Oppo’s wild anime phone will excite any Evangelion fan

The included silicone case has a purple and green color scheme that resembles the EVA Unit-01.

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In celebration of the 25th anniversary of the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion, Oppo released a unique version of one of its newest high-end phones in China. There are only 10,000 units of the Oppo Ace2 Evangelion Limited Edition available, and I was able to pick one up and spend some quality hands-on time with it.

While themed smartphones can sometimes seem gimmicky, I’m blown away by the amount of detail on the packaging and the phone itself. The phone’s release also comes before the release of the upcoming film Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, which has been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Fans of the mecha anime should appreciate that this special edition phone is modeled after the main EVA Unit-01.

This is the Oppo Ace2 Evangelion Limited Edition.

Evangelion fans should be delighted with everything that comes in the box. Here’s a look at what you get.

The package is delivered in a cardboard box that says "Human Instrumentality Project,” which is also stamped “Top Secret.”

Inside the box, there’s a pill-shaped capsule carrying the phone.

The capsule is inspired by the Entry Plug in the anime series.

Unboxing the phone is a whole new level of satisfaction.

Everything that comes in the box.

The phone and its packaging come with matching designs paying homage to the EVA Unit-01. Everything else in the box is also themed in some unique way. The earbuds and 65W charger are NERV-themed. Even the SIM ejector tool is modeled after the Spear of Longinus.

The SIM ejection tool resembles the Spear of Longinus.

The included silicone case has a purple and green color scheme that resembles the EVA Unit-01.

The NERV-branded 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charger.

The NERV-branded wired earbuds.

Competitors should take note: Oppo seems to have figured out the right way to customize its products through co-branding efforts. From this perspective, fans of the anime series shouldn’t be disappointed. But what about the phone itself?

The phone has a metallic matte finish that shimmers under the light and feels really smooth when held in the hand.

There’s a fluorescent green rim around the quad-camera setup.

There’s also an electroplated EVA Unit-01 head emblem near the bottom of the phone.

Even the UI and app icons got the EVA Unit-01 color treatment.

Unsurprisingly, the specs for this special edition are identical to the regular version of the Oppo Ace2 that came out in April. It runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor and has a 6.5-inch Full HD+ OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. On the back of the phone you’ll find a quad camera setup that includes a 48-megapixel main camera, an 8-megapixel ultrawide, and 2-megapixel macro and depth sensors. Other features include 5G support, an in-display fingerprint sensor, a hole-punch selfie camera, 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 wired charging, and 40W AirVOOC wireless charging.

Then there’s the price. This special edition Ace2 costs 4,399 yuan (US$618) and comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Unlike the regular Ace2, there’s no option for 12GB of RAM. Oppo’s website currently shows the phone as sold out, but you can request a notice for when it’s restocked, suggesting the company hasn’t sold all 10,000 yet.

For the really dedicated fans, Oppo is also offering other Evangelion-themed devices to go with the phone. There’s an Asuka Langley Soryu-themed Oppo Watch for 2,199 yuan (US$309) and Rei Ayanami-themed Enco W31 true wireless earbuds for 399 yuan (US$56). Oppo also offers an EVA-themed wireless charging pad for 299 yuan (US$42).