Oppo Reno 13 Pro Review: Photo-Snapping Mid-Ranger That Excels

Best Prices Today: Oppo Reno 13 Pro

The Oppo Reno 13 Pro brings big upgrades to one of the most popular mid-range phone lines. It looks and feels like a premium device, with its aluminium and glass construction, IP69-rated durability, and expansive AMOLED display. Under the hood, it packs a more powerful Dimensity 8350 chipset, a triple-lens camera setup that includes a rare 3.5x telephoto, and a battery that comfortably lasts a day and a half.

But while the upgrades are significant, so is the price hike. Starting at £649 in the UK, the Reno 13 Pro now finds itself in competition with true flagship challengers such as the Poco F7 Ultra and Pixel 9 – and that undermines the value equation that Oppo’s Reno line used to dominate.

It’s a great phone, and the camera and battery experience are particular stand-outs, but it no longer feels like the obvious mid-range choice. Oppo has built a fantastic all-rounder, but priced it out of the mid-range comfort zone.

Design & Build

• Premium aluminium frame and glass back
• IP69/IP68 dust and water resistance
• Available in Graphite Grey and Plume Purple

Oppo has stepped up its design game this year. The Reno 13 Pro looks and feels far more premium than the Reno 12 Pro, thanks to its polished aluminium frame and sculpted glass back. The design is boxier and more refined, offering a premium feel with the Graphite Grey model and a bit more personality with the Plume Purple variant.

At 197g and just 7.6mm thick, this mid-ranger remains lightweight and easy to handle, even with its large 6.83-inch display. The power and volume buttons are located conveniently on the right side, and the in-display fingerprint scanner is responsive and accurate. The symmetrical quad-curve glass on the front feels sleek and enhances gesture navigation, although the completely flat back glass makes the phone easier to grip.

The real standout is the IP69 certification – a rare inclusion even among flagships. It means the phone isn’t only water and dust-resistant but can withstand high-pressure water jets and even hot water. Oppo is clearly leaning into the rugged angle here, especially when paired with the underwater camera mode. This might be overkill for most, but it adds a layer of security that few phones offer.

Oppo has stepped up its design game this year – the Reno 13 Pro looks and feels far more premium than the 12 Pro

What’s less impressive is the lack of a Micro-SD card slot or headphone jack. These omissions are common in higher-end phones, featuring mostly on budget handsets. But it’s still frustrating, especially for users who rely on wired audio or external storage. That said, the 512GB storage should be more than enough for most users, and Bluetooth 5.4 provides strong wireless connectivity.

Screen & Speakers

• 6.83-inch 120Hz AMOLED panel
• 1272×2800 resolution with HDR10+
• Protected by Gorilla Glass 7i

The Reno 13 Pro’s display is one of its strongest assets. At 6.83 inches, it offers a large canvas for everything from gaming to binge-watching. The resolution of 1272×2800 delivers a sharp picture, and the 120Hz refresh rate keeps things fluid and responsive. While the default setting adjusts the refresh rate dynamically to preserve battery life, you can lock it to 120Hz if you prefer constant smoothness.

Colour reproduction is vivid, with deep blacks and wide-gamut support thanks to the AMOLED tech – it really impressed me. HDR10+ content looks fantastic here, especially on streaming apps such as Netflix and YouTube. Oppo offers multiple display modes and manual tuning options, but the default setting was accurate and punchy without being overblown.

Peak brightness of 1200 nits makes it more than usable outdoors. Even in harsh sunlight, I had no issues with reading text on the screen. The quad-curved edges of the glass make gesture controls feel fluid and add to the immersive feel of the screen, although this trend may be falling out of fashion with flatter flagship displays becoming more common in 2025. I do prefer flatter displays, but I didn’t mind using the Reno 13 Pro’s curved display quite as much as others.

The Reno 13 Pro’s display is one of its strongest assets

Gorilla Glass 7i offers decent protection against scratches and drops, though it’s a small step down from the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 used on the Reno 12 Pro. The downgrade likely helps Oppo keep the cost of materials in check, but it’s worth noting for longevity.

On the audio front, stereo speakers offer adequate clarity and separation. They’re fine for casual listening or video calls, but not especially rich. There’s no support for Dolby Atmos as you’d find on higher-end handsets, and audio output lacks the dynamic range of the best in class.

Specs & Performance

• MediaTek Dimensity 8350 chipset
• 12GB RAM and 512GB storage
• Pretty impressive Geekbench 6 benchmark results

The Reno 13 Pro takes a major leap forward from its predecessor thanks to the inclusion of the Dimensity 8350 chip. This chip offers a 20% CPU and 60% GPU performance boost over the 7300 Energy used in the Reno 12 Pro, and that’s immediately evident in daily use.

Multitasking is seamless, apps launch quickly, and even intensive tasks like photo editing or video rendering are handled with confidence. In gaming, it can run demanding titles like Zenless Zone Zero at stable 30fps on high settings. Pushing to 60fps leads to variable frame rates, but it remains playable – and pretty impressive for a mid-range chipset.