Considering that I unboxed the OPPO F3 Plus first, I was immediately under the impression that the OPPO F3 would be the smaller, less-powerful variant. However, if there’s one thing they don’t seem to skimp on, it’s the dual-lens front shooter AKA ‘the Selfie Expert’. Will this phone be your best bet in buying a high-quality selfie device without breaking bank.
Udpated: OPPO F3 Review
Upon opening the OPPO F3, we immediately get:
- OPPO F3 unit (1 pc.)
- Earphones (1 pair)
- Micro-USB charging cable (1 pc.)
- Travel Charger (1 pc.)
- Quick Start Guide (1 pc.)
- Important Information booklet (1 pc.)
- Clear jelly protector (1 pc.)
Build and Construction
In the F3, the size goes down to a more compact 5.5-inch smartphone. Not only that, but it still displays as many pixels as its larger F3 Plus counterpart. This already gets plus points in my book because it means that if you cannot afford an F3 Plus, you’re not losing much by opting for the original F3.
For the outer shell, it’s exactly the same as the OPPO F3 Plus. In fact, it also looks highly similar to the F1 as well, so it seems that OPPO is going for a ‘signature design’ that will allow consumers to remember what an OPPO phone looks like. On top of the display are the earpiece, front sensors, and the dual-lens front cameras. Meanwhile, on the bottom we have the capacitive buttons alongside the fingerprint scanner.
Moving on further, the left-hand side of the phone houses the power/lock button, plus the card tray for SIM cards and a microSD card. For the right, OPPO keeps it minimal with the volume-changing button. On the bottom, we will find the speaker grills, the micro-USB port, and the headphone jack port. Finally, the back portion of the device features the dual-tone LED flash alongside the main camera module. Of course, the main camera still pales in comparison to the dual-lens Selfie Expert camera, which clocks in at 16-megapixels. This is the real bread and butter of the phone, and definitely its biggest selling point.
Related: OPPO F3 Red Limited Edition
OS, UI, and Apps
When it comes to the interface, the first few minutes with the phone should tell you that it runs on ColorOS 3.0, probably one of the few Android skins that I really like. Based on Android 6.0, this current iteration of the ColorOS doesn’t stray away from the stock Android default, which means that it’s accessible to anyone who’s ever used an Android phone. All in all, I like what I see so far.
But how will the F3 fare in comparison to its predecessor, the F1, and its big brother, the F3 Plus? Of course, any kind of comparison might be moot, especially since the F3 keeps the 16-megapixel selfie camera with a dual-lens and a 120-degree wide angle. You know, sometimes, a great selfie cam is enough to sell a smartphone.
More photos of the OPPO F3:
