The Oppo Reno 12 and 12 Pro have been announced for the UK and Europe, packing a boatload of AI features and striking liquid metal design in the hero Nebula Silver color. Perhaps more significant than the phones is what they represent.
Oppo now has complete freedom to trade in Europe and the UK after a patent dispute with Nokia kept its phones off shelves for over a year. Since the agreement was been reached, Oppo has ramped up European activity, focusing on its Reno line, the Reno 11F, which launched a couple of months back, and now, the Reno 12 series.
The Reno 12 and 12 Pro are the first phones to realize Oppo's AI Phone vision outside China. Both are loaded with handy software features that cover language and imaging, similar to the Samsung Galaxy S24 series, but at a much lower price. On paper, though, you can get more camera and performance clout for less money than either the Reno 12 and 12 Pro cost. So are we entering an age in which smart AI features come at the cost of spec-clout?
Oppo Reno 12 AI features
The poster child for AI imaging tools is object removal, and Oppo's Reno 12 series get its second-generation AI Eraser which can automatically identify and remove people, or objects you circle or draw over. At a London event announcing its AI strategy, Oppo stated the feature is used 15 times a day on average by Chinese users, suggesting in China, at least, AI photo editing is already very mainstream.
Another imaging feature, Oppo's AI Clear Face, cleans up group photos of three people or more to keep features sharp, while AI Best Face is Oppo's version of Google's Best Take, so you can switch out faces in group shots ensuring everyone has their eyes open and is looking at the camera. Along with a digital art avatar-generator, AI Studio, Best Face is set to launch in Q3 2024, so it won't be available on launch.
We've had some time with the phones, and other than AI Eraser, the most useful software enhancement is definitely AI Speak and AI Summary. These read out or summarize web pages and worked well in our early tests.
Taking a leaf out of Google and Samsung's books, Oppo has also updated its recording app with AI Recording Summary, so it can summarise audio recordings and create a transcript in the phone's Notes app. Currently, the feature supports English, Hindi, and Chinese, with more languages set to launch in the future.
Reno 12 and 12 Pro: what's the difference?
The main differences between the two Reno 12 phones are the camera specs and storage capacities. While the Reno 12 Pro packs a 47mm telephoto camera and 512GB storage, the vanilla Reno 12 swaps that out for a 2MP macro camera and 256GB storage, and its selfie camera is also lower resolution than that of the Pro. There are other less notable differences: cover glass type, screen curvature, and color options, but given we've spent some time with the Pro model, it will be the focus going forward, and the phone pictured in all hands-on images in this piece.
What's most interesting about the Reno 12 and 12 Pro's hardware is the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Energy powering it. It's the first time we've seen the chip before, and based on the numbers, it's a modest offering for any phone with the word Pro in its name.
Oppo includes 12GB RAM for both the 12 and 12 Pro, so typical smartphone tasks will be snappy enough. However, neither Reno 12 will be able to handle demanding games or rip through 4K video edits like some other similarly priced alternatives.
The Reno 12 Pro's triple camera system is spearheaded by the new 50MP Sony LYT600, 1/1.95-inch sensor, matched with a 26mm, f/1.8 aperture lens with OIS. The telephoto camera uses a 47mm lens with an f/2.0 aperture matched with a 50MP Samsung JN5 1/2.75-inch sensor. Finally, the 8MP ultra-wide is fixed-focus with an f/2.2 lens and a 16mm focal length.
The phone can capture 4K video at up to 30fps from the front and back, and one area the Reno 12 Pro edges ahead of similarly priced competition is with its selfie camera: a 50MP, autofocusing module with an f/2 lens and a 21mm focal length.
As for pricing and availability, you can pick up the Reno 12 Pro for £499 (approximately $635 and AU$940), or €599 from June 28 2024. The Reno 12 will launch in mid-August, and its pricing is expected to be revealed nearer the time.
While the Reno 12 Pro isn't the camera champ Oppo's flagship Find X7 Ultra is, and definitely won't be the best camera phone of 2024, the launch is a good sign for anyone hoping to pick up what could be the Oppo Find X8 Ultra later this year or at the beginning of 2025.
Editorial note: Basil has worked with Oppo's communications agency as a consultant in the past. Having worked with Basil for years, we are confident in his ability to cover Oppo news in an unbiased way.
