Oppo Reno7 Lite 5G / F21 Pro 5G review

introduction

Oppo really went all-in on the confusing naming scheme with their Reno7 series. We currently have the Oppo Reno7 Lite 5G under review, known as the Oppo Reno7 Z 5G in Asia, Oppo F21 Pro 5G in India, and will likely be heading to some European countries soon as the Oppo Reno8 Lite.

Oppo Reno7 Lite • Oppo Reno7 Z 5G • Oppo F21 Pro 5G • Oppo Reno8 Lite

Not to be confused with the Oppo Reno7, also known as the Oppo F21 Pro 4G in some markets, which despite the lack of “Lite” in its name actually has some worse specs than the Reno 7 Lite 5G and is already available in Europe. Another similar but distinctly different phone is the Oppo Reno7 5G, which isn’t even based on a Qualcomm chipset, but instead a MediaTek and appears to be only available in India. Do you have all this? Well, don’t feel bad. We are also quite lost.

From left to right: Oppo Reno7 5G • Oppo Reno7 Lite • Oppo Reno7

All that aside, we have a truly gorgeous phone to review. Our Reno7 Lite 5G unit is the rainbow-colored version that changes and changes colors massively depending on the ambient lighting. It’s kind of like an oil slick, only smoother and more silky. We love the look.

The specifications of the Oppo Reno7 Lite at a glance:

• Body: 159.9×73.2×7.5mm, 173g; front and rear glass, plastic frame; IPX4, dust and water resistant, RGB ring lights around cameras (notifications, charging progress).
• Screen: 6.43 “AMOLED, 430 nits (typical), 600 nits (HBM), 1080x2400px resolution, 20: 9 aspect ratio, 409ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM6375 Snapdragon 695 5G (6 nm): Octa-core (2×2.2 GHz Kryo 660 Gold and 6×1.7 GHz Kryo 660 Silver); Adreno 619.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.2; microSDXC.
• Operating system / software: Android 11, ColorOS 12.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 64 MP, f / 1.7, 26mm, PDAF; Macro: 2 MP, f / 2.4; Depth: 2 MP, f / 2.4.
• Front Camera: 16 MP, f / 2.4, 27 mm (wide angle), 1.0 µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1080p @ 30fps; Front camera: 1080p @ 30fps.
• Battery: 4500 mAh; Fast Charging 33W, 31% in 15min, 100% in 63min (Advertised), Reverse Charging, USB Power Delivery.
• Various: Fingerprint reader (under display); NFC; 3.5mm jack.

The back panel of the phone is not only eye-catching, it also sports a relatively unusual flat design without a discernible camera island. Instead, the two large camera rings protrude from the flush surface. Quite a lot, in fact, presumably to accommodate ring lights under the rims. The feature is called the Breathing Light (also marketed as an orbital light) and acts as a notification light. There is something you don’t see every day.

The Oppo Reno7 Lite is also light in an absolute sense, tipping the scales at just 173 grams. It is also not particularly large, measuring 159.9 x 73.2 x 7.5mm. Insert the large flat center frame and you’ll end up with a pocket phone that’s easy to hold and handy. One that clearly borrows a little from Apple’s design language.

Specs-wise, the Reno7 Lite 5G is firmly in mid-range territory. Looking at it compared to some of its siblings like the vanilla Reno7, it’s fair to say that a few compromises here and there to fit the Snapdragon 695 and its 5G connectivity into a value package. For one, unlike its siblings, its AMOLED display doesn’t have a 90Hz refresh rate. Aside from that and a few minor camera tweaks, the Reno7 Lite 5G (Oppo F21 Pro 5G in India) is virtually identical to the Reno7 vanilla, also sharing its overall dimensions. Do what you want with this.

Before diving into the review itself, let’s take a quick look at the packaging and its contents.

Unpacking

Unfortunately, our review unit did not come in a full retail package. Hence, we cannot comment on the quality of the box or the packaging of the accessories. However, we know that a 33W SUPERVOOC charger will be included in the box along with a compatible USB Type A to Type C cable. One rated for 3A.

The charger itself is rated for a standard output of 5V @ 2A, as well as the proprietary 5V-11V up to 3A, which runs up to 33W at the high end. Our meter also claims that the charger can run Quick Charge 3 at fixed 5V and 9V, which may very well be true, but it’s still not particularly useful.

For all intents and purposes, the Reno7 Lite 5G has a proprietary charger that you need to keep track of if you want to charge at 33W speed.

That said, the phone also charges from a PD wall department at speeds reported as “fast charging,” which would mean more than 10W, but less than its SUPERVOOC 33W max. So, there is that.