Oppo Reno5 and Oppo Reno5 F: Similar yet different

Once you get past the obvious, the naming, there are, obviously some ways in which the Reno5 and the Reno5 F from Oppo differ, much as they are essentially the same device, just tweaked for different segments of the market.

The similarities, as we have noted severally, start right from the packaging and run all the way to pretty much the entire device. The differences, though few and far between, are not so pronounced but, with a keen eye, it is easy to pick them apart. From the obvious ones like the structure of the camera bump at the back to hard-to-spot ones like the minute differences in the dimensions and the overall device weight.

1. Pricing

Of course, if you are going to target various segments of the market with the same device then the one thing you are targeting with that goal is, obviously, a differentiation in price.

There is a Kshs 10,000 difference in the price between the Reno5 and the Reno5 F. The latter goes for Kshs 32,000 while the former was priced at Kshs 42,000 at launch in the Kenyan market.

The difference in pricing is informed by some of the changes we see in the feature variations below.

2. Display

While the displays of both devices are exactly the same, Oppo saved a bit, and passed the savings down to the end-user, by keeping the Reno5 F’s 6.4-inch display at a standard refresh rate. The higher refresh rate on the Reno5 is nice, especially when gaming but hey, you’ve got to pony up and get that Reno5. Trust me, you won’t regret it!

3. Cameras

Oppo Reno5

Rear Sensor: 64MP (main) + 8MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) +2MP (mono)
Front Sensor: 44MP

Oppo Reno5 F

Rear Sensor: 48MP (main) + 8MP (ultra-wide) + 2MP (macro) + 2MP (mono)
Front Sensor: 32MP

The optics section is the one area where Oppo went all out to create a distinction and that is reflected in the results that one gets. See below examples of snaps I took on both devices:

Oppo Reno5

Oppo Reno5 F

4. Fast-charging

This is what you get in the box of the Oppo Reno5:

This is what you get in the box of the Oppo Reno5 F:

The Reno5 adaptor has a 65W rating to provide the Super VOOC magic that sees the device go from empty to full in about 50 minutes. The Reno5 F makes do with a 30W adaptor for the VOOC juice; that is quite fast by all local standards (25W-33W is the sweet spot) but the former retains the superiority. The distinction is visible in the icons displayed when one plugs in the device using the supplied cable and adaptor: there’s a blue lightning icon on the Reno5 when supercharging. That turns to green on the Reno5 F when fast-charging.

5. Size and weight

These are negligible and not worth dwelling on but hey, in case you are into the nitty gritty, here’s what we’ve picked up from our comparison of the spec sheets of the two devices:

Oppo Reno5: 159.1 x 73.3 x 7.7 mm, 171g

Oppo Reno5 F: 160.1 x 73.2 x 7.8 mm, 172g