I’ve been using Samsung phones ever since I made the switch from iPhones in 2017. To add, I’ve only ever gone for flagship phones because I expect them to last me for at least 5 years, and they always have.
On a day-to-day basis, my phone usage requires no bombastic features—it just has to be practical and fulfil my needs (I’m not a heavy gamer either). So when the OPPO Reno6 Z 5G arrived, it sounded like it would do just those as a trimmed down variant of the classic Reno6 5G and its flagship Reno6 Pro 5G.
Stylish and ergonomic
The Aurora variant I got looked sleek, reflecting some blue and white hues, but it’s not doing anything particularly new in terms of colour design. Even my own Prism White Samsung S10e can reflect multiple hues depending on the lighting.
OPPO Reno6 Z 5G has a textured metallic back, which looks shimmery and was practical in reducing fingerprint smudges. Weighing in at 173g, it’s slim and nice to hold, with a sturdy feel to it.
I also found the positioning of its physical lock button and volume rocker at the centre of the phone’s sides very user-friendly and ergonomic. It made them easy to reach without having to reposition or stretch my fingers to adjust my volume or take a screenshot.
Not to mention, when playing games (my current favourite is Sky: Children of the Light, or just Sky), the extra space ensured there was enough grip for both hands without accidentally triggering the buttons.
The Reno6 Z has a good AMOLED display at 1080 x 2400 pixels which was enjoyable for entertainment purposes. It has the same display as the Reno6, albeit with a slightly lower 60Hz refresh rate.
Its bezels are thin enough to give it that widescreen effect, and the little punch hole front camera off to the side wasn’t a bother since I’m using the Samsung S10e that has the same style.
There was a slight bulge coming from its camera bump, but using a phone case would more or less even out the back’s surface. To unlock the phone, you can opt for face recognition or an under-display fingerprint scanner which is quick and accurate.
I’ll admit that I was a little intimidated by the phone’s 6.4-inch screen which is larger than what I’m used to because I was afraid it’d be difficult to type on with one hand. However, like most smartphones, OPPO’s system has accessibility functions to allow for easy one-handed usage.
Exploring the cameras
The Reno6 Z has a triple camera, which is common on smartphones nowadays. With the Reno6 Z, you’ll get a 64MP wide, an 8MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP macro.
After testing it for some wide, ultra-wide, and macro shots, I noticed that the colours came out a little too saturated and contrast-heavy. But maybe due to my personal preference, I didn’t mind it.
Meanwhile, when taking selfies on its 32MP front camera, my skin appeared very smoothened. While I liked that you couldn’t tell I was having a bad skin day in these shots, some people really dislike this feature, and they’d be glad to know that this feature too can be controlled. The skin smoothening can also be found on the phone’s portrait shots.
Video wise, you can choose to record in 4K at 30fps or 1080p at 30/120fps. The Reno6 Z’s Dual-View Video that lets you record through both your front and rear cameras simultaneously seems made for people who create content online, such as for vlogs or reaction TikToks.
Focus tracking in videos lets you choose a subject while recording; the phone’s AI is able to keep track of them while maintaining focus. Skin smoothening abilities can be switched on and off for videos. Overall, a lot of these features are ones that you would expect to find in most recent smartphones, so it didn’t seem like OPPO was doing anything new here.
Performance didn’t disappoint either
OPPO phones are said to come with strong batteries, and the Reno6 Z’s 4,310mAh battery didn’t disappoint.
On full juice, I could use it as I normally would on my regular phone. From scrolling through social media to replying to messages, playing Sky, and watching YouTube—I only had to charge it by the end of the day. With 30W fast charging abilities, I could get the phone from 15% to 100% in less than an hour.
There were some additional UI features like floating windows and air gestures that allowed me to swipe up and down without touching the screen. I wasn’t too great at using the latter, but I’d blame it on my lack of skills.
Its display was vibrant enough, and the Eye Comfort mode to warm up the screen’s blue lights is welcomed for sensitive eyes.
My current go-to game for check out a device’s performance is Sky, which is a slightly heavier game to run due to its graphics. Though the Reno6 Z’s 8GB RAM didn’t let me down with its graphics on medium settings, it would lag a bit at times but bounce back shortly. The game’s mystical music came through loud and clear through the phone’s stereo speakers.
I could play Sky for about 2 hours with little heat building up on the phone. Perhaps this could be put down to OPPO’s multi-cooling system on the Reno6 Z, so it likely could handle even more demanding games.
Verdict
Maybe it was the excitement over getting to play with a new device, but I was still pretty sad knowing I had to part ways with the Reno6 Z after 2 weeks. The ergonomics of this phone was its biggest plus point for me and it’s changed my perspective on embracing larger-screen phones. In fact, I wholeheartedly believe that more smartphones should adopt this design for the benefit of consumers.
All in all, the OPPO Reno6 Z is practical, stylish, and functional, which are basically everything I look for when buying a phone. At RM1,689 it’s a mid-range affordable option that doesn’t sacrifice quality. It functions as well as it can for a smartphone of its price, plus a little more.
| Pros | Cons |
| Ergonomic side buttons | Tends to lag sometimes when gaming |
| A long-lasting battery | |
| Doesn’t heat up even while gaming |
VP Verdict is a series where we personally try and test out products, services, fads, and apps. Want to suggest something else for us to try? Leave a comment here or send the suggestion to our Facebook page.