Oppo returns to Europe with budget-minded Reno11 F

For a hot minute it looked like Oppo’s time in Europe had come to an end, on account of legal tussles with Nokia. But since signing a cross-licensing agreement (and agreeing to brush a patent dispute under the rug), the Chinese firm is now back in full force. First out the gate is the Oppo Reno11 F, a budget phone that majors on slim styling and a long lifespan.

Having launched earlier in the year for Asia and the Middle East, the Reno11 F’s specs won’t come as a huge shock to keen phone fans. The svelte, 7.54mm thick handset has the flat sides, rounded corners and flat glass front that’s all the rage with today’s flagships, and is IP65 dust and water resistant – not always a given at this end of the price spectrum.

Up front there’s a 6.7in, Full HD+ AMOLED screen with especially skinny bezels, a 120Hz refresh rate and 1100nits peak brightness for HDR10+ video (it’ll do 900 nits peak everywhere else). Expect an under-display fingerprint sensor and a punch-hole for the 32MP selfie camera. A 64MP main snapper leads the way at the rear; it’s paired with an 8MP ultrawide and 2MP macro cam, which sound less exciting.

Underneath an 8-core MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chipset provides the power. There’s 8GB RAM and either 128 or 256GB of storage, plus microSD expansion – which is increasingly rare among affordable rivals. It’s running Oppo’s ColorOS 14 skin on top of Android 14.

A 5000mAh battery should provide plenty of staying power, and 67W SuperVOOC wired charging promises more than 50% in just 20 minutes while wired into the mains over USB-C.

The Reno11 F will be hitting the UK in Palm Green colours. It’s available to pre-order right now from the Oppo store for £259 – a healthy discount from the regular £349 asking price, which kicks in from the 26th of April. Early birds also get entered into a draw to win tickets to UEFA Champions League matches.

It looks like a solid affordable Android option – but it’s not the grand return to Europe for the brand I was hoping for. The flagship Oppo Find X7 Ultra remains China-only forbidden fruit, and likely will do until it’s replaced in early 2025.

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