In the market for an affordable mid-tier smartphone? You’re in luck, there are plenty of options especially from Chinese manufacturers like Oppo who offer quality devices at affordable prices.
The Oppo R9 is the company’s latest smartphone that looks impressive and feels like it has a solid build quality when you get it in your hands.
Priced at $599, the device has a 5.5-inch AMOLED display which almost goes edge to edge.
There a tiny 1.6mm bezel on either side of the screen which means you get a larger display but it’s housed in a chassis for a 5-inch screen.
It is just 6.6mm thick and weighs 145g.
When compared to the iPhone 6S Plus the Oppo R9 is much smaller despite having the same size 5.5-inch screen.
Speaking of the iPhone, the Oppo R9 has taken several leaves out of the Apple design book.
It looks a lot like the iPhone from the rounded design, curved edge display and materials.
It’s the most iPhone-looking Android device you’ll find.
And the similarities continue when you turn it on. Despite running Android 5.1, Oppo’s own ColorOS 3.0 creates a similar look and feel to Apple’s iOS operating system that runs on the iPhone.
But those comparisons in no way takes away from the quality of the Oppo R9 – it has plenty of features that users will love.
A smartphone’s camera has become one of the biggest selling points of the device and Oppo has recognised this fact with the R9. In fact, it has customers who love selfies squarely in its sights.
The front camera of the Oppo R9 has a resolution of 16-megapixel with a larger image sensor and a lens that sucks in four times more light than a typical front-facing smartphone camera.
The result is a clearer and brighter selfie. And having an impressive Beauty mode means you can enhance the image even further.
The rear camera actually has a lower resolution of 13-megapixels and it too takes impressive images and includes a flash to handle any lowlight situation.
No the camera is not as good as the ones you’ll find on the iPhone or Samsung’s Galaxy S7 but it still offers an acceptable level of quality for capturing your memories and sharing them on social media.
Performance-wise we had no complaints with the Oppo R9 which has an octa-core processor, a generous 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal memory which can be expanded further through the hybrid SIM/memory card slot.
The device is a snappy performer – apps open right away and the camera activates instantly so you won’t miss the moment.
There’s also a fast fingerprint reader embedded in the home button so you can unlock the device in a second.
Another important feature of a smartphone is its battery life and the Oppo R9 has both a 2850mAh battery that will last all-day long and VOOC fast-charging technology that will get you recharged quick smart.
Just 30 minutes of charging can get you back to about 70 per cent. Just a five-minute charge will give you enough juice to make a two-hour phone call.
The Oppo R9 is available in gold and rose gold and also comes with its own silicon cover in the box.
It is priced at $599 and can be purchased from JB Hi-Fi.
VERDICT
The Oppo R9 is a great example of a feature-packed smartphone at an affordable price. The device offers fast performance and the features that will satisfy customers – an impressive camera, great battery life and fast charging.
