Oppo A78 5G Review
Oppo is making impressive smartphones these days - just look at Oppo's flagship Find N2 Flip or Find X5 Pro to see the Chinese manufacturer competing in the luxury segment of the smartphone market. However, the Oppo A78 5G is designed as a budget model, selling for less than its higher-spec sibling.
As the name suggests, this is a 5G phone, but what exactly do you get for your money with this cheaper phone?
Oppo A78 5G: Specifications
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Rear camera: 50MP f/1.8 depth camera plus 2MP f/2.4
Zoom Area: -
Front camera: 8MP f/2.
Display: 6.56-inch LCD 90 Hz, 1612 x 720 pixels with a density of 269 ppi
Operating system: ColorOS 13
CPU: MediaTek 6833, 8 cores up to 2.2 GHz
GPU: Mali-G57 MC2 at 950 MHz
Image stabilization: No
Maximum video resolution: 1080P @ 30fps
Touch ID: Yes
Facial recognition: Yes
5G: Yes
Storage capacity: 128 GB
RAM: 4 GB
Water resistance: IPX4
Battery: 5,000 mAh, SuperVooc 33W fast charging
Charger: USB Type-C (included)
3.5 mm headphone jack: Yes
Dimensions : 163.8 x 75.1 x 7.99 mm
Color options: Black, purple or blue
Weight: 188g
Oppo A78 5G: Key Features
The main attraction of this phone is its impressive 5,000 mAh battery that can keep the phone running for a second day if needed. This is supported by the use of Oppo's fast charging technology, which is 33W, which means your battery can be charged to 100% in 67 minutes or above 50% in half an hour. Fortunately, in addition to the USB-C cable, a power adapter is also included in the delivery. So unlike some manufacturers, Oppo doesn't assume you already have a charger. Unsurprisingly, given the price, you don't get wireless charging here.
Another welcome innovation is that in addition to the USB-C jack, there is also a 3.5mm headphone jack - an increasingly rare feature in phones of all price categories these days.
The screen is a basic 720P LED device, but while there's no OLED, the 6.5-inch screen is a good size and has a reasonable 90Hz refresh rate.
The strap and buckle security approach allows you to set up facial recognition and fingerprint identification on your phone, for example, you can use your phone without taking off your sunglasses and gloves.
The phone runs Oppo's ColorOS operating system - its version of Android. It all looks familiar and easy to navigate - but the homebrew setup includes a lot of bloatware - mostly games you wouldn't download yourself, but at least you won't have to pay for them.
Oppo A78 5G: Structure and handling
Where the phone starts to disappoint is on the back. The back panel is made of cheap plastic, which is not pleasant to the touch. If you buy this phone, you should immediately get the plastic cover to avoid the noise generated when you rub or touch it with your fingers.
There are also interesting housings for the two camera lenses on the back. But actually, despite being a dual punch, this cell phone has only one rear camera. The other lens is a simple 2-megapixel mono lens designed to support other cameras with autofocus and depth effects.
The main camera offers a decent 50MP resolution, provided you enable it in the settings, as it is not enabled by default. And if you dig deeper, you can force the camera to extrapolate a 108-megapixel image from a 50-megapixel sensor (although we recommend not wasting your time, as this is just a marketing gimmick).
To get the most out of the camera, as with other Oppo phones, you'll need to enable Pro mode; you'll definitely need to find the feature because it's obviously not available. Unlike some of the company's pricier phones, there are no Hasselblad-endorsed add-ons like the X-Pan panoramic mode.
What you don't get with this setup is a super wide angle lens. And while you get 10x digital zoom, there's no telephoto lens either. What's disappointing is the lack of a wider viewing angle, and the digital zoom results are certainly not worth it (as you can always crop the image).
Oppo A78 5G: Images
Oppo A78 5G: Verdict
Perhaps the biggest attraction of the Oppo A78 5G is the price. This is still a cheap phone that offers a lot for the money. Among the advantages is the impressive 5,000 mAh battery, which during our few weeks of calls, often lasted until the third day without a charge. And when you need to charge the cell, you get 33W fast charging, so you can put your phone back in your pocket in no time.
Phone frustration is everywhere. The front looks pretty good, but the back feels loose and uncomfortable. While it looks like a dual-camera system from the outside, you're actually just getting a 50MP wide-angle lens. There are no ultra-wide-angle or telephoto options, which can limit your photographic creativity.
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