Today OPPO started its India operations with the launch of OPPO N1, their Flagship device in India and we had the opportunity to spend some quality time with the device, for which OPPO gives undivided attention to looks and body design. The phone was launched in presence of Hrithik Roshan and Sonam Kapoor, OPPO’s brand ambassadors in India and sports a price tag of Rs. 39,999. Let’s see if OPPO N1(Quick Review) justifies the premium retail price.
OPPO N1 Quick Specs
- Display Size: 5.9 inch IPS LCD, 1920 X 1080 resolution, 373 PPI and Touch Sensitive area O-Touch on the back
- Processor: 1.7 GHz Snapdragon 600 Quad Core (with Krait 300 cores) with Adreno 320 GPU
- RAM: 2 GB
- Software Version: Color OS based on Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean)
- Camera: 13 MP AF camera with Dual LED flash, with Rotating Lens
- Secondary Camera: Rear Swivel camera can rotate up to 206 degrees and act as Front Camera
- Internal Storage: 16 GB/ 32 GB
- External Storage: No
- Battery: 3610 mAh battery Lithium Ion
- Connectivity: 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, aGPS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
- Others: OTG Support – Yes, Dual SIM – No, LED Indicator – Yes
- Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity
Oppo N1 Hands on Review, Features, Camera, India Price and Overview [Video]
Design and Build
OPPO N1 is quite dazzling when it comes to looks and body design. Dual metallic chrome lining around the edges, rear mounted touchpad, a fabulous display, soft back touch and modest weight all add up to give this phone real premium looks worthy of its price tag. Even the swivel camera, which we expected to hinder the beautiful body design, looked very well incorporated, clean and beautiful.
OPPO claims that the phone is crafted by employing 14 processes on Aluminum which takes 14 days to complete. The phone has body dimensions of 170.7 x 82.6 x 9 mm, which means it is not the sleekest phone around but with phablet display size and modest weight of 213 grams, the OPPO N1 felt good to hold in hand.
Display and O-Touch
The 5.9 inch IPS LCD display is quite bright with good outdoor visibility. The touch is super sensitive, which means you can use it even after wearing gloves. The 1920 X 1080 full HD resolution and 373 pixels per inches will ensure that you don’t see any pixilation on the large sized display.
The O-Touch is something we really liked. O-Touch is a 40 x 30mm touch-sensitive area on the back that enables easy one hand operation. You can swipe through home screens, click pictures from the 13 MP camera, Swipe through gallery pictures and much more using O-Touch where your fingers rest.
Camera and Internal Storage
The camera is the most highlighted feature of this phone. The 13 MP camera has a 1/ 3 inch CMOS sensor with F/2.0 aperture and 6 lenses (same number of lens as in Lumia 1020). The camera launches pretty fast and supports up to 8 seconds of exposure. The camera quality was pretty good both in low light and full light conditions.
The camera module comes from Sony and includes as many as 67 parts which makes it even more fascinating that you can Swivel the camera for up to 206 degrees and shoot high quality selfies and video calling. The Swivel has been tested for 100,000 rotations, which means you don’t have to worry about damaging the equipment.
The internal storage is 16 GB and 32 GB according to the variant you buy. OPPO has not yet mentioned the price of the 32 GB variant. We expect that to be unveiled when the phone is available on the shelves.
Battery and OS
The battery of this device is 3610 mAh and coupled with Power efficient Snapdragon 600 with Krait 300 cores, we expect this to be sufficient for comfortable one day usage. The mAh rating is one of the highest available in the premium range as well. The battery backup should not be a problem in this device, in fact we expect it to be comfortably above average.
The OS is heavily customised homebrewed Color OS based on Android 4.2 jelly bean. with beautiful customizable icons, we were really impressed by the looks and functionality. It is one of the best Android skins that we have seen so far. Oppo will also launch a limited CynogenMod variant of this device in India.
OPPO N1 Photo Gallery
Conclusion and Overview
The Phablet wars are getting tougher. Android market in India does not include many big names offering premium features in the 6 inch segment and OPPO is all set to deliver with beauty and creativity. The only down side is the premium price tag of Rs. 39,999 ,which although well justified, seems high for a new brand in India, especially when you can readily get snapdragon 800 processor for a lower price point. If you are looking for a 6 inch Android phablet with premium features, OPPO N1 will suit you well.
