The Oppo Reno 13 Series was officially launched in Europe at an event organised by the brand, led by Pete Lau, in Milan. In front of journalists from various countries, the Reno 13 Pro and the standard model were presented, as well as the Reno 13 F version, which has more limited specifications and is less expensive.

Since its arrival in 2019, the Reno Series has marked a significant moment because it has some of the features of the high-end Find series, but also because it represents a novelty in the field of design. What’s more, Reno is Oppo’s best-selling Series in Europe.

Butterfly design

The design chosen by Oppo to characterise the Reno 13 Series is Butterfly Shadow, a design element obtained by laser writing in greyscale on the back of the aluminium body (unlike many competitors who use cheaper plastic), enriched by a finishing polish. This is a useful process for making the lines and shades on the back of the smartphone stand out, reminiscent of the wings of a butterfly. With a 6.8-inch display and 120 Hz refresh rate, the Reno 13 Pro is 7.5 mm thick and weighs only 195 grams. These numbers favour better ergonomics and the possibility of handling the device with one hand. Even thinner and lighter is the Reno 13 5G: 7.24 mm and 181 grams.

Although a mid-range model, the Reno 13 Pro has an important photographic compartment, with a triple rear camera and a 50-megapixel front lens for selfies. On the rear, there is a 50-MP main camera with a Sony sensor and optical stabilisation, an 8-MP ultra-wide lens and a 50-MP telephoto lens with 3.5x optical zoom. Beyond the numbers, in the few days we tried the smartphone, the portrait and panoramic photos were very good, especially during daylight hours.

AI for personalisation and production

With an abundance of features and limitations, as well as really significant options on the creativity and productivity side, Oppo has chosen to cut to the chase. The proof is in AI Clarity Enhancer, AI Unblur and AI Reflection Remover, which allow you to take sharper shots, correct blurry photos and remove reflections when the photographed scene includes windows and other glass surfaces.

Then there’s AI Motion, which transforms images into short three-second clips, creating unexpected and fun effects. With AI Livephoto, there is a wide range of AI-powered tools to customise your shots, and it makes it easier to share your material on social media. An interesting feature is Tap-to-share, which Oppo has developed to facilitate photo sharing between its smartphones and iOS devices: just bring the two phones close together, and you’re done.

In the productivity field, there’s AI Summary that summarises articles, AI Writer that suggests text drafting and AI Report Summary that organises notes taken during meetings. The new Documents app uses AI to summarise texts and extract graphics, while Assistant for Notes optimises formatting and suggests changes to improve writing. Last but not least is the free integration of Gemini, Google’s AI, along with Circle to Search, useful for getting instant information on anything displayed on your phone screen.

Water, don’t temp

Reno 13 phones get along well with water. Not only because of their IP 66/68/69 certification, which allows the device to be submerged for up to 30 minutes in fresh water at a depth of up to two metres. In addition to Splash Touch and Glove Mode, thanks to which you can interact with the screen regularly even in the rain and while wearing gloves, there is also Underwater Mode, which transforms the smartphone into a diver’s camera.

As shown during the presentation, the Reno 13 Pro and its little brother can go underwater without protective cases or accessories and, using physical buttons, allow you to take shots from a unique perspective. Without any damage, because once you’re done shooting, simply take the device out of the water and use the mechanism that allows you to expel the collected water in three seconds. Snorkelling enthusiasts will appreciate this, even if the use of action cameras and other smaller devices to be fixed on a part of the body remains comfortable and effective.

Battery, colours and price

As for autonomy, the Reno 13 Pro has a 5800 mAh battery and the Reno 13 has a 5600 mAh one. Ample numbers to ensure you get to the end of the day with at least 20% battery life, which relies on the fast charging system with the 80W charger: a solution that goes from 0 to almost 20% charge in 5 minutes.

Available in Plume Purple and Graphite Grey in the 12GB RAM and 512GB storage version, Reno 13 Pro is on sale for 799.99 euros, with different devices included depending on the market. In Italy the price includes the Oppo Watch X2 (which costs 399.99 euros), an 80W charger and the conventional 12-month Oppo Care Plus warranty.

The Reno 13 is available in Plume White and Luminous Blue for 549.99 euros, including Enco X3i earphones, 80W charger and Oppo Care Plus warranty. The Reno 13 FS is available for 449.99 euros, while the Reno 13 F costs 379.99 euros, a price that includes Oppo Enco Air4 Pro earphones, a 45W charger and Oppo Care Plus warranty.