OPPO has made a name for itself when it comes to smartphones. Now, the company is looking to make similar advancements in health devices with the OHealth H1; its first health device that combines six vital sensors to bring better, more accurate health metrics. The announcement of the device comes together with the announcement of OHealth becoming an official sub-brand of OPPO.
The OHealth H1 brings together ECG, SpO2 (Blood Oxygen), heart rate, body temperature, sleep tracking and heart and lung auscultation sensors into a single device. While it may seem like the device is intended for medical professionals, but no, OPPO is intending its users to be the everyday Joe and Jane. The H1 is a family health monitor which works together with the OHealth app on smartphones.
The H1 provides more accurate SpO2 readings purely because of the mathematics of things. Using a similar sensor to the ones we have in smartwatches and fitness bands, it measures the SpO2 of the vessels on the fingertips which far outnumber the vessels on the wrist. It is also able to provide body temperature readings by using infrared measurements of the forehead.
In addition, sleep tracking is contactless with the H1. Instead, it measures micromovements from breathing, body movements and heartbeat while being adjacent to the user. OPPO hasn’t clarified how this will work when it comes to shared beds. Using its own OPPO Sense algorithm, the data collected is processed and displayed in the OHealth app. OPPO has also collaborated with Omron to enable blood pressure measurement. It’s also able to work as a digital stethoscope.
While OPPO hasn’t announced pricing or availability yet. The OHealth H1 is one of their most innovative devices to date in a brand new category. Not only does it have implications for fitness enthusiasts, but it also empowers telemedicine and better, more personalised healthcare which is an upcoming conversation in patient care and medicine.
OPPO has announced on its official Chinese website the launch of its new Reno9 series of devices. Three devices have been named: the Reno9, Reno9 Pro and Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1-powered Reno9 Pro+.
Three variants announced for the Reno9 series. Image source: GSMArena
The Reno9 basics: 6.7-inch 120Hz display, dual camera-setup and 4500mAh battery with fast charging
120Hz OLED display, 12GB RAM and eye-catching Red and Pink Gradient colors for the Reno9. Image source: GSMArena
The vanilla variant of the Reno9 offers a 6.7-inch OLED display with FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. It offers good visibility as the display reaches up to 800 nits of brightness, rated for HDR10+ content and has 2160Hz PWM dimming. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G and runs on the Android 13-based ColorOS 13 out of the box. Rear cameras are a 64MP main shooter with 2MP black and white sensor. The front facing camera is a 32MP selfie camera with autofocus. The device itself is pretty light and handy, weighing in at 174g with thickness up to 7.2mm. This space fits a 4500mAh battery that supports 67W fast charging with the adapter provided. The Reno9 is available in 4 colors: Black, Gold, Red and Pink Gradient. For memory configurations, there are two variants, both with 12GB of RAM and option of 256GB or 512GB of storage.
Reno9 Pro steps up performance with imaging platforms and 16GB speedier RAM
Powered by the Mediatek Dimensity 8100 and dedicated imaging platform MariSilicon X, the Reno9 Pro brings impressive photos and videos. Image source: GSMArena
The Reno9 Pro is an upgrade on the Reno9 hardware wise despite sharing the same body. They share the same body dimensions, 4500mAh battery and 6.7-inch OLED display. It is powered instead by the flagship Mediatek Dimensity 8100 platform, that promises better performance while still running ColorOS13. Photo taking gets a big upgrade with the improved dual camera setup. It now consists of a 50MP main shooter, and an 8 MP ultrawide-angle module. It also features the MariSilicon X Imaging NPU, an Oppo developed platform for image processing. This imaging platform also enables 4K AI night video, 20-bit ultra HDR and live preview on Android devices among other features. All variants of the Reno9 Pro come with 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, a capacity not seen since the Find X3, and options of 256GB and 512GB. The device is available in three colors: Black, Gold, and Pink Gradient.
Spearheading the series with Snapdragon 8+Gen 1
Headlining the new series is the Reno9 Pro+ that promises premium features and hardware. While sporting the same 6.7-inch display as its siblings, the display and the phone itself has a curved design. The highlight feature is the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 platform under the hood, making it the first Oppo flagship to run this platform. It is also coincidentally the first device to have both the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and Marisilicon X Imaging platform. By leveraging the image and video enhancements features of both platforms, we can expect enhanced image quality, color accuracy and clarity.
Improved cameras with Snapdragon and MariSilicon X platform-driven image enhancement. Image source: GSMArena
The camera setup is once again improved with a 50MP main shooter with autofocus and OIS capabilities and 2MP depth sensor. The secondary module is an ultrawide 8MP shooter with 120 degrees field of view and has macro capabilities when shooting close up to 4cm. The battery receives an upgrade to keep everything powered with 4700mAh capacity and 80W fast charging over USB-C. It is available in the same memory configuration of the Pro series, with 16GB RAM and 256GB or 512GB storage. As for color options, Oppo has done away with the Pink Gradient and introduced a new Mint Green option alongside the standard Black and Gold. Unfortunately the Mint Green is only available for the 256GB storage variant.
Stand out with the Mint Green color for the Reno9 Pro+. Image source: GSMArena
Great deals on Oppo smartphones, tablets and wearables on 11.11
Exclusively on 11th November 2022, visit OPPO’s official online platforms on Lazada and Shopee to score great deals on smartphone, tablets and wearables. A highlight deal for Lazada users will be the 2021 flagship smartphone Find X3 Pro on offer for RM2259, RM2040 less than retail price. Shopee users can grab the Reno6 on discount for RM1084, RM1315 off its retail price. Users of both platforms can get the tablet Pad Air with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage for RM899, that is a RM200 discount, and receive the Pad Air casing as a complimentary gift. Other notable discounts are the Reno7 Z for RM1099 on Lazada and Oppo A76 for RM697, both at RM200 off.
Mystery Gifts and Giveaways
OPPO is having a giveaway during its 11.11 sales with customers on Lazada and Shopee standing a chance to win a mystery gift.
Mystery gift giveaway on Lazada and Shoppe for Oppo 11.11 sales
To win, simply purchase any OPPO device on 11th November 2022 on Shopee or Lazada. If your Identity Card includes 4 digits of the number “1”, send a photo of your IC to the OPPO Customer Service team to participate in the giveaway. November babies take note, you already have two digits in hand! Winners will be announced during live sessions as below:
Shopee: 17th November 2022, 11am – 12pm
Lazada: 18th November 2022, 11am – 12pm
Shopee Exclusive Rewards up to RM1800 on OPPO 11.11 Sales
Find the missing pieces to win additional discount vouchers on OPPO’s Official Shopee Store
Shopee users can stand a chance to win additional discount vouchers in the Missing Puzzle game. Find the four missing pieces, screenshot and send them to OPPO’s live chat on Shopee to redeem an exclusive hidden voucher. More rewards are available for Shopee users who join Shopee Live 10th November 2022 from 8.00pm to 9.30pm:
Win an OPPO A16 4GB + 64GB worth RM499 by purchasing RM1 Lucky Draw Pack and joining Shopee Live lucky draw
Get the OPPO Enco Buds (RRP: RM159) or OPPO Band (RRP: RM159) for only RM11
Furthermore, Shopee users also stand a chance to win an OPPO band by sharing Shopee 11.11 posting to Instagram Stories. There is plenty to be excited about for Shopee fans of OPPO.
Giveaways and games galore for OPPO’s Official Shopee Store
Daily Vouchers on Lazada for OPPO 11.11 Sales
In addition to Shopee, OPPO also has treats for Lazada users this 11.11. Win vouchers simply by checking in daily to the OPPO LazMall Flagship Store. Claim vouchers worth up to RM15 for 5 days total starting on 5th to 10th November 2022.
Earn vouchers up to RM15 on the OPPO LazMall Flagship Store
To sum up, OPPO 11.11 sales has some great deals lined up on Shopee and Lazada so mark your calendars!
Earlier this year, OPPO launched their Reno7. They also launched the Reno7 Z not too long after that. A few months down the road, the OPPO Reno8 came about. Inevitably, the even more budget friendly version the OPPO Reno8 launches not too long after the Reno8 debuted. Welcome to the Reno8 Z 5G.
Naturally, the question that will be asked about the OPPO Reno8 Z 5G is if it is at all necessary. It is, after all, OPPO’s second Reno series of the year 2022. It is as though they are trying to make up for lost time.
Still, the OPPO Reno8 Z 5G is not without its unique characteristics. It packs a 64-Megapixel camera out the back. It is supported by a 2-Megapixel depth sensor, and 2-Megapixel Monochrome camera. The combination of all three cameras creates a photo with high levels of details and beautifully natural bokeh. Out the front is a rather clever 16-Megapixel camera with pixel binning technology. Since the Reno series is meant to be the photography champion in OPPO’s stables, it packs all OPPO’s best photography features in its camera app. It features Selfie HDR, AI Palettes, AI Colour Portrait, and Ultra-Clear 108MP Image modes.
Within its rather slim body is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G System on a Chip (SoC) paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The powerful SoC and RAM combination runs ColorOS based on Android 12. At the same time, ColorOS can borrow up to 5GB of storage space to turn it into temporary RAM space for even better multitasking experience.
Keeping everything running an entire day is a 4,500mAh battery. Thanks to 33W SUPERVOOC charging technology, the OPPO Reno8 Z can be up and ready in within 63 minutes of charging. Yes, it comes with a charger.
All this goodness can be seen through the expansive 6.4-inch display up front. The AMOLED panel boasts Full HD+ in resolution and pushes 60Hz in refresh rate to deliver smooth snappy graphics. It is also a Netflix HD and Amazon Prime Video HD certified for the best experience on the two streaming platforms.
In terms of design, it is not too much of a difference, to be fair. You might mistake it for an OPPO Reno7 Z. It retains the Dual Orbit Lights that the Reno7 Z featured. It also retains a flush back body with two camera bumps, like the Reno7 Z. It feels a little sharper on the edges though, but that could just be us.
The OPPO Reno8 Z 5G will be available from the 26th of August 2022 in two colour options. You can choose between Dawnlight Gold and Starlight Black colour options. The device will set you back MYR 1,799. IF you do get your device on its launch date, OPPO will also throw in a free TWS Earbuds worth MYR 109 and My OPPO members’ Privileges worth up to MYR 888. You can get your hands on one from OPPO’s authorized retailers, OPPO’s very own online store, telco partners, and their official online retail partners like Shopee and Lazada. For more information on the OPPO Reno8 Z 5G, you can visit their website.
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.
