Review: OPPO A9 2020, a power-packed mid-range contender

The new device has captivated attention in the Pakistani smartphone industry

KARACHI: OPPO is known for offering top-notch features and sublime design to its user at mid-range pricing and has captivated attention in the Pakistani smartphone industry.

Keeping up with the tradition of reviewing the latest smartphones and gadgets, we reviewed OPPO A9 2020 in marine green colour, which is the latest entrant to the smartphone industry in Pakistan.

PHOTO: EXPRESS

 

China's smartphone giant recently introduced A9 2020 that comes with 6.5-inch HD new Waterdrop Sunlight Screen, equipped with four cameras; 48MP Ultra Wide Quad Camera, 8 MegaPixel (MP) ultra Wide Angle Camera, 2 MP Portrait and 2 MP Mono-lens, 5000mAH battery life that would last you all day, Snapdragon 665 processor and Game boost 2.0 along with dual speakers.

The smartphone is packed with 8GB ram and 128 GB internal storage and offers buyers two color options; marine green and space purple.

PHOTO: EXPRESS

 

Now that we've mentioned the specs, let's break down some important details if you're searching for a mobile that feels expensive but is mid-ranged.

Design

PHOTO: EXPRESS

 

OPPO has previously launched devices with a gradient look and the latest entrant is no exception, the device weighs about 195g and 0.91 cm/9.1 mm in thickness. It has a sleek yet sturdy design with a new waterdrop sunlight screen and a 6.5-inch HD display.

PHOTO: EXPRESS

 

Multi-touch screen equipped with a resolution of 1600x720pixels that give users clear visuals and Night Shield that dims brightness down.



Camera

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OPPO smartphones are known for their incredible camera quality and A9 is no exception.

The device is equipped with a 16MP front camera and AI-beautification feature that improves images by automatically identifying the age. Furthermore, the camera softens out different skin tones depending on gender and adjusts pictures based on current beauty trends.

The device comes with four cameras, rear sensor 48MP, 8MP, 2MP and 2MP, front sensor 16 MP and LED flash. The A9’s 119-degree Ultra Wide lens captures bigger scenes so no one is cropped out of the frame.

PHOTO: EXPRESS

 

The camera offers pictures in more modes than any other mid-range phone is yet to offer. It includes professional mode, panorama, portrait, night scene, time-lapse photography, slow motion and we tested these out for you.

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The video-making process has been made smoother with the phone stability feature which offers shake-free filming and captures moments with great detail.

Performance

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The smartphone has Game 2.0 pre-installed which cleverly recognises the game scene and automatically matches performance mode to make the gaming experience much smoother, A9 is also equipped with music party feature so you and your friends can sync music together.

OPPO A9 performs much better as compared to its previous A series phones with Snapdragon 665 chip installed which enables the device to perform faster than its previous phones with an operating system of ColorOS 6 based on Android 9.0 pie that will enhance user navigation experience while using the device.

Battery

 

PHOTO: EXPRESS

 

Operating in this fast-paced world requires a fully charged phone and OPPO A9 has you covered, we put the battery life to test by using the phone for the whole day without recharging and the battery was enough to use the device the next day. Hence, we can say the battery life on this phone performs well and won’t disappoint its user.

The device is equipped with a 5000mAh battery pack battery which compliments the 720p resolution, so gaming enthusiasts can enjoy long hours of uninterrupted gaming with a better screen resolution. However, despite this device falling in the mid-range, it lacks fast charging which is probably one of the most major faults we could have found in this device.

Storage

OPPO A9 comes with 8GB RAM and 128 GB internal storage which is enough to install all your favourite apps.

4 things to look out for in OPPO’s new A Series

 

Hardware

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A9 is packed with two speakers instead of one which provides users premium quality audio and since it’s also equipped with Dolby Atmos, there is less sound distortion so you can enjoy music and conversation without poor sound quality.

Fast Facial recognition, great quality zoom in and quick touch response further adds to the high performance of the device.

The device has a series of sensors installed such as geomagnetic sensor that measures Earth's magnetic field, proximity sensor that detects in which angle the phone is being held near the face during a call so it can turn off the display to prevent keypad presses and battery consumption from the display and finally the light sensor that automatically dims the device's screen to match it.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 45,999, OPPO A9 is a beautiful looking phone with good battery life, fast processor and great quad-camera setup.

Rating: 4/5