OPPO Reno13 F 5G Review

OPPO launched the Reno13 Series a little over a month ago. The line boasts smartphones with great features, cameras, and the relatively fresh ColorOS 15.

For today, we have the OPPO Reno13 F 5G. It’s the most accessible option among the releases. However, powering this device is a fairly dated Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. To put it simply, it certainly takes a bump in performance compared to the other variants of the Reno13 lineup.

Of course, there’s also the matter of the series coming with a notable price increase. In light of that, we’re going to unpack whether or not the Reno13 F has enough redeeming qualities for purchase.

Design and Construction

Our review unit is aptly named Luminous Blue. The devices in the Reno13 line all look almost exactly the same. The only thing that separates them from each other is how the LED flash looks.

At first glance, users will notice a bit of shine surrounding the edges of the phone’s camera enclosure. While we’re not fans of design language that makes use of shimmering, it doesn’t take away from its premium feel.

At the front, we have the phone’s screen. Similar to the other devices in the series, its thin frame and flatness make it sleek and appealing.

For buttons and ports, users can find the volume rocker and power button on the right side of the device. Meanwhile, the left side is clean from anything.

The bottom houses the phone’s dual nano-SIM tray, a microphone, a speaker, and a USB Type-C port. On top, we have another microphone and another loudspeaker. There’s also a slit above the display which we assume is an in-call speaker.

The Reno13 F also has an IP69 rating for dust and water resistance. This fully protects it from dust and high-pressure water jets. I should note that this is only applicable to fresh water, so users should be careful with saltwater exposure.

All in all, we were quite pleased with how this iteration of the device was fleshed out. Compared to the Reno12 F or Reno11 F, this device felt more muted design-wise but in a good way.

Display, Multimedia, and Biometrics

At the front, users will find the phone’s 6.67-inch AMOLED screen fitted with Asahi glass protection. It caps at a refresh rate of 120Hz and supports up to FHD+ resolution.

It’s flat and has noticeably thicker bezels compared to the other devices in the Reno13 series. It’s fluid and feels smooth when scrolling around. We appreciated how it doesn’t struggle under sunlight either.

For audio, the device has dual stereo speakers. We’ve been able to use it for YouTube binges, gaming, and watching full HD movies.

While users could put it on full blast at 300% volume, we don’t recommend it. Quality dips down when maxed out, but this is expected. Overall though, it produces a full sound stage with notable mids and highs.

Biometrics include an in-display fingerprint sensor and facial recognition, the usual modern means of mobile security. Both work well and as intended, with no gripes from us. Registration was quite fast as with its overall responsiveness.

Cameras

The OPPO Reno13 F is equipped with a triple-rear camera system. This consists of a 50-megapixel main with OIS, an 8-megapixel ultra wide, and a 2-megapixel macro. At the front, it also has a 32-megapixel selfie shooter.

For video recording, the rear camera can shoot up to 4K resolution at 30 fps. At the front though, it’s only capable of shooting 1080p at 30 fps.

The cameras perform quite well, with the main camera proving capable enough to retain good detail when taking stationary photos under ample light. I say this, because the stabilization feels like it needs more touching up. Photos taken in motion or under shadows look alright up until a user zooms in and notices softer attention to detail.

As for the ultra wide, it’s decent at best. It works as intended to capture wider scenes although it does struggle to preserve detail.

The macro is alright, offering good separation of the subject from the background. Colors lean more towards warmer tones, which may or may not be good depending on user preference.

For selfies, the shooter works best with light. Without it, users lose a fair amount of detail.

I also have to note that the cameras struggle quite a bit to preserve details when used at night as seen above.

Generally speaking, the camera system won’t compete with the best under its price segment. Of course, we’ll let readers judge from our sample shots.

As for video, it poses the same issues when taking photos. Shots turn out better when the user isn’t on the move, so the OIS or EIS evidently isn’t the best.

OS, Apps, and UI

The OPPO Reno13 F 5G ships with ColorOS 15 based on Android 15 out of the box. In our opinion, this is a huge advantage for OPPO’s smartphones because of its personalization and fluidity.

Plus, the interface shares a handful of resemblances with iOS, making it user-friendly and easy to adopt. Speaking of, it even has a Share with iPhone feature that’s quickly accessible via the drop down menu.

It’s clean and highly customizable, enabling users to play around with themes, wallpapers, etc. Users can even customize watermarks and its text content on the camera app.

Our only gripe with the software is the handful of bloatware that’s included. Sure, the apps can be uninstalled, but it does take a bit away from the hassle-free experience. At the very least, useful apps like Netflix come already pre-installed.

For those wondering, OPPO hasn’t announced anything yet about their timeline for software updates and security patches for the device. However, we’ll be sure to update users once details are made available.

As for the AI toolbox features like AI Writer and Reader, it wasn’t available with our time spent on the device. After some reading, we found that it’s going to be patched via a future OTA update.

Performance and Benchmarks

Powering the Reno13 F 5G is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chipset. This comes with an Adreno 710 GPU, up to 12GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage. Our review unit came with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.

Aside from how smooth ColorOS is, the phone performs just as well for most tasks.

In terms of gaming, the phone can handle resource intensive titles like Genshin Impact and Asphalt Legends Unite decently. We recommend that users change graphic settings to low for optimal performance.

We played at medium graphics and 60fps where we felt a bit of heat from the back panel during gameplay. There was also some frame rate dips after roughly 20-25 minutes of gameplay.

Numbers and experiences considered, we’ll rate the device above average for its consistency and reliability. We’ll leave our synthetic benchmark scores below for those interested.

As a mid-ranger and alternative to the main Reno13 devices, the phone is alright. It scored a bit higher in AnTuTu than the HONOR X9c, which uses the same chipset. It’s safe to say that the Reno13 F 5G can definitely work as a daily driver.

Battery and Connectivity

The Reno13 F 5G packs a 5,800mAh battery that supports 45W SUPERVOOC fast wired charging. From experience, the phone is insanely good at managing power consumption.

Our usual routine with the device comes with browsing, video streaming, and a bit of photography and gaming. Even with the handful of tasks, the phone should still have more than enough power fit for a day. We’ll let the battery tests speak for themselves.

As per PCMark’s Work 3.0 Battery Test, our review unit lasted for a whopping 17 hours and 13 minutes. The test was taken with the phone brightness set to 50%, muted volume, and in airplane mode.

In our video loop test, it was able to offer 18 hours and 3 minutes of playback. This test was taken using a full HD movie with the same variables mentioned in the test prior.

For connectivity, the phone supports dual nano-SIM, 5G, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, and NFC. I should also note that this model does have a 4G variant equipped with a different chipset. As for those curious, the phone has standard call quality either over Wi-Fi or a cellular network.

Pricing and Conclusion

The OPPO Reno13 F 5G is priced at PHP 22,999USD 394INR 34,108EUR 379CNY 2,868 with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Users may also get this for PHP25,999USD 445INR 38,557EUR 428CNY 3,242 with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage instead.

Frankly, it’s a significant price hike considering that this is supposed to be an affordable option for midrange smartphones. After all, there are other devices at a similar or even lower price point offering a lot of what it has.

We could even argue that this device is indeed a clear upgrade from its predecessor. It’s just that the value for money it offers is undoubtedly questionable.

We can’t deny its advantages in display, software, and battery life. However, the trade-off is just a satisfactory camera system and dated chipset with an incremental performance increase.

All things considered, purchasing the device still falls under user preference. It’s certainly a reliable device, albeit unappealing for its segment solely because of how much it’s worth.

What do you guys think of the OPPO Reno13 F 5G? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

What we liked:
* Design changes
* Display smoothness
* ColorOS 15 features
* Battery life

What we didn’t like:
* Price
* Dated chipset (incremental performance increase)

OPPO Reno13 F 5G specs:
6.67-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) AMOLED display, 394ppi
120Hz refresh rate
Asahi AGC DT-Star2 glass protection
Qualcomm Snapdragon 6 Gen 1
Adreno 710 GPU
8GB, 12GB RAM
256GB, 512GB UFS 3.1 storage
50MP main camera (f/1.8, OIS)
8MP ultrawide (f/2.2, EIS)
2MP macro (f/2.4)
32MP front camera (f/2.4)
Dual stereo speakers
Dual nano-SIM
5G
Wi-Fi 5
Bluetooth 5.1
GPS
NFC
ColorOS 15 (Android 15)
USB Type-C
Fingerprint sensor (in-display)
Face unlock
5,800mAh battery, 45W SUPERVOOC fast charging
PD, QC, PPS charging support
IP69 rating for dust and water resistance
~162.20 x 75.05 x 7.76 mm (dimensions)
~162.20 x 75.05 x 7.82 mm (dimensions, Luminous Blue color option)
192 grams (weight)
Graphite Grey, Plume Purple, Luminous Blue (colors)