OPPO A71 is a capable handset that hails from the portfolio of selfie-centered smartphones. It may come with some software feature supporting the front camera but OPPO is obviously positioning this handset in the entry level category, taking its aim to the segment that most of the local smartphone producers occupy. At Php 8,990, the handset is not the most affordable OPPO smartphone but it certainly got some kicks up on its sleeve.
OPPO A71 Hands-on
The OPPO A71 comes with a polycarbonate body in contrast to the metallic back that we have accustomed to with the previous releases. The subtle curves in the back and the filleted corners make it easier to hold. The back chassis registers smooth and rejects most of the fingerprints. I love the way the OPPO branding flashes silver reflections when it catches light from a different angles.
Design
Rounding up the sides, the handset comes with a microUSD port at the bottom with the speaker grills. The left side is a home for the volume rocker and the right side houses the power button and the SIM tray. It supports dual nano SIM and a microSD card, by the way.
There’s a 3.5-mm audio jack on the top but I wished OPPO placed it at the bottom for easier access.
Display
On the front, there’s a 5.2-inch HD IPS LCD display which frames 282 ppi pixel density. The front panel features the unlit capacitive buttons at the bottom and the 5MP f/2.4 front camera on the upper portion of the panel.
The display is decent with colors having good color reproduction and clarity. I’m not sure how it fares when used under the sunlight though (we will cover that in our full review).
Android 7.1 Nougat, Camera
The OPPO markets the A71 as their “speedy operation” smartphone which technically boots with Android 7.1 Nougat. Under the hood, the handset is loaded with 3GB of RAM and ticks with octa-core CPU. Its 13MP rear camera is also fast in taking photos.
OPPO A71 Unboxing
The OPPO A71 box comes in white packaging with a slide through cover which features the A71’s official marketing photo. The box comes with a handful of items. This includes the Quick Guide booklet, the Important Information Guide, SIM tray ejecter, headphones and microUSB cable.
Likewise, there’s also a wall outlet adapter which, sadly, does not support fast charging. It’s also a good thing that OPPO includes a clear case and a pre-installed screen protector inside the box.
Conclusion
On paper, the handset frames a decent specs-sheet. Our initial interaction with the the OPPO A71 gives us the impression that it is fast in detecting inputs on the display. The camera app is also fast in taking photos.
In one sitting, the OPPO A71 shapes up to be a good deal in the sub-Php 9K category. However, it fairing up with the “Speedy Operation” tagline remains to be seen. Stay tuned to our full review.
OPPO A71 Specs
- 148.1 x 73.8 x 7.6 mm, 137 grams
- 5.2-inch HD IPS LCD Display, 1280 x 720 pixels at 282 ppi
- MediaTek MT6750 SoC
- Octa-core 1.5GHz Cortex-A53 CPU
- Mali T860 GPU
- 3GB of RAM
- 16GB Storage, up to 256GB expandable
- 13MP Rear Camera, f/2.2 aperture,AF, LED Flash
- 5MP Selfie Camera with f/2.4, screen flash
- 4G LTE, 3G, 2G
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
- Bluetooth 4.0
- GPS, A-GPS
- FM Radio
- microUSB 2.0
- 3.5mm Audio Jack
- Gyroscope, Proximity, Compass, Accelerometer Sensors
- Android 7.1 Nougat with Color OS 3.1
- 2900 mAh Li-Ion Non-Removable Battery
- Champagne Gold, Black
- Php 8,990 Price in the Philippines
