Would you buy the OPPO Reno 3 Pro for Rs 29,990?

Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com lists the pros and the cons.

The OPPO Reno 3 Pro is a camera-centric phone built for social media bugs and selfie lovers.

Let's go through its specifications which will help you decide if this device right for you.

Display and Design

A 6.4" super AMOLED display is embedded in a 6.25" tall and 2.89" wide body.

While almost all companies are embracing a glass and metal design for its premium mid-rangers, OPPO has decided to retain plastic for its frame and back as far as this model is concerned.

The front 2400 x 1080 pixel resolution display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

There is an in-display fingerprint sensor embedded in the bottom centre of the screen.

The front dual cameras are placed in a small capsule like cut-out placed at the top-right of the phone, which I think is well-positioned. It is a lesser distraction when you use the landscape (horizontal) position when playing games or watching videos.

The phone is available in Auroral Blue, Midnight Black and Sky White.

Hardware

The hardware is quite disappointing for this price point.

The phone runs on the latest Mediatek Helio P95 System on Chip (SoC), which is not much of an upgrade from its predecessor, the Mediatek Helio P90.

The Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855+ offered by its competitors in similar models is far superior in both specifications and performance.

The phone relies on an embedded PowerVR GM9446 GPU for the graphics and should allow you to comfortably play PUBG at optimal settings.

The OPPO Reno 3 Pro is available in two variants RAM + ROM -- 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB priced at Rs 29,990 and Rs 32,990 (not yet available in India).

But the ROM is a UFS 2.1 variant; other mid-range phones are already using a much faster UFS 3.0 and above.

The positive is that the phone supports a dedicated memory expansion slot along with dual SIM slots.

Camera

There is a quad camera setup in the rear of the phone, starting with the 13 MP sensor camera that has a f/2.4 aperture and 52mm telephoto lens. It also supports 2x optical zoom.

The next in line is the main 64 MP sensor camera with a f/1.7 aperture and 27mm wide lens. This camera supports a software-based Ultra Clear mode to achieve a 108MP image.

To shoot a portrait with background blur or the bokeh effect, the Oppo Reno 3 Pro makes use of the third depth sensing 2 MP B/W sensor camera with f/2.4 aperture.

For landscapes, the OPPO Reno 3 Pro provides a fourth 8 MP sensor camera with f/2.2 aperture and 13mm ultra wide lens with a 109 degree field of view (FOV).

There is no Optical Image stabiliser (OIS) in any of the cameras, but the phone uses Electronic Image Stabiliser (EIS) to reduce shakes while recording videos.

By combining the three 13MP + 64MP + 8MP cameras, the phone is able to provide 5x hybrid and 20x digital zoom.

The camera also supports the Ultra Steady mode to shoot action videos. And yes, it can shoot macro from as close as 3cm.

An ultra dark mode is also available for night photography.

The front offers a dual 44MP + 2MP (depth sensing) camera. But I do wonder why would you need a 44MP sensor selfie camera unless you want to reaaallly zoom in on your face or hang a super blown-up selfie on your wall.

Sound

The phone supports Hi-Res Audio and Dolby Atmos technology.

Sadly, though, it only has a single loudspeaker.

To enjoy the 3D surround sound effect, you have to rely on your headsets which can be connected to the 3.5mm audio port provided on the phone.

Battery

The phone is embedded with 4025mAh battery that can be fast charged using 30W charger with VOOC technology, which is bundled in the box.

Verdict

If you are a social media bug who posts videos and photos regularly, or are a selfie lover, or are a die hard OPPO fan, then you may want to consider this phone.

The OPPO Reno 3 Pro is a good phone but not worth the price (Rs 29,990 for 6GB + 64GB) when compared to its competitors like realme X2 Pro (Rs 27,999 for 6GB + 64GB, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855+) or the OnePlus 7T (Rs 34,999 for 8GB + 128GB, Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855+) which are being sold at almost the same price but with better configurations.