Oppo has been doing well, especially in the mid-range smartphone segment. This year, we have seen some good mid-rangers from Oppo including the A5 2020. The question is, for a price of 31,999 PKR, is it better than its competition?
Design and Display
Oppo A5 2020 has a 720p 6.5″ IPS LCD panel, the screen has a pixel density of just 270 PPI with an 82.7% screen-to-body ratio. There is the age old tear-drop notch that we have seen before on many other phones. The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, which is accompanied by a pre-installed screen protector and a silicon back-case out of the box.
The body here is made out of plastic. It feels smooth to hold, and thankfully it does not attract too many smudges. You can tell that the plastic quality on the back of the phone is sub-par once you hold it because it feels cheaper than it really is. Oppo could have done better on the construction side of things as we’ve seen other OEMs offer glass backs with even lower price tags.
Processor, RAM and Storage
The phone runs on the Snapdragon 665 SoC which is based on an 11nm architecture. The processor is quite efficient and it can handle most things smoothly. Games like PUBG and COD Mobile are playable at low graphics.
Oppo A5 2020 comes with 4GB RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1. RAM management on the phone is good and the storage is fast. You’ll rarely notice any lag while using the phone.
Cameras
There is a Quad Camera setup on the back of the phone which includes a 12 MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture, an 8 MP ultrawide camera, a 2 MP macro camera and a depth sensor. Thanks to the 665 SoC, the A5 is capable of recording 4K at 30fps, EIS support is also a welcome addition. The cameras can capture good detail and true colors in good light conditions, although the picture quality suffers at night. The selfie camera is an 8MP shooter with f/2.0 aperture which can capture satisfactory images. Portrait mode is good enough for a mid-range device. Overall there is not much to complain in the camera department, nor is there much to praise.
Battery
Oppo A5 2020 comes with a huge 5000 mAh battery that charges with a Type C port. Considering everything else, it is quite safe to say that you will easily last a day with a full charge even if you are a heavy user. The only things lacking are the 2 milliamp charger and fast charging. Charging this phone is a test of patience as it can easily take up to 3 hours to charge the huge battery.
Verdict
This phone will be solid for those who need good battery life, cameras and decent handling of day to day tasks. Though it comes with a big screen, the A5 2020 has not been made for a good viewing experience. Other OEMs offer phones with 1080p displays with similar prices, Oppo has cut too many corners with this one, and may not be the best option for most.
