Making their debut in South Africa last year, OPPO is now aiming higher with the recent launch of the 5G enabled Reno5. After starting with a few midrange models (including the A72 that we reviewed), the Reno5 ups the ante as it increases both specs and price. TechSmart got our hands on a review model yesterday, and as far as first impressions go, two things stand out.

Firstly, the iridescent body of the Galactic Silver model is a joy to look at, shimmering in silver, blue and purple. Oppo actually names this effect Reno Glow.

Secondly, the Reno5 contains a fast charge technology (65W SuperVOOC 2.0) that takes battery life from 0-100% in 36 minutes, or four hours of power from five minutes of charging. This could be a game changer for those who don't like overnight charging.

With a 6.43” OLED screen (1090x2400) complete with 90 Hz refresh rate and made from Gorilla Glass 5, OPPO is not taking any prisoners, while on the OS side Android 11 is onboard alongside the company’s ColorOS 11.1.

Look at the colour on the @OPPOSouthAfrica Reno5. Actually amazing. pic.twitter.com/43wBVQJd0P

— TechSmart (@TechSmartZA) March 25, 2021

Under the bonnet you will find the Qualcomm SM7250 Snapdragon 765G (7 nm), 128 GB of storage, 8 GB of RAM and a 4300 mAh Li-Po battery. The quad-camera setup includes a 64 MP, 8 MP (ultrawide), 2 MP (macro) and 2 MP (depth) camera, with a 32 MP front facing camera for selfies. OPPO offers a number of software enhancements for video recording, including Ultra Night Video done via AI, dual-view video and Soloop video templates.  

Inside the box you also find the rather larger charging unit, a see-through case, with a screen protector already applied on the device.

Finally, where will you be able to buy this, and for how much? The OPPO Reno5 5G smartphone is retailing for R15k from Vodacom and MTN in Galactic Silver and Starry Black, with OPPO also throwing in wireless earbuds. Under the Reno5 care plan, buyers will receive one free screen replacement in the first six months.