By Peter Nalika and Tim Muinga
The OPPO Reno13 F 5G is not trying to be a flagship and that’s exactly why it stands out. This mid-range smartphone delivers a premium experience at a fraction of the price, packing a sleek design, powerful battery, AI-driven features, and a bright 120Hz display. Whether you love photography, gaming, or just want a phone that lasts, the Reno13 F 5G has something for you.
It’s built to survive daily life, with an IP69 rating that resists water, dust, and even high-pressure jets. The AI-powered camera tools make your photos pop effortlessly, and the massive 5,800mAh battery ensures you stay connected all day without constantly hunting for a charger.
Of course, it’s not perfect. It lacks wireless charging, and serious gamers may need more power. But if you want a stylish, reliable, and feature-packed smartphone without breaking the bank, this might just be the best deal out there.
Let’s dive into what makes the OPPO Reno13 F 5G shine!
Design: Looks Fancy, Survives Real Life
The OPPO Reno13 F 5G is here to redefine what a mid-range smartphone can do. With a massive battery, durable design and innovative AI features, the phone caters to users who demand more without demanding more from them. Whether you are a photography enthusiast, a mobile gamer or a data bundle hog, the OPPO Reno13 F 5G has something for you. Let’s dive in!
What you’ll love – the phone has a slim, glossy design and comes in unique colours that turn heads; however, the case it comes with unfortunately won’t let you enjoy this for long. It’s lighter than most phones, too—no wrist fatigue during long social media of YouTube sprees.
The IP69 rating means it laughs at rain, dust, and even pool selfies. Most mid-range phones can’t handle this. In fact, a certain flagship phone only gets to IP68 rating. The IP69 rating can withstand high pressure water jets including those at the car wash or if its next to you as you are doing the dishes, no sweat!
However, you will notice that the plastic back ≠ flagship feel. It’s glossy and pretty, but not the glass you’d get on a Galaxy S24. On the upside, no fingerprint smudges!
Screen: Smooth and Bright… a Little Sun
You’ll Love its buttery-smooth scrolling. The 120Hz refresh rate makes TikTok and Instagram feel fast. Flagships do this too, but not at this price range. In fact, the flagship we noted earlier only gets this feature after the USD 1,000 price point. In sunlight, the screen hits 1,200 nits browsing while outside is no problem at all for this phone, the screen is its own little bright sun.
However, you will notice that It’s not 4K sharp. Text and photos look good, but if you’re coming from a pricier phone, you’ll spot slightly fuzzier details. The 1080p resolution makes its icons take up space and the large screen feel small with the keyboard shows up.
Performance: Good Enough [Mostly]
You’ll love how it shows no lag in daily life. Apps like WhatsApp, YouTube, and Gmail open instantly. Switching between 10 Chrome tabs? Easy. Transition between apps is also silky smooth. The optimised ColorOS works well with the processor making even casual gaming run perfectly and cool to the touch. The phone comes loaded with a performance management app that helps you clear memory and save up storage occasionally. Its notifications can get annoying, but once you find out how to supress them, it gets the job quietly done all the time.
However, you will notice that heavy games need compromises. Some games automatically downgrade performance and quickly gets the phone warm to the touch. Face unlock hates the dark. In dim lighting, it’s slow and unreliable, but it won’t get fooled by a photo or your twin.
Battery Life: The real MVP!
You’ll Love this charger! Remember that USD 1,000 flagship phone, it doesn’t even come with a charger. The OPPO Reno 13F 5G comes with a 45W super-fast charger. This can get it to 100% in just under 35 minutes. Meaning you can make a cup of tea, and it will be ready to go before you are through sipping it up. Or to put it in another way, you can watch an episode of your favourite show and before it’s over, your phone will be at 100%. In addition, the massive 5,800mAh battery will have you forgetting your power bank at home. With normal use [social media, calls, videos, photos], the 5,800mAh battery lasts 2 full days. Even heavy users get a solid 24 hours.
However, you will notice that it has no wireless charging meaning, you can’t just dump it on a pad, it must be connected to power up.
Cameras: AI Magic… With Limits
You’ll love how easy it is to take daylight photos that look vibrant and sharp. The AI auto-adjusts colours—no editing needed. With the IP69 rating, it also has a feature that allows you to use the camera underwater, unique for its price. Don’t worry about having to put it in rice later, the phone even drains water from its speakers afterward. The AI edit features that the other flagship with IP69 rating tries to implement and fails miserably is the ability to delete photobombers instantly! The AI Eraser 2.0 works shockingly well [unlike older gimmicks]. Making it easy to make corrections on your photos without creating aliens.
However, you will notice that the low-light photos at dusk or indoors get noisy. The night mode helps, but it’s no Google Pixel. It also does not have a dedicated zoom lens, so no scumbag zooms here. That 2MP macro camera, however, is fun for flower close-ups, but distant subjects stay blurry.
Software: Helpful AI… the Boost in the Hood
The AI features packed into the phone are a game-changer to midrange phones. They bring flagship features customised to your use case. Implementing these features under the hood has made it possible to use software to bridge the hardware gap between flagship and midrange phones. For example, the OPPO Reno13 F 5G can translate menus in real time, the AI unblur can fix blurry photos taken at the wedding where everyone was moving around before you send them out. Making you look good with minimal effort. OPPO have also implemented the notification island at the top of the screen very well. It shows your current playing song unobtrusively even while you are in other apps. These features are nice to have and blend in well with your day-to-day use, you’ll forget they exist.
Verdict Who’s This For? [And Who Should Skip It]
Buy it if:
- You want a stylish, durable phone that survives drops, rain, and glows outdoors.
- You hate charging your phone daily.
- You love AI photo tricks but aren’t a pro photographer.
Skip it if:
- You’re a hardcore mobile gamer [get a flagship or gaming phone].
- You need DSLR-like low-light photos, maybe get out more during the day.
- You’re obsessed with premium materials even though you’ll hide them behind a case.
The OPPO Reno13 F 5G has found the sweet spot between affordable and awesome. It nails the essentials—battery life, durability, and a great screen while tossing in playful extras like underwater photography and AI editing. But it’s not a flagship. It’s a steal if you want 90% of the premium experience at a fraction of the premium price. What’s guaranteed, you’ll enjoy the experience, and the AI features promise to get better with time.
Buy it here.
