New OPPO Reno8 5G: Specs, availability and how much it will cost you in Kenya

The latest OPPO smartphones, Reno8 5G and OPPO Reno8, were officially launched by OPPO Kenya at a colourful ceremony held at a Nairobi hotel on Tuesday evening.

Reno8 5G dubbed “Portrait Expert” is powered by Dual Sony Flagship Sensors and AI-enhanced imaging features, like Ultra Night Video and Night Portrait, captures quality photos under dim lighting.

The Reno8 5G, together with its professional camera abilities, features a Streamlined Unibody Design, which delivers a more refined texture and flagship-level design aesthetics.

Combining 80W SUPERVOOCTM with Battery Health Engine, the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 SoC (an upgraded Super-Conductive VC Liquid Cooling System and ColorOS 12.1), Reno8 5G provides strong durability, reliable performance, and all-round smooth experience to users.

The new device boasts of Revolutionary Imaging Capabilities that make the user the “Portrait Expert” as OPPO continues to invest in imaging technology R&D in the Reno series.

“Consumer insights indicate that approximately 40 per cent of photos taken with Reno smartphones are taken after 5pm. The percentage for videos is even higher, at nearly 50 per cent,” said OPPO Product Manager Ernest Teigut.

Dual Sony Flagship Sensors

In this regard, Teigut says, OPPO upgraded the camera on the latest Reno series with to enhance the shooting experience in low-light environments for better user experience.

The newly launched Reno8 5G features Dual Sony Flagship Sensors; the IMX709 for the front camera and the IMX766 for the rear camera:

• Sony IMX709 is a next-generation RGBW 32MP camera sensor customized by OPPO. It ensures a 60 per cent increase in light intake and a 35 per cent improvement in noise reduction when compared with traditional RGGB sensors. Together with OPPO’s self-designed Quadra Binning algorithm, every selfie will look dynamically bright and sharp no matter in lowlight or backlight scenes.

• Sony IMX766 is a 1/1.56-inch 50MP main camera sensor with a 1.0um large pixel size. It captures more light and guarantees improved image brightness in the dark. Combined with the All-Pixel Omni-Direction PDAF technology, this camera sensor improves the focus speed, accuracy, and stability.

• The Dual Sony Flagship Sensors support the underlying DOL-HDR technology on a hardware level, increasing video dynamic range by 4 times to that of the conventional HDR algorithm. DOL-HDR technology enables the quasi-simultaneous synthesis of long and short exposure frames, effectively preventing ghosting artifacts caused by movement.

AI portrait features

OPPO Reno8 5G also comes packed with a series of portrait features driven by leading AI technologies:

• Ultra Night Video algorithm enhances the image quality, color expression, and facial performance in lowlight environments, delivering sharp and bright night portrait videos. It is automatically enabled for nighttime shooting.

• Ultra HDR Video mode prevents bright parts from over-exposure and enriches dark parts with subtle details, thereby producing natural portrait videos with vivid colors. It is automatically enabled in scenes with a large lighting ratio.

• Night Portrait leverages the industry-leading Turbo RAW algorithm to perform AI noise reduction in the RAW domain, delivering clear and pure portrait images.

The device also comes equipped with other innovative features that enhance the overall imaging quality. AI Portrait Retouching can recognize 193 facial detection points to support accurate video retouching, delivering natural portrait effects. Portrait Mode,Hyperlapse and 960fps AI Slow-Motion allow users to create movie-like portraits in their own style.

Flagship Design Aesthetics

This is the first time the Reno series has adopted a flagship-level Streamlined Unibody Design by integrating the camera module and the back cover for a smoother and seamless feel and the phone design also prevents dust from getting trapped around the camera area.

According to OPPO, the features of the streamlined unibody design were adopted by the smartphone manufactures after studying how users hold and interact with their phones.

The OPPO Reno8 5G front side has a 6.4-inch AMOLED display, offering a 90.8 per cent screen-to-body ratio, and a 90Hz refresh rate, which delivers buttery-smooth graphics.

The new device has a certification for Netflix HD and Amazon Prime Video HD, with the display of the OPPO Reno8 5G permitting the user to enjoy the best video content.

Durability and Performance

The OPPO Reno8 5G can charge a 4500mAh battery for up to 50 per cent in just 11 minutes due to the adoption of the 80W SUPERVOOCTM Flash Charge, with a five-minute charge allowing the user to game for two hours non-stop, as tested by TÜV Rheinland.

It has the exclusive Battery Health Engine that intelligently controls the charging current and voltage by real-time monitoring to ensure the battery serves users for an extended time.

Reno8 5G also features the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 5G-integrated SoC.

Built on the 6nm process, the octa-core SoC incorporates an ARM Cortex-A78 ultra-core which operates at 3GHz to deliver the ultimate computing power alongside 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM.

“At OPPO, we are constantly looking into ways we can improve our users' experience. Looking at the new Reno8 series, you can see so many aspects of the new series have been upgraded to suit the modern OPPO consumer. From everyday functionality, design, and entertainment, our consumers are going to enjoy their experience with the Reno8 series,” said OPPO Kenya PR Manager, Frederique Achieng.

OPPO on Tuesday also unveiled Reno8 that boasts of superb features like 33W SUPERVOOC fast charging tech and a 4,500mAh battery chargeable to 100 per cent in just 60 minutes.

Reno8 has an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 4G processor, balances fast performance with power consumption and comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM (expandable).

It also has ColorOS 12 and gives users access to a comfortable and smooth Operating System with popular features like AI System Booster, Air Gestures, Adaptive Sleep, Five-Grade Access Control and Photo Information Protection.

Price & Availability

The OPPO Reno8 series will be available in two models; the OPPO Reno8 5G in Shimmer Gold and Shimmer Black, and OPPO Reno8 in Dawnlight Old and Starlight Black colors.