OPPO A73

OPPO has continued its stellar ascent as the world’s second-biggest smartphone designer and manufacturer with the release of the A73 – a 6”, FHD+, 16/13MP camera smartphone at a crazy A$289 prepaid.

Yes, you read correctly – the price is $259 prepaid (carrier locked) or $359 outright (unlocked) from major retailers. OPPO, as a part of the BBK group (includes vivo and One Plus), arguably now the world’s second-largest smartphone designer and manufacturer, has its sights firmly set on number one!

That spot used to be reserved for Apple, that was soundly overtaken by Samsung, and now Huawei has overtaken Apple as well. OPPO/BBK, Samsung, and Huawei have the advantage of a high degree of supply chain control as they make many of their own components and have their own huge factories.

The secret is making phones that Joe Average wants and can afford, and it does not hurt to look a little ‘Applesque” as well.

“We pride ourselves on offering Aussies fantastic value for money and exceptional user experiences, and the A73 is no exception. We’ve taken a number of the latest high-end features and packaged them into a stylish, affordable device we know Aussies will love and use,” said Michael Tran, Executive Director at OPPO Australia.

The A73 is not a flagship-class device altthough it has many features that could be classed as same.

Chipset: MediaTek Helio P23 MT6763T, 16nm, 64-bit Processor, Octa-core 4×2.5GHz ARM Cortex-A53+4×1.6GHz ARM Cortex-A53
GPU: ARM Mali-G71 MP2, 770 MHz, 2-Cores
Rear Camera: 13 MP, 4160 x 3120, f/2.2, 12um pixel, dual LED-flash, PDAF, A.I. post processing and Ultra HD mode
Selfie Camera: 16 MP, f/2.0 Aperture, 1.0 um pixel, A.I Beauty, 1/3.09-inch CMOS Sensor
Memory RAM/Storage: 3GB LPDDR3, 1600MHz/32GB/microSD up to 256GB/OTG
Screen: 6” FHD+, LTPS, 2160 x 1080 pixels, 402 ppi, 18:9 ratio, Gorilla Glass
Battery: 3,200 mAh Lithium-Polymer, VOOC fast charge
SIM: Dual SIM (Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM), Dual Standby
Sensors: Accelerometer, G-Sensor, Proximity, Light, Compass, Fingerprint ID, facial ID/unlock
Colours: Gold or Black – metal look ceramic body
LTE: Cat 7, 300/100Mb/s, VOLTE, hotspot, B1/2/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/39/40/41
OS: Color OS 3.2 over Android 7.1.1 Nougat
Other: Micro USB Port, 3.5mm audio, Wi-Fi N dual band, Wi-Di, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS,
Dimensions/weight: 156.5 x 76 mm x 7.5 mm x 152g
In the box: OPPO A73, Earphones, Micro USB cable, Charger, SIM ejector tool, Bumper case
Missing: IP rating, Wireless charging, FM radio, no selfie fill light, NFC, Wi-Fi AC

GadgetGuy’s take

What’s not to love? Over the past couple of years OPPO has become a household word when shopping for an outright purchase, unlocked smartphone. I know about a dozen OPPO owners (most are ex-iPhone owners) who universally swear by them loving the camera quality and the value.

Added to that OPPO has come Toppo in the recent Canstar Blue 2017 smartphone ‘Most Satisfied Customers’ survey of 1,800 Australian users. It was awarded five stars as the standout performer this year for battery life, camera quality, value for money and overall satisfaction.

The A73 sits above the value A57 (around $250) and below the R11 flagship with dual 20/16MP rear cameras (about $600). They have the market well covered. OPPO is available from Optus, Vodafone JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, Woolworths Mobile and The Good Guys.