The OPPO A94 is the latest iteration to the popular A-series lineup from the company. It flashes a set of upgrades from the model it successes and from the looks of it, the smartphone is definitely hitting the upper mid-tier category. We have unboxed the OPPO A94, gave our impressions about the handset, and we have some sample photos right after the jump.
OPPO A94 Unboxing
The OPPO A94 box comes in a light blue color with black accents. We have the letter "A" marked in the upper left side of the box. This means that it belongs to the OPPO A-series family. At the back, the box highlights OPPO A94's marquee features. These include the Dual-View video, 30W VOOC Flash Charge 4.0, AI Color Portrait Video, and the 4310 mAh battery.
Sliding the blue cover, we are greeted with a simple black box with the OPPO branding positioned in the center. Then we have another black box which houses the SIM ejector tool, clear transparent case, user manual, and warranty card. Underneath it, we can find the OPPO A94 smartphone. We have the fantastic purple as our review unit, and it comes with pre-installed screen protector. At the bottom of the box are the compartments holding the power adapter, USB-C cable, and the earphones.
What's inside the box?
- OPPO A94 smartphone
- Power Supply unit (5V/6A)
- USB-C cable
- Earphones
- Clear transparent case
- Screen protector (pre-installed)
- SIM ejector tool
- User manual, Warranty card
OPPO A94 Impressions
The OPPO A94 is an eye-catcher with the purple gradient color design. This gives a trendy and modern look to the smartphone. It is made of plastic material with metallic finish. However, it instantly attracts a lot of fingerprints from the moment you hold it and could develop smudges overtime.
The back panel houses the rectangle rear camera module. It features a quad camera setup consisting of a 48MP, f/1.7, 26mm wide main sensor, together with the 8MP ultrawide, 2MP macro, and 2MP depth sensors. Below the sensors are the "AI" and "48MP CAMERA" inscriptions. Beside the camera module is the LED flash in a narrow oval shape. At the lower right side, we have the OPPO branding.
Flipping the device to the front, we have an immersive screen. It comes with rounded corners and the familiar punch hole at the top left corner. This houses the 32MP, f/2.4, 24mm front camera. OPPO A94 frames a 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with 20:9 aspect ratio, 409 PPI, and a standard 60Hz refresh rate.
It is also worth noting that the smartphone's touch sampling rate is optimized at 180Hz under game mode; the normal for this phone is at 135Hz. Having a higher sampling frequency allows the phone to begin preparing graphics and animations a little sooner. In turn, this speeds up the overall experience. It also helps significantly in fast-paced games, allowing quick controls in aiming, shooting, etc.
Moreover, the handset integrates an in-display fingerprint scanner which is quick in unlocking the device.
When it comes to buttons and ports placements, we have the power button on the right side; and the volume rocker on the left side, along with the SIM card tray. Opening the SIM tray, we have placements for two nano SIMs and a dedicated slot for microSD card.
At the bottom, there's the 3.5mm audio jack, microphone, USB Type-C port, and speaker grills. Finally, on top, we can find a secondary noise cancelling microphone.
Camera Impressions
Going back to the camera, the camera app integrates AI tech with features like AI Beautification and AI scene enhancements. It also comes with modes like Night, Portrait, Dual-View Video, Pro Mode, Extra HD, Macro, Slow-Mo, and more.
In our initial camera test, photo quality is good. Outputs come with great details and color accuracy. You can check our sample photos right after the jump.
OPPO A94 Sample photos
In terms of videos, you can record up to 4K videos. The camera also employs Ultra Steady feature for video stability.
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Other Features
Under the hood, the A94 is powered by Mediatek Helio P95 octa-core CPU clocked at 2.2GHz max speeds. It is supported with a generous 8GB of RAM for seamless multitasking, together with 128GB built-in storage. Given this hardware, it is understandable why OPPO marketed this midrange device as a gaming phone.
The OPPO A94 runs on ColorOS 11.1, based on Android 11 mobile platform. This UI gives users a lot of personalization options like themes, icon styles, app layout, fingerprint style, colors, font and display size, as well as notification drawer customization. The software now incorporates an always-on-display for the date, notifications, and battery.
The A94 equips a 4310 mAh battery and a 30W VOOC Charge which can charge the phone up to 67% in 30 minutes. The OPPO A94 is now available in the Philippines at ₱13,999.
Conclusion
The OPPO A94 is definitely a good upgrade from last year's OPPO A92. We love the new AMOLED display and fast charging capability. The design is also something to look forward to. If you ask me about my initial verdict for this phone, I think it offers great value for its sub PHP 14K price, especially if you intend to use this phone for photography, mobile videography, and gaming.
OPPO A94 Specs
| Dimensions | 160.1 x 73.2 x 7.8 mm |
| Weight | 172 grams |
| Display | 6.43-inch AMOLED |
| Resolution | 2400 x 1080 (FHD+) |
| Aspect ratio | 20:9 |
| PPI | 409 ppi |
| Chipset | Mediatek Helio P95 (12 nm) |
| CPU | 2.2GHz Octa-core |
| GPU | PowerVR GM9446 |
| RAM | 8GB RAM |
| ROM | 128GB ROM |
| Rear camera | 48MP Quad camera |
| Front camera | 32MP |
| Video | 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/120fps |
| SIM | Dual SIM (nano) |
| Network | 4G LTE, 3G, 2G |
| WiFi | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | v5.1 |
| USB | Type-C 2.0, USB OTG |
| Fingerprint | Yes, In-display |
| OS | ColorOS 11.1, Android 11 |
| Battery | 4310 mAh |
| Fast Charing | 30W VOOC Flash Charge 4.0 |
| Colors | Fluid Black, Fantastic Purple |
| Price | ₱13,999 Official Price in PH |
