Fast rising Chinese manufacturer yesterday unveiled the much-awaited OPPO N1, after a successful run with the Find 5 which came in earlier this year. Much like other devices from manufacturers like Sony, the N1 too puts emphasis on the imaging hardware more than anything else; and the device features an interesting feature in a swivel camera. Apart from the hardware, the device is also grabbing headlines for being the first hardware partnered device with popular aftermarket firmware, CyanogenMod, which recently turned into a company.
Is the device worth buying, given that there’s not much of a performance upgrade since the Find 5? Read on to know more.
Camera and Internal Storage
The OPPO N1 follows suit to the Xperia Z1 in ways more than one. The device comes with a 13MP camera, which although might not sound astonishing to most, but is more than what you can see on paper; the camera features a wide aperture of f/2.0, which is in fact wider than what the iPhone 5S offers at f/2.2. The device uses a 1/3.06 imaging module along with 6 physical lenses to give you the best possible shot, along with Dual LED flash. We have to say this does sound very impressive, but the real life performance will be known only when the device goes on sale in December.
Like the Find 5, the OPPO N1 too will not feature expandable storage, and will come in 16 and 32GB variants.
Processor and Battery
Like we said earlier, the N1 does not provide a substantial upgrade in processing terms when compared to the Find 5. The OPPO N1 comes with the Snapdragon 600 processor, which in more ways than one, is an overclocked Snapdragon APQ8064, which is found on the Find 5. However, it would really be unfair to judge the device based on comparisons the Find 5 since both the devices are very different.
The Snapdragon 600 comes with 4 cores clocked at 1.7GHz each, promising great performance. This is the same processor that the HTC One features. Gaming, multimedia, productivity; the device should and probably will handle anything you throw at it.
The OPPO N1, in an attempt to keep up with other large screen smartphones, comes with a 3610mAh battery which does promise one easy day of usage, and probably more. The Find 5 suffered from poor software optimization which led to poor battery life during the initial months since its release; we would like to believe that the company irons those out for the N1.
Display and Features
The device features a massive 5.9 inch display, with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels. This takes the ppi counter up to a respectable 377, which means multimedia and gaming, among other activities, will be fairly enjoyable. The Find 5 comes with a screen regarded as one of the best in the business, and it would be expected of the N1 to carry the legacy forward.
The device features an interesting feature in a small touch panel measuring 12cm², located at the rear of the device. According to OPPO, this rear touch panel helps in using the device with a single hand. Think of it, we do believe it will make usage easier.
Looks and Connectivity
The device features a somewhat unique design. Unique necessarily does not mean good looking; there might be people (like me) who do not like the design in particular. Measuring 170mm in length, the phone is pretty big as well.
The device will come unlocked for usage anywhere in the world. Radios such as WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, etc. feature on the device.
Comparison
This new device from OPPO is all set to compete with camera centric devices like the Xperia Z1, Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom, etc.
Key Specs
Model | OPPO N1 |
Display | 5.9 inches full HD |
Processor | 1.7 GHz quad core Snapdragon 600 |
RAM | 2GB |
Internal Storage | 16GB/32GB |
OS | Color OS/CyanogenMod |
Cameras | 13MP swivel |
Battery | 3610mAh |
Price | $571, Approx Rs. 37,000 |
Conclusion
We have to say that the N1 is a good attempt at innovation by OPPO. The N1 focuses on the camera the most, and priced at $571 the device is among the cheaper ‘shutterbug’ phones. We hope to see OPPO phones being available in India soon, since it really is a hassle to order them from China. Claiming warranty is an issue too, which involves sending the device back to China on your own risk.
Apart from the availability, OPPO seems to be doing well. Oh and yes, since the partnership with CyanogenMod, the N1 will ship with the Color OS or CyanogenMod, OS of your choice.