The idea behind the F21 Pro 5G is simple. Whether or not it’s a great idea, well, that’s a bit complicated. This new phone from Oppo is technically supposed to be a supercharged 5G version of the seemingly more regular F21 Pro (first impressions). So far so good until you realise, there’s another 5G phone – from Oppo itself – called the Reno 7, that offers much better hardware at just Rs 2,000 more. That does not make the F21 Pro 5G any less appealing, but it surely makes picking one over the other, tricky.
To be clear, the F21 Pro and F21 Pro 5G are very nearly the same phones with a different chip and a few minor differences here and there. There is obviously, a difference in pricing. Oppo F21 Pro price in India is set at Rs 22,999 while the Oppo F21 Pro 5G will set you back by Rs 26,999. You get 8GB/128GB by default inside both the phones. The Reno 7, meanwhile, is available for Rs 28,999 (8GB/256GB).
The F21 Pro 5G is virtually identical to the 4G F21 Pro, at least as far as core design scheme is concerned. They’re both of the same size, made out of plastic, and come with flat sides. The screen is flat, too. Where the F21 Pro 5G differs is in the choice of colours and rear camera layout.
Both phones share the Cosmic Black colourway but the F21 Pro 5G also gets a Rainbow Spectrum exclusive (the F21 Pro, similarly, comes in exclusive Sunset Orange). Oppo claims this version uses a “three-layer texture and a two-layer coating” manufacturing process. Basically, it’s a colourful canvas that changes hues basis of how light hits it. The surface is smooth to the touch, a tad slippery too, but the flat edges ensure the phone sticks around in your hand. There is no ingress protection.
There is no separate camera apparatus so to say. Individual lenses are placed as is on the back panel. There are three in all, plus an LED flash. Two of those stick out, more, and have “orbit rings” around them that light up during charging or when you receive a notification. The regular F21 Pro also has only one of those. The Reno 7 doesn’t have any such party trick. The Reno 7 Pro does.
Display stats are standard across the board, which is to say, you get a 6.4-inch 1080p AMOLED display with a hole punch cut-out. There is a difference, though. The F21 Pro 5G, for some curious reason, tops out at 60Hz. Both the F21 Pro and Reno 7 have 90Hz panels. And the difference is obvious which only makes the underlying hardware seem slower than it really is. The F21 Pro 5G has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695, a tried-and-tested chip we’ve seen in action already in multiple devices. Aside from the limitation that it can’t do 4K video recording, it’s all good. Surely, a more powerful chip would have been nicer, and the Reno 7 does give you one, which is the MediaTek Dimensity 900, but Oppo not giving you either – 90Hz/faster chip – seems like a missed opportunity.
The same thing extends into the cameras and fast charging stats, too. The F21 Pro 5G has the same 64MP main and 2MP depth camera as the regular F21 Pro but swaps the “fun” 2MP micro-lens camera with a more standard 2MP macro. The Reno 7 gets you an 8MP ultrawide-angle too in addition to 64MP main and 2MP macro cameras. On the front, the F21 Pro 5G has a 16MP camera (the Reno 7 has a 32MP).
Fuelling the package is a 4,500mAh battery with 33W fast charging in a segment where the faster, the better seems to be the growing norm. The Reno 7 itself supports 65W fast charging.
Oppo F21 Pro 5G first impressions
Now, fast charging speeds will be irrelevant for many, and 33W is fast enough for most people, but it’s the rest of the package that could work against the F21 Pro 5G in a spec-driven market segment. Oppo’s own Reno 7 doesn’t make its life easier.
The F21 Pro 5G is clearly not chasing those high-end specs. Rather, it’s gunning to be an all-rounder with good looks, well optimised software, and competitive cameras. Question is, without any headlining feature that really stands out from the crowd, will it be able to draw your attention. We will have more to say about all this, and whether you should or shouldn’t buy the Oppo F21 Pro 5G, in our full review dropping soon. So, stay tuned for more.
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