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The OPPO Reno 13 Pro 5G is a feature-packed smartphone that combines a premium design, impressive camera capabilities, and solid performance. However, with a price tag of PHP 43,999, it sits in a competitive space where buyers might expect more for their money. While it offers standout features like an IP69 rating and a versatile camera system, it’s worth considering whether it delivers enough value compared to other options in its price range.
In this review, we’ll dive into its design, display, camera performance, battery life, and more to help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.
Design and Build
The Reno 13 Pro 5G takes design cues from current-generation Apple devices, but it adds its own unique touches. The flat screen and sides give it a sleek, premium feel, and the minimal, symmetrical design adds to its appeal. The buttons are tactile and well-placed, making them easy to use. Overall, the build quality is excellent and aligns with what you’d expect from an upper mid-range smartphone.
The phone’s layout is practical and functional. On the top, you’ll find three microphones and an IR blaster—a rare but handy feature that lets you control appliances like TVs. The right side houses the volume and power buttons, along with antenna bands, while the left side is clean and button-free, featuring only antenna lines. At the bottom, there’s a speaker, a SIM card slot, and a USB-C port. The front is dominated by the screen, which we’ll discuss next.
One of the standout features of the Reno 13 Pro 5G is its IP69 rating. This means it’s highly resistant to water and dust, making it one of the toughest smartphones in its class.
During testing, we submerged the phone in fresh water at a depth of 5.5 feet for three minutes, and it emerged fully functional. Even after days after the exposure, the device showed no signs of damage. However, it’s important to note that the IP69 rating applies only to fresh water, but saltwater exposure could damage the phone and void the warranty. Additionally, this rating is intended for emergency situations, so while the phone can handle more abuse than non-rated devices, it’s still best to use dedicated gear like action cameras for underwater photography.
Display, Biometrics, and Multimedia
The Reno 13 Pro 5G features a 6.83-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The screen is vibrant and remains visible even under direct sunlight, thanks to its peak brightness of 1200 nits. The minimal and symmetrical bezels give the phone a premium look, and the slightly curved edges make it comfortable to hold.
For security, the phone offers multiple unlocking options: password, PIN, in-display fingerprint scanner, and face unlock. The fingerprint scanner is fast and reliable, even with wet hands, while the face unlock feature is quick but less secure.
When it comes to media consumption, the Reno 13 Pro 5G shines. The immersive display and above-average speakers make it great for watching videos, playing games, or browsing social media. Whether streaming your favorite shows or diving into mobile gaming, this phone delivers a satisfying experience.
Camera
The Reno 13 Pro 5G boasts a versatile camera setup, including a 50MP primary camera with OIS, a 50MP telephoto lens with OIS, and an 8MP ultra-wide lens. On the front, there’s a 50MP selfie camera. During our trip to Siquijor, courtesy of OPPO Philippines, we put these cameras to the test.
The main camera captures excellent detail and dynamic range, with OIS helping to reduce motion blur, especially in low-light conditions. The telephoto lens is a standout, offering great results up to 7x zoom. Beyond that, image quality starts to degrade, so it’s best to stick to the 3x-7x range. The ultra-wide lens is decent for capturing wider scenes, though it’s not as sharp as the other lenses. The camera app includes smart scene detection, which automatically adjusts settings based on the subject. While there’s no dedicated long exposure mode, the manual (Pro) mode allows you to tweak settings like ISO, shutter speed, and white balance.
The selfie camera produces detailed shots, though the beautify feature can make your skin look overly smooth. Turning it off yields more natural results.
Please see our sample shots below:
Performance and Benchmarks
The Reno 13 Pro 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chipset, which delivers smooth performance for everyday tasks like social media browsing, video streaming, and gaming. While it’s not a flagship-grade processor, it handles most tasks with ease. The phone does get warm under heavy use, but it never becomes uncomfortably hot.
Here are the benchmark results:
AnTuTu Benchmark v10: 1,160,795
GeekBench 6 CPU:
Single-Core: 1,316
Multi-Core: 4,021
3DMark Wildlife: 2875
PCMark Battery: 11,067
Battery Loop Test: 14 hours and 27 minutes
OS, Apps and UI
The phone runs on ColorOS 15.0, based on Android 15. The software is highly customizable, allowing you to personalize themes, wallpapers, fonts, and even fingerprint animations. The notification shade and control center resemble iOS, which some users may appreciate. Navigation is smooth and fluid, and the inclusion of an app drawer helps keep the home screen tidy.
However, the phone comes with a significant amount of bloatware, which detracts from the premium experience. While these apps can be uninstalled, their presence is disappointing for a device in this price range.
One standout feature is the AI erase tool in the Photos app, which effectively removes unwanted objects or people from images. It’s not perfect, but it’s handy for quick edits. Another highlight is the “Share with iPhone” feature, which works similarly to AirDrop. It’s seamless for transferring files between the Reno 13 Pro 5G and an iPhone, though it requires a companion app on the iPhone.
Battery and Connectivity
The Reno 13 Pro 5G packs a 5,800mAh battery, which easily lasts a full day, even with heavy use. When you need a quick charge, the 80W SuperVOOC charging gets you back to full power in no time.
In our PCMark Work 3.0 Battery test, the phone lasted 14 hours and 27 minutes when set at 50% brightness, zero volume and in airplane mode.
For connectivity, the phone supports dual nano-SIM cards, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, and an IR blaster. The IR blaster is a fun and practical feature, though it’s best used responsibly—no shutting off TVs in public places!
Price
The OPPO Reno 13 Pro 5G is priced at PHP 43,999, which is a significant jump from its predecessor, the Reno 12 Pro 5G, which costs PHP 34,999. At this price point, it faces stiff competition from devices like the OnePlus 15, which offers flagship-grade specs for just under PHP 10,000 more. While the Reno 13 Pro 5G has its strengths, such as the IP69 rating and excellent cameras, its price may make it harder to justify for some buyers.
Conclusion
The OPPO Reno 13 Pro 5G is a well-rounded smartphone with a premium design, impressive cameras, and long battery life.
However, at PHP 43,999, it’s not the most affordable option, especially when you consider that adding a bit more to your budget could get you a flagship-grade device with better performance.
If you’re a fan of OPPO and value features like the IP69 rating and versatile camera system, the Reno 13 Pro 5G might still be worth it but if you’re looking for the best value for your money, you might want to explore other options.
OPPO Reno13 Pro 5G specs:
6.83-inch FHD+ (1272 x 2800) AMOLED display
120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 1,200 nits (peak), 450 ppi
MediaTek Dimensity 8350
12GB RAM
512GB UFS 3.1 storage
50MP main, wide camera (f/1.8, OIS)
8MP ultra wide (f/2.2)
50MP telephoto camera (f/2.8, OIS)
50MP front camera (f/2.0)
Dual nano-SIM
5G
Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth 5.4
NFC
USB Type-C
ColorOS 15 (Android 15)
IR blaster
Fingerprint sensor (in-display)
Face unlock
IP69 rating
5800mAh battery, 80W SUPERVOOC fast charging
162.73 x 76.55 x 7.55 mm (dimensions)
197 grams (weight)
Graphite Grey, Plume Purple (colors)
