Oppo Reno 8 Pro launches in Europe with NPU-powered 4K Ultra Night Video
Oppo brings its flagship camera MariSilicon X NPU to the midrange Reno 8 Pro for boosted nighttime 4K HDR video
Oppo's flagship Find X5 series has been championing impressive lowlight performance since it launched, and now the new Reno 8 Pro is getting in on the action too, bringing the firm's MariSilicon X imaging NPU (neural processing unit) to the midrange line.
Launching alongside the Reno 8 and Reno 8 Lite, only the Pro flavor gets the full flagship treatment on its main camera. More than just a camera phone, the Reno 8 Pro's also a striking bit of smartphone design, packing premium build quality and smart styling.
Costing, $700 / £599, the Reno 8 Pro is the same price as phones like the Pixel 6 and iPhone 13 Mini, so needs to deliver across the board if it hopes to stand out. With its primary 50MP camera, showcasing the same IMX 766 sensor in the Find X5 Pro, not to mention 4K HDR video capture, it's off to a great start.
Things get really interesting when you look at the Reno 8 Pro's selfie camera though. Its 32MP resolution, RGBW sensor, and autofocus make it the best front camera Oppo's ever put on a smartphone. So while the Reno line has always been competitive – we rated the Reno 4 Pro four stars – the 8 Pro looks like the most interesting Reno to date.
The Reno 8 Pro's design takes the Find X5 Pro's curved styling and mixes things up, swapping the rounded glass front and back for flat panels, but keeping that elegant camera bump that rises smoothly.
Available in Glaze Blue and Glaze Black, we've gotten our hands on the Blue one and have to say, it looks great in the flesh. Fans of flatscreen phones have been starved of premium options in the past, so the Reno 8 Pro is poised to satiate that craving.
The Sony IMX766 sensor that spearheads the Pro's camera is a 1/1.56-inch sensor, and it's matched with an f/1.8 aperture, with an 86° field of view. The 8MP ultra-wide camera packs an f/2.2 aperture with an expansive 112° field of view, and there's a 2MP macro camera as well.
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The MariSilicon X NPU enables 4K Ultra Night Video, which according to Oppo is ultra-clear and brighter than standard footage from the sensor, and it also makes 4K Ultra HDR video possible too.
As for the selfie camera, it's a 32MP Sony IMX709 with a 1/2.74-inch sensor. That's paired with an f/2.4 lens sporting a 90° field of view and autofocus.
So the camera looks like a strong mix, but the rest of the phone's no slouch. Powered by a custom-built MediaTek Dimensity 8100 Max, it sports near flagship grunt, and with 256GB storage and 8GB RAM, should offer loads of room for files and apps. Add 85W wired charging to the mix, and it powers up quickly, from zero to 100 percent in just over 30 minutes.
Pricing of the Reno 8 line starts at $370 / £319 for the Oppo Reno 8 Lite, climbing to $490 / £419 for the Oppo Reno 8, and peaking at £599 / $700 for the Pro. The phones are available across Europe and Asia to order from September 1, 2022, though regional availability may differ.
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Basil Kronfli is a freelance technology journalist, consultant, and content creator. He trained in graphic design and started his career at Canon Europe before moving into journalism. Basil is also experienced in video production, independently running the YouTube channel TechEdit, and during his time at Future, he worked alongside the Digital Camera World team as a senior video producer.