The OPPO brand, which occupies the top line of the world smartphone sales ratings, officially launched. For a successful start, the company needs a strong product that would not get lost among a huge number of competitors, and this was OPPO F5 – a nice smartphone with a large-format 6-inch “frameless” screen, a powerful battery, a face recognition sensor and a 20-megapixel camera with artificial intelligence. Why such high technologies “frontline” and what else makes the smartphone interesting? Read the full review.
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Specifications OPPO F5
- Screen – 6 “, LTPS, 2160х1080, 403 ppi,
- Processor – eight-core MediaTek Helio P23, 2.5 GHz
- Graphics Accelerator – Mali-G71 MP2
- Operating system – Android 7.1.1 Nougat
- Memory – 4 GB
- Built-in Memory – 32 GB
- Support for memory cards – microSD up to 256 GB (separate slot)
- Communication – GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz || UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz || LTE – 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28
- SIM – 2x nano-SIM
- Connectivities – Bluetooth 4.2, 3.5-mm audio connector, Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n, micro-USB, FM radio
- Navigation – GPS, GLONASS, Beidou
- Main camera – 16 Mp, f / 1.8
- Front camera – 20 megapixels, f / 2.0
- Sensors – illumination, approximation, accelerometer, microgroscope, fingerprint
- Battery – 3200 mAh, non-removable
- Dimensions – 156.5x76x7.5 mm
- Weight – 152 grams
Unique Features
A key feature of the F-series of OPPO smartphones is the front camera. The OPPO F5 has a 20-megapixel front camera. Built-in it algorithms of artificial intelligence SelfieTune determines the features of each person in the frame of the person by scanning two hundred of its characteristic points to determine the real owner.
“Smart” stuffing can determine the tone and type of a person’s skin, his gender, and age, comparing information with the database, and subsequently offer personalized improvements – make a face more symmetrical, remove wrinkles and circles under the eyes, etc. As the manufacturer assures, this is the first smartphone in the world with the technology of “beauty recognition,” functioning on the basis of neural networks and developed in cooperation with professional photographers and make-up artists.
Testing SelfieTune showed that this function copes with the facial beauty much more accurate and softer than the usual “benefactors” in the cameras of other smartphones. As a rule, in them the skin is too much smoothed, creating the effect of a roughly retouched image.
Below are samples of photos taken by the front camera on the OPPO F5 with the included mode of “improving appearance”:
Also, the front photo module uses neural networks to recognize the owner – the smartphone analyzes all the same two hundred segments on the face and uses artificial intelligence technologies to verify the identity of the person who wants to unlock the gadget.
Unlocking the smartphone with the face works so quickly and efficiently that in a few days you forget about its existence. You reached for the phone, looked at it – it immediately showed the desktop, without additional touch. The function works in the dark – the brightness of the screen is enough. There are no problems with wearing a hat or a hood; the smartphone recognizes the owner even in sunglasses.
Packing and equipment
In the white cardboard box, in addition to the smartphone, the manufacturer put a simple wired headset, a micro-USB cable, a 2A power adapter, a SIM tray ejector, and instructions. Also, the kit includes a transparent case made of dense plastic, and the OPPO F5 display is glued to a protective film.
Appearance
We gradually begin to get used to smartphones with infinite screens. However, most major brands have adopted this style on their flagship devices. That is why OPPO F5 in its average price segment looks against the background of competitors like a spaceship from fantastic films – after it, many other devices seem outdated and uninteresting.
The top and bottom frames are minimal, and fortunately, this manufacturer does not suffer megalomania and does not put the company logo on the small “chin” under the display, leaving it blank.
On the front panel above the screen, there are sensors, a speaker, and a front camera. The LED indicator in the device is missing.
The left side of the novelty is occupied by a volume rocker. On the right, there is a power button and a tray for two nano-SIMs and a memory card. Slots are separate.
The bottom is a micro-USB port, a 3.5 mm audio jack and the main speaker with a microphone. The location of the speaker is not the most successful – in a horizontal position – during games or watching video – it is muffled by the pressed palm.
The case of OPPO F5 is made of matte plastic, similar to the tactile sensations on the metal. On the back side of the device, there is nothing superfluous – just a modest brand logo, a fingerprint scanner, a 16-megapixel camera lens and a LED flash.
The speed of the fingerprint work was able to impress even the spoiled author of this review. It seems that it’s impossible to unlock the device more physically – everything happens in a split second. And the accuracy of operation is not reflected in any way.
Ergonomics
Thin frames and an elongated display with a ratio of 18 – 9 (2 – 1) do their job – regarding size, the 6-inch device is comparable to a typical 5.5-inch smartphone. Nevertheless, it is difficult to manage it with one hand. The firmware provides a “one-hand mode,” which makes the phone display to shrink to make it comfortable for people with small hands.
Also, you can swap the control keys. Or even disable – in this case, the swipe will perform the role of the navigation buttons from the bottom edge of the display. For example, to exit back you need to swipe up from the lower right corner, and multitasking opens with a swipe from the left.
The OPPO F5 faces are sharp, with a rounded radius. Hold the phone in your hand or take it off the table comfortably, despite its fineness. There are also no claims for fabrication – the case is well-cut and does not creak when squeezed.
Screen
OPPO F5 flaunts a 6-inch LTPS-display with a resolution of 2160×1080 pixels. Aspect ratio – 18 – 9 or 2 – 1, to whom as it is more convenient. In comparison with the usual smartphones, the screen of F5 is slightly extended in height. In practice, this allows you to see more information in almost all modes, whether it be a page in a browser, chat in a messenger or a social network tape.
When watching movies and movies on the sides of the screen there are small black bars – most videos are shot with a 16 – 9 aspect ratio. There is nothing you can do about this at the moment, but just get used to it.
In the settings you can turn on the night mode – it gives the screen a yellow tint. According to the idea of the developers, so the eyes will be less tired in poor lighting or with extended reading. You can independently adjust the tone of the display, make it warmer or colder.
Interface
The OPPO F5 runs on the Android 7.1 Nougat with custom ColorOS 3.2 UI. The manufacturer did a lot of work on the user interface, leaving almost nothing from the native OS.
Changes affected not only the appearance of the desktop and icons. For example, an inveterate Android user will need time to get used to swiping method. To open the control panel, you need to swipe up.
Of course, ColorOS does not have a menu with applications; all the software is on the desktops. In general, the UI evokes pleasant sensations of use – everything looks neat, beautiful and in a unified style. If you want, you can download a third-party launcher from Google Play store.
The smartphone pre-installed branded applications for viewing photos, listening to music, file manager, and other software essentials. Of the third-party programs, only Facebook and WPS Office were seen.
From the standard set, it is worth noting Phone Manager, a utility with various useful functions – cleaning up memory from garbage, antivirus and locking applications with a password.
Touchpal is used as the standard keyboard in the OPPO F5. In the “ringer” there are Russian letters for T9, and the function of recording conversations from the line is built in.
The device is in operation
The hardware base of the smartphone is built on a fresh MediaTek Helio P23 chipset, presented a few months ago. The processor is equipped with eight cores ARM Cortex-A53, operating at a frequency of up to 2.5 GHz. The main difference from the well-known and loved Helio P25 was the video accelerator Mali G71 MP2. The developer assures that SoC uses a new hardware control unit for the camera and technology that is responsible for its fast and high-quality work. It is also noticeable that the device does not heat up, unlike most devices on the P25. RAM in OPPO F5 4 GB, and internal – 32 GB.
In the AnTuTu benchmarks, 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme, and Ice Storm Extreme the device showed good results, corresponding to the middle segment.
Smartphone efficiently works smooth, but toys with heavy 3D graphics such as the World Of Tanks, Asphalt 8 and Injustice 2, with a comfortable amount of fps you can play only on average graphics settings.
The processor has enough power to make the smartphone interface work without hanging or lagging. The 4 gigabytes of RAM allows you to switch between dozens of tabs in the browser, several games and social networks simultaneously. There are slight slowdowns when paging tape in applications such as Instagram and Twitter. However, they are not very conspicuous.
The main speaker of the smartphone is loud and well copes with its primary task – to notify about calls and notifications. In headphones, the sound is normal, at the level of many other devices in this price category.
Camera
The quality of mobile photography is the weakest point of most average smartphones. As a rule, this is the first thing that manufacturers save on. So we thought until we started testing the OPPO F5. It turned out that the photo capabilities of the smartphone do not require an indulgent attitude – it’s almost the best camera phone in its price segment.
Its main feature is the 20-megapixel front camera with artificial intelligence. On the assurances of the creators of the smartphone, the F5 is ideal for selfies.
The main camera in the OPPO F5 is a 16-megapixel module with f / 1.8. The interface is simple, with a minimum of settings and functions like professional mode, HDR, Autofocus, and panorama.
A pleasant surprise was the night shooting – it’s not every flagship that can take off so well. It’s hard to find fault with pictures – noise is minimal, color rendition is perfect, bright light at a high level. It can be seen that the developers have done a lot of work on software and camera algorithms.
The smartphone shoots video with a maximum resolution of 1080p. The video is excellent, the picture is good, the colors are juicy, the drawdown of the frame rate during the day is not noticeable.
Wireless Interfaces
Wi-Fi-module works in the standard 802.11 b / g / n with support for 5 GHz, Bluetooth version 4.2 allows you to connect various external peripherals. It has 4G LTE for faster internet access. Also, there is a built-in FM-receiver, which requires a wired headset for its work. But to pay for purchases using a smartphone will not work – in OPPO F5 there is no NFC module. Other connectivity options include GPS, GLONASS, and Chinese BeiDou.
Autonomous work
The OPPO F5 has a battery with a capacity of 3200 mAh. For a 6-inch display this is a small amount, so there is no need to wait for surprises – the battery lasts for a day of active use with 4 hours of screen operation at high brightness.
When testing, the device played video at a maximum brightness of 11 hours, and the hour of the game in the “tanks” discharged the battery by 17%.
The smartphone does not support fast charging. In the settings you can turn on the power saving mode – it reduces the brightness of the display, shuts down the vibration and reduces the frequency of the processor. Also, in the energy-saving mode, the background activity of any application is separately regulated.
Verdict
OPPO F5 leaves a great impression after testing. The disadvantages include lack of NFC and not very powerful processor. However, this is more than offset by a colorful 6-inch “frameless” screen inscribed in a small case, an excellent front camera with an advanced mode of improving the appearance on the pictures and an equally cool main camera. The smartphone is ideal for fans of mobile photography and selfies, who are looking for a device with a large screen at a reasonable price.
