Oppo aced last year's smartphone race with its popular Oppo F1s. Since then both fans and the blogosphere take cue on what's next from the company. And earlier this year, it has released the Oppo F3 Plus - a smartphone that breathes exquisiteness in design and promises excellence in performance.
For starters, the handset boasts a dual selfie camera, one of which is a 16MP shooter while the other one is a wide-angle sensor. The rest of the specs sheet falls completely in the upper mid-tier department but the overall package gains enough muscle for the handset to compete in the flagship category. That's an interesting point to start with, read on and join me in this review of the popular Oppo F3 Plus.
For starters, the handset boasts a dual selfie camera, one of which is a 16MP shooter while the other one is a wide-angle sensor. The rest of the specs sheet falls completely in the upper mid-tier department but the overall package gains enough muscle for the handset to compete in the flagship category. That's an interesting point to start with, read on and join me in this review of the popular Oppo F3 Plus.
Oppo F3 Plus Review
Design
Oppo is well-known for its love of aluminum unibody design which has been reflected in its recent releases, and the Oppo F3 Plus is not an exception. Its chassis is characterized by a particular combination of subtle curves and diamond-cut accents around its metallic frame. The overall body gives shade to the iPhone 6s Plus but the inclusion of six subtle antenna lines at the back makes the handset a recognizable and distinct look.
The placement of the buttons and ports comes with a similar orientation to that of an iPhone - the SIM tray and power button on the right side, the volume rocker on the left and the microUSB port (iPhone has Lightning) at the bottom side. On the same side, you may also notice that the placement of the speaker grill and the headphone jack are interchanged.
I am very smitten with the design. It's a pleasure to hold due to its svelte form factor despite the fact that it's a 6-inch handset. I love the curves of the handset, and I'm being nitpicky to notice that the curves on the top and the bottom are not similar to the way the sides arc all the way to the back. This is a good thing though, it allows a steady grip to the bigger footprint of the handset.
The premium metal feels slippery on the hands that's why I use both of my hands when using the handset. But I love holding and using this phone. It always gives me a premium feel whenever I pick it up.
Below the display is the home button with a crazy fast fingerprint reader. It's not clickable, though it gives a subtle taptic vibration once you cover it with your fingers.
Below the display is the home button with a crazy fast fingerprint reader. It's not clickable, though it gives a subtle taptic vibration once you cover it with your fingers.
Display
Oppo F3 Plus' premium design is complemented by a stunning display. Actually, it's aesthetic appeal highlights the 6.0-inch TFT IPS LCD of the handset. It comes with a full HD panel which gives natural colors and hues with its 367 ppi pixel density. By natural, I mean the images and text come close as are they seen in real life.
The viewing angles are very welcoming in both right and left sides. Even the contrast and color accuracy of the IPS display are in high bars. Colors are vibrant and warm without being over-saturated. Everything in the display just feels right.
I also love the thin bezel of the handset. It highlights a premium-looking display the Oppo F3 Plus is currently sporting.
Performance
On paper the OPPO F3 Plus ticks with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 653. The chipset is an improved version of the Snapdragon 652. On the inside, the SoC features four cores of Cortex-A72 clocked at 1.95GHz and another cluster of Cortex-A53 processors. It comes with an Adreno 510 graphics and 4GB of RAM which is responsible to the buttery experience of the F3 Plus when running several apps.
On our Antutu Benchmark, the Oppo F3 Plus garnered a score of 91949. Of course, the Oppo F3 Plus is not a leader in benchmark but it's very important to point out that its chipset is not far in terms of performance compared to high-end chipsets like Snapdragon 835 and Exynos 8895.
Camera
The Oppo F3 Plus may have powerful front cameras but its rear shooter is also a big deal. It crams a 16MP Sony IMX398 sensor which gives you decent to great photos. In fact, it has the same sensor as the current company's flagship handset, the Oppo R9s.
The best thing about the camera is the fact that it captures the subject in a speedy manner. Likewise, it’s also fast in taking the actual shot. The Oppo F3 Plus’ exposure and white balance are very accurate. In short, I am very impressed with the quality of outputs especially with its Dynamic Range. To support that, sharpness is great but not overblown, lowlight shots are also legit. The optical image stabilization also helps in delivering great photos. Macro shots are also easy in this phone due to its quick and accurate focus.
There’s also a slew of great settings in the camera app including the Expert Mode which gives users manual controls of the camera. Other noteworthy modes are Ultra HD, GIF and Double Exposure. These could come handy whenever you need these settings to spice up your mobile photography.
All in all, I love the simplicity of the camera. It’s very easy to jump among Video, Time-Lapse, Panorama and Beauty modes. I could see similarities with the iPhone camera app, but that’s a good point for me.
Here are our sample shots when we “roadtested” the handset in Bolinao, Pangasinan:
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| Outdoor Well-lighted. Featuring Casa Almarenzo Bed and Breakfast Hotel in Bolinao, Pangasinan |
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| Outdoor Well-lighted 2. Cape Bolinao Lighthouse in Bolinao, Pangasinan |
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| Lowlight. Enchanted Cave in Bolinao, Pangasinan |
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| Outdoor Lowlight. Sunrise in Pangasinan |
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| Outdoor 3. Casa Almarenzo Beach |
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| Outdoor Direct Sunlight. Patar White Beach |
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| Outdoor Well-lighted. Rock Formation in Patar White Beach, Bolinao |
Video Recording
Videos recorded from the Oppo F3 Plus are also great. The OIS help a lot in maintaining a good frame of the video. I have shaky hands and it's a relief to know that the handset has it under its belt. Video renders are also on-point and smooth.
Videos recorded from the Oppo F3 Plus are also great. The OIS help a lot in maintaining a good frame of the video. I have shaky hands and it's a relief to know that the handset has it under its belt. Video renders are also on-point and smooth.
Dual-Selfie Camera
The dual-camera module works pretty simple – you can either pull up the high resolution 16MP “selfie” mode which offers standard field of view or you can toggle the 8MP shooter with 120-degree “groufie” mode. If you want to have a better background to your selfies, the Oppo F3 Plus won’t disappoint.
Likewise, you could also use the Beauty Mode. It is a nifty feature and a great companion to your selfies. There are two toggles in its interface – one for smoothing of the subject and the other for giving rosy effects. Avoid maximizing these settings, it could give red tint to the whole picture. Check out selfie samples below.
Battery
The dual selfie camera is not the lone defining feature of the handset; the fact that Oppo smartphones are equipped with VOOC technology, we could definitely expect much for the Oppo F3 Plus' battery efficiency. The handset packs a ginormous screen which makes it reasonable for the F3 Plus to have bigger battery capacity. The Oppo F3 Plus has a juicy 4000 mah battery.
The battery lasts a full busy day. And by full busy day, I mean an hour of web browsing via WiFi, 2 hours of music streaming via 4G, one hour of video streaming via Netflix, another hour session of the graphically intensive Injustice 2 game, 30 minutes email reading and replying, 30 minutes Everwing in WiFi, two dozens of shots using the back camera, another two dozens of shots using the selfie cameras and 30 minutes of calls. In the course of 24 hours, the Oppo F3 Plus has a waking display time of 9 hours. At the end of my day, I still had 7 percent of juice.
Charging the handset is also a walk in the park. The VOOC offers very fast charging time. In just 30 minutes, the F3 Plus charged up to roughly 60 percent. It is in the same league as the Galaxy S8. However, just like the S8's Adaptive Charging, the VOOC tech is only compatible with the cable and wall adapter that comes out of the box.
Color OS also has a few tricks to save your battery life.
Color OS also has a few tricks to save your battery life.
Sound, Video, Call Reception and Connectivity
Phone calls are clear, and running the handset over LTE is also a worthwhile experience. In fact, the Snapdragon 653 makes use of the on-board X9 LTE modem which is capable of up to 300 Mbps download speed.
Music streaming and video recording are also smooth. Video renders are great and the inclusion of a local video app makes it even easier to browse downloaded or recorded videos in the device.
Like the video app, the Oppo F3 Plus also comes with a native app for music. The handset is supported with Dirac Real HD Sound equalizer which offers a slew of presets and manual tuning. If you're an audiophile like me, you'll surely enjoy having your own flavor on your music sessions.
It is also worth mentioning that the bottom speaker shoots crisp and clear sounds. I enjoyed most of the loudspeaker sessions I had with the handset.
The Adreno 510 does not disappoint. Running graphic intensive games like Injustice 2 screams great overall experience. The GPU renders smoothly without choking in the heavily-graphic parts of the game
The Adreno 510 does not disappoint. Running graphic intensive games like Injustice 2 screams great overall experience. The GPU renders smoothly without choking in the heavily-graphic parts of the game
Software Review: Color OS 3.0
The Color OS 3.0 is based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. The skin is heavily patterned with Apple's iOS including the chamfered squarish icons. However, what's great about this clean implementation of Android is the fact that bloatwares are very minimal.
There's an Opera mobile app for browsing for which I am surprised on how fast it loads web pages. There's no app drawer here; every installed apps goes straight through the home screen.
Just like any other Oppo handsets, F3 Plus fingerprint reader is fast. You can even use it in locking/unlocking apps, and files which adds another layer of protection to your sensitive contents. And just like any Android skin, you can customize Color OS' themes, fonts and lockscreen.
If I have to point out on something, it would be about the notification shade. It does not prioritize notifications at all; instead, it gives you instant access to controls once pulled down from the top of the screen. If you want to see notifications, you still need to swipe from the right.
The Wrap
Oppo goes down in history to be a company which makes bold moves in terms of design and features. Its innovation in camera, especially in the game-changing selfie camera race, pushed this segment to its fullest potential. There's also no denying the fact that you'll get the most for your money if you decide to get an Oppo F3 Plus. It's a great product which the company values as one of its priced possessions.
The Oppo F3 Plus hits all the marks for what an Android phone should be. The fact that it sports an upper mid-range pricing; and at the same time, compete with other flagship in the water makes it even more exciting. The battery efficiency is undoubtedly one of its major strengths; as well as the rear camera which shoots great photos.
The Oppo F3 Plus is a big step forward for the company in terms of design and essential proprietary features which rooted with the Oppo brand. As a whole, the handset is also a leap forward for the budding selfie market. And make no mistake, there's a reason why it's called the Selfie Expert.
What we Like:
1. Premium svelte aluminum design
2. Great display with thin bezels
3. Fast processor
4. Excellent Dual-Selfie Camera
5. Legit Rear Camera
6. Efficient battery life with fast charging
7. Clean Android Implementation for Color OS
What we Don't Like:
1. Non-removable Battery
2. No NFC
3. No Radio
4. Menu button orientation
Oppo goes down in history to be a company which makes bold moves in terms of design and features. Its innovation in camera, especially in the game-changing selfie camera race, pushed this segment to its fullest potential. There's also no denying the fact that you'll get the most for your money if you decide to get an Oppo F3 Plus. It's a great product which the company values as one of its priced possessions.
The Oppo F3 Plus hits all the marks for what an Android phone should be. The fact that it sports an upper mid-range pricing; and at the same time, compete with other flagship in the water makes it even more exciting. The battery efficiency is undoubtedly one of its major strengths; as well as the rear camera which shoots great photos.
The Oppo F3 Plus is a big step forward for the company in terms of design and essential proprietary features which rooted with the Oppo brand. As a whole, the handset is also a leap forward for the budding selfie market. And make no mistake, there's a reason why it's called the Selfie Expert.
What we Like:
1. Premium svelte aluminum design
2. Great display with thin bezels
3. Fast processor
4. Excellent Dual-Selfie Camera
5. Legit Rear Camera
6. Efficient battery life with fast charging
7. Clean Android Implementation for Color OS
What we Don't Like:
1. Non-removable Battery
2. No NFC
3. No Radio
4. Menu button orientation
Oppo F3
Plus Specs
6-inch FHD IPS LCD
Display at 1080 x 1920p, 367 ppi
Corning Gorilla Glass
5
Qualcomm Snapdragon
653 MSM8976 Pro SoC
1.95GHz Octa-Core CPU
Adreno 510 GPU
4GB of RAM
64GB Storage, up to
256GB via microSD card
16MP rear camera,
f/1.7, Autofocus, dual PDAF, LED Flash
16MP, 8MP dual selfie
camera
4G LTE, 3G and 2G
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n/ac,
WiFi Direct, Hotspot
Bluetooth 4.1
GPS, A-GPS
FM Radio
3.5mm Audio Jack
MicroUSB 2.0
Fingerprint Sensor
Proximity, Ambient
Light, Accelerometer Sensors
Dual SIM (dual Nano)
USB OTG
Android 6.0
Marshmallow with ColorOS 3.0
4000 mAh Battery with
VOOC fast charging
Php 23,990
Php 23,990
