I’ve been using Samsung phones since I switched from iPhones in 2017. To add, I’ve only opted for flagship phones because I hope they last me at least 5 years, and they always have.
On a day-to-day basis, using my phone doesn’t require any fantastic features – it just has to be practical and meet my needs (I’m not a game lover either). So when the OPPO Reno6 Z 5G arrived, it looked like it would do so only as a scaled-down variant of the classic Reno6 5G and its flagship Reno6 Pro 5G.
Elegant and ergonomic
The Aurora variant looked sleek to me, reflecting some shades of blue and white, but does nothing particularly new in terms of color design. Even my own Samsung S10e Prism White can reflect various shades depending on the lighting.
OPPO Reno6 Z 5G has a textured metallic back, which has a shiny appearance and was practical for reducing fingerprint stains. Weighing 173 g, it is thin and pleasant to hold, with a sturdy feel.
I also found that the positioning of the physical lock button and the volume rocker in the center of the sides of the phone was very easy to use and ergonomic. It made them easy to access without having to reposition or stretch your fingers to adjust the volume or take a screenshot.
Not to mention, when playing games (my current favorite is Sky: Children of the Light, or just Sky), the extra space ensured that there was enough grip for both hands without accidentally activating the buttons.
The Reno6 Z has a nice 1080 x 2400 pixel AMOLED display which was nice for entertainment. It has the same screen as the Reno6, although with a slightly lower refresh rate of 60Hz.
Its frames are thin enough to give it that wide screen effect, and the side punch hole front camera wasn’t a problem as I’m using the Samsung S10e which has the same style.
There was a slight bulge coming from the bulge of the camera, but the use of a phone case would more or less even out the surface of the back. To unlock your phone, you can opt for face recognition or a fingerprint scanner that is not visible, that is fast and accurate.
I admit that I was a little intimidated by the 6.4-inch screen of the phone, which is larger than I used to because I was afraid it would be difficult to write with one hand. However, like most smartphones, the OPPO system has accessibility features that allow easy use with one hand.
Exploring the cameras
The Reno6 Z has a triple camera, which is common in smartphones nowadays. With the Reno6 Z, you’ll get a 64MP macro, an 8MP width, and a 2MP macro.
After trying it out to get some wide, ultra-wide, macro photos, I noticed that the colors came out a little too saturated and contrasted. But maybe because of my personal preferences, I didn’t care.
Meanwhile, when I was taking selfies on the 32MP front camera, my skin looked very smooth. While I liked that you couldn’t say I had a bad day in these photos, some people really like this feature and would love to know that this feature can also be controlled. Skin smoothing can also be found in phone portraits.
Depending on the video, you can record in 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at 30/120 fps. The Reno6 Z’s dual-view video that allows you to simultaneously record both front and rear cameras seems made for people who create online content, such as vlogs or reaction TikToks.
Focusing on videos allows you to choose a topic while recording; the phone’s AI can track it while keeping the focus. Skin softening features can be turned on and off for videos. Overall, many of these features are what you might expect on most newer smartphones, so it didn’t look like OPPO was doing anything new here.
Nor did he disappoint the performance
OPPO phones are said to come with strong batteries and the Reno6 Z’s 4,310 mAh battery did not disappoint.
With a full juice, I could use it as I normally would on a normal phone. From scrolling through social media to replying to messages, playing Sky, and watching YouTube, I just had to upload it at the end of the day. With a fast charging capacity of 30 W, it could get your phone from 15% to 100% in less than an hour.
There were a few additional UI features, such as floating windows and air gestures, that allowed me to swipe up and down without touching the screen. I wasn’t too great at using the latter, but I would blame her for my lack of skills.
Its screen was vibrant enough and Eye Comfort mode to warm up the blue lights on the screen is welcome for sensitive eyes.
My current game for checking the performance of a device is Sky, which is a slightly heavier game to run because of its graphics. While the Reno6 Z’s 8GB RAM didn’t disappoint me with its graphics in mid-range configurations, sometimes it would stay a bit, but it would recover soon. The mystical music of the game came out through the stereo speakers of the phone.
I could play Sky for about 2 hours with little heat accumulated on my phone. Perhaps this could be derived from OPPO’s multi-cooling system in the Reno6 Z, so it could probably handle even more demanding games.
Verdict
Maybe it was the excitement of playing with a new device, but I was still pretty sad to learn that I had to separate from the Reno6 Z after 2 weeks. The ergonomics of this phone was the most important point for me and changed my perspective of adopting larger screen phones. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that more smartphones should adopt this design for the benefit of consumers.
All in all, the OPPO Reno6 Z is practical, sleek and functional, which is basically all I’m looking for when buying a phone. At 1,689 RM, it’s an affordable mid-range option that doesn’t sacrifice quality. It works as well as it can for a smartphone of its price, plus a little more.
| Pros | Cons |
| Ergonomic side buttons | It tends to slow down sometimes when playing |
| A long lasting battery | |
| It doesn’t heat up even during games |
- You can find more information about OPPO Reno6 Z here.
- You can read more vice president verdicts here.
Verdict VP is a series where we personally test products, services, fashions and applications. Want to suggest something more to try? Leave a comment here or post the suggestion on our Facebook page.
