OPPO A78
OPPO A78 Review: Is it a balanced mid-range phone?
In the ever-evolving landscape of smartphones, OPPO has consistently carved a niche for itself by offering devices that strike a balance between impressive features and affordability. The OPPO A78 was officially released in Bangladesh in September 2023. In this comprehensive review, this article will dive into every aspect of the OPPO A78, from its design and display to its performance and camera capabilities
Key Features of OPPO A78
Design
The OPPO A78 5G boasts a decent design but lacks the substantial feel of mid-range and high-end Android counterparts. It weighs in at a mere 180g, significantly lighter than its counterparts like the Pixel 7 Pro at 212g. This lightweight 160.01 mm by 73.23 mm by 7.93 mm build makes it comfortable to hold but may raise concerns about durability.
At the top, there's a small teardrop notch, and while the bezels around the sides and the chin at the bottom are noticeable upon unboxing, they tend to fade into the background during use.
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The display is labeled as 'toughened glass' by Oppo, but it falls short of the sturdiness of Gorilla Glass found in pricier devices. It does come with an IPX4 rating, offering protection against splashes but not immersion in water.
A fingerprint scanner is positioned under the power button on the right side, which is responsive but less convenient for left-handed users compared to the under-screen scanners found in higher-end products. Alternatively, users can opt for the quick and efficient face-unlock feature.
The OPPO A78 5G comes in three color options: black, purple, and blue. However, there's a noticeable color difference between the majority of the back and the ovular composite panel housing the cameras. Unfortunately, this design choice makes the phone feel less premium, and running a fingernail across it produces an undesirable high-pitched scratch, reminiscent of a tazos coin.
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On a positive note, the A78 5G keeps the headphone jack alive, although its placement at the bottom rather than the top of the phone might not be everyone's preference. There's also room for a microSD card alongside the single SIM card slot for expandable storage.
OPPO A78 Review: Is it worth buying?
OPPO is one of the significant leaders when it comes to stylish smartphones. Though the brand started its journey as “camera phones” with a core focus on photography, recently OPPO smartphones offer a bunch of latest features. The ‘A’ series of OPPO brings entry-level to mid-range smartphones. OPPO’s latest device A78 is now officially available in the country. Let’s take a look at the Key specs, pros, cons and price of OPPO A78 in Bangladesh.
Key Specifications of OPPO A78
Design and Build Quality
The A78 brings a generic tried and tested design without many bells or whistles. The design is an overhaul from the last gen A77 but it is nothing completely new. It’s an all-plastic device with a glass front and refractive back finish. The dual camera system is neatly tucked into a vertical alignment on the back. It might give the impression that the device boasts very large sensors, but it's just clever positioning, nothing else.
The device comes in at 160 by 73.2 by 7.9 mm with 180 gm weight. The low weight and even component distribution provide good comfort while holding the device for a long time. There is a large chin at the bottom of the display. The sizable bezel in the front brings the device to an 85.2% screen-to-body ratio. However, one positive design choice is that the water drop notch has been replaced with a corner punch-hole display.
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Moving to ports and buttons, users would be happy to note that the 3.5 mm headphone jack is still present on the device. There’s a dual nano sim slot along with dedicated micro SDXC support. Another thing that stood out was the dual stereo speaker on the device. Typically devices in this price range usually go for the mono stereo so seeing dual stereo support was certainly a pleasant surprise. OPPO has also included an in-display fingerprint scanner for an added layer of security.
Overall, the A78 brings a bit of everything to create a perfect day-to-day utility phone. There’s even an IP54 rating which will bring certain peace of mind for the users.
The Display
The display on the OPPO A78 is an AMOLED panel with a 90 Hz refresh rate. The display is a point of contention with many budget-friendly smartphones as they often cut prices by going with an IPS LCD panel. But that’s not the case with the A78.
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The 6.43-inches display packs in an FHD+ resolution with 1080 x 2400 pixels. That brings the total pixel count to 409 ppi in a 20:9 aspect ratio. The higher density combined with crisp sharpness makes it one of the top displays in its price category.
Outdoor visibility might be an issue for most users as the HBM maxes out at 430 nits. It's one of the only cut corners that catches the attention. Other than that, the smooth animations and better touch sampling make it an excellent panel to interact with. And not to mention the Corning Gorilla Glass 5 protection which does a great job of deterring minor scratches.
The camera
There’s a dual camera setup on the A78 with the primary sensor being a 50 MP wide-angle shooter and the secondary one being a 2 MP depth sensor. The main camera with HDR, LED flash and the PDAF does what it can in its limited capability.
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