The speed at which Oppo is strengthening its footprint in the Indian market is commendable. It is giving strong competition to other smartphone brands, by regularly bringing in something new. The Oppo F1 is another addition to the smartphone giant’s offerings. It was launched in the Indian markets in January 2016. The device was priced at ₹16,500 and buyers got to choose from two color variants, Gold and Rose Gold.
Although this two-year-old device has nothing that makes it outstanding in the current race for the best mobile phone, it did manage to win buyer trust through its features and specifications.
Here are my thoughts on the Oppo F1 and whether this device is still worth investing in.
Also read: Oppo A71 and Oppo F3
In this article...
Specifications
The Oppo F1 is a dual SIM (GSM and GSM) smartphone that accepts Nano-SIM and Micro-SIM. The device features a 5-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 720 X 1280 pixels at a PPI of 294. The handset weighs 134 gm and measures 143.50 x 71.00 x 7.25 mm.
The F1 is powered by a 1.2GHz octa-core processor paired with 3GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 128GB via a microSD card. It runs on Android 5.1 and is fueled by a 2500mAh non-removable battery.
When it comes to cameras, the Oppo F1 has an 8MP front camera for selfies and a 13MP primary camera on the rear. The connectivity options include Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, USB OTG, FM, 3G, and 4G, while the sensors include a proximity sensor, accelerometer, compass/magnetometer, ambient light sensor, and gyroscope.
Related: Best mobile phones in India
Technical Features
Screen Size: 5-inch HD IPS display
Display Resolution: 720 X 1280 pixels
Processor: 1.2GHz octa-core processor
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 16GB
Front Camera: 8MP
Rear Camera: 13MP
Battery: 2500mAh
Related: Oppo F3 Review
Display and Looks
The Oppo F1 flaunts a 5-inch, crystal clear display screen that I loved. Because of the screen size, the F1 can be easily handled and fits into the pocket with ease. I like how the tapering of the screen around the edges gave a smooth transition from glass to metal. To add strength to the display, Oppo has incorporated Corning Gorilla Glass 4, which was also something that I liked.
The 720 × 1280 pixels resolution gives a very clear view. However, while the colors and text legibility were good indoors, they appeared pretty washed out under direct sunlight.
In the upper right corner, you’ll find the notification LED, with capacitative buttons on the bottom for navigation. However, these buttons aren’t backlit.
Also read: Oppo FindX Review
Performance and Battery
The Oppo F1 is powered by a 1.2GHz octa-core Snapdragon 616 processor. In fact, when it was launched, this was one of the first few phones that featured a Snapdragon 616 processor. This processor clock speeds slightly higher than the virtually identical Snapdragon 615 processor, which was highly common in mobile devices till the Oppo F1 was launched.
Oppo F1 also flaunts a good storage capacity of 16GB that can be expanded to 128GB via microSD, which means you can store a large number of movies, pictures, and songs on the phone. Before downloading anything, you won’t need to wonder which files should be deleted to make space. The 3GB RAM makes the smartphone pretty fast too.
Talking of the software, Oppo F1 runs on the Android Lollipop-based Color OS 2.1. I found the general performance of the phone satisfactory. I checked my phone for multitasking too and was impressed by the smooth functioning of the interface and responsiveness of the apps. If you want to get the best out of this smartphone, use 4G for internet connectivity. I didn’t find any issues in call quality or with heavy gaming.
The Oppo F1 packs a 2500mAh battery under the hood, which allows more than 24 waking hours for the smartphone, under normal usage. However, this phone doesn’t have fast charging support, which has become a norm in the more recent Oppo models. You’ll definitely be frustrated when the device seems to take forever to get fully charged.
Camera and Apps
Now comes the specialty of Oppo phones in general, their selfie camera. The front of the Oppo F1 features an 8MP selfie camera that gives you clear pictures, with sharp details. I must accept that the photos came out great, both in natural and artificial lighting. However, the image quality dipped a bit when I used the selfie camera in low light.
To make up for this, Oppo has offered some new functions to allow users to take better selfies. Most of us complain that how the front-firing LED flash blinds us when we take photos. This is not the case in the F1. To illuminate the subject’s face, the screen flash uses the backlight of the display. However, you cannot keep the phone away from more than an arm’s length for best results. Other features include the Beautify filter to take care of skin blemishes and the Palm shutter, which allows you to capture a selfie with just a palm wave.
Just like the front camera, the 13MP rear camera captures some pretty good and high-quality photos and videos. I found that in each picture, the pixels were very clear even when I zoomed into the image.
Oppo F1 Price in India
The Oppo F1 is priced slightly below ₹16,000 for the Indian market. Given its great build, spectacular design, good performance, and image quality, with both the rear and front camera in most lighting conditions, the price is definitely justified.
Reasons Why I Like This Phone
- Good quality photos
- Decent performance
- Good 16GB storage
Reasons Why I Hate This Phone
- Lack of backlit navigation keys
- No support for fast charging
- No fingerprint sensor
The physical elements of the Oppo F1 will definitely attract buyers. The only pain point is the battery, which is of moderate capacity and could put off shoppers who are also looking for fast charging. Moreover, missing backlighting for the navigation buttons can lead buyers to look for other options.
