OPPO Reno 3 First Impressions – What stands out?

The OPPO Reno 3 is the company’s latest device for the Kenyan market. It costs KES. 40,000 – which many have already pointed to me is the price of the new iPhone SE. With the Reno 3, you get 8GB RAM, 128GB storage, Android 10 with ColorOS 7, a 44MP selfie camera, a quad-camera setup at the back including a 48MP main lens, a 13MP zoom lens, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP Black and White dedicated lens. You also get a 4025mAh battery with 30W fast charging supported and included in the box.

This is the first OPPO phone I’m using in a while, so I’m pretty excited to see the changes on ColorOS, and to experience the fastest fast charging I’ve ever used. Prior to this 30W fast charger, the fastest charger in my house has been a 25W charging brick.

This is my first day using the OPPO Reno 3, so these are pretty much very early thoughts. I already shared a video on the same – which also shows the unboxing process – which you should watch here:

Video:

A review of the cameras, and a more detailed look into the device will come later on as I keep using the device. For now, let me just discuss the things that have stood out for me this first few hours using the phone. Let’s go!

Display:

This AMOLED 1080p display is good. I like it. It isn’t overly saturated. It is also not boring. The colors look good. And I love that certification for Netflix HD is here. So no watching Netflix in 480p as with many other Android devices.

I like that it gets pretty bright. There’s a bug though I’ve noticed that makes the brightness sometimes fluctuate for no reason even when it is pretty dark. Hopefully OPPO will fix this. But overall, pretty good display no complains.

Fingerprint:

I’ve not used many optical under-display scanners. The one used here is pretty good. It is fast, and accurate. It gets pretty bright so as for the sensor under the display to see your prints. You have the option to change the animation in settings. Which is a pretty good touch.

The placement is okay. I wish it were a little up though so that reaching it would be easier. I’m imagining with the phone being slippery, it can be a challenge to reach it when holding the phone on one hand. But it’s good.

ColorOS 7:

Remember I really complained about ColorOS in the OPPO Find X a couple of years back. I am glad OPPO worked on their skin very well. ColorOS 7 is like a different touch from the ColorOS of the old days. It feels light and easy to navigate, and things are where they’re supposed to be.

You can now add an app drawer in settings. Google Gboard is now the default keyboard. Chrome is the default browser. And the settings app is easier to navigate. There’s much more that’s good.

Fast charging:

Like I said, this is the fastest charger I’ve ever used. 30W is crazy. Most phones with fast chargers feature 18W fast charging. In the few hours, I’ve managed to do a small test. From 50% to 100% in less than 30 mins I believe. More comprehensive charge tests will be on the full review in a couple of days.

I like that it is USB type-C, so I keep on using one charger whenever I am out or just have a type-C charger around. The charging brick though is quite big. Check video above.

Cameras:

The cameras are another highlight of this device. The 48MP back camera can take 108MP images but I don’t know how that’s done yet. There’s dedicated night mode, and a lot of other stuff in the camera app.

By default video recording is 1080p but it is very good as there’s stabilisation. You’ll see a sample in the video above.

The thing that I am not comfortable with is the face smoothing and whitening. I haven’t figured out how to turn it off completely. Check samples included in the video above to see how it looks. Some people may like the look, but I want something realistic.

A full camera review will go deeper on to the pics you can expect, and a lot more. Comment down below in case there’s anything else you want me to cover in the full review!

OPPO Reno 3 Specifications: