OPPO released not one, not two, but three variants in their newest Reno10 Series 5G lineup. As most of the people focus on the more premium Reno10 Pro+ 5G and the cheaper Reno10 5G models, the Reno10 Pro 5G has been sitting in the shadows — just like any middle-child (like me 👀).

Fun fact: It’s also the first time that OPPO is making a Pro variant of the Reno line widely available. Exciting times!

Triple Treat

The OPPO Reno10 Pro 5G is a downsized version of its ‘Plus’ sibling and a slightly upgraded one from the base model:

• 50MP f/1.8 main/wide with 1/1.56-inch sensor size (versus Reno10’s 1/2-inch 64MP f/1.7)
• 32MP f/2.0 2x telephoto (versus Reno10 Pro+’s 64MP f/2.5 3x periscope telephoto)
• 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide

Taiwanderer

While it’s not my first time going to Taiwan, it was my first international trip without any work involved — and also a first traveling with my long-time high school friends.

Last time I went here was for COMPUTEX 2019. That work trip made me fall in love with Taiwan.

SEE ALSO: AI Facial Recognition Continues To Scare Me

Now that the world has opened its borders for air travel, it’s also the perfect time to go back to where my wandering soul belongs.

Here’s a look at the streets and sights of Taiwan through the great camera versatility of the new OPPO Reno10 Pro 5G.

Fabulous Formosa

Taiwan’s former country name was “Formosa”, a name given by Portuguese sailors when they discovered the “beautiful island” during their voyage. These sights are testament to that.

Familiar face? That’s called the “Queen’s Head” which is an astonishing rock formation at Yehliu Geopark. There are even these mushroom and ginger rock formations.

This is just one among the many mesmerizing waterfalls you’ll find when you visit the Northern part of Taiwan around Yilan County.

Hidden Countryside

Taiwan isn’t just about stacks of buildings and factories. Once you go past Central Taipei, there are these picture-perfect naturesque views of the countryside.

Dreaming of a place like South Korea’s Pohang in the popular Korean series Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha? This hidden gem in a place far from the bustling streets of Taipei might just be your best bet. Even better if you go here during the summer time.

Not sure if this is a temple but it’s one landmark when visiting the tourist-packed Jiufen Old Street.

Shifen Old Street is another must-visit! Although throwing sky lanterns being held at the functioning rail road is the main attraction here, I just found the Jingan Suspension Bridge much more attractive because of how long and sturdy the bridge is despite the old age.

Urban Jungle

Unlike the countryside, going back to Central Taipei brings back these concrete-filled jungle with plethora of residential, office, and retail spaces.

In other parts of Taipei, nature still finds its way with these luscious parks and clean streets.

Exuding Grandeur

All these marvelous structures are the National Theater, National Concert Hall, and Liberty Square Arch. They are located at the Liberty Square near Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

Ultrarchitecture

Using the ultra-wide lens of the Reno10 Pro 5G, I was able to take even wider shots of these ultra-massive structures and interiors.

Believe it or not, there’s a massive moving wheel located at a mall’s 5th floor. That’s the Miramar Ferris Wheel.

It would be a big miss not to capture the famous Taipei 101 from a worm’s eye perspective.

Taipei on Top

Speaking of, we availed the priciest ticket going above the so called “Skyline460” at the topmost 101st floor with lesser tourists and window distractions.

A better treat since the 91st outdoor deck was closed due to an incoming typhoon (even though it was sunny out).

After an hour limit, we went back to the 89th observation deck and waited for the sun to set. Taipei’s skyline is one of the best to look at all day.

Equal Perspectives

As we’ve already transitioned to night time, it’s also a good time to test out the low-light capabilities of the Reno10 Pro 5G with these symmetrical perspective shots.

Livelier Nights

It would not be a complete Taiwan experience without exploring a night market. Shilin Night Market caters to cheaper food and goods.

Meanwhile, Ximending Night Market is meant for those who are into branded goods with a slash on price tags. It’s also a place to explore unique restaurants, cafés, milk tea shops, or snack stalls.

I opted not to shoot portraits as we already have a special feature about that using the Reno10 Pro+ 5G, but here’s a stolen shot of me taken by my friend as we enjoy gulping our fruit teas while munching that popular and extra large Hot Star chicken on the other.

Full on Food

Ending this write-up with my favorite part — and it’s none other than food!

I discovered this sweet treat from Northern China called “Tanghulu” through Reels. It’s essentially berries in a bamboo skewer coated in hardened sugar syrup. It’s delicious but the remnants are just ultra-sticky. Glad I was able to try one though.

Of course, trying and lining up for Din Tai Fung is a must in Taiwan because it’s a homegrown brand. While we have it back in the Philippines, what makes it very special is that it was actually my first time trying it — and it did not disappoint at all!

The Xiao Long Bao (whether pork, chicken, choco), dumplings, golden lava and choco buns, braised beef noodles, and even the fried rice are all to die for.

Even in small, underrated stalls, devouring these Taiwanese picks will still make you drool and full.

If you’re not fond of Asian cuisine, there are lots of food choices in Taiwan that cater to your cravings — such as this Bacon Pesto Pasta or the large AF Signature Burger from McDonald’s below.

Heck! Another first time here was eating South Korea’s staple Army Stew (부대찌개 / Budae Jjigae) in one food court near Taoyuan HSR Station.

It’s basically what Koreans ate during the end of the Korean War where food supply is scarce and the only option they have are American Army supplies (Spam, sausages, cheese) as well as what they possess (kimchi, noodles, meat/seafood, vegetables, gochujang, and gochugaru).

Phew! What a fusion and crossover of culture.

Last but definitely not the least, this rich and creamy brown sugar milk tea from the signature milk tea brand Xing Fu Tang to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Great camera versatility

What irks me when using midrange phones are those unnecessary camera sensors (*coughs* macro/depth/portrait) they place at the back just to say the phone has more than two cameras.

Fortunately, OPPO did the right thing by placing all the rear camera essentials on the Reno10 Pro 5G — which also applies to the Reno10 5G and Reno10 Pro+ 5G.

Despite not being the “best in the class” smartphone for mobile photography, using its camera was easy and enjoyable. And as someone who’s very keen to photography, I appreciate how OPPO delivered “pro-level” snaps that don’t look too processed after being taken — something I despise when using other phones, even the flagship ones.

While I haven’t used the additional features, you can also be extra creative by applying filters too and enjoy other modes too such as night, panorama, and most especially, its powerful portrait mode!

SEE ALSO: OPPO Reno10 Pro+ 5G: Portrait Pro

Slim yet full of power

I love how I never needed a powerbank when I used the OPPO Reno10 Pro 5G during this trip as it was able to give me a full-day of charge all thanks to its very sufficient 4600mAh battery — that’s despite having a slim and light chassis with a thickness (or should I say thinness) of just 7.9mm and 185 grams in weight.

That’s also with the consideration that I inserted a Taiwanese SIM and made the phone our portable 5G hotspot so my three other friends can also use the internet while we’re out and about.

In one instance, the phone ran out of juice after we reached our hotel around 10PM and I fell asleep quickly. Good thing there’s a bundled 80W SuperVOOC charger that tops up the phone in as quick as thirty minutes — very helpful when I forgot to charge it overnight and we’re already in a hurry going towards our first itinerary the next morning.

Moreover, I didn’t worry much about snapping a lot of photos as its base storage of 256GB is more than enough for my mobile photography needs. Usual midrange smartphones offer the usual 128GB storage or even a measly 64GB one.

And if you use third-party photo-editing apps, this extra storage space will also be handy especially when saving color-graded and/or post-processed photos that are quite bigger in size. There will be plenty of space for the #TravelGoals Stories you’ve edited and posted on Instagram as well!

A midranger that doesn’t feel like one

Stereotypes about midrange smartphones play around the word “middle” — having a so-so chipset, just enough battery capacity, tiny base storage, and mediocre cameras that may include senseless sensors just to say it has triple or quad camera system.

The snappy shutter, natural-looking image quality, plentiful camera modes, and camera flexibility between switching ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto zoom all deliver good shots that are post-worthy.

Plus the extra-handy features of having a big battery, super fast charging out of the box, and more than sufficient storage all contribute to the greatness of the OPPO Reno10 Pro 5G even if it’s “just a midranger”.

For its price and category, the OPPO Reno10 Pro 5G is and should be the standard of what a midrange smartphone should be like in 2023 and beyond.

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The OPPO Reno10 series is available at its concept stores, official online store, Lazada, and Shopee for the following prices:

• Reno10 Pro+ 5G: PhP 39,999
• Reno10 Pro 5G: PhP 29,999
• Reno10 5G: PhP 23,999

This feature is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and OPPO Philippines.