Oppo knows what they are doing and they're intelligently targeting their market very well. Here in PH, having labeled as the "selfie capital" of the world, the company introduced the F1 "Selfie Expert" line.
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| Meet Oppo F1s, the next gen midrange selfie expert |
The result? Just like the first gen F1, the newly launched and upgraded Oppo F1s is a massive hit. As a matter of fact, it sells out over 19,000 units in just 3 days. That's quite impressive.
To refresh our minds, the Oppo F1s is in between the F1 and F1 Plus. It comes with upgraded design, specs, features, and selfie camera which will make you think that it is like a more affordable F1 Plus.
Have a look at its specs below and check out what is this phone all about in this review. Let's start!
Disclaimer: This unit was provided by Oppo Philippines for an honest review
Oppo F1s Specs
Display: 5.5 Inch HD IPS 1280 x 720 resolution w/ 2.5D curved glass and Gorilla Glass 4 protection at 267 ppi
CPU: 1.5 GHz 64 Bit MT6750 octa core processor
GPU: Mali T860
RAM: 3 GB
ROM: 32 GB expandable via micro SD card slot up to 128 GB (dedicated)
Back Camera: 13 MP f/2.2 w/ AF and LED flash
Selfie Camera: 16 MP f/2.0
Battery: 3,075 mAh
OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop w/ Color OS 3.0
Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, LTE, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, A GPS, GLONASS, dual SIM
Others: Fingerprint sensor, Colors: grey, gold, rose gold
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, proximity, orientation, sound, magnetic
Dimensions: 154.5 x 76 x 7.38 mm
Weight: 160 g
Price: 12,990 Pesos
Unboxing / Accessories
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| The box |
This new Oppo phone comes with a simple and elegant looking packaging. It's also easy to open which comes with different compartment for each accessories inside.
Speaking of the accessories included, this is another loaded package from the company. There's a quick charging 2A USB wall charger / adapter, micro USB data / charging cables, and earbuds with microphone.
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| Inclusions inside |
On top of that, there's a SIM ejector tool, flexible TPU clear case, and a pre-installed high-quality tempered glass. Basically, that's everything we wanted to see on a smartphone package.
Build Quality / Design
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| At the back showing the slightly protruding main camera, antenna lines, and Oppo logo |
The F1s is a total upgrade over the old F1 looking into its design and build. As a matter of fact, there's a lot of similarities found here that reminds me of the flagship grade F1 Plus.
The all metal body is made out of a well machined chamfered aluminum that feels tough enough to withstand bends and daily abuse. In front, there's a 2.5D curved glass on top of the display protected with Corning's Gorilla Glass 4.
There's also an included TPU case and tempered glass for an additional layer of protection.
Apart from the solid construction of the phone, Oppo included a nice type of TPU clear case and tempered glass to ensure that your phone will be protected from scratches, dents, and cracks.
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| Single microphone, camera, and ear-speakers on top |
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| 3.5 mm audio aux, micro USB data / charging port, and speaker grills below On the upper part below, there's an LED capacitive key and fingerprint scanner |
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| Volume rocker at left |
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| Power button and eject-able SIM tray at right (dual SIM w/ dedicated micro SD card slot) |
If you liked the iPhone / Samsung design combination approach of the F1 Plus, you'll surely enjoy this device. On a personal note, I find it to be one of the more stylish phone in its price bracket.
The F1s reminds us of the beautiful F1 Plus in many ways, that's a good thing!
It goes with a slightly arcing back and soft semi rounded curves on corners for additional comfort of hold. Looking at its black border screen bezels, it ranks among the slimmest in the price range. In terms of phone slimness, it is just right at 7.38 mm even if it is slightly thicker than both the F1 and F1s.
Just like what we experience with the P9 Lite, the F1s feels amazing in the hands. There are no sharp or uneven edges, it comes with a good amount of non-fatiguing heft, and acceptable grip. It might be just slippery to hold without the TPU case, but with proper grip, it'll be just fine.
Looking at the buttons and ports, it's fine. There's an accurate fingerprint scanner on the home button, single mic on top, and 3.5 mm / another mic / speaker grills below. Though it would have been better and easier to use if the power button and volume rocker is located on one side of the handset.
As of the moment
We feel that Oppo did a great job with this phone. It's beautiful and feels like a major upgrade over the ageing F1 without the need of spending F1 Plus like cash. How? Oppo invested on its design, made the screen bigger, added more RAM / ROM, and made the selfie camera better. They even added a fingerprint scanner for better security.
For the full review, real life performance, and loads of selfie samples, stay tuned. We'll also check if its dated Android 5.1 Lollipop OS can still perform well today.