The smartphone market with 5G access capabilities is now growing, thus the OPPO A3 Pro 5G appears as a competitor in the current market in addition to being present with a more pocket-friendly price offer. The setup of this device appears as if it is trying to bridge the gap between the budget price with interesting specifications such as a smooth 120Hz display and a long-lasting battery.
But overall, is it true that this OPPO A3 Pro 5G is able to bridge the gap without sacrificing performance?. Therefore, this review is written to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of this smartphone in addition to helping you to decide whether this budget-friendly phone with 5G connectivity is the right choice or not.
SPECIFICATIONS
OPPO A3 Pro
6.67″ LCD screen, 120Hz. 1604 x 720 pixels,
Panda Glass
Mediatek Dimensity 6300 processor (6nm)
2×2.4 GHz Cortex-A76 chip
6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55
Mali-G57 MC2 Graphics Chip
RAM 8GB LPDDR4X
Internal Storage 256GB UFS 2.2
Primary Camera 50 MP, f/1.8 (Primary)
2 MP, f/2.4 (Portrait)
8MP f/2.0 Selfie Camera
5100 mAh battery
45W wired charging
SIM/Telephony Dual Nano/5G
NFC Yes
Audio Jack Yes
Waterproof IP54
Scan System Under-screen fingerprint scanner
Face Scanner
Sale Price RM1,099 (8/256GB)
SCREEN
6.67” LCD screen with a refresh rate of 120Hz along with a peak brightness level of 1000 nits. As for the display, the device screen only supports HD+ display. Colors on the screen appear bright with all touches being detected well along with an acceptable level of smoothness. We were able to play video content and previews without frustrating error issues. The haptic system produces vibrations that don't feel natural but are still good and can detect touch well.
BIOMETRIC
The fingerprint scanner is located on the power button on the side of the device. It can detect fingerprints quickly and responsively. The device can also be unlocked using the face well but only in well-lit conditions. Attempting to unlock the device in relatively dark conditions often fails to detect the face. This may be due to the ability of the front camera lens which is only 8MP.
DESIGN
The body design of this OPPO A3 Pro in our opinion does not look very premium but neat with minimalist elements. This device comes with two color options namely Starry Black and Moonlight Purple. We accept the Starry Black color and personally we like this color with its back body panel along with the matte finish that doesn't easily look dirty.
The design of the device looks neat with what appears to be three camera lenses arranged lengthwise down. Instead, only two of them are the camera lens and the other is the flash light. One thing we like about its design is that when placed on a table, the device sits flat. This is because the construction of the camera lens did not rise and was almost flat on the body of the device.
In most situations, we were able to use the device comfortably because it was very light and also not slippery. But to be honest, its light body makes it not feel premium when held. But the boxy side of the device body makes it look sturdy and durable.
On the right side, there are power and volume buttons, both of which work well and feel good to press. The left side houses the tray for the SIM card. At the top there is no hole or IR emitter while at the bottom there is a charging hole, a speaker and a 3.5mm audio jack.
One compliment should be given to the device, as it passes the IP54 standard which allows it to be waterproof as well as dustproof. Although the level of IP rating is quite low but at least it has the relevant feature although most devices at a budget-friendly price are seen to usually no longer offer the feature.
USE AND SOFTWARE
The ColorOS 14.0 operating system is used based on Android 14 and the overall experience of using the device feels responsive and smooth. However, playing the premiere on a device with a high resolution rate made us start to notice a slight lag issue. However, it is not so noticeable and the first one can still be run well. The interface also looks neat and easy to understand.
The device comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Virtual memory is also available with it being expandable up to 8GB with the option of 4GB, 6GB or 8GB which can be set according to needs. During the test period, all applications were able to run well and all desired applications could be downloaded quickly without any problems.
BENCH MARK
Here are the scores from the benchmark test results recorded by the OPPO A3 Pro 5G using Geekbench 6, Antutu 3D and 3D Mark. The comparison is made with Infinix Note 40 Pro and Redmi Note 13 5G because all three are at the same price level.
Antutu 3D Benchmark
OPPO A3 Pro – 456,737
Infinix Note 40 Pro – 450,320
Redmi Note 13 5G – 414,290
Geekbench 6
OPPO A3 Pro – 787/1992
Infinix Note 40 Pro – 1120/3338
Redmi Note 13 5G – 776/2019
WildLife Extreme
OPPO A3 Pro – 386
Infinix Note 40 Pro – Not Tested
Redmi Note 13 5G – Unable to Test
The results of the score and also the comparison with competitor devices are seen as balanced with not too far different entries. Throughout the period of use, the smoothness of the display and the application was good without significant time lag problems. However, playing a favorite game like Call Of Duty with high display quality settings we noticed a slight lag issue compared to if the game was played at medium settings. The heating issue does not occur significantly, the body only feels warm when playing the game repeatedly for a long time.
TELEPHONY & GPS
The built-in 5G network support is quite good as it provides a working GPS usage experience without any issues. Throughout the period of use, no network connection problems were encountered and even the 5G internet network connection was stable in many situations.
CAMERA
The camera system of the device is equipped with a dual-camera system of 50MP (main) and 2MP (portrait) which gives a picture result that we cannot say is excellent but is still acceptable if the picture is taken in a room or in a well-lit environment. There is no ultra-wide-angle camera for the ability to take pictures with wider shots and the available zoom feature is also limited to 10X zoom only.
I can say that the results of portrait photos taken using this device are less than satisfactory where in some cases the portrait features fail to distinguish neatly between the subject and the background. Meanwhile, the picture result in the night mode is also quite disappointing where the picture looks soft, the color fades and the details of the picture are not awake.
BATTERY
Its battery capacity is 5100 mAh which can last all day with a single charge for normal daily use. For example, if we start the day in the morning with a 100% battery percentage, by night before bedtime around 12 o'clock the battery still has around 15% left.
The provided SUPERVVOOC 45W charging support provides a charging period that is neither too long nor too short. In the usage test, the battery percentage increased from 1% to 60% in about 40 minutes.
AUDIO
The audio system on the OPPO A3 Pro comes with a stereo speaker that produces loud and clear sound. Overall, the experience of listening to music and watching movies is quite good. The audio on the device can still be heard clearly even in a rather noisy environment when the volume is increased. Interestingly, Oppo includes an audio jack hole on the device which allows us to use it together with wired earphones.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX?
1x OPPO A3 Pro
1x 45W Charger
1x USB-A to USB-C Cable
1x Silicone frame
1x SIM Pin
1x Set of guide books
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, after a week of using this OPPO A3 Pro as a main device, we can say that this device is a smartphone with performance that is worth the price. For a smartphone with 5G access capabilities, 5100 mAh battery capacity and satisfactory performance, it still has its own advantages in the 5G smartphone market at a budget price.
However, for those who want a smartphone with camera capabilities along with better quality performance then there may be other considerations to be made. OPPO A3 Pro 5G is now sold in Malaysia at a price of RM1099 (8/256GB) one.
PRO
Large battery capacity of 5100 mAh.
There is a 3.5mm audio jack.
Clear and loud stereo speakers.
CONS
The result of night mode pictures is not satisfactory.
Lots of fat apps loaded.
The peak brightness level is only 1000 nits.