When OnePlus launched their flagships with Hasselblad branding to sport their newfound partnership and investment, we were excited. It meant a new dawn for smartphone photography, especially in the OnePlus devices which have always been a pleasure to work with, but can be a nightmare to take photos with, in the past. The result was nothing short of breath taking at the time. OnePlus flagships finally had great cameras to work with and Hasselblad successfully penetrated the mobile photography space, except they were a little out of their depth with smaller than small camera sensors. Still, they know a thing or two about cameras, and they managed to pull together something for the OnePlus devices.
We knew as well that it was just a matter of time before the Hasselblad name gets passed around within the brands associated with OnePlus, namely OPPO. It did not happen in the previous OPPO Find X, but it is happening now with the OPPO Find X5 series. But there is more to this OPPO flagship that makes it an even better mobile photography machine compared to even the OnePlus.]
Source: OPPO
Source: OPPO
Source: OPPO
Source: OPPO
Source: OPPO
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 – Still the Best
To start with, The OPPO Find X5 Pro, the most powerful device OPPO has ever created, is packing a powerhouse of a System on a Chip (SoC) in the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Yes, the Gen 2 is coming, but the Gen 1 is till the most powerful SoC you can find today. Pair that to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, the device should not break any sweats even with multiple apps running in the background while you game to your heart’s content. But OPPO also understands that sometimes, one processor is not enough; you need two dedicated chips to get things done properly.
MariSilicon X – the Power of Light
The in-house developed NPU powers the three cameras out the back. You get one 50-Megapixel main camera with f/1.7 maximum aperture, another 50-Megapixel underneath an ultra-wide lens at f/2.2 aperture, and a 13-Megapixel telephoto camera. They call it the 4K Ultra night video camera and the MariSilicon X NPU is supposed to be the star of the show here. The new NPU allows more light to be captured by the camera in 4K resolution even in low-light settings. That also allows the cameras to capature HDR footages with more details even at night. For the first time ever as well, there is a 5-axis optical image stabiliser (OIS) fitted to the main camera for a smoother, more stable footage or images. Of course, there is Hasselblad’s input and engineering that allows the OPPO Find X5 Pro to capture colours more naturally and accurately.
Brilliant Display – Beauty is in the Eyes of its Beholder
To top everything off is a brilliant 6.7-inch display that boasts QHD+ 1440p resolutions. AMOLED LTPO panel also houses a 32-Megapixel selfie camera that captures great looking self-portraits. Protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus, the 10-bit 100% DCI-P3 display also boasts up to 120Hz in refresh rate and 240Hz in touch sampling rate. If that is not a brilliant display to enjoy contents, we don’t know what is.
Long Lasting Battery, or is it Batteries?
For the OPPO Find X5 Pro, OPPO decided that two batteries are better than one. In the standpoint of durability, heat spread, and even speed, it certainly is. The OPPO Find X5 Pro packs two 2,500mAh batteries to make a single 5,000mAh battery. That allows OPPO to fit their SUPERVOOC charging technology with up to 80W speeds and AIRVOOC technology at 50W without heating up the batteries too much. It also allows an even spread of heat energy to ensure that heat is always kept at a comfortable level while handling the device.
Price and Availability
The OPPO Find X5 Pro is now available for pre-order until 27th of May 2022 via OPPO’s official web store, Shopee, and Lazada. You can get your hands on one for MYR 4,999 and you can choose between Ceramic Black or Ceramic White colour options. If you do pre-order your OPPO Find X5 Pro smartphone from the online stores, you are entitled to free gifts worth up to MYR 1,726, including an OPPO Enco X2, 1-year Screen Protection, and 1-year Extended Warranty, and Kevlar phone case. More information on the OPPO Find X5 Pro can be found on their website.
What do you do when you need to buy a smartphone and only a budget of MYR 1,599? It may not seem like an issue to a lot of us, but it is a valid question still. Smartphones are simply too expensive.
To drive that point home even more, a about 10 years ago, MYR 2,000 will get you a brand-new Samsung Galaxy Note2. The Samsung Galaxy Note2 is a very highly rated flagship in its day, one of the most powerful devices you can get. A brand-new iPhone 3GS as well at the time will set you back less than MYR 2,500. Heck, the first Samsung Galaxy S smartphone will only set you back MYR 1,000, and that was expensive.
Today, spending MYR 3,000 on a smartphone is normal. This is especially true with flagship level devices. A mid-range device today will set you back less than MYR 3,000 but more than MYR 2,000. Anything below that is usually entry-level.
Entry-level devices are not stellar, but you can find some good ones in the segment. While it is not as competitive as the mid-range market, it is still a highly competitive segment. After all, the entry-level device segment could be your first smartphone experience.
Meet the OPPO A96. It sets you back less than MYR 1,500, which should mean that you might not enjoy the smartphone very much. We find that a little untrue though as you read on. But is it worth MYR 1,299? Or should you look elsewhere when you want a budget smartphone?
Design
The best way to describe the OPPO A96’s form is that it is rather ordinary. There is nothing too special or outstanding about the device. It is a regular candy bar smartphone. The most interesting thing about it is probably its unique back styling they call the OPPO Glow design.
The crystalised design on the back of the device looks rather good in camera. It may not strike everyone the same in its physical form though. Some might like it, some might not.
Out the back of the device, the camera array is like a hark to OPPO’s Reno series. Of course, it could just be OPPO’s design language. It is a bump though, which means you might want to use the case that comes in the box or buy a different case that would sit flush with the camera bump.
Despite the matte and rather plastic feel of the back, OPPO says that it is, in fact, glass. That is not necessarily a bad thing though. While it does not feel too premium, it does help with preventing fingerprint stains. The bad side of that is that it is slippery to the touch. If you use a case, it will not matter anyway.
You have a USB Type-C port at the bottom with some ports for the speaker, a small microphone hole, and a bigger 3.5mm combo jack. There is also a small microphone hole on top of the device too.
We like the fact that the power button is also the fingerprint sensor, a design made popular by Sony. The front facing camera sits in a corner instead of the middle of the display like we are used to on most devices. That is about it for the design of the device. Everything that you expect from a modern smartphone is on the device. It does not feel like a budget product, which is a good thing. But it does not feel or look all that premium either.
Hardware
Underneath the glass and aluminium mix of a shell lies a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 System on a Chip (SoC). It is not even a 5G chip, just regular 4G LTE support, which is plenty enough still. There is also 8GB of RAM and 256GB in memory.
Non-Removable Li-Po 5,000mAh Fast Charging 33W Revers Charging
Connectivity
Dual SIM Wi-Fi WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac GPS/A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS A2DP AptX HD Bluetooth 5.0 OTG Support USB Type-C 2.0
Camera (s)
REAR: 50-Megapixel (f/1.8, 27mm wide angle) 2-Megapixel (f/2.4, depth sensor) 1080p video recording (30fps) LED flash FRONT: 16-Megapixel (f/2.0, 26mm wide angle) 1080p video recording (30fps)
Sensors
Accelerometer Proximity Side Mounted Fingerprint Ambient Light Gyroscope Face Unlock Compass
User Interface – Color OS 11
OPPO’s ColorOS is now something unique on its own. In older OPPO devices you get an interface that can be likened to the iOS. The modern ColorOS has some Android flair in an optional app tray you can turn on in the settings page.
You do not get 120Hz out of the display. Instead, you make do with 90Hz, which is still a fast display considering its price. That also gives you a smooth and refined feel of ColorOS. Unless you have very sharp eyes and is observant enough, ColorOS 11 on the device feels as smooth as the flagship devices. zx
The app tray is not turned on by default. We kind of think that while OPPO does want to retain their original look that is free of an app tray, having the app tray is a great thing for ColorOS and it should be made a default option when you first set up the device. The fact that OPPO includes it as an option though, unlike plenty of manufacturers that came out of China, is a welcome though.
+5GB RAM
When you need more RAM in your PC, you add a RAM stick or replace it with something bigger. On your smartphone though, that is hardly possible. Space is a premium in your smartphone, so manufacturers can only fit one large RAM module that is usually attached to the SoC in favour of space. To get more RAM space then, some creativity gets involved
While OPPO is not the only one who does this, it is good to note that you can opt to use it or not. You can expand your RAM by up to 5GB just using the native UFS storage on the device itself. It does help with some multitasking performance, but hardly too noticeable because 8GB is rather plenty these days.
To opt out of it or to switch how much of your storage is being used as RAM is not quite as easy as OPPO wants you to believe though. You must do a little bit of digging within the settings of the device. We only found it by using the search bar on the page. By default, OPPO sets aside 3GB of your storage as a temporary RAM. You can put it down to 2GB and up to 5GB or turn it completely off if you think it is not necessary.
Performance
The SoC is not a high-end one. In this case, you get Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 680, which is not technically entry-level. It is sitting lower than the 700 series though. It also does not have 5G, so we do not get to test out Yes 4G’s “5G” network.
Benchmarks
Call Quality and Connectivity
Despite it not being a 5G device, you technically are not missing out on much. Malaysia’s 5G network is not out in full force yet too, which also means that you are not missing out on the OPPO A96’s regular 4G LTE network. The OPPO A96 also supports VoLTE, which means you are still getting crystal clear calls.
That is what you get with the OPPO A96, crystal clear phone conversations when you have enough signal strength. As with modern smartphones, making a call with the OPPO A96 is rather straightforward with a similar phone app layout as any other modern smartphones.
Still, VoLTE allows you to have clear conversations when there is enough signal strength. We find that anything between two bars to four bars is good enough and stable. Anything below two bars and you might find that calls get a little choppy. Data speeds tend to suffer too with lower signal strength, though this could just be the ISP’s fault.
Gaming
While it is not a flagship, gaming on a smartphone is a perfectly normal thing to do. If you are looking for a relatively budget friendly smartphone to game with, this could be it. You cannot expect a gaming performance that is likened to an OPPO Find X and its likes.
We played Pokémon Unite with the A96 mostly. We are happy to report that the game runs very smoothly on the device. While graphics performance might not match the flagships just to keep the framerates high, we do not mind that at all. We never faced any lags in the game which also meant that you should not have any issues when you are playing a ranked match. You still want to make sure that you have a solid internet connection though.
Game Space
Game Space is nothing new for OPPO devices. Its implementation is not unique either. It acts as a sort of one-click-overclocking tool that only activates when you play games. It also filters all your notifications just so that you do not get distracted in your gaming sessions.
Multitasking and Productivity
Smartphones like this is an indication that you do not really need a flagship to get a smartphone experience. Sure, you get the bleeding edge of whatever that is on offer on a flagship. The mid-range and entry-level devices eventually get it way later, but the most useful technologies do trickle down eventually. Ample RAM for example, makes it into budget friendly smartphones.
We usually have up to 15 tabs open within Google Chrome on the A96. We also tend to leave plenty of our apps working in the background. Apps like Instagram, Facebook, or Telegram are usually running in the background for us most of the time. At no point we felt that the device was sluggish to work with or experience any stutters when we are changing between screens in our daily use.
Battery Life
Most smartphones at this range excels in this area and for good reason. Smartphones at this range usually comes with rather large batteries, larger than ones you can find on flagship devices. Combine that with lower power consumption from the SoC and you get a smartphone that can last days.
On standby, the OPPO can last up to 5 days without a single charge in between. Of course, with some hotspot, gaming, photo taking, calling, and messaging, the battery life does go down by quite a bit.
Our typical use of the OPPO A96 in a day involves plenty of Telegram messaging, some photos, a little bit of gaming, a few minutes of call, and some social media scrolls. In this case we could get the OPPO to last us nearly three days on a single charge. Three days from your smartphone is a lot of battery life, even for modern smartphones. When the battery drains, you only need about two hours for a full charge. We hardly charge the device overnight because we never needed to in our test period.
Display and Audio
You get a nice 1080p Full HD+ display on the A96. It refreshes at 90Hz, which is more than what you can expect for most devices at this price range. Then again, everything that comes out in 2021 and later comes with 90Hz display.
What you do not get with devices at this price is an NTSC accuracy rating like this one does. The OPPO A96’s 6.59-inch IPS panel comes with a 96% NTSC colour gamut coverage. The colours produced on the OPPO A96 is comparable even to modern flagship devices.
While some of the flagship displays do come with 120Hz and higher resolutions at 2K or even 4K sometimes, you never really need them. Most of the time 90Hz is more than enough for most gaming situations. To make your UI look silky smooth, anything beyond 75Hz is enough. In terms of resolution, you most likely will not notice any difference between a 2K display and a 1080P display no thanks to how small the display is.
In this case, the display of the OPPO A96, we believe, is on par with most of the flagships you get today. Sure, it does not support HDR10 like most flagships do, but it is still a brilliant enough display that you can enjoy movies on Netflix and YouTube videos equally.
Cameras
Here is where things do come down to earth a little. Instead of the usual three or four camera array we are used to seeing in modern smartphones. This one noticeable only has 2 out the back of the device. One is the main 50-Megapixel shooter that you are going to be driving most of the time. The other is an oddly oversized 2-Megapixel depth sensor.
The OPPO A96 shoots at 12-Megapixel mode if you leave the settings alone. If you want the full 50-Megapixel goodness, you must tweak the settings a little bit. There is no way for you to set it permanently to 50-Megapixel, which also means that you must toggle it to 50-Megapixel every time to you turn on the camera.
Photos do look impressive in 50-Megapixel mode. Details are sharp enough for you to zoom in a little, crop your photos to get a better frame of your subjects, so you can technically take photos in slightly wider frame and can get away with it. You do not get the same level of detail at 12-Megapixel mode, but at least your photos still look good with vivid and somewhat accurate colours. There is a little bit of a natural warmth to your shots though.
The 2-Megapixel depth sensor never really comes into play until you are taking photos of a person or when you put it into portrait mode. You can technically use it with small objects and get a natural looking depth effect with it. You are still shooting with your main shooter though, so your portrait can look rather great with plenty of details too if you shoot with the 50-Megapixel mode.
At MYR 1,299, the OPPO A96 is not very expensive. On Paper, it may seem like quite a bargain. It has everything you need in a smartphone, nothing more. It also packs a large battery, a battery that would last for days at a time.
Sure, it does not pack Qualcomm’s most powerful. It packs a good ol’ Snapdragon 680 that does not even come with 5G as standard. At the same time, you only get one good camera to work with.
The MYR 1,299 OPPO A96 is a real treat, a bargain. It works just as you need to, as it is intended to. It does nothing more, but nothing less either, which is a good thing. It is a smooth operator, just as good as any flagship devices can offer you. You do not get any extraordinary features on the device, it just works.
If you are looking for a flagship experience with all the latest features and technologies, this will not be the device for you. It is a device that just works, it has everything you need in a smartphone, the essentials. The whole point of this device is reliability and simplicity. If that is what you are looking for, for your main driver or even your secondary device, this device is really made for you.
The entry-level smartphone market, in Malaysia at least, is a rather crowded space. The offerings can also be compared directly to mid-range smartphones, which just complicates things when you are looking for a new smartphone at under MYR 2,500 range. There is still a distinction though. In the mid-range segment, you want the best bang-for-buck you can get in terms of high-level performance, and innovations. In the entry-level segment, you want the best bang-for-buck and reliability; something that just works.
While there are plenty of players in the entry-level segment at below MYR 1,500, we can safely say not many can do better than OPPO and their A-series smartphones. Do not get it confused with Samsung’s A-series though, Samsung’s offerings are in the premium mid-range segment. When you take up OPPO’s A-series smartphones, you start to wonder what the extra money do for you in the mid-range segment.
Take this latest OPPO A96 for example. On paper at least, it is comparable to any mid-range devices you can pit it up against. It might as well be a mid-range device on paper.
Big Memory
It packs 8GB of RAM and 256GB in storage. With OPPO’s clever memory technology, the 8GB RAM can be expanded to up to 13GB temporarily for when you need the extra horsepower. This should mean much better multitasking experience comparable to even flagships of today. The only limiting factor should be its System on a Chip (SoC) that is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 platform. It does not pack 5G too, unlike most mid-range devices today.
Flagship Level Display
The SoC is the only thing that puts it squarely in the entry-level segment though. The main display is still a Full HD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate with up to 96% NTSC or 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage. At 6.59-inch, it is not what you want to call a small display too.
Powerful Camera
In terms of camera, the front-facing camera lodged in a punch hole on the display packs 16-Megapixel, rather powerful for an entry-level device. Out the back is a high-resolution 50-Megapixel shooter that works together with a 2-Megapixel depth sensor to produce beautiful portraits with those essential ‘bokeh’. Sure, it does not come with additional lenses to get telephoto or ultra-wide photos, but a high-resolution camera is the one that is being used often.
Premium Glass Backing
The OPPO A96’s back plate is also a glass panel, not plastic like most entry-level devices at its price range. It has a unique texture and design that OPPO calls the Glow Design made with diamond-cut glass panel placed in a vacuum to bring out the crystal patterns you see on the Pearl Pink colour option. The unique texture produced by the process is also resistant to fingerprint stains, which is a bonus to keep your device looking fresh and pretty.
Beefy Battery
To top all of that is an all-day battery sandwiched by two glass panels. It is 5,000 mAh battery that should last you at least an entire day with heavy usage. Use it sparingly and you might get two or even three days of charge with it. When it runs out, 33W charging speeds should bring it to a full charge within an hour for you to get going the entire day again. The device is also clever enough protect its own battery shelf-life by limiting its charge speeds when you charge it overnight to keep the battery optimised for you.
Price and Availability
As mentioned, the OPPO A96 will be available in two colour options – Starry Black and Pearl Pink. The device will be available for pre-order today onward all the way to the 22nd of April 2022. It will set you back MYR 1,299 and you can get your hands on one from OPPO’s authorised retailers and official showrooms when it is available. More on the OPPO A96 on their website.
OPPO’s Reno7 series of devices are not what you call old. They arrived in the country as soon as February 2022. That is about a month ago. Prices started at MYR 1,999, which is not technically unreasonable too. But what if you could get your Reno7 at a lower price, that question spawns the Reno7 Z 5G. Before you ask; yes, 5G is a part of the naming scheme of plenty of devices today. You also might be forgiven for thinking that this is a new device from OPPO though.
First of all, while there are similar design cues between the Reno7 and Reno7 Z, they offer slightly differing body work. The design differences are more apparent if you put it next to the Reno7 Pro. There are no smooth tappers here. They are all sharp lines and angles. Including its cameras, it is very reminiscent of a certain Cupertino device too, except the Dual Orbit Lights that highlights the two large camera lenses sort of gives it away.
Under the flush body though is a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G System on a Chip (SoC). True to the 5G naming moniker, the device is 5G ready. 5G is yet to be available in Malaysia though, sadly. Still, the mid-range chip is a powerful enough chip for you to work with, comparable to a high-end smartphone that costs at least twice as much, until you push it with games and heavier applications that is.
The chip is paired with an 8GB RAM and up to 128GB of storage. Not only can you have many tabs open on your Google Chrome for Mobile app, but you can also store many apps too. But you want ample storage not just for apps in this case. Oh, did we mention that you can expand its storage to up to 1TB (MicroSD) too?
You want the ample storage to house all your photos from the 64-Megapixel main camera out the back. That is one of the big lenses out the back. The other large lens houses a 2-Megapixel for Macro shots. There is also a small 2-Megapixel depth sensor that is also mirrored by a single LED flash module.
Out the front is a large 6.4-inch AMOLED display that also houses a 16-Megapixel camera. The AMOLED display offers up to Full HD+ in resolution. No 90Hz refresh rate here, just a plain ol’ 60Hz. It is a cheaper smartphone after all.
All of these is kept working the entire day and more by a 4,500mAh built in battery. When it runs out, you can charge it quickly too with 33W SUPERVOOC. But OPPO’s ColorOS 12 is kind on its battery life, which also means you should not worry all that much.
Source: OPPOSource: OPPO
The OPPO Reno7 Z will be available in OPPO Official and Brand Store, authorised retail partners, and Shopee 2nd of April 2022 onward. It will be available on Lazada a little later on the 9th of April 2022. You can pre-order your OPPO Reno7 Z today onward all the way to the 1st of April 2022 via OPPO’s Official and Brand Stores, Official Online Store, and Shopee. The first 100 customer to order the device on Shopee (until 10th of April 2022) are entitled to free gifts worth up to MYR 129. You are also entitled to 10 tickets to a lucky draw with chances to walk away with gifts worth up to MYR 2,526 when prizes are drawn on the 8th of April 2022. If you do purchase your devices on the 2nd of April 2022, you are entitled to free gifts worth up to MYR 233. More information on the OPPO Reno7 Z 5G can be found on their website.
OPPO’s looking to up the ante with nighttime videography with the Find X5 series. For now, OPPO’s flagship series will consist of the OPPO Find X5 Pro, the OPPO Find X5 and the OPPO Find X5 Lite. The Find X5 and Find X5 Pro will feature OPPO’s customised, dedicated imaging NPU – the MariSilicon X which they announced back during OPPO Inno Day.
The Find X5 & X5 Pro – True Flagship Technology
OPPO’s flagship device – the Find X5 Pro – will feature Qualcomm’s latest and greatest, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The new octa-core processor built on 4nm fabrication promises better power efficiency, processing performance and graphical performance. The Find X5, on the other hand, will feature the Snapdragon 888. The two smartphones are also the first smartphones touting OPPO’s MariSilicon X technology.
Source: OPPO
They both come with AMOLED panels capable of replicating 1 billion colours with a 120Hz refresh rate, and Gorilla Glass Victus for added protection. However, the Pro comes with a larger 6.7-inch display size with a QHD+ resolution while the regular Find X5 comes with a slightly smaller 6.55-inch display with an FHD+ resolution. Both also come with UFS 3.1 storage technology for faster storage with better read and write performance.
The Pro comes with configurations with up to 512GB of onboard storage and 12GB of RAM while the Find X5 has only been announced with a single configuration of 256GB with 8GB of RAM. Both don’t support microSD cards.
Source: OPPO
Design-wise, the phones sport an updated aesthetic from the Find X3. OPPO has made the curves more seamless giving it a little bit more of a futuristic feel. They’ve also opted to use ceramic instead of glass on the Find X5 and Find X5 Pro. According to them, it’s sturdier and more durable. The sleek, seamless integration of the camera hump is still there on the Find X5 series.
MariSilicon X Backed Camera Setups for Better Nighttime Video Performance
The Find X5 series is banking on the added umph of OPPO’s MariSilicon X. The dedicated photography and videography NPU is being touted as the backbone for most of the upgrades we see in the image and video processing in the Find X5 and Find X5 Pro.
Hardware Tuned to Keep Up with the MariSilicon X
Let’s look at the camera hardware first. The Find X5 and the Find X5 Pro both come with triple sensor setups. The Pro comes with a 50-megapixel, 1/1.56-inch main sensor with an f/1.8 aperture with multidirectional PDAF and OIS with 3-axis sensor shift and 2-axis lens shift. This is complemented with 13-megapixel, 1/1.34-inch telephoto sensor capable of 2x optical zoom with an f/2.4 aperture and PDAF and a second 50-megapixel, 1/1.56-inch ultrawide sensor with f/2.2 aperture with multidirectional PDAF. The regular Find X5 comes with a less robust 50-megapixel main sensor. The front camera sensor on both is a 32-megapixel wide sensor with gyro-EIS.
Source: OPPO
The mainstay of the MariSilicon X is its ability process imaging information on the fly. However, the hardware is only part of the equation. OPPO has bolstered the software to take advantage of the powerful hardware. Firstly, it’s teamed up with Hasselblad to bring true to life colours in still images in the camera’s pro mode. Then it’s also taking full advantage of the advanced NPU in its new 4K Ultra Night Video feature. With the backing on the NPU, the Find X5 and the Find X5 Pro are able to capture high resolution video in the dark. The video also has better dynamic range allowing it preserve more detail.
A Rebadged Reno 7 In the Tailgating Find X5 Lite
If you’ve realised, we didn’t mention much about the Find X5 Lite. This was intentional cause the Lite version of the Find X5 is simply a rebadged Reno7 smartphone. There’s no indication that the smartphone carries the same MariSilicon X NPU for the improved photography either. So, if you’re interested in getting the lowdown on the Find X5 Lite, you can refer to our article on the Reno7.
Pricing & Availability
The Find X5 Pro will be available in two colours – Ceramic White and Glaze Black. It will be retailing for €1,299 (MYR6,079.52).
Source: OPPO
The Find X5, on the other hand will be available in Black and White. It will be retailing for €999 (MYR4,676.23).
Both are available for pre-orders in select regions now.
Official Specifications
Screen grab from official press conference live stream on YouTubeScreen grab from official press conference live stream on YouTube
So, when we say 5G, the OPPO Reno7 series smartphone can take on 5G when it is available. That is not available yet in Malaysia; but at least it is nice to know that your smartphone is ready for 5G when it is. Now, we move on to the star device of today.
OPPO’s Reno series is not necessarily a new on in their line-up. When they introduced it a few years ago, the series is made with high-end photography capabilities in mind at accessible prices. It is OPPO’s photography champion for the mid-range market, a market they are very familiar with.
We quite like the OPPO Reno series when they started introducing them. The devices are easy to work with and takes great looking photos with powerful cameras that are usually reserved for flagship sort of devices. They were also OPPO’s more unique looking devices that introduces some of the newer mobile photography technology, when it can. Did you know that the first OPPO Reno was one of those devices that made pop-up selfie camera a thing?
The OPPO Reno series is in its 7th generation now. They just launched the OPPO Reno7 series with 5G capabilities yesterday in Malaysia. It will set you back MYR 1,999 onward. There is also a Pro variant for MYR 2,999.
What does MYR 1,999 today get you? A highly capable mid-range smartphone, that is what.
OPPO Reno7 5G
Source: OPPO
The vanilla OPPO Reno7 builds on a MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G System on a Chip (SoC). It is a 6nm architecture processor with a combination of ARM Cortex A78 and ARM Cortex A55 cores to make it an octa-core powerhouse. It comes packing 8GB of RAM and ample 256GB of storage for all kinds of things you can throw to the OPPO Reno7. Of course, the ample storage allows you to store all of your photos. You want this kind of storage though for the powerful camera you get on the device.
You get a powerful 64-Megapixel main camera. Alongside the powerful main camera is an unspecified ultra-wide-angle camera that offers 118o field of view for beautiful and stunning wide panoramic shots. There is also an unspecified macro camera to complete a triple camera set-up for the Reno7’s rear. Up front is a 32-Megapixel front camera that is supposed to offer great self-portrait capabilities.
For you to see these photos, pick and edit them, or even just admire and share them is a large 6.4-inch AMOLED Full HD+ display with up to 90Hz in refresh rate. At 180Hz touch sampling rate, OPPO’s Android 12 based ColorOS 12 will feel smooth and snappy with near instant response times. With 100% of DCI-P3 coverage too, you do not need to use a different display for all your edits and get accurate and vivid colours.
To keep everything going for an entire day, you get a 4,500mAh battery. When the battery starts to run out, it comes packing OPPO’s highly acclaimed SUPERVOOC charging at 65W. If you do not have access to a wall port on a long day, you have Super Power Saving mode and Super Nighttime Standby to keep your battery going even longer.
OPPO Reno7 Pro 5G
Source: OPPO
This costs MYR 1,000 more than the regular OPPO Reno7 5G. There is a reason for that price premium. While you may not see all of it on the outer skin, there are major differences between the devices.
For one, the Pro variant builds on a more powerful MediaTek Dimensity 1200 6nm SoC. The SoC packs eight ARM Cortex A78 cores that are tuned to run at 3GHz clock speeds. To ensure that the powerful processor is not bottlenecked by memory, there is a 12GB RAM fitted into the device to ensure smooth operations all-around. To ensure it has the storage for everything else, is a 256GB built-in storage. OPPO has also included something called a RAM Expansion technology that allows up to 5GB of unused storage space to be used as temporary RAM to keep everything trundling along when needed.
Up front is a nice, expansive 6.5-inch AMOLED Full HD+ display boasting 90Hz for that extra smooth feel. For the instant, snappy feel it also offers up to 180Hz in touch sampling rate. It looks great too with up to 99.94% of DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage. You do not need to worry about your photos looking funky if you edit on this display.
On the top left part of the display is a punch hole camera that boasts and IMX709 32-Megapixel behind the portrait lens. The highlight camera array though is at the back. You get OPPO’s Flagship Portrait Camera System in the form of a powerful 50-Megapixel IMX766 sensor. The main camera offers a brilliant Portrait Mode that gives you the flexibility of 25 aperture stops (f/0.95 – f/16) for those beautiful bokehs when you want them. Alongside the main camera are an 8-Meapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2-Megapixel macro camera for up close shots up to 4cm distance to the subject, and a colour temperature sensor to ensure your photos come out correctly.
The Android 12 based ColorOS 12 device runs all-day with the same 4,500mAh battery that its vanilla twin gets. You also get the same SUPERVOOC charging at 65W allowing the battery to fully charge in a brisk 31 minutes. If all-day is not enough, you can turn on Super Power Saving mode or Super Nighttime Standby to extend its battery life.
OPPO’s Reno7 5G and Reno7 Pro 5G is now available for pre-order until 4th March, 2022. The devices will start shipping 5th of March 2022 onward. OPPO will be running a roadshow in Sunway Pyramid from the 28th of February 2022 onward all the way to 6th of March 2022. The vanilla OPPO Reno7 5G will set you back MYR 1,999 while the Pro variant sets you back MYR 2,999, as mentioned. Colours available for both the devices are Startrails Blue or Starry Black.
Every pre-order of the OPPO Reno7 series devices entitles you to free gifts worth up to MYR 1,406 in total. You get 1 year of OPPO Care screen protection plan, an exclusive OPPO Reno bag, My OPPO Membership with some free subscriptions, theme park admission tickets, airport lounge privileges, and what not. You also get an OPPO Enco Buds true wireless earphones for that money. If you do pre-order and are the first 100 customers to pick up their devices on the 5th of March 2022 at the roadshow, you are entitled to get yourself a free OPPO Watch Free. When you purchase the OPPO Reno7 series devices, you are also entitled to a 50% discount as well for the OPPO Watch Free and OPPO Enco Air2 from OPPO Brand Outlets. For more information on the OPPO Reno7 series smartph0ones, you can head over to OPPO’s website.
The smartphone market’s mid-range segment has been growing rapidly. Within the past year, we’ve seen more than 50 devices in the segment from big names alone. However, with many choosing to iterate rapidly with minimal updates, we’re looking at a segment that is quickly becoming overly saturated with choice but not much substance.
OPPO is one of the biggest contributors to the mid-range. However, it’s been hit and miss when it comes to their devices. In fact, just a few months ago, we reviewed the A74. Now, we’re looking at another mid-range offering from OPPO – the A95. Is OPPO hitting the correct notes when it comes to the OPPO A95? Is it their must-have mid-range hero? We’re looking to answer those questions in our in-depth review.
Design
The design on the OPPO A95 is – for lack of any other term – uninspired. The design is similar, if not the same, as all the mid-range smartphones we’ve seen from OPPO this year. To be honest, OPPO isn’t the only one guilty of being uninventive and drab in their midrange lineup. It wouldn’t be so far-fetched to say that if the OPPO A95 was released a little bit earlier in the year, it would have made a little more of an impression when it comes to design.
Aside from the overarching lack of inspiration, the OPPO A95 does come with a design that does look nice. It’s also available in a striking “Glowing Rainbow Silver”. The iridescent colour is one that pops and changes colour depending on the lighting and angle you look at the phone. You can see the difference in our hands-on video. It’s also one of the only highlights when it comes to the design of the phone.
Barring that, the phone comes with a camera hump that we’ve come to expect from nearly every smartphone this year. The large, black rectangular hump is the only design accent on the back of the phone; without it, the smartphone has a plain, uninteresting back. The metal frame also outlines the phone’s silhouette.
However, we applaud OPPO for sticking to a more ergonomic design. The back of the OPPO A95 tapers into its metallic bezel making it easier to use in one hand. The slight taper makes all the difference when it comes to holding the phone and even wrestling it from a tight pocket. But that’s about it when it comes to the design of the midranger.
Hardware
OPPO is trying to supercharge the A95 when it comes to hardware. They seem to be focusing on raw power. The total package may seem very basic and uninteresting, however, with OPPO’s RAM expansion, it can take on some of the better specc’d mid-range smartphones out there. Of course, as always, the main focus when it comes to hardware for OPPO is the smartphone’s camera. It’s no surprise that OPPO has kitted the A95 with high-resolution sensors.
The OPPO A95 comes with ColorOS 11.1 – one of the latest and greatest from OPPO. It’s not running on Android 12. However, with OPPO’s recent commitment to Android updates, we won’t be surprised if it gets the update in the coming weeks.
That said, the interface brings what OPPO has become known for – customizability and self-expression. While the Android 12 does take self-expression and customisability to a whole new level, OPPO’s ColorOS has a level of customizability that made OPPO devices different from the get-go. OPPO has cultivated a community of developers and users that have thrived with its customizability ecosystem. There are few other companies that allow the level of customizability or the variety that comes with ColorOS.
Like OPPO flagships, the OPPO A95 comes with a highly customizable interface – everything from icons to fonts can be customised natively. The theming ecosystem gives a plethora of options. If you can find one that is just right for you, you can even mix and match to get the style you really want.
Navigation on the A95 is also seamless. Users can choose between gesture navigation or the traditional three buttons. This allows you to choose the style you’re most comfortable with. The same goes for choosing between having an app drawer or just having multiple home screens. OPPO has also baked in options for scaling icons and font size that we don’t see in many other manufactures. Each OPPO device can have a totally different experience thanks to this.
Overall, the tweaks that come with ColorOS atop Android allow you to have the experience you want when it comes to your smartphone. OPPO’s features have been thoughtfully updated to ensure it doesn’t take away from the overall experience. In fact, it’s one of the most fluid interfaces we’ve had the chance of reviewing to date.
Performance
As mentioned in the hardware section, the OPPO A95 comes with a sharp focus on getting the most out of the hardware it has. While it’s not the greatest and latest from chip manufacturers, OPPO’s optimisations have allowed the smartphone to contend with some of the best performers out there. However, the smartphone isn’t without its flaws – particularly when it comes to a few software hiccups which can be addressed with an update. Hardware performance is – of course – limited to the hardware design but OPPO is inching towards eking every drop of performance from the hardware it has with its software.
Multitasking & Productivity
Multitasking has become a must for any “smart” device out there. We expect to be able to use more than 1 app and get more things done in a shorter amount of time. That said, the OPPO A95 tries to be a multitasking king but is let down by software issues and even limitations in RAM.
During our review period, we were able to use apps like Google Keep, Gmail, Spark Email and Microsoft Office 365 in tandem with each other. Getting simple tasks like word processing, emails and even excel sheets done on the A95 was snappy and seamless.
However, the phone seemed to struggle with more complex apps like video and photo editors. While it didn’t come to a halt, the phone did slow down – using these apps in split-screen was a task in itself as it would bog the A95 down. Then again, we don’t usually do this when we’re editing. This could have been due to the limitations on the RAM, but we expected a little bit more from the RAM expansion that OPPO has been touting. Some native apps also had issues with multitasking.
Aside from the performance issues – which we are certain OPPO can address in an update – the OPPO A95 is packed with features that allow it to multitask with ease. OPPO has simplified a lot of the multitasking in ColorOS. You can drag notifications to get a PIP window for you to respond to messages or urgent emails. A simple swipe and hold up brings up the multitasking view or swipe and hold back to jump to the previous app. The latter needs to be activated in the settings manually.
Call Quality & Connectivity
The OPPO A95 doesn’t’ come with 5G connectivity. But to be honest, you won’t be needing or using 5G anytime soon – in the Malaysian context at least. While it would have added an additional layer of futureproofing, it’s not a game-changer or deal-breaker.
The smartphone does very well when it comes to connectivity. Speeds on 4G LTE were pretty fast. In fact, we were getting anywhere between 2 to 4 Mbps download speeds. The A95 even outclasses some of the older flagships like the Galaxy Note10+ when it came to 4G reception. In certain areas where the former had 3 bars of connectivity, the A95 has 4 to 5 bars. This was a welcomed surprise as we’ve rarely seen network performance like this from mid-range smartphones.
When it comes to call quality, the smartphone didn’t have much to make up for either. Most of the time, people on the other side of the call could hear me loud and clear. However, when it came to slightly more noisy areas, the microphone struggled with noise suppression and even voice pick up. It could have been a little irritating if the call was urgent. Aside from that, the audio on the earpiece was consistent and clear. It could be a little tinny but nothing jarring. People on the other end could hear us well – when pick up wasn’t an issue.
Gaming
Gaming on the A95 was pretty enjoyable. It’s also one of the things that baffled me when it came to performance. The A95 was better able to handle heavy games like Genshin Impact and Shadow Fight than it could with multitasking. We’ll just have to chalk this up to OPPO’s gaming optimisations in Game mode.
That said, the smartphone was able to handle pretty long bouts of gaming. I was easily gaming on games like Genshin Impact and Shadow Fight for an hour. While the games weren’t setting on maximum settings, the graphics were good enough not to take away from the gaming experience. Of course, the audio was pretty solid too for a mid-range smartphone. Visuals were relatively crisp with not too many bouts of lag and screen tearing during gameplay. The only times when there was slight screen tearing or lag was in more graphically intense situations. The phone was also notably warmer during these instances and during prolonged sessions.
Battery Life
If there’s one thing we can rely on when it comes to OPPO, it’s battery life. Their track record of squeezing every ounce of battery life from their devices has been commendable so far. It’s no different when it comes to the A95. The smartphone was able to last about 7 hours on a single charge when used intensively and more than 10 hours when used normally. In fact, I went about a day (~20 hours) on a single charge when it was used only for texting and calls with light Sudoku in between.
Display
The OPPO A95 comes with an AMOLED display and it’s all the better for it. The display is vibrant and has pretty good colour accuracy depending on the mode that you set it on. For most of our review period, we had the display calibration set on Vivid.
In vivid mode, reds and yellows were more brilliant. The colour reproduction seemed a little more pleasant and realistic on this mode. On Gentle mode, the colours were less saturated and felt a little washed out. That said, it was a little more realistic as well. In either mode, the display had deep blacks which we’ve come to expect on an OLED panel.
That said, the display was pretty good when it came to watching videos. The colour of the videos was vibrant and the screen size was immersive. Watching an episode of Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) on the go was enjoyable. The only nitpick that we have with experience is the speakers would tear when there were explosions. However, this was easily remedied with a pair of Bluetooth earphones.
Cameras
Being an OPPO smartphone, it comes as no surprise that the main focus of the smartphone is its camera. The OPPO A95 comes with a 48-megapixel main sensor complemented with a 2-megapixel macro and 2-megapixel depth sensor. The combination of the three sensors allows the smartphone to have enough flexibility when it comes to shooting modes.
Unlike the A74 we reviewed previously, the OPPO A95 cameras perform better. The resulting photos seem to be better in both resolution and detail. The main sensor produced pretty commendable photos when in a well-lit situation. The resulting photos had detail and remained relatively clear even when zoomed in. However, in low light situations, the camera struggled to perform. Night mode helped with getting more detail but there is only so much that can be done when it comes to software. The front camera was more of the same. The camera performed relatively well for its class. Selfies in bright situations were impeccable. However, low light selfies struggled with details and were grainy.
That said, the A95 comes with some of OPPO’s better AI camera features including their Portrait mode. The smartphone has nearly the full complement of AI features that we see in OPPO flagships and that’s the main boon of the smartphone. With the AI features, we were able to get some pretty decent photos, some were even Instagram worthy without the need to edit.
Nevertheless, OPPO does need to improve the implementation of its hallmarks when it comes to its mid-range and entry-level smartphones. There seems to be a gap between the photos flagships like the Find X3 Pro are able to produce versus the photos from phones the A95. With the focus of competitors turning to the mid-range the company will need to push harder to differentiate its offerings further and their camera technology has always been a step ahead of the game.
OPPO’s Best Offering for Mid-range with a Room for Improvement
OPPO’s entry-level and mid-range smartphones continue to be hit or miss with the OPPO A95 and that’s a problem in our books. The company has been able to differentiate itself with camera technology and approaches that were fresh and exciting in the past. However, while that may be the case for its flagships, their midrange is still starved for that X-factor that makes it a must buy.
The OPPO A95 is by no means a bad smartphone. In fact, we wouldn’t hesitate to say it’s one of the best mid-range smartphones out there but it suffers from being lost in the crowd. While it comes with top-notch performance, it also suffers from a lack of identity and drowns into the crowd. Unlike some of its competitors which have brought flagship features to a more affordable price range, the OPPO A95 iterates on a formula we’ve seen before. It has all the makings of a genuinely great mid-range offering which is held back by the lack of software features that make it an immediate go-to.
The smartphone is a step in the right direction when it comes to performance. Being able to handle multitasking and even some heavy gaming without choking is impressive. However, we know OPPO is more capable when it comes to cameras. They’ve proven it time and time again with their flagships and while we would like to say this is the one, OPPO needs to look at how they can bolster their mid-range and entry offerings with the same.
The OPPO Reno6 series of smartphones has been available for a little bit now. Being a Reno device, the main focus was its camera and its many portrait photo features. That said, OPPO is now partnering up with what they call “the perfect partner” – Shiseido. Shiseido is one of many renown cosmetic brands that have been focusing on creating and delivering products which allow anyone to look their best; and – as OPPO put it, “when Shiseido helps you look your best, the OPPO Reno6 Z helps you capture your best portrait pictures!”.
Source: OPPO
OPPO and Shiseido will be launching a special version of the OPPO Reno6 Z 5G which will be coming with a specially designed box filled with Shiseido goodies to complement the smartphone. The limited edition gift box comes in the Reno6’s signature, irridescent Reno Glow Aurora finish. Inside, you will find the Reno6 Z 5G, a limited edition OPPO x Shiseido phone case and the an OPPO x Shiseido Gift Box filled with goodies.
The special edition gift box will be going on sale for MYR1,699 – the regular price of a Reno6 Z. It is currently available for pre-order from OPPO’s online store. The first 300 pre-orders will also get an additional Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation worth MYR210. This is on top of the already included gift box worth MYR450. The limited edition will be available on shelves starting on 2 December 2021.
Source: OPPO
OPPO launched the Reno6 Z 5G earlier in August 2021. The smartphone comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 800U. This is paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. More importantly, the OPPO Reno6 Z comes with a triple camera sensor on the back; a 64-megapixel main sensor complemented by an 8-megapixel wide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. On the front, the smartphone is equipped with a 32-megapixel selfie camera.
OPPO’s Reno series seems to spawn more and more iterations. Barely six months after the release of the OPPO Reno 6 series, the company has officially unveiled the OPPO Reno 7 series in mainland China. The new version of the Reno smartphones continues to inherit the line’s focus on photography and remains firmly in the mid-range territory.
The new OPPO Reno 7 series comes with an all-new design that ditches curves in favour of a more blocky design. However, the first thing you will notice isn’t the overall design, but the camera module which has been totally redesigned. The new Reno 7 series has three entries (for now): the Reno 7 5G, the Reno 7 Pro 5G and the Reno 7 SE 5G. Yep – that’s right – the whole Reno series now comes with 5G connectivity.
Reno7 Pro 5G
The other big change that OPPO has made is the notification LED which is now surrounding the camera on the Reno 7 Pro 5G. If you’ve been an Android user since the beginning, you’d be familiar with the notification LED. This has in recent years become smaller and smaller and even disappeared on some devices. However, with the Reno 7 Pro, the light is now making a unique comeback around the camera module of the smartphone.
The Reno 7 Pro comes with a Mediatek Dimensity 1200-Max with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM paired with 256GB of internal storage. It has a 6.55-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with HDR10+ and Gorilla Glass 5. The display also has a 90Hz refresh rate.
When it comes to the camera, the Reno 7 Pro 5G comes with a triple camera module. The main sensor on the module is a 50-megapixel Sony IMX 766 with an f/1.6 aperture. This is complemented by an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and a 2-megapixel macro sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. The selfie camera is a 32-megapixel Sony IMX709 sensor with an f/2.4 aperture.
The 4,500 mAh battery powering the smartphone is also capable of 65W fast charging. It also has an in-display fingerprint scanner.
Reno7 5G
The Reno7 5G will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G. This is complemented by 8GB or 12GB of RAM with up to 256GB of internal storage. It will have a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate as well Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
On the camera front, the main triple sensor setup replaces the 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 with a 64-megapixel sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. It still retains the same macro and ultrawide sensor. On the front, is the same 32-megapixel Sony IMX709 sensor. The Reno 7 5G will be powered by a 4,500mAh battery but will only support 60W fast charging.
Reno7 SE 5G
The Reno7 SE, on the other hand, will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 paired with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage. It also has the same 6.43-inch display as the Reno 7.
On the camera front, however, the Reno 7 comes with a triple camera module with the 48-megapixel Sony IMX581 sensor as the main sensor. This is complemented with a 2-megapixel macro sensor and a 2-megapixel portrait sensor. On the front is a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471.
The SE is powered by a 4,500mAh battery with support 33W fast charging.
Pricing & availability
The series will be running Android 12 based ColorOS12. All variants will be available in Morning Gold, Midnight Black and Star Rain Wish (Blue).
The Reno 7 Pro will be available for CN¥3,699 (MYR2,450.41) for the 8GB + 128GB version and CN¥3,999 (MYR2,649.15) for the 12GB + 256GB version.
The Reno 7 will be available in three variants. The 8GB + 128GB version will cost CN¥2,699 (MYR1,787.88), the 8GB + 256GB version will cost CN¥2,999 (MYR1,986.61) while the 12GB + 256GB version will cost CN¥3,299 (MYR2,185.34).
The Reno 7 SE will be available in 8GB +128GB and 8GB+256GB versions. The former will cost CN¥ 2,199 (MYR1,456.67) while the latter will be priced at CN¥ 2,399 (MYR1,589.39).
The #OPPO is set to take center stage with its true midrange flagship the #OPPOA95. We’re taking a first look at the #Qualcomm #Snapdragon662 touting smartphone! It comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. It’s got a formidable AMOLED display with an FHD+ resolution. The smartphone also comes equipped with a triple camera array with a 64-megapixel main sensor.
It will be available for pre-order really soon and you’ll be entitled to a whole bunch of freebies and even get an Enco Buds for MYR1! More details coming with the release of the smartphone!
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