OPPO F1 Review (Philippines)

OPPO F1 Review Introduction

I’ve always admired OPPO in terms of how they are consistent in their design and much more in the camera application. When they branded OPPO F1 as the “Selfie Expert”, they did not only improved the front camera but likewise the rear camera which is the default shooter. Here’s our OPPO F1 Review.

See also: OPPO N3 Review

Upon seeing the OPPO F1 press photos, I had an impression that they only improved the OPPO R7 Lite. The form factor, build, and design are closely similar to each other.

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Related: OPPO R7 Lite Review

OPPO F1 Build and Construction

Like I mention, the OPPO F1 feels like the R7 Lite build-wise. You get a unibody metal body and a chamfered edge with buttons located where you can reach them with ease.

On the upper ride side you find the power button and on top of it is the SIM tray and on the left are the volume rocker.

The SIM tray, while it is a hybrid slot, you can’t use the microSD support should you want to utilize the dual-SIM functionality. The micro-SD slot supports up to 128G of additional external storage.

At the bottom the micro-USB port on the center and a pin hole microphone. Up top is the 3.5mm audio port which is slightly on the left side.

On the front, the 5-inch HD display exudes clear and bright display. On top are the speaker flanked by the 16MP camera and the ambient sensor  At the bottom is the capacitive buttons which, still has no backlight. At the back, you will find the 13MP with f/2.2 opening and below is the LED flash and at the bottom is the speaker grill. The OPPO logo is prominently printed on the upper center.

OPPO F1 Display and UI

For some reason OPPO did not implement a full HD resolution on the F1 which is just fine for me. The display is bright and clear and no viewing angle issues whatsoever. Pulling the top screen brings out the quick menu which aids the user with pre-installed apps like the flashlight, calculator, personal hotspot and a close- ll apps in one button. The built-in data monitoring also appears at the bottom which is helpful specially for the postpaid users.

Also, you have to take note that you need to organize your apps yourself because OPPO F1 has no app drawer — all apps are installed on the home screen.

The default keyboard, however, is designed for people with small hands. As for me, I always hit the record button and missing the space bar. I had to install the Google keyboard which makes my experience comfortable.

The camera UI presents many options to choose from aside from the filters. The rear camera also presents two additional options when you turn on the Ultra HD feature — you can choose from 50MP or 24MP pixel resulting to a huge file for every image you shoot using this option.

If there is one that I think OPPO should improve in their future devices is their internal storage. While the micro-SD support can take up 128G, the 16G flavors are too low for today’s needs. The OS including the ColorOS system apps occupies more than 5Gb already. And with the introduction of high-resolution camera features it will eat up big chunk of your internal storage very fast.

OPPO F1 OTG support, but no NFC

For playbacks of videos from external storage such as flash drive, the OTG (On-the-go) support is enabled on this device. There is no NFC and fingerprint scanner through.

OPPO Lockscreen Magazine

For entertainment purposes, OPPO has a pre-installed lock screen magazine. Similar to Huawei’s Honor series, the lock screen magazine is a series of lock screen wallpaper that changes everytime the device is turned on. Currently OPPO F1 is subscribed to eight categories for the users to enjoy. From Travel, Entertainment, Automobiles, Sports, Beautiful women, Art, Life, World and Fashion. This feature is customized from the Wallpaper menu which is accessible from Settings and Display tab.

OPPO F1 Specs

Camera

OPPO F1 is all about its camera, period. The front camera, most specially, has 8MP with F/2.0 opening. So that you understand what the F/2.0 importance on this camera is, refer to the table below.

When used at F/2.0, the subject pops out and the background blurs. That is what the F/2.0 opening is all about.

The rear camera has 13MP with F/2.2 opening creates astounding images and video as well. Here are few of the sample shots we generated.

OPPO F1 Performance and Battery life

You get a fluid user experience on the performance of OPPO F1. No lags were observed throughout the review and just like what I always state on review units that I personally like, OPPO F1 is one of those that I like to keep for my personal use.

With VOOC on board every OPPO smartphone, you get a fast charging feature. This comes very handily when you are in a travel or in a situation where you want to get your phone charged quickly. The battery of OPPO F1 has non-removable 2500 mAh. Using it on WiFi with minimal social media updates, e-mails, and video playbacks, you get at least eight hours. On mobile data, this becomes five to six hours of usage.

Antutu benchmark app version 6.1.4 gave OPPO F1 34,670 score. In the score list, this device sits on top of Meizu MX5 which scored 53,810.

Audio quality

I find it a little inferior specifically on voice calls. I experience low audio during voice calls. But speakerphone mode, like on Youtube video playbacks, I find it outstanding.

OPPO F1 price and availability

OPPO F1 is currently available in most of the stores nationwide. Colors available are rose and rose gold. Official SRP is P11,990 but Home Credit is offering this at an installment plan with a monthly payment of P1,299. You can avail of Smart postpaid plan where OPPO F1 is free under Smart Plan 1,200.

OPPO F1 Connectivity

Both WiFi and 4G/LTE experience are outstanding. I never had any issue in both connectivity features offered by OPPO F1. The hotspot feature also performed great for me. I have used it to connect my Mac when I am on the go working in coffee shops to write blogs, check emails, and update social media channels.

Conclusion

Other brands should learn from OPPO. They keep improving their craft while they maintain features that are valuable. The super thin OPPO F1 is very nice to hold in the hand because of its meager size. This device is only 7.25mm, and weighs 134g only.

For people who likes to take superb images, OPPO F1 is a must device for you.

With VOOC (fast charge feature) on-board, high-quality and trusted camera and premium presentation, I think OPPO F1 is a nice buy.

OPPO F1 PROS

• Value for money
• Great camera
• Premium looks

OPPO F1 Cons

• Outdated OS
• Pre-installed keyboard not for people with big hands