Oppo schools Apple with quad-curved Reno 12 that actually brings AI to the rest of us
While Apple fans are waiting to see if it will bring all the newfangled Intelligence features across the thinnest bezel iPhone 16 series, Oppo announced the affordable Reno 12 series with disappearing bezels and all the high-end AI tools its flagships offer.
Unlike Apple, whose AI features only run on the two most expensive iPhones, Oppo vowed to democratize AI by equipping its midrangers and even budget phones with the same features present on its flagships like the Find X7 Ultra. Oppo delivered, as it just announced its first global phone launch in a while, and the new Reno 12 series impresses with its design, value, and the same set of GenAI features running on flagship phones from the brand that are more expensive.
Oppo explained its AI pivot as a conviction that for many people the phones will be the first and main contact with the AI revolution, so it wants the tools to be accessible to everyone, unlike Apple Intelligence which is only good on the $1,000 iPhones.
Oppo Reno 12 design and specs
The €499 Reno 12 and €599 Reno12 Pro surpass punch above their price tag when it comes to looks and features. Oppo's new Futuristic Fluid Design with quad-curved display and high-strength alloy framing combines looks with toughness against drops or water and accidental touch prevention.
Space Brown Oppo Reno 12 Pro looks mighty elegant
One of the hardest tasks for the product team - coming up with new color names for a phone - was executed with aplomb on the Reno 12 phones that come in Nebula Silver, Sunset Gold, and Space Brown, with the futuristic silvery option sporting the Fluid Ripple Texture parallax effect technology to bring visual ripples to the mirror finish on the phone's back.
The new 6.7-inch Infinite View Screen deserves a special mention, not just because it is bright, high-res, and supports dynamic refresh rate, as well as the wide color gamut to the T, but because of its unique micro-curved design, too.
While we are awaiting on the "thinnest bezels" of the iPhone series, Oppo managed to craft a phone display panel that is sloping on all four sides, with bezels gently cascading over its edges, but one that acts like a flat panel when it comes to preventing accidental touches. The Reno 12 displays also carry new Splash Touch technology for wet screen operation through rain drops and the like.
The micro quad-curves of the Reno 12 Infinite View display
One of the ways that Oppo achieves the value proposition that is the new Reno 12 series is working with MediaTek to craft tailored chipsets that allow it to run all the AI features available on the Find X7 Ultra and its expensive Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Powered by an exclusive 4nm MediaTek Dimensity 7300-Energy mobile platform, the system chip has been tasked to MediaTek by Oppo to run AI calculations with remarkable power efficiency.
The combination of a tailor-made 4nm chipset, a large 5,000 mAh battery, and fast 80W SUPERVOOC Flash Charge technology brings long battery life and rapid charging, while Oppo's proprietary battery health algorithms ensure the pack stays in optimal condition for at least four years.
Oppo Reno 12 Pro camera and AI features
A familiar camera arrangement with big sensors and powerful AI tools"
Oppo has amassed a treasure-trove of 5,000 AI-related patents, and a lot of those have to do with computational imaging for its record-breaking phone cameras. Don't expect two periscope cameras at this price point, like on the X7 Ultra, but the Reno 12 Pro comes with a large 50MP Sony LYT-600 main camera sensor, as well as a telephoto zoom camera with the same generous 50MP sensor resolution.
This setup means capable photos of people with blurry bokeh, and Oppo has put an effort to dedicate an AI Portrait mode for achieving natural skin looks and impeccable background separation all the way in the 0.6x-1x-2x-5x range from the ultrawide and telephoto to the crop zoom results.
AI Portrait brings studio-level snaps
Besides the portrait algorithms, the GenAI features on the Oppo Reno 12 series usher in help in a range of everyday camera scenarios. Oppo says that its AI Eraser function that removes unwanted objects from photos with a tap has proved immensely popular, and the new Renos come with AI Eraser 2.0 that is claimed to be the most advanced in the industry.
AI Eraser 2.0 increases the target recognition rate to 98% and reduces the uncontrollable generation ratio from the industry average of 20%-30% to just 10%, leading to the best erasing result in the industry.
For group photography, AI Clear Face "gives everyone in a group shot the same star makeover by performing high-definition restoration of details like facial contour, hair, and eyebrows to ensure even those stood further away from the camera are captured with exceptional clarity." In addition, AI Best Face takes care of people blinking during a group photo, while the creative AI Studio makes digital avatars with creative portrait styles from a sole photo.
The AI Writer function, on the other hand, is another LLM-powered tool that can generate comments or write content in apps like Gmail or Outlook, as well as help with social media posts on Instagram, Reddit, and so on, not to mention its ability to craft listings for Amazon, Shopee, Temu, Yelp, Shein, Airbnb, and so on automatically.
AI LinkBoost for better signal reception
An exclusive new Reno 12 AI feature, the new AI LinkBoost technology takes advantage of a 360° surround architecture with no less than nine antennas for better signal reception. This ensures handoff in weak spots like tunnels, elevators, or staircases, as well as more comfortable NFC payments that allow the phone to be positioned in any way against the payment terminal, including facing it with its display.
Actually, the Reno 12 and Reno 12 Pro are the first phones that scored the High Network Performance certification from Germany's TÜV Rheinland certification body, for excellent performance in the following tricky scenarios:
- Faster signal recovery when exiting spaces with weak signal, such as elevators or basements.
- Significant reduction in network lag when using two data-intensive apps simultaneously.
- Faster switching between cellular and Wi-Fi networks.
- Minimized Wi-Fi and Bluetooth interruption, doubling the Wi-Fi speeds compared to
- competing phones when both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are connected.
- Higher accuracy positioning when using Google Maps in dense urban areas.
- Smarter network selection when using dual SIMs, allowing users to make calls and browse the Internet simultaneously.
- Faster transmission speed in packed locations with busy network.
Oppo Reno 12 series price and release date
- €499 for the Reno 12
- €599 for the Reno 12 Pro
Oppo has priced the Reno 12 from €499 in global markets, and the Reno 12 Pro starts from €599 for a 12GB RAM / 512GB storage version, making AI features truly affordable for the first time. It promises that the Reno 12 series will be launched in additional regional markets with varying availability and release dates.
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