Little by little, Artificial Intelligence is slipping into every part of our lives. Smartphone makers have not been left out of the bandwagon as they ensure that you have AI with you literally inside your pockets.
But there’s one thing standing between most people and getting their hands on a real AI-powered phone; the budget. Good things always come with a high price tag, right?
Well, Chinese manufacturer Oppo has heard the cries for affordable top-quality tech and is rolling out a budget-friendly device packed with all the cool AI features you want.
Take my word, the Oppo Reno 12F 5G is one of the most unmatched mid-range devices you can ever get for such a sweet package of AI clusters. You can even tell by its aggressive profile and superior feel.
Its impeccable AI features put it leagues ahead of pricey competitors like, dare I say, the Samsung Galaxy. The latter might drain your wallet entirely but by choosing the Reno 12F, you will not need to break the bank.
Design & Build Quality
Just by looking at the phone, you’ll notice it has a sleek two-tone finish. Its slim profile feels ergonomically friendly in your hands thus making it the perfect fit for those who spend their days scrolling through socials.
Not to mention, it has a classy, compact and stylish design. Oppo offers the phone in two unique youthful colours: Amber Orange and Olive Green.
As mentioned earlier, the back of the phone is smooth. You might wonder whether it’s a fingerprint magnet; good news, it’s not. The surface resists fingerprints and keeps its glossy shine without any smudges or dirt.
The Oppo Reno 12F has an impressive IP64 rating for water and dust resistance. If you’re a camera fan, you’ll be pleased to know the camera bump on the back is designed to be very subtle, helping to keep the innovative AI lens scratch-free.
The phone also has an impressive 6.67 AMOLED HD+ Resolution curved screen to add to its ergonomic feel, making it comfortable to hold. It doesn’t have aggressively sharp edges like the Samsung S22 Ultra & S23 Ultra which get accidental touches in the display.
Another stand-out feature is how light and comfortable the phone is to hold thanks to its all-round curved armour feature. It weighs 187 grams and has a thickness of 7.69mm.
Display
It has an impressive 6.67-inch AMOLED panel with HD+ resolution (1080 px) and a 120Hz refresh rate, which drops to 60Hz to save battery.
This feature works well whether you’re browsing the system UI, gaming, or using the phone for web searches. Using this phone will be hassle-free as scrolling is always seamless without any lags.
The Oppo Reno 12F has a screen-to-body ratio of 92%. This display quality is top-notch, and it’s clear that Oppo really outdid themselves. Credits are more than overdue for this device’s haptic feedback while typing on the display.
The phone has a peak brightness of 2100 nits, ensuring the screen remains clear and easy to read even in direct sunlight. Plus, it’s protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
Oppo didn’t skimp on features, adding Adaptive Tone to adjust the screen’s warmth based on your surroundings. No more squinting or straining your eyes during long usage; your screen will stay easy on the eyes, no matter the light.
OPPO unveils Reno12 Series: advanced GenAI, Futuristic Design, and Unmatched Energy Efficiency”
Performance
The Oppo Reno 12F runs on ColorOS, which is built on Android 14, offering smooth animations and transitions. It’s powered by a MediaTek Dimensity chipset, delivering performance that rivals higher-end smartphones.
The device comes with preinstalled apps and app suggestions right out of the box. Plus, it boasts a range of AI features. Personally, I believe there’s no other phone in its price range that offers this kind of value.
The MediaTek Dimensity 6300 5G pairs with 12GB of RAM in the high-end variant and 8GB in the base model. Storage options start at 256GB, going up to 512 GB. And if that’s not enough, there’s an SD card slot to expand your memory even further.
As stated, the performance is amazing. The games run very well. TikTokers will love how quickly they will be able to edit videos and multitask with apps running in the background.
Battery & Charging Speed
It packs a 5000mAh battery that’ll easily last a full day on one charge. Recharging from 0 to 100% takes just over an hour with the 40W fast charger included in the package.
AI Features in Reno 12F 5G
1 AI Eraser 2.0
Oppo’s AI Erase 2.0 is a major upgrade from its previous version, now with improved object detection. Just circle what you want to remove, and it’s gone in seconds. While the Samsung Galaxy S24 has a similar feature, it’s trickier to use compared to the straightforward ease of the Oppo Reno 12F 5G.
2 AI Studio
The AI Studio on the Oppo Reno 12F 5G lets you easily turn any photo into a cool avatar or profile picture.
While similar AI enhancements are usually paid and hard to access, this feature is free and simple. Just upload your image and get multiple variations. The Galaxy S24 doesn’t offer this; it only generates wallpapers.
3 AI Toolbox
Thanks to Google’s Gemini, you can swipe by the right side of the display to access it. It has an AI writer that you can use to write emails and any other writing using prompts.
There is AI speak that can read anything on your phone, and you also get an AI summary that can summarize text for you.
The good thing about the AI toolbox is that it understands what you are doing on your phone, and when you swipe to the right, it will suggest the best AI tool that you need at that time.
On the Samsung Galaxy S24, you have to use the Samsung keyboard to generate text. The Samsung browser also supports AI summary while browsing, but it is only restricted to the app on the phone. You can access the feature on the Reno 12F 5G anywhere on the phone.
4 AI Recorder
The AI recorder on the Oppo Reno 12F 5G summarizes voice recordings, important dates, times, and to-do lists, and saves them to notes quickly. Samsung offers similar features like transcription, so neither stands out as better.
However, having this on the Reno 12F makes it a strong competitor against Samsung. For students, media professionals, and content creators, this feature is incredibly useful for summarising class notes, meetings, and content analysis.
5 AI LinkBoost & BeaconLink
The Oppo Reno 12F 5G features a unique 360-degree antenna for better signal detection and network optimisation, even in low-signal areas.
It also includes Beaconlink for Bluetooth calling up to 200 meters away, a feature not found on the Samsung Galaxy S24.
6 Splash Touch Display
While not an AI feature, it’s worth noting that the Oppo Reno 12F 5G’s display functions perfectly even when wet. You can use it in the rain without issues, unlike many phones in its price range that struggle with water splashes.
Conclusion
Beyond reasonable doubt, Oppo has delivered a phone that strikes a balance between style, performance and functionality.
Above all, the AI features tied down to its price tag make the phone a hard-to-resist deal. The Oppo Reno12 F is available at Sh. 49,999. Get yours here.