Device Review: Oppo Reno 4Z 5G

Oppo’s cheapest handset from the Reno 4 series makes 5G affordable

Another review, another Reno.

It wasn’t long ago that I was able to review that Oppo Reno 4 Pro 5G, and now I’ve had the chance to examine a cheaper variant of the Reno 4 series, the Reno 4 Z 5G.

Coming in at £259, it’s considerably cheaper than the more flagship Reno 4 Pro.

So how does this smartphone stack up?

Specs

OS: Android 10 with ColorOS 7.2

Processor: MediaTek MT6873V Dimensity 800 5G

Screen: 6.57-inches

Resolution: 1,080 x 2,400 pixels, 20:9 ratio

Memory: 8GB RAM

Internal storage: 128GB

External memory: No

Rear camera: Quad camera 48MP x 8MP x 2MP x 2MP

Front camera: Dual front camera 16MP x 2MP

Video: 4K@30fps, 1080p@30fps

Battery: 4,000mAh

Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS, NFC and USB type C 3.1

Dimensions: 163.8 x 75.5 x 8.1 mm

Weight: 184 g

To begin with it is worth noting the main differences between the Reno 4 Z 5G and the Reno 4 Pro 5G.

Unsurprisingly the chipset in this more budget variant isn’t as powerful, with a MediaTek MT6873V processor running the Reno 4 Z, compared to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765 in the Reno 4 Pro 5G.

But given the price of the Reno 4 Z 5G, that’s not a stick to beat this handset with.

However this model actually has more cameras than the Reno 4 Pro 5G. It comes with a quad-camera set up on the rear, plus a dual camera on the front.

The Reno 4 Z 5G is similar to the 4 Pro 5G in terms of its overall size, battery and memory, although the Reno 4 Pro 5G has additional RAM and ROM sizes.

Design

As for the design, the handset is similar in screen size to the rest of the Reno 4 series.

However when you compare the Reno 4 Z to the Pro 5G model there is noticeable difference in design.

The Reno 4 Z is a bit heavier and feels a bit clunkier when compared to the more refined Pro 5G model.

Although on the front there is the dual-camera set up located in the top left of the screen compared to the single front camera on the Reno 4 Pro 5G.

Overall the phone has an overall screen-to-body ratio of 84.3 per cent, compared to 89.5 per cent on the Pro 5G variant.

A more noticeable difference between the two handsets is found on the rear of the device.

As you can you see from the image below, the camera setup on the Reno 4 Z is housed in a square like box, compared to the traffic-light like design on the Pro 5G.

As for colour choices the options are limited to two, in either ‘dew white’ or ‘ink black’, which is the colour I’ve been given.

Camera

With an impressive quad-camera set up, I was keen to put this budget mid-ranger to the test. And what perfect way to do that then with a snow day in London.

Snow in London is very rare, at least when compared to northern parts of the UK, so it was great to capture some images with the Reno 4 Z.

As you can see from some of the below photos you’re able to take some good snaps, but nothing spectacular, which in fairness I’ve put down more to the weather.

I was able to take some good photos from the snow day, but they were a bit distorted, so also took some snaps during less chaotic weather.

Unlike the zoom feature on the Reno 4 Pro 5G which goes up to 20 times, this model only catered to 10 times.

I found the zoom a bit blurry when fully maximised, but to me personally the feature isn’t a huge deal. For seasoned photographers wishing to go on a safari, it might not be ideal however.

The image below at full zoom further highlights how blurry the Zoom feature is on the Reno 4 Z. It was very difficult to get a stable image and after a few attempts this was the best I managed.

As for night mode, I found this was more encouraging and I was able to take some sharp photos with this feature.

This might also be the way to go when taking images in areas poor lighting as I found the phone struggled with regards to this.

Performance and storage

The performance of the Reno 4 Z in general is pretty reasonable when you consider the price of the handset.

Of course it doesn’t run as smoothly as the Reno 4 Pro 5G, which is powered by one of the best chipsets Qualcomm has to offer, but the MediaTek MT6873V is no slouch.

And more importantly this chipset makes 5G affordable and accessible to those that don’t have the money to spend £500 and then some on a phone.

I found the battery life to be solid and when using this phone would find myself with more than enough juice come the end of the day.

Charging is also relatively quick, while other features such as the facial recognition works well.

I was also a fan of the fingerprint sensor, which is located on the side of the device and was importantly pretty responsive.

Verdict – 4/5

Speed – 4/5

Battery – 5/5

Design – 4/5

Camera – 3.5/5

Value – 4/5

Overall I was pretty impressed with Oppo’s cheapest Reno 4 smartphone.

I think the pricing makes 5G affordable and with more handsets priced like this, the adoption of 5G handsets will no doubt boom in the next couple of years.

And more importantly Oppo has proven that 5G handsets don’t need to cost a fortune.

As previously mentioned the Reno 4 Z does what it says it will and although it’s not the most high-spec, it certainly delivers a lot of useful features.

The camera performance isn’t spectacular but it is strong enough that you’ll be able to take good decent photos for your social media, once lockdown lifts of course.

And with ample storage, a responsive fingerprint sensor, plus powerful battery, the Reno 4 Z should be considered by those that don’t wish to break the bank.

Price: £259

Availability: Oppo online store, Curry’s PC World, Amazon, John Lewis and Very.co.uk