Chinese mobile make Oppo have launched its new F3 model phone. When we consider the kind of hardware it’s packing underneath, the device might not make a lot of sense. Sure, it has a 16MP + 8MP front facing camera with impressive selfie credentials, but does it actually hold up to its estimated price tag of just under Rs 31,000. The short answer is no, and here’s why.
If we look closely at the Indian mid-ranged smartphone market, it’s mostly divided between the Rs 10,000 - 20,000 price bracket. Anything that comes even remotely above this figure is considered upper tier. And by pricing its smartphone at Rs 31,000, Oppo has built up this impression that this is a proper high-end device.
However, it’s packing an octa-core Snapdragon 653 processor under the hood. While it’s no slouch when it comes to performance, it’s not a high-end CPU either. This is particularly evident when we look at other offerings like the Mi 5, as well as the OnePlus 3T which come within the same price range.
The F3 Plus has a very exciting rear camera on board as well, letting you capture 16MP photos using the f/1.7 lens. This is better than most handsets that are selling on the market today, but are these attributes enough to justify a price tag this steep?
If we look closely at the Indian mid-ranged smartphone market, it’s mostly divided between the Rs 10,000 - 20,000 price bracket. Anything that comes even remotely above this figure is considered upper tier. And by pricing its smartphone at Rs 31,000, Oppo has built up this impression that this is a proper high-end device.
However, it’s packing an octa-core Snapdragon 653 processor under the hood. While it’s no slouch when it comes to performance, it’s not a high-end CPU either. This is particularly evident when we look at other offerings like the Mi 5, as well as the OnePlus 3T which come within the same price range.
The F3 Plus has a very exciting rear camera on board as well, letting you capture 16MP photos using the f/1.7 lens. This is better than most handsets that are selling on the market today, but are these attributes enough to justify a price tag this steep?
The front unit features a 16MP main camera with 1/3" sensor and F2.0 aperture for standard selfies. It is accompanied by an 8MP module with 1/4" sensor and a super-wide-angle lens with 120 degree angle of view for group selfies. Thanks to built-in facial recognition, the camera app can notify users to switch to the wide angle camera if there are more than three people in the frame.
The rear camera is more conventional but offers capable-looking specifications. A 16MP 1/2.8" Sony IMX398 sensor is paired with a fast F1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization. Dual PDAF doubles the 'focus pixels' on the image sensor for up to 40% faster focus times in low light.
In the processor department you'll find Qualcomm's Snapdragon 653 octa-core offering, backed by 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. A dual-slot card tray can hold two Nano SIM cards or one Nano SIM card and a microSD card, expanding memory to up to 256GB. OPPO claims the beefy 4,000 mAh battery allows for a standby time of more than 284 hours. It also features the company's own VOOC fast charging technology which can get you up to 2 hours of talk time with 5 minutes of charging.
At the front you'll find a 6" 1080p IPS LCD display that is covered by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The F3 Plus features a metal unibody and comes in black or gold. It will be available from April 1st in a number of Asian regions. No information on pricing or global availability has been released yet.
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