I am a big fan of OPPO’s Reno series of devices so of course I was excited when I got my hands on the Reno10. OPPO officially made the device available in Kenya about two weeks ago comprising the Reno10 5G and the pro variant, the OPPO Reno10 Pro 5G.
The two devices are available at a recommended Retail Price of Ksh 56,999 for the Reno10 5G and Ksh 69,999 for the Reno10 Pro 5G.
I have been using the Reno10 5G (Unboxing and first impressions video) and at that price tag, the phone has a sweet spot in the market. It runs Android 13 based on ColorOS 13.1 and features a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with up to 120Hz refresh rate among other features.
At the price, the phone is also competing with a number of other devices like the Galaxy A34, A54, or even the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G.
In this article, we pick one of the devices, the Galaxy A54 which Samsung is selling locally at Ksh.54,995 for the 8GB/128GB variant. The A54 is quite an interesting device as well offering a premium design, a great compact display and a decent performance, but which of these two midrangers would you buy?
While we are yet to get our hands on the Galaxy A54, we have been using the OPPO Reno10 5G for about three weeks now. Here are some of the key differences between the two mid-range smartphones. This should help you choose which of the two best suits your needs.
Design and Display
Both the OPPO Reno10 5G and Galaxy A54 5G have an eye-catching design. The Galaxy A54 design mirrors that of the Galaxy S23 series – a minimalistic design with very few cameras on the rear. While OPPO has splashed a plastic back on the Reno10, Samsung has added a glass rear to give the A54 a more premium look and feel.
I love the curvy design on the OPPO Reno10, add the exclusive OPPO Glow Finish on the rear and the phone is quite a looker. The phone is also pretty lightweight at just 185g.
The Reno10 5G comes with a 120hz refresh rate 6.70-inch touchscreen display offering a resolution of 1080×2412 pixels (FHD+) at a pixel density of 394 pixels per inch (ppi). The Samsung Galaxy A54 5G features a smaller 6.40-inch touchscreen display offering a resolution of 2340×1080 pixels (HD+) and also 120 Hz refresh rate.
Power and memory
The Galaxy A54 is powered by a 2.6 MHz octa-core processor and comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of onboard storage. It runs Android 13 and is powered by a 5000mAh non-removable battery. The OPPO Reno10 on the other hand is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.
Again, these are mid-range smartphones so you shouldn’t really expect flagship-level kind of performance. Both smartphones provide solid day-to-day performance with smooth scrolling on your favourite mobile or social media apps and even gaming.
OPPO Reno10 excels in one thing here though which is the 256GB storage. There is also a 256GB variant of the Galaxy A54 but you will have to pay more for it – Kshs 62,60. The base model, which is what we are highlighting in this article comes with 128GB.
Cameras
OPPO has always marketed the Reno series as a ‘’Portrait Master’’ so the company really put in a lot of work to give you the best smartphone photography experience. The Reno10 series is no exception. This is actually one important area where the Reno10 stands out compared to the Galaxy A54.
OPPO has added a triple camera setup on the Reno10 comprising a 64MP 1/2-inch sensor, a 32MP IMX709 Telephoto Portrait Camera and an 8MP IMX355 112° ultra-wide camera. There is a 32MP ultra-clear camera in front for selfies.
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G also packs packs a triple camera setup on the rear featuring a 50-megapixel primary camera; a 12-megapixel camera, and a 5-megapixel camera with no telephoto. The phone also has a single front camera setup for selfies, featuring a 32-megapixel sensor.
Battery and charging capabilities
Of course, OPPO Reno10 has faster charging. We all know Samsung as a brand doesn’t really invest in fast charging. Well, we know its flagship Galaxy S23 Ultra can charge at 45W, but that’s hardly enough compared to what the competition is offering.
That’s the same case with the Galaxy A54 with charging capped at 25W and something else – there’s no charger in the box. It also supports 15W fast wireless charging, which is impressive for a mid-range phone. It’s worth noting that you’ll also need to buy a separate wireless charger if you want to take advantage of this feature. The Samsung Galaxy A54 has a large 5,000mAh battery.
OPPO Reno10 comes with a similar 5000mAh battery size, with 67W SUPERVOOC charge. You can charge the phone to 100% in just 47 minutes. It also comes with a 67W SuperVOOC charger in the box to take advantage of those fast speeds right away so you won’t have to spend extra cash to get a charger.
Conclusion
So which of these two devices should you buy? Let’s first talk about one key factor, pricing. Galaxy A54 is cheaper at Ksh.54,995 while you might need some extra Ksh.2,000 to get your hands on the OPPO Reno10 5G. I have also noticed the Reno10 being cheaper than the A54 in other markets.
Ksh.2,000 looks like a huge margin but again, the Reno10 5G has quite some good strengths like the camera, display and charging capabilities which the Galaxy A54 is missing.
I like what both brands have done with the design to give the phones a premium look. At the end of the day though, purchase boil down to preference.
Leave us a comment in the comments section below. Which one would you buy?
