Earlier this year, OPPO Kenya welcomed the highly anticipated Reno11 Series, comprising the vanilla Reno11 5G and the Reno11 Pro 5G.
However, the company has recently expanded its lineup with the addition of the OPPO Reno11 F 5G, a budget-friendly offering that promises to bring premium features to a more accessible price point.
Priced at KES 50,000, the Reno11 F 5G is the most affordable member of the Reno11 Series, catering to consumers seeking a balance between performance and affordability.
In this unboxing and first impressions article, we’ll dive into the contents of the package and explore whether OPPO has made any compromises to achieve this pricing.
OPPO Reno11 F 5G: Specs
- Design: Plastic back/frames, Panda glass front, IP65-rated
- Weight: 177 grams
- Display: 6.7” OLED Panel, 2.5D curved, 120Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, 1100 nits peak brightness, Panda glass
- Resolution: FHD+ (1,080 x 2,412)
- Chipset: Octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 7050 (6nm)
- RAM: 8GB LPDDR4x @ 4266MHz + 8GB extendable
- ROM: 256GB UFS 3.1 + 2TB expandable with MicroSD card
- UI & OS: ColorOS 14.0 based on Android 14
- Rear Camera: Triple Camera (64MP Primary + 8MP Ultrawide + 2MP Macro)
- Front Camera: 32MP Camera (Centre-aligned hole-punch cutout)
- Security: In-display fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock
- Sensors: Geomagnetic, Light, Proximity, Acceleration, Gravity, Gyroscope
- Navigation: GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS
- Battery: 5,000mAh cell with 67W super fast charging
- Connectivity: Dual SIM, 5G, Dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth v5.2, USB Type-C
- Color Options: Palm Green, Ocean Blue
- Price: KES 50,000
What’s In The Box?
Right out of the box, the Oppo Reno 11 F 5G’s unboxing experience is quite similar to other OPPO Reno Reno devices. The package includes:
- A SIM ejector
- A clear protective case
- User manuals
- And a 67W fast charger—a welcome inclusion, considering some phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 5G lack a bundled charger.
My review unit sports a Palm Green color that beautifully shifts hues when light hits it from different angles. However, one downside is the phone’s plastic back, an unexpected choice at this price point.
While plastic is more durable and less prone to fingerprints, most smartphones in this range feature a glass back, which, although less durable, feels more premium in hand.
Design and Build
OPPO is renowned for crafting exceptionally beautiful smartphones, and the Reno11 F 5G is no exception. The first thing that captivates your attention is its striking design. Available in two gorgeous colorways—Palm Green and Ocean Blue—the Reno11 F 5G offers a feast for the eyes.
The Ocean Blue variant flaunts a flashy, marble-like appearance, while the Palm Green model, which I’m reviewing, exudes a more subdued yet equally alluring aesthetic.
The Reno11 5G is also quite light, coming in at 177g, which is really impressive considering it’s a 6.7” device with a large 5000mAh battery.
As mentioned, the back is constructed from plastic rather than glass, a departure from competitors like the Galaxy A35, which offers a glass back at this price point. Nevertheless, OPPO has managed to achieve a sleek and premium look, avoiding any impression of cheapness.
One aspect that could be improved is the camera housing on the back. It’s a tad too prominent and in-your-face, especially with the Ocean Blue color.
An area where OPPO has cut corners is the speaker setup. The Reno11 F 5G features only a single downward-facing speaker, which sounds decent but falls short of the audio quality delivered by a dual-speaker configuration.
Additionally, the device boasts an IP65 rating for dust and water splash protection, which is acceptable but not exceptional. A higher rating, such as IP67 or IP68, would have been more appropriate for a smartphone in this price range.
Display
One area where OPPO did not compromise was the display. The Reno11 F 5G boasts a massive 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. While the display specifications are quite similar to those of last year’s Reno10 5G, the Reno11 F 5G features a flat display instead of a curved one.
The colors on the display are punchy and vibrant, and the viewing angles are also impressive. OPPO has done an excellent job of minimizing the bezels, which are thin and well-balanced all around.
Outdoor visibility is exceptional, and I’ve had no issues scrolling through my social media feed even in direct sunlight. This is thanks to the screen’s impressive 1100 nits peak brightness. It’s worth noting that the OPPO Reno11 F 5G’s display also supports HDR10+, further enhancing the visual experience.
The front of the device is protected by Panda Glass, which, while relatively scratch-resistant and shatterproof, doesn’t quite reach the level of quality achieved by Gorilla Glass, the industry-leading glass protection solution.
The Reno11 F 5G also features an under-display optical fingerprint scanner, which works relatively quickly. However, its positioning leaves something to be desired.
Placed too low on the display, the scanner’s location has proven to be a point of contention during my brief usage. I’ve frequently encountered difficulties in comfortably positioning my thumb to unlock the device.
Cameras
The OPPO Reno11 F 5G boasts an impressive triple rear camera setup, comprising a 64MP F/1.7 main sensor, an 8MP F/2.2 ultra-wide sensor, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro sensor.
While the inclusion of the 2MP macro sensor might seem puzzling, it’s important to note that manufacturers often incorporate a diverse range of sensors to cater to various photography needs.
In terms of video capabilities, the device offers versatility with 4K recording at 30fps and 1080P at 30/60/120/480fps. Although it lacks Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), it compensates with Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS), which can be beneficial in certain shooting scenarios.
For selfie enthusiasts, the OPPO Reno11 F 5G is equipped with a 32MP F/2.4 front-facing camera capable of capturing 4K and 1080P videos at 30FPS, ensuring high-quality self-portraits and video recordings.
One of the standout features of this device is the Portrait Expert Engine, which aims to enhance portrait photography by leveraging the expertise of professional photographers from around the world.
This feature, first introduced in the Reno10 series, promises to improve skin tone rendering, subject enhancement, scene separation, and noise reduction in low-light environments, ultimately leading to improved face clarity and natural skin tones.
To fully assess the camera capabilities and effectiveness of the Portrait Expert Engine, a comprehensive review is necessary. Rest assured, a thorough evaluation of all these features will be conducted, and the findings will be shared in an upcoming full review.
Performance & Battery
The OPPO Reno11 F 5G is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset, accompanied by 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, which can be expanded up to 1TB via the available microSD slot.
While the Dimensity 7050 chipset has proven its capabilities in the previous Reno10 5G, there was an expectation for a newer and more powerful chipset in the Reno11 5G and Reno 11 F.
Considering that the Dimensity 7050 is a slight downgrade from the Dimensity 1300 found in the Reno8, it’s understandable to hope for a more impressive processor in the latest Reno 11F.
However, OPPO’s decision to use this chipset might be justified by the fact that the Reno 11 F is the most affordable option in the Reno11 series. Nevertheless, a Snapdragon 7 series chipset could have been a more suitable choice for this mid-range device.
Regardless of the chipset choice, a comprehensive performance evaluation will be conducted to assess how the Reno 11F fares in real-world scenarios and how it compares to other devices in its price range, such as the Galaxy A35 5G.
On the battery front, the OPPO Reno11 F 5G boasts an impressive 5000mAh battery capacity and supports 67W wired charging. Commendably, OPPO has included the 67W charging brick in the box, a welcome decision in an era where many manufacturers have opted to exclude chargers from their device packages.
With such a large battery capacity and fast charging capabilities, the Reno 11 F 5G is expected to deliver solid battery life, potentially lasting a full day or even two days for light users.
However, real-world usage scenarios will ultimately determine the device’s true battery endurance.
As mentioned, I’ll be testing the device extensively in the next couple of weeks, so do let me know what you’d like me to test in the comments section below.
