What will a smartphone need in 2023? This is a question that needs to be answered as the glut of smartphones in the market makes it increasingly difficult for people to find the device they want to buy. As Nazrin, one of the editors said – we now live in a world with so many devices that we become paralyzed to make choices.
The Oppo A79 5G is another mid-range phone priced below RM1500 that just went on sale this week. Is it worth it? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Here's our brief review of the Oppo A79 5G.
SPECIFICATIONS
Oppo A79 5G
Screen 6.72″ IPS LCD, FHD+, 90HZ
MediaTek Dimensity 6020 processor (7nm)
2 X 2.2 GHz Cortex-A76 chips
6 X 2.0 GHz Cortex-A55
Dimensity 6020 Graphics Chip (7nm)
8GB LPDDR4X RAM
Internal Storage 256GB UFS 2.2
Micro SD 1TB
Primary Camera 50MP, f/1.8 (Wide Angle)
2MP, f/2.4 (Depth)
8MP f/2.0 Selfie Camera
5000 mAh battery
33W wired charging
SIM/Nano Telephony/5G
NFC Yes
Audio Jack Yes
IPX4 Waterproof
Fingerprint/Face Scan System
Sale Price RM 1199 (8/256 GB)
SCREEN
The 6.72″ screen is of IPS LCD type, FHD+ resolution and adaptive refresh rate. The refresh rate changes between depending on the content being watched on the screen or can be maintained at 60 or 90Hz all the time. The display of colors, viewing angles and details under the sun is only average because it lacks an LCD screen.
Thick bezels on the top and bottom with a small camera hole. The screen detects touch well and is responsive. The 90Hz refresh rate may not be the fastest but it's capable of delivering a smooth user experience. This screen however does not support any display of HDR content.
The haptic system also feels old-fashioned because it uses the same motor as a device that was launched five years ago. Being used to more realistic haptic systems on flagship devices, I'm less fond of this outdated haptic system.
BIOMETRIC
The fingerprint scanner is placed on the power button. The large, flat surface of the power button makes finger tracking quick. There is also a face scan that is also fast and the screen will light up to allow it to be used in dark conditions. No issues with the A98 5G biometric system.
DESIGN
The body design is boxy on the side with a back panel with a rather interesting crystal-like pattern. The use of a glass panel on the back gives the impression of a premium device. Audio and power adjustment buttons are placed on the right side. Meanwhile below there is a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB-C port and one of two stereo speakers.
A SIM tray that supports dual nano SIM and micro SD cards is located on the left side. The SIM tray is of the hybrid type, meaning dual SIMs cannot be used simultaneously if the owner wants to add memory using a micro SD card up to 1TB.
The device is comfortable to hold in the hand with all buttons quickly accessible. The back panel although made of glass does not get dirty easily. The marble-like pattern on the back helps hide dirt if any. Behind this is a large but not too tall camera bump. Although it is large, it only houses two 50+2 MP cameras along with flash.
The body of the device is still thin even though it is equipped with a 5000 mAh battery. Even with the provided silicon frame installed, the device is still quite thin. Finally the A79 5G passes the IPX4 waterproof standard. At this stage the device is only able to withstand splashes of water so don't accidentally take it diving in the pool.
USAGE AND SOFTWARE
ColorOS 13 operating system based on Android 13 is used on this phone. It's the same operating system we've used on several Oppo devices this year. Although only equipped with a mid-range chip, ColorOS 13 is smooth to use and has no issues launching various popular applications.
The iconography used is easy to understand because it is similar to stock Android. However, some additional features are provided such as RAM Expansion to add virtual RAM up to 8 GB. 4 and 6 GB options are also given or just turn it off directly.
ColorOS also has several gestures such as the three-finger scroll for screenshots, drawing the letter O on the screen to launch the camera and drawing the letter V to activate the flashlight. All of these additional features add value to the device and are features that are also found on Oppo's flagship models.
Oppo provides some fat apps in the Hot Apps and Hot Games folders. But just icons are placed in these two folders. If interested, the user just needs to press the button to install it. So the choice given to the user is very good because all these applications are not installed until they take up the storage space of the device.
Additional features provided by Oppo are:
Radio – Built-in radio function.
Flexible Windows – Displays multiple applications in floating windows.
Split Screen – Two applications are launched simultaneously.
Kid Space – Transforms the device to be user-friendly for children
Gesture – Support of various gestures to control the device and take screenshots.
Kids Space – A mode for children with some apps that can be locked.
Smart Sidebar – Quick shortcuts to eight preferred applications directly from the sidebar.
Simple Mode – Simple mode for the elderly with a larger interface and louder ringing.
BENCH MARK
After performing benchmark tests Geekbench 6, Antutu 3D and 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme the score recorded by the Dimensity 6020 was only average. Slightly below the Dimensity 6100+ but better than the Helio G99.
We compare Oppo A79 5G with Realme 11 5G (Dimensity 6100+), Tecno Pova5 4G (Helio G99), Realme 10 4G (Helio G99), Samsung Galaxy M14 5G (Exynos 1330), and Oppo A98 5G (Snapdragon 695)
Antutu 3D Benchmark
Oppo A79 5G – 395908
Realme 11 5G – 373,331
Tecno Pova5 4G – 406,217
Realme 10 4G – 398,203
Samsung Galaxy M14 5G – 454,662
Oppo A98 5G – 411,010
Geekbench6
Oppo A79 5G – 702/1863
Realme 11 5G – 720/1884
Tecno Pova 5 4G – 737/2005
Realme 10 4G – 572/1743
Samsung Galaxy M14 5G – 924/2129
Oppo A98 5G – 885/2034
WildLife Extreme
Oppo A79 5G – 328
Realme 11 5G – 327
Tecno Pova 5 4G – 1,263
Realme 10 4G – N/A
Samsung Galaxy M14 5G – 1388
Oppo A98 5G – 1212
The Dimnesity 6020 chip is actually just a rebranded Dimensity 700. So don't expect that this relatively old chip will provide performance in the same year as Dimensity 9200 or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. If set to a medium graphics level, COD Mobile and PUBG Mobile games can be played with quite satisfactory frame rates. The majority of major applications can also run quickly without any issues. The era of MediaTek chips being labeled as weak processor chips is over.
TELEPHONE, GPS and RADIO
The device supports 5G network in Malaysia. I tested the device with a CelcomDigi SIM card. The internet speed is satisfactory and so is the WiFi speed which supports up to 5 GHz WiFi. GPS performance is not very fast as it takes a few seconds before the location is detected. The A79 5G also has a built-in radio system as long as wired earphones are used as antennas. Fewer and fewer devices on the market now come with radio features.
CAMERA
The wide-angle camera is matched to a 50MP sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. On the front, an 8MP sensor is used. On paper this specification is only basic because there is no OIS system or ultra wide angle lens which can now be considered as necessary.
Photos taken in daylight are satisfactory but not very sharp. The color reproduction is also not very bright and it is also a little dark compared to the real situation. At night the image appears softer, details are somewhat lost and there is noise. Without OIS, the resulting night mode images are less satisfactory in my opinion.
There is no optical zoom so it is limited to 1X, 2X, 5X and 10X digitally. It can be seen in the sample below zooming up to 2X only looks good. Beyond this limit the resulting image is slightly broken and loses detail even more so at the 10X setting.
BATTERY
The battery provided has a capacity of 5000mAh and supports 33W wired charging provided in the box. Battery life is only average with an average SOT of 8 hours on normal use. In the best of situations I managed to use the A79 5G for around 16 hours before needing to be charged. The included charger is from USB-A to USB-C type. The battery recharge time is only about 1 hour. Not too slow but not too fast either.
AUDIO
The good thing about the A79 5G is that there is a 3.5mm audio jack and stereo speakers. What's not good is that the audio from the speakers is just mediocre. When the song is played at high volume, the resulting audio becomes stringy. There is no Dolby Atmos system to provide a better audio experience.
IN THE BOX
Here's what's included in the box.
1x Oppo A79 5G
1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
1x Silicone frame.
1x 33W Charger
1x Manual.
1x SIM Pin.
CONCLUSION
The Oppo A79 5G is not a failed smartphone. It is powerful enough, fast, has a good operating system, a relatively durable battery, a beautiful design and comes with a splash-proof body. This is all I feel the majority of people out there want. But the fact is that in the category of affordable mid-range devices, there are some better options.
Realme 11 5G is equipped with a slightly more powerful chip, faster charger and has a more handsome design at the same price (RM1199). Likewise with the Vivo Y36 which is the same but cheaper (RM1099). In a highly competitive market, the Oppo A79 5G sinks for being too modest.
Pro
The thin design is comfortable in the hand.
90Hz smooth screen.
Performance is still satisfactory despite low specifications.
Battery life is good with charger included.
Stereo speakers and audio jack
Cons
No wide angle camera.
Camera capabilities are simple.