Chinese phone maker Oppo has released an upgraded version of one of its mid-range smartphones, the F1s, which was first released in August 2016. The updated smartphone goes by the same name, but offers slightly better specs over its predecessor and is selling at Rs18,990. Oppo isn’t the first phone maker to use the upgrade tactic. One Plus used a similar tactic with the recently announced OnePlus 3T, which is an upgraded version of the OnePlus 3, with almost the same price tag as the OnePlus 3 (released in July 2016). Despite better specs, the Oppo F1s faces stiff competition from the LeEco Le Max 2 (Rs17,999).
Design: Premium and handy
Like Chinese phones released in mid range, the F1s comes with a premium metal finish. It has a solid build and feels good when you hold it. Despite the flat edges, the corners don’t feel sharp in the hand. At 160g, it is lighter than many 5.5-inch screen phones in this range. The phone’s thinness also stands out immediately—at 7.4mm, it is thinner than the likes of Le Max 2. The oval-shaped home button on the front also doubles up as a fingerprint sensor, which is accurate most of the times.
The volume button has been put on the left side, while the power button is placed on the right. They look prominent so even if you put a cover on the phone, you can access them comfortably. The phone’s battery is packed inside the metal chassis. The SIM tray can accommodate two nano SIMs and a micro SD card at the same time, which is impressive. Oppo has crammed the 3.5mm, microUSB and the speaker together on the lower side panel. The Le Max 2 feels a bit hefty at 185g.
Display: Big but not the sharpest
The phone’s big screen (5.5 inches) allows ample space for gaming buffs and avid readers. Though the display looks colourful, it has a screen resolution of 1,280x720p only, which is quite low for a big-screen phone that is facing competition from the likes of Le Max 2 (resolution of 2,560x1,440p on a 5.7-inch display).
Due to its ability to handle colours well, it doesn’t feel inferior right away. The difference is clearly visible with graphic intensive games such as Asphalt 8 and FIFA 16. The wide viewing angles are good and so is the visibility in bright light. The phone comes with a blue light filter that gives the screen a soothing look by changing the colour from white to pink. The presence of Gorilla Glass 4 provides some amount of protection against scratches.
Software: Custom UI with no app clutter
The F1s runs Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) with Oppo’s proprietary ColorOS as the phone’s default interface. It is a typical Chinese phone interface with funky themes, cool customisation options and built-in security management app. The app clutter is lower than the likes of Zen UI. Once you get the hang of the ColorOS, it’s quite easy to use.
Performance: Works without a niggle
Equipped with MediaTek MT6750 octa-core processor and 4GB RAM, the device was able to wade through most tasks and games with a breeze. Switching between apps and multi-tasking was by and large smooth and jitter-free.
Despite the sleek profile, we didn’t notice any performance or heating issues with games such as Real Racing 3 and FIFA 16. However, some games like the newly released F1 2016 is still not compatible with it. The phone offers 64GB storage and can take in microSD cards of up to 256GB. This is the only area where it seems to surpass the Le Max 2 which offers just 32GB storage and doesn’t support microSD cards.
It also supports all 4G networks in India. Despite the slim profile, the F1s packs in a 3,075mAH battery, which can last a whole day on single charge.
Camera: An all-round performer
The phone’s 13-megapixel camera is quick and delivers clear and crisp shots in most conditions. In outdoor shots, colours look accurate, background looks properly lit up and the image doesn’t lose its crispness when viewed on a bigger screen. Even in low-light shots, colours look good and the amount of blur is minimal. Overall, it is an impressive camera with plenty of filters and camera modes such as time lapse, beauty, ultra HD and expert mode. This is one of those rare phones that offer higher megapixel camera on the front. The 16-megapixel front camera impresses with its clarity and colour reproduction even in indoor conditions.
Verdict
The upgrade version of Oppo F1s is an improvement, but in comparison to the LeEco Le Max 2, it is no match as far as the display quality (5.7-inch quad HD), specifications (runs on Qualcomm Snapdragon 820), features (freebies worth Rs5,000 from Eros Now and Yupp TV) and better audio quality.
