Oppo releases a reasonably priced mid-range that excels at the battery, display quality and software performance. Although not an exceptional handset, it delivers well for the cost and hits a high note on battery among our cell phone reviews.
Chinese electronics manufacturer Oppo has been talk of the town lately with their impressive mid-range handsets that pack flagship-like prowess inside bezelless chasses with price tags that complement their offerings. Our mobile phone comparison site has been spotlighting this company’s products lately, and the F9 Pro is worth discussing for touching on the technical points that compromise cost and quality.
Although experts are on the fence about the phone’s value, users feel positive about the device in practical scenarios, and that’s where the F9 Pro really lands its place among our cell phone reviews.
Sliding in at ¹17,990 with an AnTuTu of 171,000, the specs speak highly of Oppo’s willingness to push the budget fold further into the territory that was formerly staked by flagships. Fans of Android will notice that not just any typical version of 9.0 Pie is running on the F9 Pro; the software side of this device is governed by ColorOS 6, which is a developmental fork of Pie. It works fine with Android apps and mostly functions like the Android you know, but in the F9 Pro’s case, it runs smoothly with few issues to speak of.
Drawbacks are mainly where software general responsiveness is concerned, and with the slowdowns come noticeable warming of the chassis. This may be mitigated with a case. However, With that said, the bad news is out of the way. In providing cell phone reviews and ratings, we can’t linger on that note, so let’s get on to what makes this device desirable for the coin.
Technical Specifications
Octa-core 2 GHz MediaTek Helio P60
6 GB RAM
64-128 GB storage
MicroSD compatible, advertised up to 256 GB
3,500 mAh non-removable with fast charging
6.3-inch 1,080 x 2,340 (409 PPI) 19.5:9 IPS LCD with Gorilla Glass 6
Back-mounted fingerprint sensor
16 MP and 2 MP back-facing cameras with HDR support; 25 MP front-facing camera
Comes in Starry Purple and Twilight Blue
To tabulate things a bit, here’s a brief rundown of talking points:
- The cameras are overall average. On the plus side, the colour reproduction is accurate, contrast is great, and the resolution is adequate for most defining features in a shot. However, detail-intensive shots may come out somewhat smudged as with foliage
and textured surfaces that are just within the resolution. Low-light shooting captures enough light for nighttime city shots, but the noise reduction will kill most of the small details that were already hurt under bright shooting conditions. Since there’s no optical image
stabilization (OIS) to speak of here, the phone must be kept absolutely still while snapping at night.
- The 16 MP camera on the backside serves as the primary shooter while the 2 MP co-camera just serves as a depth sensor. If you were hoping that it would enhance HDR colors or improve low-light shooting, there’s a disappointment to be found here. Any mobile phone comparison site will be fraught with devices of this nature, unfortunately, but the camera is usually the first thing to go when we talk about the differences between a mid-ranger and a flagship.
- The chassis backplate, which wraps around the sides of the handset, takes laudable design inspiration. A colourful gradient over a gently large-textured surface offers something nice to look at in passing and helps out the premium vibe. The fingerprint scanner, which is mounted in the back-middle of the device, blends in with this colour
scheme.
- The display is noted for its accurate and saturated colours as well as good contrast and respectable brightness to boot. Being edge-to-edge apart from the water-drop notch, it’s all you’ll be noticing from the front, and that’s never a bad thing.
- Although MediaTek’s Helios isn’t known for its power in the way that Samsung’s Exynos or Qualcomm’s Snapdragon are, it does play the efficiency game well and contributes to the excellent battery life on the F9 Pro. Despite the tendency for the backplate to warm up, the juicer holds up well against the octa-core CPU and spacious 6 GB RAM. While performance can be slow at times, it’s stable and consistent on the whole.
We solidly recommend the F9 Pro if you need an affordable smartphone that’s steady, stable and able to last a full day with constant usage. Stop in daily to find more cell phone reviews and ratings for top devices from all major manufacturers, including Samsung, Apple, LG, Sony and more.