It started with a simple, creator-driven question – can a smartphone truly replace DSLR on a rugged adventure? To answer this, we packed our bags, roped in an Awaraa crew including Mustafa, Naba, Naren, and Apu and headed straight for the roof of the world – Ladakh. The idea was to push the OPPO Reno 14 5G to its limits and see if it could live up to the hype of being the best travel phone under Rs 40,000.
SurveyFrom the first unboxing moment in Manali to setting up camp beside Pangong Lake, the Reno 14 became our constant companion. Whether we were hiking through remote trails or eating at roadside dhabas, this sleek yet rugged phone captured moments, memories, and even mishaps with precision. But what truly impressed us wasn’t just its design or feel in hand. It was how it handled the real challenges of travel content creation like harsh lighting, distant subjects, spontaneous video shoots, and unpredictable terrain.
Hit play and see for yourself:
So, what did we actually discover after days of shooting and creating in one of India’s most extreme landscapes?
First, the camera system isn’t bluffing. The 3.5x telephoto lens produced sharp, natural-looking shots with a beautiful depth of field, especially when we used it to shoot people against Ladakh’s sweeping backdrops. Portraits at 1x looked good; portraits at 3.5x looked intentional. It was the kind of Zoom that makes you rethink ever packing a prime lens again.
Videos turned out surprisingly solid. Shooting in 4K at 60 FPS on both the front and rear cameras meant nothing had to be sacrificed for vlogging or b-roll. The fact that you could maintain that resolution and frame rate even at 3.5x zoom gave us the flexibility to track motion and mood without the usual mobile-camera compromises. Our footage came out clean and steady.
We didn’t expect to use the built-in AI Editor 2.0 much. Then came the closed-eye portraits, the sneaky photobombs, and the endless need to crop for Instagram Stories. Turns out, AI Recompose and the edit suite were quite handy and actually helped speed up post-production on the road.
What OPPO barely brags about but should is how tough this phone is. That aerospace-grade aluminium chassis and Gorilla Glass 7i combo handled accidental drops, frozen nights, and fine dust storms like a pro. IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings are the reason we didn’t panic every time the phone got splashed or dropped on gravel. Even the USB port has a platinum coating, which adds to the long-term durability.
Performance didn’t break a sweat. With the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 under the hood, the Reno 14 handled heavy multitasking, file transfers, and on-the-go editing without lag. The 6000mAh battery held up for full-day shoots, and 80W SUPERVOOCTM fast charging meant even short pit stops gave us hours of juice.
After using it as our main content device through Ladakh’s raw beauty and chaos, the OPPO Reno 14 makes a strong case for itself. If you’re a creator or traveller who wants serious camera chops, real-world durability, and zero drama under Rs 40K, this is definitely worth considering.
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