OPPO Reno 10X Zoom review: Makes a big impression with its design language

At a time when most reviewers and consumers are obsessed with what’s in the box, the elegant packaging of OPPO’s new flagship caught my attention even before I unboxed it. Thankfully the design sensibilities didn’t end with the box. The OPPO Reno series marks a new beginning for OPPO, the top-end Reno 10X Zoom is a significant device for a brand that will stay top of mind over the next few weeks courtesy the Cricket World Cup. 

While OPPO’s Find X was one of the most cleverly designed smartphones of 2018, the Reno 10X Zoom makes a big impression with its design language. First, it’s the all-glass form with an iridescent back (we’re partial to the Ocean Green colour variant). And then it’s the integration of the triple rear cam without a camera bump. It doesn’t end there. This device is all-screen (screen: body ratio of 93.2%), no bezels and no cut-out for a selfie camera. Colours are vivid on the 6.6-inch AMOLED display (2340 x 1080 pixels) that packs 387 pixels per inch (PPI). It isn’t quite vibrant as the OnePlus 7 Pro but the device is heavy (215 gms) just like the 7 Pro.

Some of that heft can be attributed to a heavy duty 4065 mAh battery that delivered terrific battery life – we comfortably managed over 24 hours with a mix of camera, video and call usage. It’s not just the heft that unites the 7 Pro and the Reno 10X Zoom, both devices are powered by Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 855 Processor. It came as no surprise that the Reno 10X Zoom came close to the OnePlus 7 Pro’s results in our AnTuTu benchmark tests. (355963 vs the 7 Pro’s 376625) There’s a choice of 6GB/128GB and 8GB/256 GB hardware variants and support for Micro SD cards up to 256 GB.

Camera:

The Selfie cam has always been central to OPPO’s game plan almost since its India debut. This 16MP shooter doesn’t just snap sharp selfies (you can ramp up the beautification mode just like other OPPO shooters) but pulls off a cool trick. OPPO calls it a shark fin rising selfie camera, a swivel cam that plays out better than some of the other pop-up cams we’ve seen over the last few months.

The triple rear cam features a 48MP lens that teams up with a telephoto lens and a wide-angle lens. Image quality is good in ambient light and the 10X zoom adds serious value. It doesn’t quite ace the lowlight like the similarly priced Google Pixel 3a though.

OPPO’s Color OS is one of our least favourite features of this device. The newest 6.0iteration has some welcome cosmetic changes (like a more pleasing font) but it’s still too cluttered and brings too much bloatware to the device. It doesn’t quite complement the pleasing aesthetics of this phone – among the most stylish and refined devices under Rs 40,000. It’s the OPPO Reno 10 X Zoom’s design language and hardware spec sheet that will keep it in the mix in the weeks to come.  

The OPPO Reno 10X Zoom costs Rs 39,990 (6GB/128GB) / Rs 49,990 (8GB/256 GB) and comes in a choice of two colours - Ocean Blue and Jet Black.

(Ashwin Rajagopalan writes extensively on Gadgets & Trends, Travel & Lifestyle and Food & Drink. He owns and manages Brand Stories, a creative Content outfit and www.bytesize.in, a premier lifestyle blog with a focus on short-format content.)