We tested the Oppo Reno 15 for a week, and it’s got everything you’d need

The Oppo Reno 15 showed up at our desk recently, and at first, we weren’t really expecting all that much from another mid-range phone in this particular segment. But this thing has presence.

Upon picking it up for the first time, we noticed it’s got that satisfying heft to it where you actually feel like you’re holding something real and substantial in your hand. But there’s more to this device than the in-hand feel. Let’s dive into all of that in our detailed Oppo Reno 15 review.

Oppo Reno 15 review: Design and display

That first impression really does matter quite a bit with phones, and Oppo clearly understands this whole thing rather well. The glass back, paired with an aluminium frame, feels genuinely premium.

The curves along the edges blend into the chassis so smoothly that even with that weight we mentioned, it never actually digs into your palm uncomfortably during extended use. Again, this one’s somewhat on the heavier side at 197 grams, but it helps that it’s also just 7.8mm thick.

We received the Aurora Blue variant for this review, and we need to talk about that finish a bit. Oppo’s using something called HoloFusion technology here–basically thousands of tiny nano-curved structures etched into the glass surface that manipulate light in interesting ways. The effect is meant to simulate an aurora, which sounds rather impressive on paper.

In reality though, it kind of just looks like someone smudged the back panel. Maybe that particular look grows on you eventually, but we’re not entirely convinced yet.

The 6.59-inch 1.5K AMOLED panel itself is quite lovely when you’re indoors, with punchy colours and those deep blacks that made catching up on anime genuinely enjoyable over the weekend. That 89.4 per cent screen-to-body ratio means you’re getting plenty of display real estate to work with, and those bezels are equal all around, which is oddly satisfying when you actually notice these kinds of details.

Oppo Reno 15 review: Cameras

Cameras were honestly why we were so curious about this particular phone in the first place, and the Reno 15 mostly delivers on those expectations.

The 50MP main sensor with optical image stabilisation captures sharp, detailed shots in daylight with colours that pop without looking completely artificial or overdone.

Reds run a bit saturated in our experience, but highlights and dynamic range are handled well enough that it’s not really a concern.

The 3.5x telephoto is where things get genuinely impressive for this particular price point. Portraits have that clean edge detection you’d want, and even at 7x zoom at night, shots remain surprisingly crisp and usable. Beyond 20x though, everything just falls apart completely.

The 8MP ultrawide is definitely the weak link in this whole camera setup. It’s fine enough for daylight situations, but night shots come out soft and lacking in detail consistently.

One annoying quirk that affects all these cameras is that photos take about 10 to 15 seconds to fully process. So you’ll have to check your shot immediately after capturing and it looks all grainy and overexposed. You’ll need some patience for that final result to actually appear, which can be frustrating when you’re trying to capture moments quickly.

Oppo Reno 15 review: Software, performance, and battery

ColorOS 16, running on top of Android 16, is actually pretty delightful to navigate through on a daily basis. Oppo has cleaned things up considerably from those previous versions, and the whole interface feels snappy and responsive in ways that matter.

Animations are smooth, customisation options are plentiful throughout the settings, and daily tasks flow without any noticeable hiccups or stuttering.

That said, there’s really no visual cohesiveness to speak of here with this software. Google apps follow their own design language entirely, Oppo’s native apps do their own thing separately – and some of those even have the new Liquid Glass elements (the Calculator app) while others strangely don’t. It’s a nitpick for sure, but all of that does create a slightly fragmented experience when you’re jumping between different apps.

There’s a bit of a bloatware situation here too, but all those apps can be uninstalled if you take the time. We could certainly have done it without them. But hey, as long as you can delete those extras, it’s hard to complain.

ALSO READ: We used the Oppo Reno 15 Pro for two weeks, and its cameras won us over

The Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 handles everyday tasks without any real complaint from our end. Apps open quickly enough, multitasking works fine for most scenarios, and scrolling through social media feels smooth and responsive.

This is not a proper gaming processor, though. BGMI and Call of Duty Mobile run at 90fps only on the lowest graphics settings, and more demanding titles hover around that 30-35fps range consistently.

Battery life, though, is genuinely excellent on this device. That 6,500mAh cell carried us through a full day of navigation, hotspot usage, and constant photo-taking with screen time still to spare by evening. The included 80W charger gets you from empty to full in just over an hour, which means you’re rarely actually stressed about any of that battery situation.

Unboxed Take: Who should buy the Oppo Reno 15?

The Oppo Reno 15 occupies an interesting middle ground in this whole market segment. It’s not really trying to compete on raw performance numbers, and that’s perfectly fine for what this is.

What you’re getting instead with this device is a phone that feels premium in the hand, takes genuinely impressive photos from its main and telephoto lenses especially, lasts all day on a single charge without worry, and runs software that’s actually pleasant to use on a daily basis.

If you prioritise cameras and design over benchmark numbers and gaming performance, this makes a rather compelling case for itself at Rs 45,999. For all these reasons, we rate the phone a solid 4/5.

Stay tuned to Unboxed by Croma for more such in-depth reviews, and everything tech.