OPPO recently launched the Reno12 F 5G as the newest member of the Reno12 Series 5G. The phone is the more affordable option, right behind its siblings, the Reno12 and Reno12 Pro.
The F model inherits key features while introducing unique selling points, offering a premium experience at a lower price point.
Everything checks out on paper, but is this a contender in the mid-range segment? Is it worth our money? Let’s find out in this review.
Display and Design
The OPPO Reno12 F 5G is a head-turner. Inspired by the 2024 Pantone Color of the Year, Peach Fuzz, our review unit in Amber Orange design is an eye-catching blend of pink and orange, accented by a shimmering flame texture. This gradient effect creates a premium, almost ethereal look.
For those who prefer a more subdued look, the Olive Green option offers a deep, earthy tone with subtle shadow effects.
The phone has a circular rear camera module at the top center, housing three lenses and an LED flash. Surrounding the camera module is the distinctive Halo Light, a nice addition unique to the Reno12 F 5G. It lights up with various colors and patterns in response to music, calls, charging, and notifications.
The Reno12 F 5G has a slim 7.76mm profile and weighs just 187g, measuring 163.1mm by 75.8mm. It has a solid build with a good hand feel due to its flat frame and curved corners.
The device has a 6.67-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution, a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, a responsive 240Hz touch sampling rate, and a peak brightness of 2100 nits. The screen is shielded by AGC DT-Star2 glass for added protection.
The phone’s power and volume controls are located on the right-hand side. At the bottom, you’ll find the SIM tray, USB-C port, primary microphone, and speaker. A secondary microphone and an additional speaker grill are at the top of the device.
Cameras
The Reno12 F 5G has a triple camera setup, consisting of a 50MP main camera with autofocus an f/1.8 aperture lens, an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP macro sensor. While at the front, a 32MP shooter handles selfies and video calls.
The camera app offers a user-friendly interface with all the important modes within reach. It includes a variety of shooting modes, such as portrait, video, and pro, which provides manual controls for those who like to fine-tune their shots.
The phone also introduces generative AI capabilities to the Photos app and the new AI Studio app. Both tools require an internet connection to work.
The Photos app brings AI Eraser, which uses generative AI to remove unwanted objects from photos. This tool is easy to use and can quickly eliminate cars, blemishes, and people. It’s not perfect, as it struggles with some objects, but it works when you need it.
AI Studio, on the other hand, leverages generative AI to turn portraits and selfies into digital avatars. The feature, which debuted alongside the Reno12 Series, is a fun way to create personalized photos for social media profiles. Again, it’s not perfect as some results don’t turn out the way I want them.
As for the camera performance, the Reno12 F 5G’s main camera captures detailed and colorful photos with good dynamic range in bright lighting conditions. The colors occasionally appear oversaturated, but it’s not overly distracting.
Photos taken in low-light conditions are decent with reasonable quality. While not groundbreaking, low-light performance is acceptable, especially when viewed from a smartphone.
Portraits, on the other hand, are impressive, producing images with natural-looking colors and soft, blurred backgrounds. The subject isolation is generally effective, although it may not be perfect in all lighting conditions.
Sample Photos
Performance
The Reno12 F 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 6300 processor, paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The phone runs on ColorOS 14, based on Android 14.
While the Reno12 F 5G offers a decent performance for its price range, it comes pre-installed with multiple third-party apps, including the Hot Games and Hot Apps folders. It’s said they help lower the cost of the phone, but they do slow down the initial setup experience. You will need to spend some extra time uninstalling any unwanted apps.
OPPO has committed to providing 50 months of fluency protection, which means the phone maintains smooth performance for over four years. Moreover, the F series will get 2 years of major Android updates and 3 years of security updates.
The Reno12 F 5G’s performance is generally smooth and responsive, with minimal lag or stutter. Apps load quickly and run without issues.
The device can also handle games like Mobile Legends: Bang Bang on high or ultra settings at high framerates. Meanwhile, Genshin Impact defaults to the lowest setting. While it’s playable on high at 60fps, you’ll notice some stutters and frame drops. Also, the phone does heat up during gaming, but not excessively hot.
Here are the benchmark scores:
- AnTuTu Benchmark
Total: 416,288
CPU: 126,674
GPU: 70,606
MEM: 108,224
UX: 110,784 - Geekbench 6
CPU Benchmark: 790 single core, 2004 multi-core
GPU Benchmark: 1393 (OpenCL), 1410 (Vulkan) - 3DMark
Wild Life: 1301
Battery Life and Charging
The Reno12 F 5G features a 5000mAh battery, which can comfortably last a full day with moderate usage and even a bit more for the next morning.
The included 45W USB-C fast charger can fully charge the battery in around an hour. Moreover, the battery is covered by OPPO’s 50 months of fluency protection, which helps to minimize battery degradation over time, ensuring it lasts at least four years.
Final Remarks
The OPPO Reno12 F 5G boasts a sleek design, impressive camera capabilities, generative AI features, and a vibrant AMOLED display
Despite its strengths, the phone falls short in processor power. Most users won’t notice any significant difference in everyday tasks. However, the processor will struggle to keep up with demanding activities like gaming.
Additionally, the Reno12 F 5G faces some series competition in the tight mid-range category, including OPPO’s own Reno11 F 5G, the vivo V30e, and the Redmi Note 13 Pro 5G, as well as higher-priced options from Samsung, HONOR, POCO, and realme.
Despite the challenges, the Reno12 F 5G’s strong camera quality and AI features make it a competitive contender. Yet, it might still struggle to stand out in the crowded smartphone market.
Price and Availability
The OPPO Reno12 F 5G is now available in the Philippines for Php 18,999 on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.
OPPO Reno12 F 5G specs
| Display | 6.67-inch FHD+ AMOLED display, 2400×1080, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 2100 nits, AGC DT-Star2 glass |
| Processor | MediaTek Dimensity 6300 |
| RAM/Storage | 8GB+256GB |
| Rear Camera | 50MP main, f/1.8 8MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 2MP macro, f/2.4 Video up to 1080p@60fps |
| Front Camera | 32MP, f/2.4 Video up to 720P@30fps |
| Network | 5G, 4G LTE |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, NFC |
| Others | In-display fingerprint sensor, USB-C, stereo speakers, IP64 dust & water resistance |
| OS | ColorOS 14, Android 14 |
| Colors | Amber Orange, Olive Green |
| Battery | 5000mAh battery, 45W wired fast charging |
