Oppo Reno 14 Pro review: Familiar design, meaningful upgrades

India Today

3 days ago

Oppo continues its predictable update cycle with the launch of the Reno 14 Pro, which is coming just six months after the debut of the Reno 13 Pro. The strategy is pretty much clear — keep the price in the same ballpark while offering incremental but quality-of-life improvements, be it in battery, processing power, or even the camera hardware. Priced at the same level as its predecessor, the Oppo Reno 14 Pro packs just enough upgrades to stay relevant in a competitive sub-Rs 50,000 market. But does it offer enough to actually recommend it? We will tell you in this India Today Tech review.advertisementDesign: Old wine in a new bottleVisually, the Oppo Reno 14 Pro design stays close to its predecessor. That said, Oppo has made subtle cosmetic changes. This is mostly done through new colour choices, namely, white and green. The white variant, which was sent for this review, measures 7.58mm. The green option is a bit slimmer at 7.48mm. The weight has gone up slightly which is understandable given that the Reno 14 Pro has a bigger battery.Oppo has added a colour-changing flower pattern to the white model. It's subtle but eye-catching — only the flower design shifts hues when light hits it, while the rest of the panel remains unchanged. Moreover, the silver side rails contrast well with the white back panel. For those who prefer a more elegant look, the dark green version is a stunner in its own right.advertisement
The Oppo Reno 14 Pro feels quite premium, thanks to the metal frame and glass back. And even though the chassis is flat, the matte finish on the back ensures it isn't slippery in daily use. The camera module also doesn't protrude much, meaning you won't experience much wobble when the phone sits back facing down on any surface.
It is good to see that Oppo has retained IP66 + IP68 + IP69 ratings, which means the phone is completely dustproof, can survive submersion beyond 1 metre, and even handle high-pressure, high-temperature water jets. So, one doesn't need to be worried about the device getting damaged during monsoons or around pools.Display: Great for binge watchingThe Oppo Reno 14 Pro features the same 6.83-inch 10-bit OLED panel from its predecessor, with a crisp 1.5K resolution and flat design. The display offers 1200nits brightness in HBM (High Brightness Mode). While some rivals offer higher HBM brightness, this is sufficient for most use cases. Indoors, I kept the brightness at 50 per cent and had no visibility issues. Outdoors, especially while framing shots in bright daylight, I did wish for slightly more punch.advertisementMoreover, it lacks support for LTPO technology, so refresh rate only switches between 60Hz and 120Hz, mostly sticking to the higher end. In real-world usage, this didn't bother me much. What did impress me, however, were the proximity and ambient light sensors. Both worked accurately, something that is still a hit-or-miss on some phones even in 2025.One standout experience was streaming Sonic the Hedgehog 3 on Amazon Prime Video, thanks to HDR10+ support. Sonic's bright blue fur, the neon-lit chase scenes, and explosive moments came alive with stunning contrast and rich colours. Compared to non-HDR titles like Knives Out, the visual difference is slightly noticeable — you get deeper blacks, better highlights, and overall a more cinematic feel with HDR content.Oppo also lets users adjust display resolution to 1080p to conserve battery or switch to a higher resolution for sharper visuals. One quick, handy feature that I liked is the Gloves Mode for winter months. You can wear gloves, and the screen is still very much responsive, a useful feature not every brand is offering.As for tuning the colour output, Oppo offers a Screen Colour Mode setting with Natural and Vivid presets, which work fine. But, the "Pro" mode, in contrast, doesn't seem to add much value. There is also a colour temperature palette for more granular customisation.advertisementOverall, you are getting a great display for binge watching in its price range.
Powerful performanceThe Oppo Reno 14 Pro is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8450, and in day-to-day use, it feels fast, fluid, and reliable. This chip actually edges out the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 in benchmarks, putting it in a strong spot among mid-range premium phones. That said, it is not quite at the level of the Snapdragon 8 Elite or the newer 8s Gen 4 chips found in phones under Rs 50,000, which are built for serious power users with faster CPUs and better graphics.On paper, the Reno 14 Pro scores around 1.6 million in AnTuTu and 6409 in Geekbench multi-core, which are respectable numbers. It may not top the charts like some Snapdragon 8 Elite phones in the same price bracket but interestingly, its numbers are in the same ballpark as the iPhone 16 — which is impressive for a phone running a MediaTek chip.advertisementI ran the 3DMark Wild Life Stress Test to check how well it holds up under pressure. The phone managed a best loop score of 10,933 with a stability of 86.7 per cent. A score of 10,933 means the Reno 14 Pro delivers strong graphics performance for games, even if it is not segment leading. The 86.7 per cent stability number shows that the phone sustains performance very well under continuous load, as even after 20 intense loops, there is very little thermal throttling or performance drop. This is a good sign for gamers and power users.As for the real-world usage, I ran Genshin Impact and BGMI for over an hour, and both games performed smoothly at medium graphics settings. I also switched the graphics to High mode in Genshin Impact to see if the gameplay would still be smooth, and it was still enjoyable with little to no stutter. However, one thing that I noticed in both High and Medium graphic settings is that the character switching during intense fighting scenes takes about 2-3 seconds, which was not happening in the low graphic setting. Also, the game was playable only at 30fps and moving to a higher frame rate made the experience a little unpleasant. But, this is not a deal breaker, and the device's back did not get very warm even after playing for about 1.5 hours. The temperature rose from 29 to 40 degrees Celsius while running 3-4 benchmarks, which is acceptable and shows good thermal management.advertisementIn short, while the Reno 14 Pro may not be the absolute fastest in its segment, it offers consistently good performance without overheating or slowing down. If you are someone who games regularly or runs demanding apps, this phone will keep up without breaking a sweat.
The Oppo Reno 14 Pro runs on Android 15 OS out of the box. It is future-proof as it will receive 3 years of Android OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates. While the competition is offering longer software support, the 3+4 policy is still fine for an Android phone. Like every other Android device, this one too comes with a bunch of pre-installed apps. But, you can uninstall most of them, except for the native Oppo apps like Theme Store, Music, Internet, Safety and more. Otherwise, the user interface is quite clean and well-polished.Long-lasting batteryThe larger 6,200mAh battery is one of the biggest upgrades over the Reno 13 Pro. Even with demanding use, including 1.5 hours of Genshin Impact, the battery dropped just 16 per cent, which is a great result. With a mixed-use pattern (WhatsApp, social media, streaming, and light gaming), I was ending the day with around 23 per cent still left. Charging is quick too, thanks to the 80W fast charger in the retail box, something which not all brands are offering anymore.Solid camera for the priceThe Oppo Reno 14 Pro offers a solid camera setup in its price range. In daylight, the device is able to offer shots with plenty of details and clarity. The dynamic range, white balance and exposure levels are mostly well balanced. The sharpness is also on point. I also liked the colour reproduction, which was natural and sometimes on a warmer side. Even while taking a low-angle shot, everything is well exposed. The skies are not blown out and there is no background distortion as well.The same can be said for the ultra-wide-angle shots as well, but the dynamic range could have been slightly better. People who want better details in both wide and ultra-wide angle shots can go for the High-res mode in the camera settings.
It can even take some impressive portrait shots, thanks to the 48mm and 85mm lenses. As you can see in the samples, the device is able to add almost perfect blur in the background and the edge detection is also good. The textures of the clothes, skin tone, facial features and hair strands are quite detailed, with a lot of clarity and balanced sharpness levels. However, when taking wider shots from a 24mm lens, the results are a little mixed bag. It is sometimes able to offer a good usable image with enough details, natural colours and good blur. But, sometimes, it offered soft details, average dynamic range and sharpness. Never mind, you have the other two lenses for capturing solid portraits. Even with non-human subjects, the Oppo Reno 14 Pro does a good job. As you can see in the elephant shot, it has lively colours, details are so well captured that dust is also visible, and the bokeh effect is just on point, making anyone believe that the shot has been taken using a DSLR.Click of any photo below to access all the camera samplesIn addition to this, one can also expect decent close-up shots with the Oppo Reno 14 Pro. The toffee shot that I have taken is so clean and has enough details, sharpness and clarity. The colours are well captured and are not over-saturated. As for the zoom shots, it surprisingly offered a good output. As you can see in one of the building images (captured at 1x zoom), the parked cars are quite far, but switching to 7x zoom reveals the number plate clearly, which is quite impressive.Lastly, the low light shots are decent, with visible noise, enough details and average dynamic range. The colours are fine and sharpness can go for a toss. But, overall, you get usable low-light night shots, with decent quality for your social media.Final Verdict: Should you buy the Oppo Reno 14 Pro?If you already own the Oppo Reno 13 Pro, the upgrades — such as the bigger battery, new MediaTek chip, improved camera setup, and slightly new design — might not be enough to warrant an upgrade. But for those using older Oppo Reno models or looking for a well-balanced premium phone under Rs 50,000, the Oppo Reno 14 Pro is a strong contender. It may not lead the performance charts, but it offers a premium design, solid camera, solid battery life, and smooth day-to-day usage, with bonus features like glove mode, 80W bundled charger, and IP69 protection that genuinely add value.- Ends