OPPO is a lesser-known phone brand in Singapore but it is growing in popularity. With the launch of the OPPO N3 last December, its presence is still rather insignificant and OPPO has a long way to go before it can win over the hearts of Android consumers who are pretty attached to branded names like Samsung, Sony, LG, and HTC.
A few weeks ago, we were given the opportunity to review the OPPO N3 and here is a summary of our user-experience with the OPPO N3.
Our Personal Opinion/Review about the OPPO N3
Featuring a powerful motorised rotation 16-Megapixel Schneider Optic Camera, there is everything to love about the OPPO N3 except the hefty price tag of SGD$849 and it is honestly very hard for us to determine if the OPPO N3 is going to be a worthy buy because there are many other comparable Android phones which is of a similar price range. For us, the one and only reason why we would even consider buying the OPPO N3 is the functionality of its camera.
With the automated rotatable camera, the OPPO N3’s camera has the ability to rotate 206 degrees and it is capable of taking pictures using its free-stop and multi-angle shooting features, a unique experience in mobile technology and mobile photography. The camera can also take impressive, wide-angle panoramic shots, such as cityscapes and the process of taking selfies is rather hassle-free.
Here are some photos which Jacqueline took with the OPPO N3.
Aesthetically, the OPPO N3 is pleasing to the eye though we have to admit that it can be quite a handful. The hollow underside design of the OPPO N3 houses the OPPO Skyline Notification Light 2.0 and we appreciate the gentle pulsating white illumination that notifies us of messages.
Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core CPU, the OPPO N3 is packed with 32GB ROM, 2GB RAM, and it runs on the Color OS 2.0 platform.
Now, here’s the kick.
Though launching applications and playing games on the OPPO N3 is responsive and zippy, we dislike the fact that it runs on the Color OS 2.0 platform. Sure, there are a lot of useful features that allows for customisation but switching between applications is a nightmare because the application switcher can be quite sluggish at times!
Other than the sluggish switch of applications, the OPPO N3 is able to handle most tasks smoothly without any real cause for concern.
As for the battery life, we are quite satisfied that the OPPO N3 is able to handle our very demanding heavy usage which includes tons of web-browsing, snapping of photos, and multiple video streaming. It also helps with the fact that fast-charging is available on the OPPO N3 and it takes about half an hour to charge the phone to 70% battery level.
To buy or not to buy?
Seriously, this is quite a tough decision to make because if you are finding a good substitute for a portable compact camera that allows you to take high quality photos and yet have the functionality of a smartphone, the OPPO N3 might be the right choice for you but then again, for the price of SGD$849, there are other choices which may be better and more value-for-money.
