Classy Debut
It seems that after a certain fruit named company released a flagship smartphone with a notch, various competing companies have followed suit as well. One of them is, none other than, OPPO. Its recent entry – the OPPO R15 Pro – comes before the next-gen top-end entry appears. It’s easily the sleekest and most defining concept that OPPO put out yet. Indeed, everything about this high-spec smart device oozes class and then some. So impressive is the look and feel that it might as well be benchmark that all must follow from now on. Other rivals have also put out other cool package designs, though it’s an odd thing how they never carry over onto their successors.
Sleek Beauty
Everything about the OPPO R15 Pro is awesome. From the package to the unboxing experience, all of them reinforces the stylised delivery. Take for instance, how one opens up the box. It slides open from the side, which is very cool, as it reveals a neatly packed smartphone with its accessories That, of course, includes the protective case, fast charger plug with VOO compliant USB cable, and optimised OPPO in-ears. Out of the box, this all-new entry is amazing to see in person. The large 6.28” display covers most of the front, while the rear uses an all-glass design that tapers nicely to connect with the front. There is the metal side-frames too that keeps it together.
A Notch About Nothing
Let’s get this out of the way first – right up front, at the very top is the 20MP f/2.0 20mm selfie snapper. It sits right in the middle of the notch. As for the notch, well, with it, the OPPO R15 Pro rocks a 1080 x 2280px display resolution. While weird, the extra lines of pixels are there just to support the notch. While there are two camps over this design, which is why this review won’t discuss it at any length, the screen is very impressive. Vivid and bright, it punches out top notch (pun!) colour reproduction, as expected from a smartphone in this price range. Watching videos and playing games is a real pleasant experience.
Top Grade Guts
Internally, the OPPO R15 Pro features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-Core chipset. Paired with the Qualcomm Adreno 512 GPU, this certainly makes it a smartphone that’s not to be underestimated or trifled with. This current flagship mid-ranger also features a massive 6GB RAM and 128GB of system storage. Feel that it’s not enough? Sacrifice the second sim card slot and one can add another 128GB of storage via microSD. Big plus, there is also a headphone jack at to bottom. Alongside it is the data connection that is, oddly, using a micro-USB connection. A fingerprint scanner is also present at the rear that is in easy reach of one’s index finger.
Double of Nothing
At the top left of the backpanel for the OPPO R15 Pro, one will discover that there are two camera lenses sitting in the main camera array bay. The primary 16MP camera rocks a Sony IMX519 sensor that has been co-developed with Sony. Personally, it is one of the best cameras to be made available on a smartphone. It’s snappy, takes images that are vividly sharp, and one of the few entries in its class that can comfortably operate with no issues in low light situations. The main lens also rocks a f/1.7 aperture that puts out cool bokeh effects. When portraits are necessary, that is when the secondary 20MP shooter comes into full effect.
True Speedster
The OPPO R15 Pro is definitely one of the best smartphones to come in for 2018. There are other impressive entries too for sure. However, this being OPPO, it is admittedly more impressive. In fact, it manage to blow expectations out of the water. This flagship mid-segment entry is snappy, large, and useful. More importantly, the main camera array is amazing. The selfie is equally as fun to use. It’s comfortable to use, even when operating in long stretches. This is very useful when watching movies and playing games. With its good looks and great performance, this is certainly a must have for those who wants a powerful device in their pocket.
(Text by: Din)
