It hasn’t been that long since the OPPO Reno8 and 8Z graced our reviews, both devices that fared okay in our tests. Luckily, it seems that the OPPO Reno9 lineup is on the horizon and could be the company’s shot at redemption. What do we know so far?
Photos began to emerge on Weibo and gained traction on Twitter after leakster TechnoAnkit brought them to fame. It features quite possibly an experimental unit of the OPPO Reno9 in the flesh, although less discerning eyes could still mistake it for its predecessor due to the similar back panels.
The most obvious change here is the relocation of the camera shooter to the center instead of on the upper left. Rumors speculate the release of OPPO Reno9 and 9 Pro models, instead of the Z monikers they used with the 8 to distinguish the midrange and premium devices. Specifications for the Pro device could include a MediaTek Dimensity 8100 processor and a 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 sensor. That is the third most powerful chip the company produces and ranks just outside the top 10 of modern processors, power-wise.
The vanilla OPPO Reno9, meanwhile, might just have a 64-megapixel main camera and the midrange Snapdragon 778G chipset. If you’re surprised that the lower-tier model has a higher megapixel count, do remember that not all megapixels are the same. Keep in mind that these systems are those found in the Reno8 and 8Z as well, which performed great in testing.
Both devices also might pack the same 4,500 mAh batteries.
Apart from this, features such as dual speakers, dual sim, a 3.5 mm jack, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.1 are also expected to arrive with the smartphone. We could see improvements to these listed down (such as BT 5.2 instead of 5.1), but that feature list looks more than okay to us.
The main improvement we’re waiting to see is the use of a new display. The Reno8 had a 6.4-inch panel topping out at 90Hz, which was okay but nothing groundbreaking. The 8Z still had a 60Hz panel which can be deemed unacceptable by 2022 standards. Should the 9 Pro have a dynamic 120Hz panel and the vanilla version stick with the old 90Hz one, then we’ll be happy campers.
