Not all that long ago, Oppo introduced us to the Reno 12 Pro – a R19,000 smartphone headlining the company’s slew of devices available in South Africa. At the time, Oppo briefly mentioned that two more smartphones were waiting in the wings – and now one has officially turned up, taking the shape of the Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G.
Consider the Reno 12 FS (we’re omitting the 5G naming convention from here on out for the sake of our sanity) to be the younger brother of the Pro, carrying with it somewhat weaker specs, the same AI promises as its older brother, and most importantly, a far cheaper price tag. R13,000 is what you’ll need to get the FS in your pocket.
The nitty-gritty of it all
“We launched the Reno 12 Pro in the market last month. The Reno 12 FS 5G adds to the momentum while also ensuring that we are creating options for our customers. This iteration of the Reno12 series offers our intuitive AI technology across performance and photography, SuperVOOC Charging, and a sleek design at a price suited to the customer’s pocket,” said Liam Fourie, head of go-to-market & operations at Oppo South Africa.
We’ll get those AI-powered bits of functionality out of the way first. As you’d find in the Pro, the Reno 12 FS features tools like AI Eraser (2.0) and Smart Image Matting (2.0) – both of which promise to take the Reno 12 FS’ photography game to the next level. Less focussed on cameras are the more productivity-centric AI features like AI Writer and AI Recording Summary. Whether they’re as good as Oppo claims… we’ll have to see for ourselves.
Fortunately, the Reno 12 FS doesn’t need all that much help where its cameras are concerned, so any boost is just a bonus. It sports a 50MP main sensor, joined by an 8MP wide-angle and 2MP sensor for those macro shots. Around the other side is a 32MP shooter embedded in the 6.67in FHD+ display that’s easily 120HZ capable.
Read More: Oppo launches Reno 12 Pro locally for R19,000
The Reno 12 FS is obviously a 5G affair, thanks to the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset powering the device. The South African variant turns up with 12GB of RAM (plus another 12GB using Oppo’s RAM expansion feature which totally isn’t a gimmick) and 512GB of local storage. Battery life matches the industry standard of a 5,000mAh battery, though manages to throw in 45W charging which is a nice touch.
Another AI feature included is Oppo’s ‘AI LinkBoost’ that will give your signal a boost by optimising “network selection using a system-level AI model that adapts to [the] network environment.” ‘BeaconLink’ joins the AI ranks, too, as we saw in the Pro, enabling device-to-device calls through Bluetooth over a 2000m range, without any network coverage necessary.
The Oppo Reno 12 FS 5G is available in Amber Orange and Olive Green colourways now for R13,000 or on contract from R550/m “from leading operators”.