Oppo Reno 13 Review: Best Compact Phone Under ₹35,000 for Display, Performance & Battery

When you’re looking for a smartphone in the ₹30,000 to ₹35,000 range, the options can feel underwhelming. At this price point, you’ll find phones like the Vivo V50, launched this year, which compromises a bit on processor and storage speeds. Then there’s the Realme 14 Pro Plus, which also has its quirks with processor performance and animations. So, many users have been asking: Which phone offers an all-rounder experience in this budget, especially if you want something a bit more compact amidst today’s oversized devices?

Today, we’re taking a deep dive into a phone I’ve been using for quite some time—the Oppo Reno 13. Among Oppo’s recent launches, this phone stands out by actually delivering meaningful features, rather than just marketing.

Price and First Impressions

The base variant of the Reno 13, with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, is officially priced at ₹38,000, but thanks to frequent credit and debit card offers, you can usually grab it for ₹35,000. Many have asked if it’s worth buying at the full price—and by the end of this review, you’ll have your answer.

Right out of the box, the first thing you’ll notice is the phone’s compact size compared to the larger phones dominating the market. If you have bigger hands, you might still find it on the smaller side, and that’s rare in this segment. Despite the compact build, the phone feels solid and sturdy. You get a metallic frame, visible antenna lines, and a glass back. Our unit came in a white shade, complete with subtle wing-like patterns that resist fingerprints and smudges—a relief for anyone tired of constant cleaning.

But a word of caution: since there’s glass on both front and back, it’s better to use a good protective case. After all, glass breaks, no matter how careful you are.

In the box, you get the usual essentials—a charger, the phone itself, and a Type A-to-C cable. The Type-C port supports USB 2.0, and the phone comes with an IP rating that technically makes it water-resistant. While you can submerge it in water, I’d advise against testing those limits—water damage repairs won’t be covered under warranty.

One drawback? No eSIM support and no headphone jack. The phone supports dual SIMs only, and while a headphone jack would have been nice, it’s absent here.

Battery and Build

Given its size, you might expect a smaller battery, but the Reno 13 surprises with a 5600mAh battery. Despite this, it weighs only 182 grams—impressive considering the metal frame and glass build. Overall, it’s lightweight, sturdy, and premium-feeling.

The phone also features dual stereo speakers with “O Reality” sound. While the audio is clear and decent for everyday use, I found the bass a little lacking. There’s an optical in-display fingerprint sensor, which is fast and secure, though placed slightly lower than ideal.

Display Quality

The Reno 13’s display is another highlight. It features a 1.5K flat AMOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 7i protection. Even without a tempered glass protector, I didn’t notice scratches after extended use—but I’d still recommend installing one.

The display supports HDR content on Netflix and YouTube, and comes with Widevine L1 certification, enabling smooth 4K HDR 60fps playback. Watching content on this screen is a pleasure—colors are vibrant, blacks are deep, and bezels are slim. Outdoor visibility is strong thanks to 1200 nits peak brightness, so readability under direct sunlight won’t be an issue.

It also offers low blue light and PWM dimming to minimize flickering at low brightness levels—great for eye comfort during prolonged use. The 120Hz refresh rate keeps animations and scrolling buttery smooth, with app-specific refresh rate options to optimize performance.

Connectivity and Network Performance

Connectivity is future-proof here: all 5G bands are supported, alongside Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, and even an IR blaster. Thanks to the X1 signal-boosting chip and well-placed antenna lines, we experienced solid network reception and 5G speeds. Calls were clear, especially after enabling the “clear voice” setting, which reduces background noise for the listener. While 5G Plus isn’t supported, dual 5G SIM functionality ensures flexibility.

Additionally, the phone includes a dedicated proximity sensor, meaning no accidental screen touches during calls. Call recording is also supported—just download the “O Dialer” from the Play Store.

Software Experience

On the software front, the Reno 13 runs ColorOS 15 based on Android 15, promising three major updates and four years of security patches. While we’d prefer four years of OS updates (like competitors offer), this is still solid support.

However, you’ll encounter around 19-20 bloatware apps out of the box, including Hot Apps and Hot Games. Thankfully, you can uninstall or disable them, though it takes a good 20-25 minutes to clean up initial notifications from the App Market and theme store.

Once that’s done, the software experience is clean, responsive, and polished. It offers features like app lock, dual apps, internet speed indicator, always-on display, and a rich suite of AI features: AI Circle Search, Smart Cutout, AI Eraser, AI Unblur, Reflection Removal, Screen Translate, AI Writer, and more.

Animations are particularly smooth and fluid—opening and closing apps feels seamless, adding to the premium experience. We didn’t encounter major bugs, though the phone does tend to warm up during extended or heavy use, especially in summer, with temperatures touching 40°C.

Performance

Under the hood, the Reno 13 packs a Dimensity 8350 chip, paired with proper RAM and storage types. Benchmark results and read/write speeds are solid for this price. You can expect reliable day-to-day performance, multitasking, and moderate gaming without significant slowdowns.

Final Verdict: Should You Buy the Oppo Reno 13?

The Oppo Reno 13 delivers a balanced experience across design, display, software, connectivity, and battery life. It’s a rare compact yet powerful phone in a market dominated by oversized devices. While it doesn’t have a headphone jack or eSIM support, and ships with bloatware, its premium build, vibrant display, rich features, and dependable performance make it a compelling option under ₹35,000.

If you’re seeking a phone that’s sturdy, compact, media-friendly, and future-proof for 5G, the Reno 13 deserves a spot on your shortlist.

Would I recommend it at the full ₹38,000? With card offers bringing it down to ₹35,000, it’s a much sweeter deal at that price.