A look at OPPO R11 - A controversial Chinese smartphone with good components. Apple - where there is Samsung, there is Apple
Our readers who are not too close to the world of technology have probably repeatedly asked themselves the question: which company’s smartphones are best to buy these days? Let us say right away that even a specialist will not give you a definite answer, unless, of course, he is objective. Gone are the days when the market was dominated by a few companies from which you had to choose. Today the segment is represented by dozens of manufacturers, each of which tries to have some feature, to show how possible more smartphones and of the highest possible quality. Therefore, it is difficult to say which smartphone manufacturer is the best or the worst.
Well, since it is difficult to make an unambiguous verdict on this issue, we decided to put together a small top in which we will try to mention the most popular companies whose phones are in demand, which already have authority in the market and a huge army of fans. We will tell you why this or that smartphone manufacturer deserves attention, and what significant models he showed lately.
Samsung is a leader whose position is difficult to challenge
No matter what growth Chinese smartphone companies show, no matter what success their countrymen achieve, no matter what Apple shows, the most famous Korean company remains at the very top. Samsung deserves first place in a number of ways. Regular release of high-quality flagship smartphones? Eat. Multi-million dollar sales? Where would we be without them? A bunch of lines of different price segments? On the spot. Innovative developments? Please.
In 2017 alone, Samsung introduced about a dozen smartphones of different classes, providing devices to all its fans, regardless of status. Yes, and Chinese companies are riveting new products with enviable regularity, but are they able to offer the same high quality and long-term support? Koreans know how to make cool smartphones, they know how to sell them.
The most prominent representative of Samsung in 2017, of course, was the flagship Galaxy S8. A new screen, the most powerful processor at that time, excellent cameras and stylish design. Already at the end of summer, the Koreans released , a savior that should correct the situation with the failure of last year's Note 7. And the phablet succeeds, as sales confirm. Other Samsung lines were not left without updates. The manufacturer has released cool and updated the Galaxy A series.
Why are users so fond of smartphones from this company? As already noted, high quality materials and workmanship play an important role. Even budget solutions they look very decent. Let's not forget that the company develops some of the most advanced flagships, which receive all the best at the time of release. Finally, Samsung guarantees decent support - your smartphone will not be forgotten a month after its release, but will be updated for at least a couple of years.
Why do you want to scold one of the best smartphone manufacturers? If you can understand the price of flagship new products, then for mid-range, low-class devices the manufacturer asks a lot. Samsung has not been accused of many defects (not counting the disastrous Galaxy Note 7, which was recalled from sale last year due to explosions).
The popularity and crazy income of Samsung from the sale of its () devices bring it a well-deserved place in our ranking the best companies- smartphone manufacturers in 2017. Keep it up!
Apple - where there is Samsung, there is Apple
Unsurprisingly, the Apple company is right next to the Korean one. In terms of sales and income, it is difficult for it to compete with Samsung - it releases only two smartphones to the market annually. The exception was 2017 - Apple was generous with three iPhones at once. We have already prepared a review. True, only the one who joined the ranks can be called truly interesting.
Apple smartphones are deservedly in demand - they are beautiful, powerful and elegant devices. The American manufacturer does not miss the opportunity to introduce any new technology; in addition, the manufacturer tries to make every detail for his device independently. Despite the much smaller number of smartphones introduced annually, Apple manages to remain among the best companies in its segment.
The advantages, as already noted, include elegant design, high-quality assembly, and characteristic features that make the devices stand out. Apple smartphones typically rank first in performance tests and have some of the best cameras. One of the striking features can be considered the iOS operating system - no other smartphone is equipped with it. Plus, Apple is famous for supporting its products - smartphones that were 4 years old receive updates to the latest OS versions.
The main disadvantage of Apple smartphones is their high price. The company can sell even a relatively old device at the price of a strong mid-range device from another manufacturer. In addition, there has been some stagnation recently - for the fourth year in a row, the design of Apple smartphones has remained virtually unchanged.
Huawei is a company with grandiose plans
Huawei, in a fairly short period of time, moved from the status of “some Chinese company” to the status of “one of the largest smartphone manufacturers.” The company has a wide range of models, a lot of fans not only in its home country, China, but also abroad. Today Huawei is among the leaders, it even managed to bypass Apple sales, albeit for a short period of time. In addition, the manufacturer announces its truly ambitious plans - over the next few years, the company plans to become the best in the smartphone market.
Huawei's lineup is, without exaggeration, huge. You can easily find a budget smartphone for just over $100, and a flagship that competes with representatives of more formidable brands. The company's devices have a recognizable style, they are beautiful and powerful, modern and with a bunch of different features. The company produces its own processor and collaborates with major manufacturers various components for mobile phones.
In 2017, the most prominent representatives of the company will be, which has probably already been shown (the article was written a few days before the presentation). These are flagship devices with modern screens, dual cameras from Leica and top-end proprietary chipsets. Huawei promises us, among the features, developed artificial intelligence.
Of the advantages Huawei smartphones You can highlight the high quality of materials, catchy design, and powerful hardware. In many respects they are not inferior to devices from other companies. Huawei tries to make every smartphone as modern and sophisticated as possible, so the company deservedly gets into the top three.
Disadvantages include the somewhat limited cost of some solutions. In addition, a number of flagships, according to at least, before its release, in some aspects it was inferior to its more famous competitors.
LG is a company you want to believe in
Last year was somewhat unsuccessful for LG. Their modular G5, despite a number of truly new ideas, did not appeal to users. The Koreans were clearly inferior not only to their neighbors, but also to lesser-known Chinese brands in the world. However, LG started 2017 with a bang, introducing the first with a FullVision display. Even Samsung with their Galaxy S8 was ahead. And although the LG G6 did not gain the same popularity (a smartphone based on last year’s chip), it became clear that the company was on the right track.
LG, no matter what problems it has, remains one of the world's largest companies that knows how to make quality products. Last year's decline is giving way to growth with the release of truly trendy smartphones. Yes, the manufacturer still does not have an abundance of decent budget devices, not counting the recent frameless device. But in the flagship segment everything is not bad. At the beginning of autumn, the company presented one of the brightest new products of the outgoing year.
LG, in fact, like other large companies, has complete order with the quality of smartphones. The same LG G6 can even boast of a military standard of shock protection. The company is constantly experimenting, which, however, is not always beneficial. However, it happens that experiments bear fruit in the form of new “tricks”, which are subsequently used by the entire market. Smartphones from one of the best companies South Korea relatively inexpensive, for a large brand.
If you ask me today which brand of smartphone is best to choose in 2017, I will definitely recommend you something from LG. Although last year I probably wouldn’t have remembered about it.
Xiaomi – Chinese quality
Well, what top or ranking of the best is complete without mentioning this company? Xiaomi is omnipresent! It has captured the budget segment, things are going well in the middle class, and the flagship class is not in trouble either. Literally every day there is news that Xiaomi is releasing or is about to release something new. The strong point of this Chinese company is cheapness. Which, in fact, is not surprising. They're all like that there.
But in the case of Xiaomi, cheap doesn’t mean it’s bad. The company makes even inexpensive devices look and feel quite decent. The not-so-bright design is compensated by powerful hardware and acceptable cameras. In addition, with them the manufacturer offers a proprietary sophisticated shell and good autonomy. Smartphones from one of the best companies in the Celestial Empire are very popular in our country and are also common in other countries, which is facilitated by Xiaomi’s policy.
What company solutions are popular today? Of course, the flagship Mi6 and the recent one with an edge-to-edge screen. From the fact that it’s cheaper, I can recommend last year’s Mi5. The company's budget segment is now mainly represented by Redmi Note 4X. The tandem looks interesting, which we also reviewed.
We think the advantages are clear - acceptable characteristics at a low price. Among the shortcomings of Xiaomi smartphones, localized firmware is not always up to date and some shortcomings of individual models.
Sony is just a black streak
The Japanese have been having a hard time with really bright new products lately. It is noticeable that Sony does not keep up with all these newfangled trends, continuing to release its typical smartphones. The situation was slightly improved by a pair of new phones, which she showed at the recent IFA exhibition in Berlin. The compact flagship attracted particular public interest. The long-awaited new product is equipped with today’s top-end processor and a 4.6-inch display.
Sony smartphones have a distinctive design that not every user will be interested in. Instead of a frameless screen, which everyone now installs in their flagships major manufacturer The Japanese, on the contrary, make frames noticeable. But the solutions have a really high-quality camera with buffer memory, which allows you to record videos at 960 fps. There are also a pair of stereo speakers that produce excellent sound. On top of everything else, new and Compact work on fresh .
It’s hard to find fault with the quality of smartphones from one of the best companies. Yes, and these devices have their own “chips”, despite the fact that they do not follow general trends. But the price tag for many devices is clearly too high, considering hundreds of competitors at a similar cost. The best manufacturing company Japanese smartphones certainly deserve a place in our ranking, despite the agreed upon nuances.
Meizu – stylish and affordable
Meizu is the main antagonist of Xiaomi. While the latter have powerful smartphones, the former have beautiful ones. Like Xiaomi, this company is relatively young and ambitious. In a short period of time she succeeded from a little-known Chinese brand to become the world's largest manufacturer of equipment, whose activities are monitored by millions of users and major media outlets.
Meizu smartphones are quite stylish, although the similarity to the famous American company is noticeable. With hardware, not everything is so rosy, but the recent one, which received a modern energy-efficient chip from Qualcomm, gives us hope that bright new products await us in the future. At the end of summer, the company updated its flagship line, showing a pair, the feature of which was additional screen on the back side. The devices turned out to be controversial, but undoubtedly interesting.
In addition, at the beginning of next year Meizu is going to surprise us with the most frameless smartphone. Key drawback Most of the company's solutions are budget processors that, well, are not capable of adding attractiveness to gadgets.
Google Pixel – the search engine also has good smartphones
The Google logo has been appearing on the backs of smartphones for quite some time. And of course, the corporation is still developing the most popular mobile OS. Last year, a couple of flagship smartphones were released under the Google brand, which were noticeably different from everything that was already on the market. The devices sold well, so the release of new solutions was expected.
And so, in the fall of 2017, the company is releasing another tandem of smartphones that will compete for the title of the very best. , just at the time of writing this article there is a Google presentation. It's worth noting that Google doesn't produce its own Pixels itself, outsourcing these tasks to other companies. This year, for example, one model is being developed by HTC, another by LG. But, despite all the successes, it is still too early for Google to place its smartphones among the leaders in the ranking of the best companies.
The best smartphone manufacturers worthy of mention
We decided not to include the following companies directly in the ranking of the best smartphone companies, but they undoubtedly deserve attention. Here we have, firstly, well-known companies that simply have a bad streak, and secondly, manufacturers that are rapidly gaining popularity. So:
- Lenovo (Moto). A truly large company engaged in the production of a wide variety of electronics. It does not have typical flagships, but there are more than enough mid-range and budget-class phones. Products of good quality, with all necessary functions, relatively low price devices.
- OnePlus. She became famous for her . It produces 1-2 smartphones a year - pure flagships, which in terms of performance often outperform top-end smartphones of A-brands. It will probably be among the best companies when it begins to actively release new products in different segments.
- ZTE. Showing amazing growth lately. It has several lines of different segments; the company's smartphones regularly appear in various ratings. ZTE is preparing a frameless smartphone.
- Micromax. Despite the fact that the company is developing budget smartphones, is extremely popular in a number of markets. Quite good and cheap devices affordable price, which ensures her growth.
- ASUS. It may not be as popular as other well-known brands, but it has nice smartphones in its lineup. ASUS focuses on modern design, camera capabilities and autonomy.
- HTC. Until recently, it was one of the best smartphone manufacturers, but now the mobile division has been sold to Google. Nevertheless, there are still flagship devices on the market that can attract interest with top-end characteristics.
- Oppo and the like. Competition in the Chinese smartphone market seems to have reached its peak. Oppo and a number of other companies with a similar name literally overtook the world leaders in the number of devices sold in just a couple of years. And they are not going to stop there. True, smartphones from these companies are not yet widespread on the domestic market.
As a result
Well, now you know which smartphone brand is best to choose in 2017. Mobile market develops very quickly. Companies that were at the top of Olympus yesterday may find themselves at the very bottom today. And, on the contrary, before our eyes, little-known manufacturers become market leaders, developing in large quantities innovative products. We will update our ranking of the best smartphone brands from time to time so that you always have up-to-date information about the realities of the market.
The Chinese company OPPO is still known to few in Russia, although it was testing the waters in our market back in 2013. Then things didn’t go well, and it was decided to postpone the massive expansion until better times. And now those times have come.
OPPO, the fourth smartphone manufacturer in the world, second only to Huawei, Apple and Samsung, is officially coming to Russia. The brand belongs to the BBK Electronics group of companies, which also includes the famous Oneplus and Vivo. The latter, by the way, is also preparing to enter the Russian market.
The OPPO F5 smartphone was chosen to meet Russians. Among its advantages are a “solid” 6-inch screen, a 20-megapixel front camera with intelligent selfie-enhancing technology, a 16-megapixel main camera, a fresh MediaTek processor middle class and decent battery life.
Characteristics
| Frame | Plastic |
| Display | 6 inches, FHD (2,160 × 1,080), LTPS IPS LCD, Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Platform | Mediatek MT6763T Helio P23 processor, Mali-G71 MP2 graphics accelerator |
| RAM | 4GB LPDDR4X |
| Built-in memory | 32 GB, ability to install memory cards up to 256 GB |
| Cameras | Main - 16 MP; front - 20 MP |
| Connection | Two nanoSIM slots; 2G: GSM 850 / 900 / 1 800 / 1 900; 3G: 850 / 900 / 1,900 / 2,100; 4G: Band 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41 |
| Wireless interfaces | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS |
| Expansion slots | microUSB 2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, proximity sensor, light sensor, gyroscope, compass, fingerprint scanner |
| operating system | Android 7.1.1 + ColorOS 3.2 |
| Battery | 3,200 mAh (non-removable) |
| Dimensions | 156.5 × 76 × 7.5 mm |
| Weight | 152 g |
Design and materials
OPPO F5 is a representative of the just emerging class of mid-range smartphones with a screen that occupies almost the entire front panel. IN in this case the screen occupies 84.2% of the surface. One could call it frameless, but there are frames, like, for example, the LG Q6.
In terms of body design, OPPO does not offer anything new: the typical “streamlined” look, the desire to make the smartphone thinner and, as a result, a protruding camera. Everything is ordinary, but at the same time beautiful. Except that the fingerprint scanner on the back is not round or square, as is customary, but oval. Note that OPPO uses glass of a regular shape, and therefore there are no smooth transitions from the screen to the edges.
The materials are simple: plastic, unbreakable Gorilla Glass 5.
Already out of the box, the OPPO F5 screen is covered with a film. A plastic bumper is included to protect the case.
Screen
6-inch IPS panel, aspect ratio 18:9, Full HD+ resolution, that is, 2,160 × 1,080 pixels - elongated display. Pixel density - 402 ppi. The brightness range is wide enough to comfortably use the smartphone both at night and under the sun.
How is an elongated screen generally perceived? Nothing has changed in ergonomics: a 6-inch smartphone corresponds to the dimensions of a 5.5-inch one, and therefore there are no problems with using it with one hand. Of course, in order to reach the upper corners with your thumb, you will have to intercept the device. It's nice that the OPPO F5 moved the curtain quick access to the settings, which is traditionally opened by swiping from top to bottom, from the top border of the screen to the bottom.
False positives with this big screen, it would seem possible, but nothing like this happens. Even if you accidentally touch some part of your palm touch key or icons, nothing will happen. In addition, in the settings of OPPO F5 you can enable the function of blocking accidental touches.
The elongated screen holds more information. Websites are perceived more holistically, including those not adapted for mobile devices. There is no feeling that you are looking at the page through a porthole.
Split screen mode, in which you can run two applications simultaneously in different windows, looks great on the OPPO F5. But, unfortunately, not all applications support this mode: the same Facebook and VKontakte clients refuse to work in a team. But with Chrome, YouTube, Facebook messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram no problems.
So, the “solid” screen turned out to be an absolute plus. It makes content and applications more pleasant to perceive, without compromising ergonomics.
Performance
The hardware base of OPPO F5 is the chipset MediaTek Helio P23, introduced at the end of August 2017. This is a 16-nanometer chipset with eight Cortex-A53 cores with a frequency of up to 2.5 GHz and GPU Mali-G71 MP2.
Volume random access memory- 4 GB, built-in - 32 GB (you can install a memory card with a capacity of up to 256 GB). With this configuration, the OPPO F5 earns 60,000 points in AnTuTu testing, which is excellent for a mid-range smartphone. The interface remains smooth and fast, even if you run several applications in parallel.
Being a mid-range smartphone, OPPO F5 cannot be called a gaming smartphone: you won’t be able to run any graphically-intensive game at high settings and get smooth gameplay. However, it is still possible to play, and if you are not a follower of the slogan “graphics at maximum speed,” then there will be no problems with the games. Modern Combat 5 runs on high settings, Need for Speed: No Limits significantly lowers the graphics, World of Tanks Blitz runs on low settings and produces 60 fps, Olympus Rising can be played with almost maximum graphics settings - in general, anything can happen.
Interestingly, in the OPPO F5 settings there is a whole “Game Acceleration” section. Graphics acceleration is enabled here, that is, “optimizing the image output configuration for the fullest use of hardware resources.” On example World of Tanks Blitz this gives a greater spread of fps on high settings. In calm scenes, fps can reach 50, but as soon as the battle begins, it drops to 13–20. If you turn off graphics acceleration, then fps rarely rises above 35 and drops below 20 as soon as one or two more tanks appear in the field of view.
Cameras
Frontal
Now we come to the most interesting part. OPPO calls the F5 a selfie expert. Why? Firstly, the front camera resolution is 20 megapixels. But this, of course, is not enough for good selfies.
OPPO F5 comes with SelfieTune technology. At first glance it may seem that this is a simple “beautifier”, but everything is much more interesting. “Beautifiers,” as a rule, process photos in such a way that the person in the frame looks unnatural. F5 uses artificial intelligence AI Beauty for processing.
The smartphone builds a face model based on 200 points, while usually only 50 are used, compares the person with a database of faces, analyzes the shape of the face and its features, taking into account gender and age, and, taking into account lighting conditions, performs moderate processing . Teeth become whiter, eyes become more expressive, lips become pinker. Bags under the eyes, wrinkles, skin defects - all this goes away, and you look younger before your eyes. OPPO claims that AI Beauty is also learning, so selfies will become even more beautiful over time.
But what really? SelfieTune, being a smart feature, is almost impossible to customize. You can only specify the degree of processing from 1 to 6, but it is better to use auto mode. As soon as you turn on the front camera, OPPO F5 immediately starts looking for faces. The smartphone catches the subject instantly and keeps it in focus, no matter how quickly and chaotically the person moves. This is how the Face Comes First function works - the smartphone always knows exactly where the face is in the frame and where the background is, and adjusts the exposure and brightness accordingly.
The result of SelfieTune processing, let's say, is not for everyone. Even if it is moderate, it is still noticeable when carefully examining the portrait, especially if you pay attention to the details and texture. For example, a man's light stubble is washed away, and where there was a week-old mustache, only a light fluff remains. Well, perhaps AI Beauty will learn to work with stubble in a month or two.
Another cool feature in selfie mode is the bokeh effect. Note that, as a rule, they talk about it in the context of a second camera, which allows you to measure depth of field. But OPPO F5 only has one camera, how can this be? It turns out it can. The smartphone really can blur the background and does it well, no worse than its dual-camera counterparts. The boundaries of the subject remain neat and sharp. We did not notice any errors in the background section.
Summarize. Can OPPO F5 really be called a selfie expert? Definitely yes. The photo module is good enough for selfies to be sharp and bright, and the smartphone software is really capable of moderate processing with a high-quality bokeh effect.
Rear
The main camera of the OPPO F5 is also decent. Resolution - 16 MP, aperture - f/1.8. OPPO doesn't say anything about it except that it's fast and can take bright photos in low-light conditions. However, everything is much more interesting.
Firstly, the OPPO F5 camera has fairly fast and accurate autofocus. Secondly, the camera itself cannot be called slow either. Photographing a cat in motion, branches shaking in the wind - all this is possible. Thirdly, natural colors and a fairly wide dynamic range. OPPO F5 is great at macro photography. Night shots are bright, but noise and loss of detail are noticeable. However, increasing the aperture for good night photography is not enough.
Software
OPPO F5 comes with Android 7.1.1 Nougat operating system. The graphical interface, of course, is non-native. OPPO developed ColorOS and the F5 comes with version 3.2.
Overall, ColorOS continues the idea of simplifying the interface. Everything that could be removed, combined and optimized was removed, combined and optimized. As a result, we have almost iOS. There is no application menu, no widgets - there is simply nowhere to get lost in ColorOS. There are desktops, the ability to collect icons into folders, a convenient curtain for quick access to settings and some applications (flashlight, calculator, camera) - and that’s all. Elegant, simple, fast.
Among the unobvious features are split-screen mode and gesture support. For example, in standby mode, you can double-tap the screen to turn on, launch the camera by drawing the letter O, or launch the flashlight by drawing a V.
Safety
OPPO F5 has two biometric means of blocking the smartphone from prying eyes - a fingerprint scanner and a facial recognition system. Everything is clear with the scanner: you put your finger on it, and the smartphone unlocked. You can also “put a lock” on a folder or application. Let's take a closer look at facial recognition.
It all works very simply. All you need to do is register your face in OPPO F5, after removing your glasses, hat and bright makeup, and from now on the smartphone will recognize you. The system works very quickly! At first, it may even seem that the smartphone was not blocked at all.
In difficult conditions, such as strong backlight or low lighting, the OPPO F5 may not cope well. In this case, you will have to unlock the device by entering a four-digit PIN code.
OPPO warns that facial recognition can be fooled by using an object that looks like your face. A person similar to you can also break through the defense. However, a photograph of the OPPO F5 cannot be fooled, we checked.
Connection
You can forget about the nightmare of combination trays: OPPO F5 is one of the few Chinese smartphones in which you can install two SIM cards and a memory card at the same time.
OPPO F5 supports all frequency bands necessary for LTE operation in Russia, including Band 20. Let us remind you that many Chinese smartphones, including well-known brands Meizu and Xiaomi, are not friendly with Band 20. As a result, where this particular range is used, their owners are left without LTE Internet.
GPS and GLONASS, Wi-Fi with support for the 5 GHz band, Bluetooth 4.2 - everything is as it should be. But, unfortunately, OPPO F5 does not have NFC chip. Although if you forget about contactless payments and Android Pay, then it’s not really needed.
Working hours
OPPO F5 is powered by a 3,200 mAh battery. It would seem that this is not enough for a 6-inch smartphone. However, the energy-efficient processor and LPDDR4X memory, as well as competent software optimization, do their job. In mixed use mode (Internet, camera, a couple of calls and some games), the OPPO F5 can last almost a day and a half. In general, this is the only feature regarding the battery. There is no fast or wireless charging here. The microUSB port is used.
Conclusion
OPPO F5 is a worthy smartphone to make a name for itself in a new market. Its brightest feature that lies on the surface is its 6-inch screen with thin bezels. There are not many middling competitors in this regard. With a stretch, they can be called Doogee Mix 2, Umidigi S2 and the weak LG Q6.
As for cameras, no one in the mid-price segment has a tandem of 20 MP front and 16 MP rear. However, it is known that happiness does not lie in megapixels, so pay attention to the Huawei Nova 2i with a 20-megapixel front camera and a dual rear camera - 12 MP + 8 MP. If you forget about fashionable solid screens, then the competitor is worthy.
Performance, operating time, wireless interfaces - everything is smooth and good here.
The cost of the smartphone is 24,990 rubles. Sales start on November 25 in popular hardware stores. There are two colors available to choose from: black and gold. Another version of OPPO F5 will be released in December - in a red case, with 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. Its cost will be 29,990 rubles.
Lifehacker thanks OPPO Russia for the sample provided for testing.
Hi all! I’m sitting at home.... Call on my cell phone: - Come urgently, there’s a mega new product from the company “OPPO”! Well, I think it’s not the famous “OPPO N1”! Yes, it turned out that way. The start of sales in China itself began only on October 10, and now a month later I have this smartphone in my hands. By the way, the first batch was sold out in just 0.35 seconds, although the batch itself was only 200 units. In the Middle Kingdom itself, several million people have already expressed a desire to become the owners of such an unusual smartphone. I think there is no need to worry about excellent sales. In Russia, the appearance of this gadget is expected at the end of the year at a price of 20 thousand rubles. Why was such a stir created around the smartphone essentially even before its release? It's simple! This smartphone has at least four distinctive features: a rotating camera, a stylish appearance, an “O-Touch” touch panel and a proprietary shell from a company called “Color OS”.
Thinking out loud.
China is our everything! Everywhere you look, everything is made in China. Machinery, medical equipment, heavy industry, smartphones, food processing, etc. Apple also produces its products in the homeland of paper and gunpowder. So should we be afraid of products made in China? Especially products that are released directly under local brands. Here are a few companies: OPPO, XIAOMI, HUAWEI, ZTE, LENOVO and this is just the tip of the iceberg that inexorably covers the whole world. At the moment, these are already advanced and well-known trademarks all over the world, which are strikingly different from the basement "Uncle Liao". Firstly, this is a high level of quality, in-house engineering developments and control at all stages of production. We must assume that the latest flagship smartphones from companies such as: Oppo, Huawei, Lenovo, Zte have already firmly occupied their niche in this area and, in terms of the totality of characteristics and quality, no longer differ, say, from products from Sony, HTC and the same Apple, and in some parameters even exceed them. Let’s say the previous smartphone from “OPPO” called “OPPO Find 5” is a very good product and in terms of screen quality it is inferior only to “HTC ONE” and then only in terms of the size of the screen itself and the density of dots per inch, but in terms of sound it completely outperforms it . It is possible that my next smartphone will be completely Chinese.
About OPPO.
OPPO. Chinese electronics manufacturing company (one of the brands of BBK Electronics). The company began its activities back in 1995, and since then, for several years, it has been a leader in the production of home phones in China. Currently, it is one of the leading companies in the production of wired and cordless phones. In 2005, mobile and DECT phones were also added to the product line. In 1995, an educational electronics division was founded, specializing in the manufacture of computers for students and electronic dictionaries, which took a leading position in the Chinese market. In 1997, a department of audio and video electronics was created, specializing in VCD players, and later in DVD players.
The company name represents the first letters of the word “opportunity” (from the English “opportunity”), and is also translated from ancient Greek as “good friends”.
OPPO products are supplied to Russia under the OPPO and BBK brands. In Russia, the company became known as a manufacturer of MP3 players under the OPPO brand.
Currently, the company has entered the market with high-performance business class smartphones based on operating system Android.
The official international website of the company is en.oppo.com
Official Russian website of the company - oppo.ru
Official English-language forum - oppoforums.com
At the beginning of 2010, a real scandal occurred when journalists from the audioholics.com resource discovered that the insides Blu-ray player The $3,500 Lexicon BD-30 is exactly the same as the $500 Oppo BDP-83. That is, Lexicon did not just use components from OPPO, it simply took a Chinese player and inserted it into solid body and racked up an additional $3,000.
That's what this OPPO is like!
Technical characteristics of the device.
Let's look at the technical part of the smartphone:
Network - GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), WCDMA/HSPA (900/2100 MHz).
Platform - Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), Color OS.
Smartphone display: capacitive, 5.9”, 1920 x 1080 pixels, IPS, multi-touch 10 touches.
Protective screen coating - Corning Gorilla Glass 2.
Camera - 13MP, Exmor RS, 1/3.06", autofocus, dual LED flash, f/2.0, Full HD video recording.
Processor - 4 cores, 1.7 GHz, Qualcomm Snapdragon 600.
Graphics chip - Adreno 320.
RAM - 2 GB.
Internal memory - 16GB.
Navigation - GPS, GLONASS.
Wi-Fi - (802.11a/b/g/n).
Bluetooth - 4.0.
Interfaces - USB 2.0, USB OTG, 3.5 mm jack.
FM radio with RDS - Yes.
NFC - Yes.
Sensors - light and distance, gyroscope, accelerometer, digital compass.
Battery - Li-ion, 3610 mAh.
Dimensions - 170.7 x 82.6 x 9 mm.
Weight - 213 g.
Form factor - monoblock with touchscreen.
Type - smartphone.
Announcement date: September 23, 2013.
Sales start date: December 2013.
Packaging, complete set.
What I like about Chinese phones is their packaging! It’s a pity that in some cases, when it reaches other markets, sometimes chic packaging turns into a banal cardboard box. I hope this doesn't happen with OPPO N1. In our case, the packaging is an aesthetic masterpiece!
The smartphone comes in a white plastic square box. Package dimensions: 17.5x17.8x2.7 cm. The top lid does not close completely and a 3mm gap remains, which visually divides the package into two different parts. Already taking this packaging in your hands you feel some kind of delight and visual pleasure. In appearance, the packaging does not reveal itself in any way that this is the packaging of a mobile phone; it looks more like the packaging of some kind of secret device. On the front side of the package there is only the "OPPO" logo, and on the back side there is only the shortest Technical information, there are no longer any markings on the box. This in itself is already an intrigue and you want to look more and more into the mysterious interior. Opening the package, you can see that the entire space is divided into three sections. On the right side is the smartphone itself under a paper cover with the "OPPO" logo, under the smartphone there is a separate envelope with documentation and a metal clip for removing the SIM card tray. On the right side, in a separate box, there is a USB cable and a 110-volt charging unit (supplies to Europe will have a 220-volt plug). The headphones are also packaged in a separate plastic box-bobbin, the wire is wound around the base of the bobbin itself.
Yes, everything is so elegant and beautiful! No scattered plastic bags with components for you. Please note that the entire set is white, just like the smartphone! For example, there are white smartphones with a black USB cable or black headphones. In our case, everything is according to Feng Shui!
Equipment.
The bottom line is:
1. The smartphone itself, built-in battery.
2. Documentation.
3. SIM card tray clip.
4. USB cable.
5. Charger.
6. Headphones.
A Bluetooth immobilizer tag will be included separately with the package. I will tell you about its purpose below in the text. The tag itself comes in a small square cardboard box, which in shape and general appearance repeats the packaging of the smartphone itself, a kind of symbiosis of additional accessories.
Equipment.
1. The label itself.
2. CR 2016 battery.
3. Keychain for attaching the tag.
Appearance, design.
The first thing you notice is the size of the smartphone. Interested to know where the race to increase the diagonal will lead? That in a couple of years a smartphone with a screen diagonal of seven inches will be considered the norm?! Even compared to the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and LG E988 Optimus G Pro, the smartphone from Chinese wizards looks simply huge. I haven’t said this word for a long time and, in fact, I don’t like to apply it to smartphones with a large screen, but in this case I simply have to say it: -SHOVEL!!!
To whom, of course, but for me personally this is already too much in terms of overall dimensions. It’s good in the winter, I threw it in my jacket pocket and forgot, but what to do in the summer? Should I sew separate pockets, buy rapper clothes or go back to purses? If you have decided to buy a smartphone of this kind, I strongly recommend that you first go to the store and feel it in person, so to speak, so that later the size does not become a shock for you. Okay, this is all lyrics and I propose to move directly to the appearance....
And so.... The appearance of the smartphone is a completely original engineering development of the OPPO company. There is no borrowing or copying the appearance of competitors' products, well, the SIM card tray and that's probably all. Surprisingly, the smartphone is very comfortable to hold in your hand, the weight of 213 grams is distributed throughout the smartphone and the heaviness is not felt at all. The general shape is an elongated rectangle, the screen is narrow and due to this you can work with one hand to a limited extent, for example, with the thumb of your left hand you can reach the left and bottom edges of the screen, while the upper area remains inaccessible. Thickness is only 9mm. is also a good indicator for this class of devices. The top and bottom edges of the smartphone have a slightly oval shape, the corners are rounded, but not much.
In white, the smartphone looks very solid and elegant; my personal opinion is that black color is clearly not suitable for it. An interesting feature is the screen frame; it has slightly round corners, and thanks to this, when turned off, the appearance of the screen follows the shape of the corners of the smartphone, and the bottom edge of the screen is combined with the oval shape of the bottom end. At first glance, very thin frames along the edges of the screen are immediately noticeable, only 1 mm, but the first impression is deceptive. As soon as you activate the screen, you immediately notice a black frame around the perimeter of the screen and the frames become 4mm wide. This is how the illusion turns out. In terms of overall appearance, I would give the smartphone a more feminine orientation; the shapes and content would be soft and airy.
The SIM card in a smartphone is in microSIM format. Inserted from the left side using the supplied paperclip. Simply use a paper clip to press the notch in the tray and the tray will come out.
The basic material used in the design of the smartphone is high-quality, matte white polycarbonate plastic. The smartphone is completely non-slippery thanks to this coating; it does not slip out of your hands, leaving no fingerprints or scratches. This is definitely one of the most practical materials for production. There was also a place for a metal part. This is a metal edging that runs along the perimeter of the smartphone and, as it were, divides the smartphone into two parts. The edging itself is painted white and protrudes slightly at the ends of the smartphone; the edges of the edging are not painted; at the lower end, the edging goes around the technological connectors on the device’s body. The volume button and the power button are built into the frame itself and are also white; the buttons themselves are very narrow and small, which makes them almost invisible against the general background.
The build quality is excellent, which should correspond to the company's flagship. In our case, the case does not contain any third-party sounds. The back of the case does not press or squeak. The control buttons do not play. In a word, we have a very high-quality assembly and production of the final product. Everything is very good high level, there is absolutely nothing to complain about.
Functional connectors on the device body.
Let's look at the controls:
1. There are no controls on the top end, unless you take into account the rotating mechanism of the camera module.
2. On the right side there is a power button and a volume button.
3. At the bottom end: the second speaker, thanks to this arrangement, the speaker does not overlap when the smartphone is lying on the table, microUSB connector, 3.5mm headphone jack, main microphone hole.
4. On the left side there is only a tray for installing a SIM card.
5. On the front side at the top of the main speaker, proximity sensor, sensor automatic adjustment brightness At the bottom below the screen are touch control buttons: context menu, home and back. In the settings, you can set the backlight time or turn off the backlight completely, or leave it constant.
6. On the back side: camera, flash, second microphone, “OPPO” logo, immediately below the logo there is an O-Touch touch panel and a built-in NFC chip.
Functional elements.
SCREEN. The first thing you notice is the huge screen, it simply magically attracts your eye. Size 5.9 inches, resolution naturally 1920 x 1080 pixels - FullHD, IPS matrix, pixel density per inch 373ppi, multi-touch for 10 touches as on all matrices of this type.
A pixel density value of 373ppi is more than enough for you to be unable to see individual pixels on a given screen, which is actually the case. All objects on the screen are very well drawn, have smooth transitions and sharpened edges.
There is no air gap on this type of screen, which contributes to a more vibrant and natural image transmission. Present protective covering Second generation Corning Gorilla Glass, which further prevents scratches. There is an oleophobic coating on the screen, which also prevents the appearance of fingerprints. Viewing angles are maximum, colors are not distorted at any viewing angle.
In the sun, this screen performed very well; the image practically does not fade and you can always read the information on the screen itself. At first it seemed to me that the screen lacked the saturation of color shades, but as it turned out during operation, these were the features of the shell from OPPO; it was simply made in calm color tones After installing my wallpaper, everything fell into place. Color reproduction is very good and natural, there is no acidity or oversaturation of color that is inherent in “AMOLED” matrices. When watching movies for a long time, for example, on the screen of this smartphone, your eyes do not get tired at all. On my own behalf, I will add that the maximum brightness is not enough, I would like to add a little, but to a large extent this is nit-picking and personal qualities of perception. The screen responds instantly to touch, the responsiveness is simply amazing. Based on the totality of all the characteristics, we have a very high-quality screen. It's just great to play on, watch movies and photos. Naturally, if you plan to view video files larger than 4GB, you will have to format the phone’s memory in NTFS format.
CAMERA.
A distinctive feature of the smartphone is the rotating camera module, and in this case it is one camera that is front and rear at the same time. I remember in the early 2000s there were already phones/smartphones on the market with this type of camera, in particular Samsung and Nokia produced similar devices, but then they somehow abandoned this concept. And so the OPPO company decided to return to this type camera layout.
I’ll say right away that I really liked this decision. If we take into account the fact that manufacturers install not very high-quality front modules, which in video communication mode do not perform at their best in terms of image transmission, then this rotary mechanism solves all problems at once. Now we have a high-quality front camera! By the way, it works just fine in Skype, the picture quality is excellent, taking into account the FullHD screen and the quality of the camera itself. How convenient it is to take pictures from different positions! If earlier I held my smartphone at an awkward angle to take an interesting shot, now I simply turn the camera module to the position I need. Everything is brilliant and simple! The module itself can be rotated 206 degrees, the manufacturer claims the ability to rotate the camera module 100,000 times if the mechanism fails, and this is about 7 years of operation, most likely during this time you will simply have time to change the smartphone itself. In rear camera mode, the module itself has a common base with the smartphone body. In front camera mode, the rotating module already protrudes slightly above the top end. Along the perimeter of the rotary module there is a metal edging that harmoniously fits into the overall appearance.
Camera 13MP. with Exmor RS sensor, 1/3.06 f/2.0 aperture from Sony and dual LED flash. N-Lens - this is the name the company came up with for their camera, I don’t think there are any technological aspects hidden behind this, most likely a name for beauty.
SONY has G-Lens, HTC has UltraPixel, OPPO has N-Lens. Sounds nice. The maximum photo resolution is 4128x3088. Video with maximum quality 1080p at 30 frames per second, mp4 format, bit rate 156 kbps. The speed of the camera and image saving is good, but does not reach the speed of similar smartphones from Sony, LG, Samsung. What I liked was that the camera settings were not overloaded. There are few of them and it’s not difficult to figure them out: portrait, smart scenes, auto, action, landscape. Flash mode: on, off, flashlight, auto. Settings of the camera module itself: 2MP, 3MP, 10MP, 13MP. The shutter sound can be turned off, a countdown timer can be set from 2 to 8 seconds, a photo can be taken using a mark on the screen, or a GPS mark. There is a panorama mode and HDR. HDR mode works selectively, that is, at some points in this mode the photos turn out better than without it and it’s worth experimenting. Night mode does not provide any advantages when shooting, the automation very accurately determines all shooting modes, in my memory this is probably best definition shooting modes from all tested smartphones. Autofocus is quite fast, the pictures are of very good quality, sharpness and color rendition are at a high level. I did not detect any color distortions in the resulting images. Pictures can be taken using the volume button. In the smartphone settings, you can activate the automatic camera activation mode when the module is switched to front mode. You can activate the camera by simply placing three fingers on the screen and bringing them together. In terms of the overall quality of the resulting images, they somehow cannot be put above the same images that are obtained in smartphones from Sony, LG, Samsung. Here we have another high-quality camera for smartphones, which is also perfect for use in everyday conditions.
Sample pictures:
Examples of pictures in HDR mode. The first shot is simple, the second is HDR:
Video example:
O-TOUCH.
If you look closely, on the back panel you can see a barely noticeable touch panel in the form of a square with sides of 3x4 cm. This area allows you to control various smartphone functions with your left or right index finger. Over time, the arsenal of available actions will be replenished. At the moment it is possible double click call or remove any application on your smartphone. You can also assign the launch of any application to each side of the touch square. Holding your finger on the sensor for a long time will take a photo. You can scroll through desktops or smartphone menus simply by touching the desired edge of the touch area. It is also possible to control the music player using the sensor: switch tracks or rewind a song.
O-CLICK.
As I said above, the delivery package will include a Bluetooth immobilizer tag. The mark is round on both sides, and has cut edges on the other two. The tag itself is enclosed in a metal ring and the general style and shape coincide with the smartphone itself. So what is this accessory for?
You can use this label as remote camera control, you can take pictures by clicking on the mark itself. Search for a phone, click on the label and the phone will beep. Alarm mode, after enabling this function, the phone will sound an alarm when you are more than 5 meters away from you. This tag will also notify you if you receive a call or a message on your phone. The tag itself can be secured using the included key fob. Quite useful functions; you can take pictures with the camera unnoticed by others or use the tag as an alarm.
COLOROS.
Those who are used to the standard kind of Android OS in this smartphone will not find anything in common with standard firmware from Google and only the location of the shortcuts can remind you that this is still a smartphone running Android OS. Before us is a powerful shell based on Android OS 4.2.2. from "OPPO" and already the company "CyanogenMod". Yes, in fact, we have the first official “cyan”. About 200 engineers and programmers worked on this firmware shell for almost a year. Everything that was possible has been changed compared to stock firmware. All shortcuts, icons, settings, wallpaper, design, location paths, in a word, EVERYTHING have been redrawn! Even for me at first it was not easy to understand all the nuances of this shell. In the near future, the developer promises to release a separate toolkit for easy installation of new firmware. The main menu is built according to the 4x5 formula - three desktops with installed programs.
There is cyclic scrolling in the main menu. If we separately talk about all the advantages of this shell, it will take several A4 pages. I suggest looking at screenshots of the shell and a short video about Color OS itself.
In progress, testing.
CPU. Previously, there was information that this smartphone would have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 installed, but apparently something didn’t work out and in the end we only have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600. This processor is designed for upper-mid-class mobile devices. This single-chip system, which includes a quad-core Krait 300 CPU with a frequency of up to 1.9 GHz, an Adreno 320 GPU and an LP-DDR3 RAM controller, provides 40% greater performance compared to the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro SoC. The Snapdragon 600 has only one version and it is APQ8064T, and is produced on the 28nm LP process. The 600 version can work with cameras up to 21MP, and it is possible to take 3D pictures. It is also possible to work in Wi-Fi networks of the “gigabit” 802.11ac WiFi standard and support for wireless video transmission technology - Miracast HD 1080p. The processor does not have a built-in LTE module and is supplied separately. It is clear that this is not the top-end processor, but it is sufficient for all tasks. In terms of performance, it will be relevant and in demand for a very long time, especially since at the moment there is no game in the Play Store that could fully load this bundle. In all tested games: N.O.V.A. 3, Modern Combat 4, Real Racing 3, Asphalt 8 - this processor showed its best side, all games worked on full settings without any lags or brakes. Even in the latest Dead Trigger 2, everything worked perfectly on high graphics settings.
For fans of synthetics, graphics of various tests:
MEMORY. Two 16GB versions of the smartphone will be supplied to the market. and 32GB. I got the 16GB option. memory, after loading we have about 9.81GB at our disposal. Most likely, Color OS itself took up a large amount of memory. For everyday needs, this amount of memory may not be enough because in our case there is no support for memory cards. Generally in last time Some smartphone manufacturers really surprise me. Yes, we released a cool smartphone, yes it is powerful, yes it has a cool screen, yes great camera etc. But where is the memory card slot? To be honest, I can’t explain his absence in any way. Then release smartphones with at least 32GB. memory. After all, what is 9.81GB in our case? ? These are three good toys, but you still need somewhere to save music, photos, movies, etc. So you have to constantly struggle and find a compromise on what to download, what to delete.... The RAM in the smartphone is 2GB. and after downloading there remains 1.88GB. this is even more than what remains after loading into the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, which by the way has 3GB. random access memory. This volume is enough for you to handle absolutely any task, and you can always keep at least three of any applications in background. USB-HOST is not supported.
Wi-Fi. Here again everything is fine. Wi-Fi works perfectly, I didn’t find any problems during operation. Naturally, the smartphone itself can act as a point Wi-Fi access. Wi-Fi Direct is still here - this is a new standard for wireless data transfer that allows devices to connect directly to each other without an additional intermediate link in the form of a router. There is also Wi-Fi Display, an industry standard developed by members of the Wi-Fi Alliance. He describes wireless transmission images and sound from one device to another nearby, using a simple and secure discovery and connection procedure. For example, a web page opened on a PC can be shown on a nearby TV, and a photo viewed on a smartphone can be simultaneously visible on the tablet screen.
GPS/GLONNAS.
Simultaneous support for two navigation standards, American GPS and Russian GLONASS, has been implemented. Thanks to this, a cold start takes less time. It is not possible to select the GPS or GLONASS mode separately; they work in pairs; such a tendem provides greater satellite detection or more accurate positioning on the ground. In my case, at least 19 satellites were displayed, which is not a bad indicator.
SOUND. VIDEO. Having looked through the Internet, I did not find information about the sound part of this smartphone, but I had the opportunity to compare the sound quality with the "Oppo Find 5". In terms of volume, of course, “N1” is a little inferior to its older brother. The volume is slightly above average, but it is sufficient to hear a call in a noisy place. At full volume, the speaker does not produce noise or distort the sound. But in other respects, the sound quality is no different from “Find 5”, so I would venture to suggest that “N1” also has Dirac HD Sound and Dolby Sound technology - these technologies improve the sound both at the software and hardware levels. As such, the sound from the speakers is simply gorgeous; you can hear all the sound aspects of the composition being played. The included headphones were quite frankly surprising. Usually various manufacturers They don’t bother to include decent-sounding headphones in the package. Once you start listening to music on headphones, it will be difficult to tear yourself away from the “N1”. The sound quality is at a very high level, the bass is very noticeable. We can safely say that "OPPO N1" is perfect as an MP3 player. Out of the box, the smartphone perfectly digests all known video formats, so installing a third-party player is not required at first. A very strong vibration signal, you can feel it even in a winter jacket.
QUALITY OF SPEECH. The smartphone has two microphones, which naturally has a positive effect on the quality of transmitted and received speech. The interlocutor can be heard very well, as well as you. The speaker is also excellent, there is a reserve in volume. From personal impressions, I can say that in this case we have one of the best smartphones on the market in terms of speech quality.
Battery life.
The smartphone has a non-removable 3610 mAh battery. This is a very good indicator of battery capacity, but given the size of the FullHD screen and the fairly powerful processor, it will be quite interesting to know the operating time on a single charge.
1. Work in "just phone" mode - only calls. This is not the total talk time, but a certain number of calls - 42 hours.
2. Work in mixed mode: calls, Internet, video, games - 14 hours.
3. Play MP3 file in headphones, maximum volume - 52 hours.
4. Video playback, sound and screen brightness at maximum - 8 hours.
5. Work in 3D applications (games), sound at maximum, screen brightness 75% - 5 hours.
As you can see, the miracle did not happen and the duration of operation on one charge turned out to be predictable. I was surprised by the short playback time of an MP3 file, but at the same time I was pleased by the duration of playback of video files. Otherwise, the operating time is standard for similar smartphones. The main energy consumer is the screen, followed by the central processor.
Conclusions.
Here are perhaps all the main points of this smartphone that we were able to identify and check in the allotted period of time. Of course, one week is not enough to fully master this gadget. I would like to test the camera in more detail, dig deeper into the settings, etc. By general impressions the product was largely a success, but a lot will depend on the final price on our market. If the price is not higher than 20 thousand rubles, but ideally 17-18 thousand, then most likely the smartphone will have some success. In all respects, this still turned out to be a niche product; few would agree to such a huge size of the device itself. For some, the rotating mechanism of the camera module or the rear touch panel will be a novelty. At the moment, in terms of the totality of solutions used, the smartphone as such has no competitors. If you definitely love big and unusual smartphones and want to get a surprise from your purchase, then “OPPO N1” will undoubtedly surprise you... Would I buy such a smartphone? Most likely yes! The ease of use of the camera and a bunch of gadgets in the smartphone make it at least unusual, and everything unusual is interesting. And I just want to watch the evolution of Color OS.
PROS:
1. Great screen.
2. PTZ camera with good picture quality.
3. Amazing sound.
4. Interesting and unusual Color OS.
5. High performance.
6. Workmanship.
7. Gorgeous packaging.
8. Bluetooth immobilizer tag included.
MINUSES:
1. Large overall size, so to speak, is not for everyone.
2. Not enough built-in memory.
3. Lack of a slot for a memory card.
That's all ! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this review!
Thanks to DNS and OPPO for providing the product for review.
Chinese smartphones can be very different. Some, like the endless Doogee, Oukitel or Leagoo, give the buyer more problems than they are worth.
Others, such as Xiaomi, provide excellent competition famous brands, attracting the buyer balanced characteristics, high-quality operating system and low cost.
But there is a third legion of manufacturers who have become familiar to the mass Russian user quite recently. OPPO smartphones have long conquered the Chinese market, where they actively compete even with Apple.
Who are OPPO and why are their smartphones so cool?
In Russia, OPPO is known primarily for equipment for audiophiles: amplifiers, receivers, headphones for 100 thousand and other cool devices. We have already written about many of them. And you liked them. And you will like smartphones even more.
Now OPPO ranks 4th in the world in smartphone sales, second only to Apple, Samsung and Huawei. For quite natural reasons.
Today OPPO is for China as Apple is for the whole world. It’s worth making a reservation - in China they really love the iPhone. Therefore, almost all OPPO smartphones are very similar to our favorite devices.
The company's proprietary add-on for Android, ColorOS, is no exception, and is exactly like iOS.
Frameless and powerful - that's all OPPO F5
The mid-price smartphone F5 is the company's first device for the Russian market. It seems that this is the first balanced frameless phone - like OnePlus 5T. Only better and cheaper.
To make the smartphone warm and accessible, OPPO stuffed the device with a bunch of cool (although some may seem controversial) features. Housing - plastic; the screen has frames and sticks out slightly above the body; instead of the too recent USB Type C - regular microUSB; instead of the common 1 slot for 2 SIM cards - separate, for 2 SIM and for microSD. 
Remembering the difference in official Russian prices with other smartphones in this class, their metal cases with constant scratches and the constant search for USB-C at a party - OPPO engineers chose the right path. It is much more critical that the F5 did not inherit the dual camera of the flagship OPPO R11 and. Someone may complain about the reduced amount of RAM - forget about 8 gigabytes, only 4 or 6 (no, is this not enough for some?) 
But the relationship with OnePlus 5T and the instinct of Chinese engineers leave such little things out of perception.
What are 18:9 and why are they?
Why not 2:1? Just to be familiar and not stand out against the 16:9 background. 
The main (out of 3 main) feature of the OPPO F5 is the now fashionable 6-inch screen with an aspect ratio of 18:9 with narrow side frames. Navigation keys moved to the screen, which made it possible to abandon the huge at first glance free space up and down.
Such smartphones are narrower and shorter than regular ones. Therefore, OPPO engineers were able to fit the F5 into the dimensions of a regular 5.5-inch smartphone. It fits in the hand just like any Xiaomi A1 - only the Xiaomi is thicker and its screen is smaller. 
Of course, the 18:9 aspect ratio is much better suited for mobile tasks. The extra screen length can be used not only for functional elements, but also when surfing - and especially when playing games or watching videos. With FullHD+ resolution (that is, 2160 x 1080 pixels), it’s a pleasure! And sites are perceived better.
Fact: Increasing the diagonal when changing the aspect ratio from 16:9 to 18:9 in this case does not change the pixel density (ppi) and leaves the same juicy image with normal resolution. 
The screen has only one drawback - it would be worth using an AMOLED matrix instead of IPS. However, with the current implementation, the smartphone has normal color display, and this is worth a lot. And about the negative effects Samsung-like You don’t have to think about screens.
Can Android from Chinese developers replace iOS?
It usually doesn’t make sense to talk about all sorts of proprietary Android add-ons. Pair external changes, a bunch of “lefty” useless software only increases the value of “pure” Android. But in the case of OPPO, everything is different. 
OPPO F5 runs on a proprietary operating system ColorOS 3.2 on Android based 7.1. It would seem that this solution is already outdated - but OPPO’s competitors are following the same path, squeezing all the juice out of the proven version of the “green robot”. And for good reason.
Externally, ColorOS almost completely copies the iOS interface. Instead of the classic curtain, a bottom menu is used, called up by a familiar slide. There is also a curtain - but it is used only to display notifications. The application menu is called up in an original way - with a pinch gesture (as for enlarging) on the start screen. 
ColorOS is like iOS, only on Android: everything is very simple, stylish and convenient.
Of the standard functions, OPPO engineers left few, except for those required for the European region Google services. This includes support for gestures, including waking up by double tap and symbols for quick launch. 
The second is split screen for 2 applications. Unfortunately, not everything works on split screen (for example, Facebook and VKontakte clients). But browsers, clients of streaming services (YouTube and Co), most instant messengers and many professional utilities work. Watching a video in a browser and taking notes at the same time (fortunately, the screen width allows it) is priceless.
All this turns ColorOS into an almost real iOS. Much more convenient than regular Android.
How does OPPO handle photos?
In addition to the screen and operating system, the cameras are another feature of the OPPO F5. Company representatives even called him a “selfie expert.” Not without reason. The front camera of the OPPO F5 is really very cool. Although the sensor manufacturer is not specified, the numbers speak for themselves:
- 20 megapixels ensure picture clarity,
- matrix size 1/2.8″ - low level noise,
- f/2.0 aperture - excellent sensitivity.
You won’t find this as the main one in any other camera phone.
The fact is that the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom are very fond of selfies. Perhaps social networks today really play a larger role than the creation of artistic landscapes. Therefore, OPPO did not fail by creating one of the best selfie smartphones. 
Let's start with the fact that OPPO F5 has something that others could not implement in software: the bokeh effect with a single camera. The smartphone perfectly blurs the boundaries of the subject, leaving it clear and sharp. Unmistakable and accurate.
But the basis for good OPPO F5 selfies was the SelfieTune software function - one of the popular “beautifiers”, auxiliary programs for automatic photo processing. It quietly corrects imperfections in appearance: whitens teeth, tints lips, removes bags under the eyes, wrinkles and other skin defects. A person turns into a fashion model without any Photoshop. 
Similar functions in Xiaomi and Huawei significantly distort the picture. Therefore, SelfieTune artificial intelligence is used to process photos of the OPPO F5 front camera. own development companies.
He builds a model of the face and compares it with the accumulated database of photographs. Based on them, the program analyzes the shape of the face and its features, taking into account lighting, after which it automatic mode rules shortcomings.
Unfortunately, SelfieTune is not customizable. You can only indicate the degree of leveling of defects, although the processing is almost invisible. Moreover, each subsequent frame gets better - SelfieTune learns before your eyes! 
Another useful camera feature is Face Comes First. With its help, OPPO F5 independently recognizes faces and allows you to receive instant photos with very accurate autofocus on faces. He also adjusts the settings for better display of faces.
And finally, we can’t help but mention OPPO’s own analogue of Face ID. Unlocking a smartphone using the owner's face works surprisingly quickly and accurately, glitching only in the dark (it doesn't respond in the photo!). It works slower than a scanner, but due to its elongated body it can be much more convenient. 
The main camera in such a smartphone is simply nice addition. Despite this, it works quickly and efficiently. 
That's why the OPPO F5 takes beautiful, rich daytime photos and handles indoor photography well. But taking photographs in the dark is not his strong point.
Testing week: no limits and no problems
For a new product on the Russian market, OPPO F5 turned out to be a very interesting smartphone with a lot of advantages and disadvantages.
Thanks to its screen and ergonomic body, OPPO F5 boasts incredible grip with a 6-inch screen. Still, elongated screens are the future of smartphones.
Consuming any type of content on 18:9 screens turns into pure pleasure. It’s trite that more can fit on the screen - even compared to 6-inch smartphones with a standard aspect ratio. 
The plastic case comes in handy. It is warm and does not slip. After a couple of dozen metal and glass devices, you feel a real buzz. A small fly in the ointment is the high-mounted fingerprint scanner. You have to get used to it, and it takes some time. However, recognition of the owner's face works perfectly. We can make do with them.
OPPO F5 unlocks almost instantly. There are also no noticeable slowdowns in operation, although it cannot be called an outright gaming solution. The use of a new single-chip platform is having an impact MediaTek Helio P23 from the middle segment: economical, low heating. 
The OPPO F5 processor will handle any task that fits in 4 gigabytes of RAM - that is, absolutely any Android application in the next couple of years.
The engineers didn’t forget about the small features that make life easier. Just because they equipped the generally expensive (by the standards of Android smartphones) OPPO F5 with separate slots for 2 SIM cards and microSD, you can shake their hand. Finally, you can forget about the amount of built-in memory and take pictures for your own pleasure! 
The case thickness of 7.2 millimeters affects the battery capacity. You can’t even dream about 4 or 5 thousand “maxes” - OPPO F5 is equipped with a 3,200 mAh battery. It lasts exactly one and a half days of moderate use. Not bad.
Is it worth changing your smartphone to OPPO F5?
Perhaps, among direct analogues on Russian market OPPO F5 has practically no competitors. Yes, there are selfie phones from Huawei and Sony. But among them there is not even one pseudo frameless smartphone, not to mention models with an elongated 18:9 screen. And this is a serious advantage. 
Would I take the OPPO F5 for myself? Yes.
The smartphone leaves a pleasant impression after use. Quite cheap (for smartphones on the Russian market), economical and convenient. A good combination for a smartphone for 19,990 rubles, which is intended for consuming and creating content - in fact, at a professional level.
(4.00 out of 5, rated: 1 )
The Chinese company Oppo Digital is a well-known manufacturer of digital technology and electronics that helps with work and allows you to significantly diversify a person’s leisure time. Smartphones from this brand deserve special attention thanks to innovative features, such as high-speed charging, which allows you to fully charge the battery in 10 minutes.
Advantages and features of Oppo smartphones
This company does not rely on the frequency of releasing new models, but on thoughtful diversity. That is why all brand devices differ significantly from each other. For example, the Oppo Finder was once the thinnest phone in the world, and the Find 7 smartphone can take 50-megapixel photos.
At the same time, critics often note that Oppo is trying to inherit, using the most successful models. If you are a fan of the famous apple brand, then you will definitely like models that use the best practices of the American brand.
Famous selfie cameras of Oppo smartphones
The quality of images provided by the front camera of Oppo smartphones has long won the attention and appreciation of many users. The Find 5, equipped with a practical camera, was called "for women."
If you want to take a fresh look at the art of photography, as well as fill your device’s memory with bright and colorful pictures, then you should buy such a gadget. IN latest models two cameras (front and rear) equipped with zoom are used at once, which significantly increases the range of the photographer’s capabilities.
The features of Oppo smartphones also include:
- fast charging;
- large and high-quality display;
- light weight with noticeable dimensions;
- design as close as possible to the iPhone.
You can buy the desired new thing in our online store Tsifrus. Consultants can advise you on the most fashionable and functional models, as well as budget options. If necessary, you can purchase on credit. Shipping is carried out by mail throughout Russia, and courier delivery is available in Moscow.