Oppo Reno4 Z 5G review: Solid overall package for around 300 euros

The Oppo Reno4 Z 5G is currently the cheapest smartphone in the Reno300 range at around 4 euros. Still, it really has a lot to offer, at least on paper. Among other things, the customer is offered 120 Hertz, a quad camera and a 4.000 mAh battery.

I was very curious to see whether the smartphone could convince not only on paper but also in everyday use and whether the high RRP of 369 euros was appropriate. You will learn all this and much more in the following lines.

Haptics, design and processing

If you take the Reno4 Z 5G in your hand for the first time, you will immediately notice a difference to many other smartphones, because the device is relatively angular, but still grippy in the hand. The reason for this is that the back is not slightly rounded on both sides, so similar to the current iPhones. Personally, I think this decision by Oppo is actually relatively good, because it provides variety and it is also easy to grip. The smartphone measures 163,8 x 75,5 x 8,1 mm and is therefore rather difficult to operate properly with one hand. For this size, the weight of only 184 grams is completely okay.

While glass is used on the front, the manufacturer unfortunately only uses high-gloss plastic for the frame and the back, at least in the black color I tested. The buyer also has a white color variant to choose from, the back of which should be matt. Fingerprints are almost magically attracted to the black version and you could really clean the Reno4 Z all day.

Unfortunately, the smartphone doesn't feel particularly high-quality either, which has to be criticized, especially with the high RRP of 369 euros. For the current price of around 300 euros, however, I don't want to complain too much. The four cameras are positioned quite conspicuously in the upper left corner. They sit together with a small LED in a black rectangle. So far nothing new, but the two main lenses are arranged horizontally and protrude a little more from the camera dump. If we turn the smartphone around, we are greeted by a huge display, which is only interrupted by a small recess in which there is space for two front cameras. The display bezels are pleasantly thin, even if there is still some room for improvement.

As you would expect from a mid-range smartphone, the workmanship is very good. The keys sit firmly in the case, have a good pressure point and overall the Reno4 Z 5G makes a very stable impression.

Display - light and shadow

The display has a diagonal of 6,5 inches and has a sharp resolution of 2.400 x 1.080 pixels. This is an IPS panel that supports a smooth refresh rate of 120 Hertz. As a result, animations appear much more fluid than with smartphones with only 60 or 90 Hertz.

The Reno4 Z 5G even has two cameras in a small recess. (Image: TechnikNews)

Otherwise the panel is less convincing. For 369 euros you can definitely expect an OLED panel that simply has enormous advantages in terms of color reproduction, black value, contrast values ​​and also the viewing angle stability. The quality is by no means bad, but the colors change visibly at extreme viewing angles, the black value can be improved and, above all, the display has a visible red cast. Furthermore, the panel is not perfectly illuminated, i.e. there is backlight bleeding at the bottom of the screen and at the recess. The maximum brightness is okay, although there is still some room for improvement here.

A Little X3 NFC, which is clearly cheaper, can keep up very well in all points and is even a little better in terms of color rendering. The OLED panel of the Live Y70 plays in a completely different league.

Software - ColorOS 7.1

Version 7.1 of the in-house ColorOS user interface is still based on Android 10 and the security patch was from December at the time of testing. Personally, I like the software very much because it is simple and clearly structured, but there are still some useful additional functions. For example, there is excellent gesture control on board, an eye comfort mode, a night mode and much more. Furthermore, all items in the notification bar probe easily operated with one hand. The only bloatware on my test device was Netflix and a few custom apps from Oppo.

Performance - very fast and fluid

Under the hood is the 5G-capable MediaTek Dimensity 800, which is supported by 8 GB RAM and 128 GB flash memory. The Reno4 Z 5G handles everyday tasks without any problems and thanks to the 120 Hertz refresh rate, operation is extremely smooth. There are almost never any stutters or delays and games don't cause the smartphone too many problems either, even if this is where it becomes clearer that this is only a mid-range processor.

Battery - long runtime

Although the battery only has a capacity of 4.000 mAh, it provides good running times in everyday use. When I used it mainly on WiFi and with 120 Hertz activated, I always got through a day easily and usually 1,5 days were no problem. The screen-on time was usually around 10 hours for me. That is definitely a very good value, but with a larger battery, much more would have been possible.

With the included 18 watt power pack, the smartphone is charged from 0 to 100 percent in just under two hours. That's OK, but I would have expected a bit more from Oppo. For comparison, the regular Reno4 brings it to a proud 65 watts.

Camera - decent quality

As is so often the case with mid-range smartphones, there is also space for four sensors on the back of the Reno4 Z 5G. They sit in a rectangle at the top left and protrude slightly from the housing. The main camera with 48 megapixels combines four pixels into one by default, so that better exposed images are possible. There is also an ultra-wide-angle camera with 8 megapixels, which can capture significantly more image information. In addition, Oppo has installed two additional sensors, each with a resolution of 2 megapixels and responsible for depth effects and black and white shots. Two cameras are used on the front, which are set up as follows: 16 megapixel main sensor and a 2 megapixel lens that supports portraits to calculate the blurring.

The quad camera of the Oppo Reno4 Z 5G protrudes slightly from the case. (Image: TechnikNews)

With the main camera, you can take really good pictures for 300 euros, which are particularly impressive with a high dynamic range. The sharpness is great, although something is artificially sharpened here and there. Colors are rendered strong and bright, but still sufficiently realistic. In poor lighting conditions, the night mode provides visible improvements. The images are brighter and can also convince in all other respects. For around 300 euros, this is an above-average main camera.

The ultra-wide-angle camera, on the other hand, delivers rather average images. There is extreme noise on the sides of the pictures and clouds are often over-sharpened. However, the dynamic range and color rendering are completely okay.

Unfortunately, there is little to do with the remaining 2 megapixel sensors. Despite a dedicated black and white lens, the images are no better than those of the competition. Selfies, on the other hand, can convince again across the board. They are nice and sharp, color accurate and the portrait mode surprised me positively.

Test photos of the Oppo Reno4 Z 5G

Let's take a look at a few test photos. The following images are unprocessed, but compressed without loss in order to keep the loading times and memory consumption of the website low.

Comparison with the Poco X3 NFC and Vivo Y70

Let's compare the camera in different situations with the Poco X3 NFC and the Vivo Y70. I made a conscious decision in favor of these devices, as both are currently available for less than 300 euros.

The Oppo Reno4 Z 5G delivers better results, especially in poor lighting conditions, which are significantly brighter and sharper. Unfortunately, the ultra-wide-angle camera can't quite keep up with the Poco X3 NFC, which is a bit better, especially in terms of sharpness. Nevertheless, the Reno4 Z's ultra-wide-angle camera still manages to take quite acceptable recordings.

Other

Finally, let's take a look at the rest of the things on the Oppo Reno4 Z 5G and start with the speaker. Unfortunately, the manufacturer only installed one on the bottom, but it sounds pretty good. It gets loud enough and delivers decent sound up to about 70 percent volume. Nevertheless, there is still some room for improvement here, as some competitors, such as the Poco X3 NFC, have the OnePlus Nord N100 or Pixel 4a, Provide stereo speakers. There is also a 3,5 mm jack connection on board.

I was rather disappointed with the built-in vibration motor, which feels quite cheap and sounds rather annoying. But I really liked the fingerprint sensor. It sits on the side of the smartphone, is easy to reach, feels good and unlocks the device quickly and reliably.

Conclusion

The Oppo Reno4 Z 5G is an all-round successful mid-range smartphone, which started out significantly too expensive. At the moment you can get it for less than 300 euros and it delivers a really strong performance, a smooth refresh rate of 120 Hertz, a good battery life and a very useful main camera. The Reno300 Z 4G is particularly recommended for those who are looking for a smartphone for less than 5 euros with a good main camera and fast, future-proof performance. In these two points, I would also prefer it to the Poco X3 NFC.

However, if you place a little more value on the display quality and battery life, you should probably use the Poco X3 NFC, Realme 7 5G or Vivo Y70 and thus save a little money. In conclusion, it can be said that although the Reno4 Z 5G has convinced me, I can only recommend it to a limited extent due to the strong competition.

We thank Oppo Germany for providing the Reno4 Z 5G!

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