Ever once in a while, a piece of tech drops into the market, ticking all the right boxes. Whilst it is still relatively early in the year to knight the best-value mid-ranger of the year, OPPO’s Reno 12F 5G smartphone may very well be leading the pack.

Unlike mid-rangers of the past, the 12F punches above its weight, making it a very viable choice for those in search of the best bang for their buck.

The 12F is a standout amongst the sea of monochromatic slabs of glass and metal. The HUGE camera module in the back ensures attention is drawn straight to it while the colours it comes in; Amber Orange or Olive Green adds zest into a field of drab contemporaries.

We aren’t huge fans of the fur-like motifs on the back of the Amber Orange. A point worth noting is that the base RAM for the 12F is 12GB. Thereon, it is up to users to go for either the 256GB, retailing for RM1,399 or 512GB (RM1,799) storage options.

For every phone peddled by brands nowadays, there’s always a schtick; a selling point they want to emphasize. The 12F is no different; OPPO is going full guns blazing on the shooters – we mean cameras – with the 12F and they are right to do so. The circular halo light surrounding the 12F helps a ton in lighting; emboldening the three cameras at the back. The front-facing camera is no slouch either, boasting a 32-MP shooter.

And just like every model in the market released in 2024, the baked-in, AI-assisted photo-enhancing software ensures the photos taken turn out as close as you pictured them to be. Whether to remove a stranger from the background of photos taken or add a dash of Disney-like filter to your selfies – OPPO did not hold back in fitting in as much assistance in the form of photography-enhancing tools. Then again, these are tools that can turn something good into great, rather than from mediocre into incredible.

The main display is made of Asahi Glass AGC DT-Star2 while All-Round Armor caps off the rugged body of this hardy device. With a generous screen ratio of 92.2%, a refresh rate of 120hz and peak brightness of 2100 nits, this sub-RM2,000 mid-ranger is as solid as you can get. Our only grip would be that it only comes with an IP64 dust and water-resistant rating.

Considering all these come packaged in a device weighing only 187g, the OPPO Reno 12F 5G is almost a steal to anyone wielding it.

For full info on the OPPO Reno 12F 5G, you can head on over to their website here.