPPO, the handset has "50-Month Fluency Protection" allowing the phone to stay smooth and perform well for a long time as well as the "Battery Health Engine" which promises that its battery will have above 80 percent capacity even after 4 years under normal temperature conditions.

OPPO Reno12 F 5G Specs

Display: 6.67-inch AGC DT-Star2 protected Flat OLED screen w/ 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, FHD+ 2400 x 1080 resolution at 395 ppi

CPU: 2.4GHz 6nm Dimensity 6300 octa-core processor

GPU: Mali-G57 MC2

RAM: 8GB LPDDR4X

ROM: 256GB UFS 2.2 expandable via microSD card slot

Back Camera: 50MP f/1.8 w/ AF, open-loop focus motor + 8MP f/2.2 112-degree ultra-wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4 macro + LED flash

Selfie Camera: 32MP f/2.4 w/ AF

Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 45W SUPERVOOC

OS: Android 14 w/ ColorOS 14.0

Connectivity: WiFi 6 2 x 2 MIMO, 5G SA/NSA, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.3 LE (SBS, AAC, aptX, LDAC), OTG, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, dual SIM (nano)

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

Others: In-Display fingerprint sensor, IP64 dust and water splash resistance, stereo speakers, USB-C, Colors: Amber Orange, Olive Green

Dimensions: 163.1 x 75.8 x 7.76 mm

Weight: 187 g

Price: PHP 18,999

As of the moment

The new OPPO Reno12 F 5G boasts clear improvements in build and design over its predecessor.

As mentioned above, it has AI features to help its users with their photos and have more fun with creative Portrait filters.

Moreover, it now has stereo speakers as well.

However, the Reno11 F 5G is still the better value-for-money device for us. Its predecessor has a faster chip with better graphics and faster charging speeds.

The back camera at night also needs improvement.

Watch out for our full review and verdict.