The Pros and Cons of OPPO A5

OPPO A5 is one of the most affordable phones from OPPO that is not talked about much. In fact, this phone meets several important needs for daily use, such as a strong body design, large memory, and a durable battery. These features make it no less attractive than other models in the same series.

With its affordable price, the OPPO A5 has its own market. It is especially known for its durability, which has become a trademark of the OPPO A Series. If you are curious, here are some of the pros and cons to know.

Pros of OPPO A5

As an affordable phone, the OPPO A5 is sold at a price starting from around US$140. This price is not much different from its predecessor, the OPPO A3, which costs around US$120. Here are some of the pros of the OPPO A5.

1. Sturdy and Minimalist Design

Compared to its predecessor or other models in the same series, the OPPO A5 has a slightly different camera module. It has not just two circles but three, including the LED light housing. This makes the module look longer, similar to the OPPO A5 5G.

The design is still similar to the OPPO A5x, which is good. The body is made of plastic with a smooth matte finish that's comfortable to hold and not easy to get fingerprint stains.

The OPPO A5 also has good durability. It comes with IP65 certification, which means it is resistant to dust and water splashes under high pressure. In addition, the MIL-STD-810H and SGS Performance Tested certifications make it feel more solid. OPPO claims that this phone can withstand drops or impacts with hard objects.

2. Bright Screen for Outdoor Use

The OPPO A5 has a 6.67-inch screen. The bezels around it are not too thin for a phone in this price range, and the bottom part looks the thickest. This gives it a screen-to-body ratio of about 84.9 percent.

The screen still uses an IPS LCD panel, but it can produce good colors with 83 percent DCI-P3 in vivid mode and 71 percent sRGB in natural mode. This means the colors look clear and accurate.

However, the resolution is still HD+ (720 x 1604 pixels). Some people may see this as a drawback because many phones in the same price class already use Full HD+ resolution or even AMOLED screens instead of IPS.

On the other hand, the OPPO A5 has good brightness for its segment. In High Brightness Mode (HBM), it can reach up to 1000 nits when the brightness is set to maximum. This level of brightness makes the screen easy to see even when used outdoors under the sun.

The screen is also protected by Gorilla Glass 7i, verified by AGC DT-Star D+, which makes it more resistant to scratches and cracks.

For smooth movement, the OPPO A5 supports a 90 Hz refresh rate. Although it is not 120 Hz, this is still good enough to give a smooth experience when scrolling through social media or playing games at its price level.

3. Long-lasting Battery with Fast Charging

OPPO A5 comes with a large 6000 mAh battery designed to last a full day. Interestingly, its capacity is even higher than the OPPO A5 Pro with a 5800 mAh battery, and the OPPO A3 with 5100 mAh.

According to OPPO’s claim, this phone can last a long time for various daily activities such as streaming, scrolling, or gaming. Based on a review by OPTechWithAskar, the OPPO A5 can last up to 16 hours of calls and 18 days in standby mode.

In addition, OPPO also claims that the battery health will stay above 80 percent even after five years of use. This makes the phone suitable for long-term use or for users who don’t want to change their phones often.

For charging, the OPPO A5 supports 45W SuperVOOC Flash Charge. According to OPPO, the phone can charge up to 30 percent in 19 minutes and 50 percent in about 36 minutes. This charging speed is quite fast, especially considering the large battery capacity.

4. UFS Memory and MicroSD Slot

Memory plays an important role in ensuring smooth performance. The OPPO A5 comes with one RAM option of 8 GB LPDDR4x. For internal storage, there are two choices available; 128 GB and 256 GB, both using UFS 2.2.

The use of UFS storage is a plus point for the OPPO A5, considering that many phones in this price range still use the slower eMMC type.

If the internal storage is not enough, the OPPO A5 still provides a dedicated slot for a microSD card. This allows users to expand the storage capacity as needed, whether for saving large files or to help the phone run more smoothly.

5. Reliable 50 MP Camera

In the camera sector, the OPPO A5 has specifications closer to the OPPO A5 Pro rather than the A5x. On the back, it still carries a single reliable main camera with a 50 MP resolution with a depth sensor.

The main camera is equipped with PDAF for focus and stabilization support when taking photos. OPPO claims that the photos produced by this camera are quite sharp, with good detail and color quality for its price range.

For video recording, the rear camera can shoot at 1080p with 30 frames per second. This is similar to its predecessor and other models in the same series. However, it still lacks the gyro-EIS feature, which means you need steady hands to avoid shaking when recording videos while walking.

At the front, the OPPO A5 comes with a simple 5 MP selfie camera. It also supports 1080p video recording at 30 frames per second, which is enough for video calls or online meetings.

6. AI Features to Improve Photo Quality

Even as an entry-level phone, the OPPO A5 includes several AI-based features that enhance the multimedia experience. These features help improve photo quality to make images look clearer and more vibrant.

One of the main highlights is the AI Live Photo feature. It works similarly to the feature on Apple or Samsung devices, automatically capturing the best and highest-quality frame of a moment. This ensures users get optimal photos every time without awkward expressions or poor timing.

There are also several other useful AI features. AI Clarity Enhancer sharpens details in zoomed-in photos, while AI Unblur helps fix blurry images caused by movement. The AI Reflection Remover can reduce unwanted reflections on glass surfaces, keeping the photo’s subject clear and focused.

The OPPO A5 also supports night photography with its AI Night Portrait feature. It automatically adjusts light, color, texture, and balance to produce better night shots, perfect for capturing moments in low-light conditions.

In addition, the OPPO A5 makes data transfer easy with a feature similar to AirDrop. By simply tapping the tops of two phones together, photos can be shared instantly. Interestingly, this feature works not only between Android phones but is also compatible with iPhones.

Cons of OPPO A5

Although the OPPO A5 comes at an affordable price, there are still a few things to consider before buying it. This is normal and something that must be accepted in this price range. To avoid disappointment, here are some of the drawbacks of the OPPO A5.

1. Chipset Performance Not Good Enough for Gaming

One of the main drawbacks of the OPPO A5 is its performance. The phone uses the Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1 chipset, which performs well for daily tasks but not for gaming.

Besides its limited gaming performance, this chipset is the same one used in its predecessor, the OPPO A3, and also appears in several other models in the same series such as the OPPO A5 Pro, OPPO A5x, and OPPO A5i Pro.

The Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1 is built on an 11 nm process with eight CPU cores, consisting of four Cortex-A73-based Kryo 260 Gold cores (2.0 GHz) for performance and four Cortex-A53-based Kryo 260 Silver cores (1.8 GHz) for efficiency.

Overall, this chipset is not bad, but it feels less fitting for a phone priced around US$120. Its performance is not suitable for playing heavy or even some casual games, especially if you choose the smaller memory variant. In addition, since it still uses a 4G chipset, the OPPO A5 doesn't support faster 5G networks.

2. Mono Speaker

The OPPO A5 only has a mono speaker, so the sound isn’t stereo. However, OPPO claims it can boost volume up to 300 percent, which helps in noisy environments.

The phone still includes a 3.5 mm audio jack, though. It's useful for those who prefer wired earphones when gaming or watching videos.

3. No Ultrawide Camera

Another thing to consider is the absence of an ultrawide camera. The OPPO A5 only relies on a single rear camera without any additional lenses.

This is similar to the OPPO A3, which also lacked an ultrawide option. It seems OPPO has not addressed this limitation, possibly because the production budget was focused on improving other parts of the phone.

Besides that, the front camera performance is also quite basic. It only has a 5 MP resolution and can record videos at 1080p@30fps. This resolution may feel lacking, especially for social media uploads on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, where videos are usually compressed and lose quality.

Conclusion

Overall, the OPPO A5 offers good enough performance for its price. It is reliable for daily use, both in terms of build and battery life, providing comfort throughout the day.

However, its overall features are quite similar to the OPPO A5x, another model in the same series that is sold at a lower price starting from around US$120. This could be an important consideration before making a final choice. So, are you still interested in the OPPO A5?