Advantages & Disadvantages of Buying OPPO Smartphone

OPPO has established a powerful presence globally. Since the brand was first founded, its popularity has grown significantly.

As one of the largest mobile phone vendors, OPPO consistently releases new models every year. In Indonesia alone, OPPO typically introduces more than seven types of mobile phones annually, catering to low-end, mid-range, and flagship markets. In China, OPPO's headquarters, the company almost releases a new model every month.

This wide range of products allows OPPO to target different market segments effectively. Their marketing strategies often involve collaborations with influencers and celebrities, which has significantly boosted the brand's recognition among the public.

However, strong marketing doesn't always equate to flawless products. Like any brand, OPPO's mobile phones have their own strengths and weaknesses. No product is perfect or suited for everyone.

So, what are the pros and cons of OPPO mobile phones? To answer that question, let's take a look at a discussion of the general advantages and disadvantages of OPPO mobile phones, which can be summarized into six pros and four cons. Read on for the details.

Pros of OPPO Phones

Let's start by exploring the advantages of OPPO mobile phones. Here are some key benefits:

1. The Flagship Series is More Competitive, Especially the Folding Phones

OPPO's flagship series often gets less attention compared to brands like Samsung and Apple. However, many OPPO phones priced around $600 outperform Samsung models.

Take the OPPO Find X7 Ultra, for example. It's the world's first mobile phone with dual telephoto periscope cameras. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra only has one telephoto periscope and one regular telephoto camera, giving the OPPO Find X7 Ultra a significant advantage in long-distance photography.

Additionally, the OPPO Find N3 Flip surpasses the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 5G in camera capabilities. It features a higher camera resolution, includes a telephoto camera, and has an autofocus front camera.

In terms of performance, the OPPO Find N3 is slightly better due to its larger RAM. For more detailed comparisons, you can refer to articles comparing the OPPO Find N3 Flip with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5.

Moreover, the OPPO Find N3 (fold) provides several superior features compared to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold5.

The selfie camera on the OPPO Find N3 supports a wider field of view (ultrawide), unlike the Galaxy Z Fold5, which has a less effective under-display camera design for selfies.

The OPPO Find N3 also boasts a larger battery and faster charging time compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5.

These features indicate that OPPO is a brand worthy of attention from gadget enthusiasts worldwide. With its advanced technology, OPPO's flagship phones can serve as a strong alternative or even a preferred choice over more well-known brands.

2. Prioritizing the Photography Sector

One of OPPO's main selling points is its exceptional photography capabilities which are consistently showcased in their smartphone products.

The OPPO Reno series, for instance, pioneered the bokeh flare portrait mode, enabling users to create videos with beautifully blurred backgrounds. With the OPPO Reno11 5G, users can capture world-class portrait photos using the Portrait Expert Engine feature.

The OPPO Reno11 5G is also among the most affordable smartphones globally to include a telephoto camera. Priced at around $429,00, this phone provides a 32 MP telephoto camera capable of 2x optical zoom.

Additionally, the OPPO A series, which targets entry-level consumers, often delivers higher quality photos than its competitors in the same price range. Both OPPO and Realme phones are known for their vibrant color saturation and excellent dynamic range.

3. Diverse Product Segmentation

OPPO's product segmentation strategy involves naming series with distinct designations for different market segments. For example, the OPPO A series targets the entry to lower-middle class market.

The OPPO Reno series caters to the mid-price range. For the flagship market, the OPPO Find X series has got the most advanced innovations and features. The OPPO Find X series isn't the only flagship line; the OPPO Find N series includes foldable phones like the OPPO Find N3 and OPPO Find N3 Flip.

From the most affordable to the most expensive, OPPO covers every price range, unlike brands like Apple, which focuses solely on flagship devices, or brands that concentrate only on budget-friendly phones.

With clear product segmentation, gadget enthusiasts can easily identify products that suit their budgets simply by looking at the series name.

The diverse range of smartphone segments across various price points ensures steady revenue, which OPPO reinvests into product research to continuously produce innovative devices.

4. Frequent Fast Charging with High Power

OPPO smartphones, particularly in the mid to flagship price range, often feature fast charging capabilities. For instance, the OPPO Reno11 5G is equipped with 67-watt fast charging, which can charge the battery up to 60% in just 19 minutes.

The OPPO Find X7 Ultra offers an impressive 100-watt fast charging power, fully charging the battery in 26 minutes. Even the entry-level OPPO A38 comes with 33-watt fast charging.

Remarkably, the OPPO A38, priced at approximately $119, outperforms many of its competitors, which typically offer only 18-watt fast charging. Many phones in that price range do not include fast charging at all, instead relying on 10-watt power.

In the foldable phone market, the OPPO Find N3 Flip stands out as one of the fastest charging flip phones with 44-watt power. OPPO consistently provides fast charging across all segments, setting them apart, especially when compared to brands like Samsung.

5. Always Attractive Design

OPPO, a brand under BBK Electronics—which also includes Realme—places significant emphasis on the design elements of its smartphones. A prime example is the OPPO Find X7 Ultra, which features an eye-catching circular camera module centrally located on the back.

Similarly, the OPPO A18 offers a distinctive design with its oval camera module encased in a pill-shaped structure that extends downward. This clever design belies the fact that the device is priced at only $101.

Prior to the release of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, the OPPO Find N3 Flip was among the few folding phones noted for its stunning and functional rear design. It boasted a larger secondary screen compared to the Galaxy Z Flip4, making it a powerful competitor at that time.

Source: Instagram/Aryo Ma

Moving on to the OPPO Reno series, these devices continue to captivate users with their elegant designs. The OPPO Reno11 Pro 5G, for example, flaunts a luxurious pearl white color and a unique oval-shaped camera housing.

Across its product range—from the most budget-friendly to the premium segments—OPPO consistently delivers exceptional designs. It's not surprising that many of OPPO's patrons, particularly women, are drawn to the brand for its focus on aesthetics.

6. Effective Marketing Strategy

OPPO is one of the top-selling mobile phone brands, often ranking within the top five for device shipments.

This success is largely due to OPPO's well-planned and targeted marketing campaigns. Their marketing efforts cover a wide range of platforms.

For example, OPPO often hires famous brand ambassadors to reach their target audience. They also run ads extensively on TV, in print, and across digital media to keep their brand highly visible.

Additionally, OPPO's green advertisements are commonly seen along major highways and city streets. They also work closely with mobile phone retail stores, which prominently display OPPO banners, boosting their brand recognition.

This diverse marketing strategy helps make OPPO a memorable brand for consumers.

7. Entry-Level and Mid-Level Products are in High Demand

OPPO is one of the best-selling mobile phone brands globally. According to various data, OPPO consistently ranks within the top five for mobile phone shipments.

In the second quarter of 2018, IDC data indicated that OPPO ranked 3rd in smartphone shipments, capturing 18% of the market. By the third quarter of 2022, OPPO had become the leading mobile phone vendor in Indonesia, according to Canalys.

Throughout 2023, OPPO continued to be a top smartphone brand in terms of market share and shipments in Indonesia, although it dropped to the 2nd position.

These achievements are largely due to OPPO's effective marketing strategies, which are undeniably successful. Whenever OPPO launches a new phone, they implement an extensive marketing campaign.

At Carisinyal, we also recognize the high demand for OPPO products. Our site statistics show that topics related to OPPO are frequently searched for, indicating significant interest in the brand.

Disadvantages of OPPO Phones

After discussing the strengths of OPPO phones, let's consider their drawbacks.

1. Gaming Performance is Often Outmatched

OPPO often releases affordable and mid-range phones with less competitive performance compared to rivals at the same price. For instance, the OPPO A and Reno series.

For example, the OPPO A98 5G, released in September 2023 at a price of Rp4,899,000, is powered by the Snapdragon 695 chip. This chip is typically found in phones priced around IDR 3 million. Ideally, it should have featured a more powerful processor like the Dimensity 1080 or Snapdragon 778G, similar to the Redmi Note 12 Pro 5G and POCO X5 Pro.

Although some of the latest OPPO A series, such as the OPPO A18 and OPPO A38, offer improved performance with Helio G85 chips, I believe OPPO tends to prioritize design and camera quality over performance.

2. Second-Hand OPPO Prices Drop Drastically

It's unusual for a well-known brand like OPPO to experience a significant drop in its second-hand prices. Unlike Samsung or iPhone, which retain their value fairly well, OPPO phones tend to depreciate quickly.

OPPO enforces a strict one-price policy for its products. All offline outlets must sell their products at a set price, with no deviations allowed. If any outlet violates this policy, OPPO imposes sanctions, including termination of cooperation.

This policy is a double-edged sword. Outlets prefer selling new OPPO phones over buying and reselling used ones because the profit margin is higher with new phones.

As a result, second-hand OPPO phones see a steeper decline in value compared to other brands. Mobile phone counters are more motivated to sell new OPPO phones rather than used ones.

3. Beware of Fake Versions

As a popular brand, OPPO is often imitated. Many online sellers offer KW (imitation) versions of OPPO phones. To the naked eye, these fake phones look identical to the originals, making it difficult to tell them apart.

Marketplaces can also be confusing, with listings for original, reconditioned, or refurbished phones often looking similar. Reconditioned phones are those returned by buyers under warranty, repaired by unauthorized parties, and resold at lower prices. These repairs may involve inferior parts, such as reduced RAM or a lower-grade chipset.

In contrast, refurbished phones are returned under warranty and repaired by authorized OPPO partners. These phones are then sold at lower prices with an official warranty.

When searching for OPPO phones online, especially the OPPO A series, you might find many listings at unusually low prices.

This isn't necessarily a problem if sellers accurately describe the condition of their phones, whether original, second-hand, refurbished, or reconditioned. However, some sellers don't disclose this information, leading to potential confusion for buyers.

If the item is fake, sellers are unlikely to reveal this in the product description. They might use a 3D printer to create a convincing casing, making the fake phone look authentic.

4. Rarely Provide OS Updates

Another issue with OPPO phones is the infrequency of Android operating system updates. OPPO is known for being stingy with OS updates. If an OPPO phone is sold with Android 13, it doesn't necessarily mean it will receive an update to Android 14.

This has been a common issue with older OPPO models, which rarely receive updates, even minor ones. When updates do occur, they often focus on the ColorOS UI rather than the Android system itself.

These are some of the general advantages and disadvantages of OPPO phones. Of course, this may not apply to every model. Some OPPO phones excel in certain areas while having drawbacks in others. I hope this information is helpful.