OPPO has been on a roll with releases this year. In February, they launched the R9 series and the R9 plus. The latter was OPPO’s first foray into the dual camera smartphone space and it was widely welcomed. Today, the company shifts its focus to the budget segment with the release of the OPPO R8. At just $199 with a new installment plan, the OPPO R8 is the company’s latest attempt to conquer the mid-range market. With OPPO’s track record, does the R8 have what it takes to be a budget-friendly rival for the Honor, Redmi Note 5 Pro, and the likes? Let’s find out.
What is the OPPO R8?
The OPPO R8 is a budget-friendly smartphone that offers a
similar design and features as some of its more expensive variants. It has a
5.7 inch display with FHD+ resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio. The processor
is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, which is one of the most popular mid-range
chipsets available right now. In terms of camera, it comes with dual 16 MP sensors
at the back and a single 20 MP sensor in front.
Design and Build Quality
The OPPO R8 has a design that would be recognizable to
anyone who’s seen the likes of an iPhone X. With a sleek all-glass back and an
iPhone-esque notch, the OPPO R8 is a rather attractive device. It feels solidly
built too and its elegant glass design looks good in just about any color you
choose. The R8 comes with a 6.2-inch FHD+ display which provides adequate
sharpness and color reproduction. The IPS LCD panel isn’t as vibrant as what we
find on other phones but it does have decent viewing angles. Overall, the
display is decent but not exceptional by any stretch of the imagination. The
power button and volume rockers are located on the right side of the device and
both provide tactile feedback when pressed. On the bottom, there’s a 3.5mm
headphone jack for those rocking traditional headphones, a microUSB port for
charging, and a speaker grille for better audio experience. OPPO has been
making great strides in its camera department over the past few years and
thankfully, it continues to do so with the R8 as well. There are two rear
cameras at 16MP (f/1.7) + 2MP depth sensor setup while on the front is an 8MP
(f/2 aperture) shooter which clicks great selfies without being too heavy on
processing thanks to AI Beautify software
Display and Screen
The OPPO R8 is a 5.7” device with an 18:9 aspect ratio. It
has a 2160x1080p display resolution, but doesn’t come with any additional
features such as HDR or OLED. The screen itself looks good and offers vibrant
colors, although it can feel a bit washed out at times.
Software and Features
The OPPO R8 runs on ColorOS 3.2 and is based on Android 7.1
Nougat. OPPO has tweaked the UI to make it more aesthetically pleasing, but for
the most part, it is a stock Android experience. This means that you get all of
Google’s latest goodies including the all-new split-screen multitasking mode,
autofill in forms, improved battery life with Doze, and so on. There are a few
useful features from ColorOS which include Gesture Shot, Smart Touch (Phone
only), and Security Center. Gesture Shot allows you to take selfies just by
waving your hand in front of the camera lens twice or tapping twice on the
screen; Smart Touch lets you customize gestures for different functions such as
turning off the screen when you put your phone face down; Security Center helps
you keep your data secure by letting you choose between security levels
(low/medium/high).
Camera and Video
The camera and video capabilities are undoubtedly the highlight
of this phone. It comes with a dual rear camera setup that is composed of a
16MP sensor and an 8MP sensor for better depth shots. The company has also
introduced a number of new features to improve the shooting experience. First,
there’s OPPO’s signature ‘Beautify’ mode which will smooth out your skin tone
and make you look younger on your selfies. Second, it has an AI-powered scene
detection system which will analyse the scene in front of the camera before
automatically deciding on what settings to use for best quality pictures. For
instance, if you point your camera at a food item, it will detect that and
automatically switch to macro mode so that all the details are captured. Third,
it has a manual mode where you can control aperture, shutter speed and ISO
levels. And finally, there’s support for 4K videos at 30fps as well as 1080p
videos at 60fps, both with electronic image stabilization (EIS).
Should You Buy the OPPO R8?
If you’re looking for a new smartphone at the $200-$300
price range, then the OPPO R8 is definitely worth considering. The device
delivers in terms of performance and camera quality and offers a refreshing
design as well. On top of that, it comes with an excellent display as well.
However, the R8 does lack some features offered by its competitors such as NFC
and wireless charging support. This can be deal breaker for some considering
there are other alternatives out there that offer these features without the
compromise on performance or camera quality. Overall, the OPPO R8 is an excellent
smartphone at its price point and offers a lot of value for your money with its
premium design and great performance-camera combo.
Final Words: Should you buy the OPPO R8?
The R8 is a phone with a lot of potential and we won’t be
surprised to see it on this list of best-sellers by the end of the year. It has
an impressive design and great hardware. The camera is surprisingly good too.
As mentioned, the only thing missing here is OPPO’s AI-powered software. If you
don’t really care about that or are willing to give up some features for a more
affordable price, then go for it!