OPPO announced the Reno3 sometime on March 2020. The device, which is the process of making its way to Kenya store shelves, is the latest member of the Reno series. There is a Pro model with additional features such as 5G, but we will not get that one here because, well, this market isn’t 5G-ready. Besides, the normal Reno3 is equipped with admirable internals to make the absence of the Pro model a deal-breaker.
As we have come to expect, the Reno3 has upper midrange specifications, including a 6.4” AMOLED screen, 128 GB of digital medial hoarding space that can be supplemented with external memory, a generous 8 GB of RAM, gorgeous cameras (5 in total) and ColorOS 7 on top of Android 10.
We were hoping to see the latest version of ColorOS (v7.1) that has been lauded for its rich feature set, but we are certain an update is being cooked for a future rollout.
Back to the camera, we have come to expect high standards from OPPO in terms of how it handles optics. The quad-camera system at the back is as versatile as they come with a 48 MP wide-angle lens, a 13 MP telephoto lens, an 8 MP ultrawide shooter and lastly, a 2 MP black and white sensor. Selfies are handled by a 44 MP camera hidden in a tear-drop notch.
There are a lot of things to like about the Reno3: it does not skip on anything for a KES 40,000 phone: there is more than sufficient horsepower under the hood (Mediatek Helio P90), an endangered feature is in place (headphone socket), the battery is huge at 4025 mAh and it juices up plenty fast using the 30W charging brick (50% in 30 minutes) and it is put together with premium attention to detail.
You can preorder this Fashionable Image Master (I wish the OPPO catchphrase for the Reno3 wasn’t obtuse, but it is what it is) starting today (since yesterday, actually) to April 12 at the aforementioned price. At 40K, this is a good deal – and considering phones have gotten so much better, you can trust that your purchase can last for a year or two before you any upgrade plans.
Summary of specs:
| Specs | OPPO Reno3 |
|---|---|
| Screen | AMOLED 6.4" 1080 x 2400 pixels |
| OS | Android 10, ColorOS 7 |
| Chip | Mediatek MT6779 Helio P90 (12 nm) |
| GPU | PowerVR GM9446 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| Battery | 4025 mAh Fast Charging at 30W aka VOOC 3.0 |
| Headphone jack | Yes! |
| Features | Under the display fingerprint reader |
| Cameras | Selfie 44 MP Main: Quad 48 MP, f/1.8, (wide) 13 MP, f/2.4, (telephoto) 8 MP, f/2.2, (ultrawide) 2 MP B/W |
| Colours | Midnight Black, Aurora Blue |
| Price | KES 40,000 |
