The fastest charging phone gets even better next month (Update: Specs, design)

Update, March 30 2020 (2:30AM ET): An OPPO phone with the model number PDHM00 swung by the 3C certification website last week, reportedly packing 65W wired charging and 5G. It’s believed that this phone is the OPPO Reno Ace 2, and this same device has now shown up on China’s TENAA website.

The TENAA listing gives us a comprehensive look at the OPPO phone’s spec sheet, while also showing us the device’s actual design. And the camera housing mostly lines up with an apparently leaked OPPO Reno Ace 2 image from earlier this month (save for the LED flash). We can also make out a punch-hole cutout on the TENAA image.

In terms of the actual specs, the upcoming phone is listed as having an octacore 2.8Ghz processor (lining up with Snapdragon flagship silicon), 8GB to 12GB of RAM, and 128GB to 256GB of fixed storage.

The supposed OPPO Reno Ace 2 also offers a 16MP selfie camera, and a quad rear camera setup with no telephoto capabilities. This would be a downgrade in zoom capabilities over the original Reno Ace, which had a 13MP telephoto camera. Nevertheless, the new phone’s quad setup consists of a 48MP camera, 8MP sensor, and two 2MP snappers.

Other listed specs include a 6.5-inch FHD+ OLED screen, 5G support, no 3.5mm port, and a 1,955mAh battery. The latter figure is likely a typo or OPPO could be going for a two-battery solution for faster charging. It wouldn’t be the first time the company did this either, as the OPPO R17 Pro offered this solution too.

Original article, March 25 2020 (5:57AM ET): The OPPO Reno Ace was the fastest charging smartphone upon its release late last year, and it’s still at the front of the field today. Now, barely six months later, it looks like a sequel is coming.

OPPO vice-president Brian Shen confirmed the existence of the OPPO Reno Ace 2 on Weibo today, adding that it’s coming in April. The odd machine-translation also seems to suggest that the phone might not be as heavy as its stablemates. Check out a screenshot below.

The news also comes as an OPPO phone (model number PDHM00) swings by the 3C certification website, as spotted by MySmartPrice. The phone is listed as having 65W charging and 5G connectivity. The former in particular would match the charging speed of the original Reno Ace, OPPO Find X2 series, the realme X50 Pro, and Black Shark 3 Pro, suggesting it’s a flagship.

Hopefully the OPPO Reno Ace 2 picks up where the old one left off — not that there’s much left to improve. Our own Eric Zeman praised the device in his OPPO Reno Ace review, pointing to the ~$500 price tag, 90Hz screen, quad rear camera, and ultra-fast charging as just a few strengths.

In saying so, Eric also lamented the lack of wireless charging, a “bloated” ColorOS, and the lack of a significant IP rating. But some of these downsides might be more than forgivable if OPPO can deliver a competitive price tag once again.

What would you like to see from the OPPO Reno Ace 2? Give us your wishlist in the comments below!