Oppo R7 Review

Introduction

Chinese smartphone maker Oppo has turned in a new addition to its R-series of mid-range smartphones - the Oppo R7. It enters our world just 7 months after the Oppo R5, which we remember mostly for its extraordinarily thin, 0.19-inch (4.85mm) frame. But the Oppo R7 is born with a different mission. While the R5 is a statement of engineering voodoo and a Guinness World Record showcase, the R7 is built with more mundane, but no less ambitious goals behind it.

The R7 wants to be a universal crowd pleaser at a competitive price point. To achieve this, Oppo stuffed it with as many attractive design, technology, and user experience traits as a $400 smartphone could possibly take. Then took it to war with the likes of Samsung's Galaxy A series and Huawei's Honor handsets.

Beyond doubt, Oppo has pointed its sights up high in the sky, but how close to the center target did it actually hit? This is what our review will establish!

Package includes:

• Oppo R7
• Oppo VOOC micro-USB data & charging cable
• Oppo VOOC fast charger
• Oppo R1512 earphones
• SIM tray unlock tool
• Clear silicone case & pre-applied screen protector
• Warranty and quick guide instructions

Design

Oppo closely approximates the traits of high-end design.

For one reason or another, Oppo's mid-ranger is sold in gold and silver finishes only – no black model, which is a shame. When it comes to stunning good looks, though, the Oppo R7 isn't looking towards anything less than Apple's iPhone 6 and HTC's One M9 to compete with. You may be puzzled with this statement, considering this is a $400 smartphone we're talking about. But upon taking the R7 out of the box and giving it a first glance, we felt naturally compelled to reach for the iPhone 6 & One M9, two shining examples of obsessively high smartphone design standards, and check whether our strong initial impression actually holds up in reality. Truth be told, it mostly does!

The Oppo R7's design and build quality are a very close approximation, and a flattering imitation of the aforementioned flagships' best traits. Up front, the rectangular R7 greets you with a 2.5D "Arc Edge" laminated screen that looks as if it's painted on the plastic front panel. Said panel is adorned by the front cam, earpiece, and a combined light & proximity sensor on top, while the bottom houses capacitive Android navigation keys.

The R7's sides and back panel are all machined aluminum that's allegedly being put through 48 polishing processes prior to shipping. This is a unibody design, but rather than keeping the sides completely clean like HTC, or rounding them out like Apple, Oppo embellished them with two polished matte strips and kept the lines straight, sweeping the corners to prevent that uncomfortable "rectangular slab" feel in hand. The back panel, however, is entirely flat, and definitely doesn't feel as comfy as a curved panel does.

All is fine and well thus far, but as the old saying goes, the devil is in the details! The power and volume keys (positioned to the left and right, respectively) are a little wobbly and perhaps a tad thinner than needed. But still, these flaws do not compromise the overall experience, and the buttons' tactile feedback feels pretty good.

Measuring 5.63 x 2.80 x 0.25 inches (143 x 71 x 6.3 mm) at a weight of 5.19 oz (147 g), the Oppo R7 is pretty tall, but reasonably wide and pleasantly slim. Its weight gives it a good heft, without being overbearing or exceeding the average weight of a solidly built phone with a sizeable display. In fact, the Oppo R7 is among the most reasonably sized metal smartphones you can buy today.

The Oppo R7's dual-SIM slot is positioned on its right side and gets unlocked with a metal pin. It can carry either two SIM cards (1 x microSIM, 1 x nanoSIM) simultaneously, or one microSIM card and a microSD card simultaneously. Thus, you have to choose between dual-SIM connectivity and the ability to expand your storage - you can't have both at the same time. Other than the SIM/SD slot and control buttons, the R7's sides have the 3.5mm headphone jack at the top and the microUSB port at the bottom, while the mono speaker is positioned on the back panel.

With the Oppo R7, lovers of premium smarphone design won't find themselves missing out on any substantial look & feel benefits that used to be exclusive to smartphones priced north of $600 not long ago. However, high-end market saturation and extreme competition are pushing vendors into bringing mid-range devices' design and performance standards much closer to flagship territory than they've ever been. The Oppo R7 is a glowing example of this trend, which is also exemplified by Samsung's A-series handsets and Huawei's Honor line.

Display

Sharp visuals and punchy colors are to be had here, but taking a look at the test measurements reveals the screen's flaws.

The Oppo R7 is equipped with a 5-inch 1080x1920 AMOLED panel that racks up a pixel density of 441ppi. At first glance, the screen is definitely a looker with its sharp visuals and punchy colors, but taking a look at our test measurements reveals that it isn't exactly flawless. At least you won't have to worry about scratching it, as the pre-applied screen protector does a good job guarding it.

First off, the panel achieves a very good minimum brightness level (3 nits), making it great for bedtime viewing, but having only 292 nits of maximum brightness at disposal is decidedly poor. This makes the Oppo R7's screen difficult, though not impossible to discern under bright sunlight.

Moreover, the color temperature stands at 8162 Kelvins, which is definitely on the colder side of Colorsville. The resulting bluish tint you'll notice isn't distracting, but is there, and paired with the subdued red hues, it becomes quite evident that the R7's display is more about beautiful lies than practical realism.

The average gamma value of 2.14 adds to that impression. The various darker shades and the majority of lighter shades in the Oppo R7's on-screen image are represented mostly right, with a mild contrast boost from halfway across the spectrum making lighter shades appear a bit lighter than than they really are. Thus, the display appears slightly more contrasty. As for color balance, our test results show that the green and cyan shades, in particular, are rather overblown. The white point drifts into blue, red is under-represented, and green is far from the reference values.

This doesn't sound very reassuring, but for the most part, the Oppo R7's screen flatters the eye with its tastefully boosted contrast and tolerable color balance. The image isn't washed out or overly contrasting, and the annoying “sickly green” hue of older generation AMOLED screens is non-existent. In fact, most of the times, we'd prefer a panel that's a little colder, like the Oppo R7's, to one that looks like green goo.

Being an AMOLED screen, the one on the Oppo R7 does exhibit a fair bit of brightness and color distortion when viewed at a 45-degree angle, but the panel still holds up well compared to the average IPS LCD screen. You can trust the Oppo R7's screen to remain clear and visible under all but the most extreme viewing angles.

As a whole, we feel safe in assuming that all but the most demanding smartphone users out there will be pleased with the Oppo R7's screen. However, its subdued maximum brightness output is definitely something to consider before buying, as you might end up disappointed in the screen's performance outdoors. It's also not a display for color purists, but rather one for lovers of vibrant hues.

Interface and functionality

ColorOS makes a supremely usable, lively phone out of the Oppo R7.

The Oppo R7 ships with Android 4.4.4 KitKat, which is decidedly old news now that everyone's talking of Android "M". But don't let that discourage you, because Oppo's ColorOS interface is jolly good fun! Like other Chinese user interfaces as of late, such as Xiaomi's MiUI, it borrows its essential design principles from Apple's iOS, both before and after the iOS 7 makeover. The familiarities are evident in aspects unnatural to Android, such as the lack of an app drawer, the odd bit of skeuomorphism here and there, the vertical card-based app switching menu, and the lively animations.

Copying the Cupertino masters is what Oppo has to do to give customers what they (apparently) want, but not only is the company preserving Android's customization spirit, it's actually adding to it! There's a Theme Store waiting for you right at the central home screen, and the place is thriving with pre-made themes that spice up your lockscreen and homescreen with new sets of icons and backgrounds.

If you don't want pre-made themes, jus hit Personalize, and you'll be presented a dynamically updated gallery of wallpapers in all sorts of categories. There are some lockscreen themes to enjoy as well.

Moreover, hitting the multitasking key exposes a menu that slides up from the bottom and lets you arrange widgets and wallpapers on the home screens, choose between various homescreen animations, or quickly apply themes that you've used before. You can also activate or disable the "Photo space" and "Music space" full screen widgets. The former lets you browse your photo albums in a stylish view, while the latter is just a quick and pretty music player that also displays the lyrics to your favorite tunes.

Oppo's stock apps and menus are painted black and look quite stylish, but they don't compromise functionality or user pleasantries. Oppo has seemingly rebuilt almost each app from the ground-up, presenting fresh, yet not "all sorts of better" takes on AOSP and Google apps such as Contacts, Email, Calendar, Clock, Calculator, Files, and anything in between. Sticking to its "feel good!" mantra, Oppo made user-centric features a priority. Most apps have a menu with extended functionality that is kept out of sight, accessible via an unassuming button as to not to clutter the user space. The Photo app, for example, is rich with filters and frames that can make for some pretty funny, and well done collages. Or the Files app has a File Safe feature that lets you lock files and folders with a password.

There is also a built-in performance optimization app, called Security Center. In it, Oppo condensed memory cleanup, data monitoring, call blocking, system permission monitoring, energy saving, and Guest mode facilities. The app is of very good quality and pretty much renders installing 3rd party power tools meaningless, unless you have a personal favorite that you insist upon. The same goes for the included Backup and restore app.

Another functionality highlight is Oppo's gesture & motion control system. While the screen is turned off, one can double-tap the screen to wake it up, draw an O to start the camera app, or control music playback. With the screen on, you can take a screenshot using three fingers, use two fingers to adjust the volume, double tap the Home button to lock the screen, activate the camera with a finger gesture, and swipe from the bottom left/right to launch or exit apps. Screen off gestures are customizable, so feel free to design your own custom shortcuts!

One can also set specific hours where the smartphone will power on or power off, or make use of the Quiet Time function, which cuts the Oppo R7's contact with the outside world for a specific time, letting only calls and messages from white-listed contacts make it through to you.

Overall, we're very pleased with the current state of Oppo's ColorOS software. It is obviously a brainchild of enthusiastic engineers that stay in touch with user feedback. No, Oppo's vision for Android won't cater to everyone's taste, and being stuck on Android 4.4.4 KitKat isn't great in this day and age. But this doesn't change the fact that ColorOS makes a supremely usable, lively phone out of the Oppo R7.

Processor and memory

The Oppo R7 lacks gaming muscle, but makes for smooth everyday sailing.

The Oppo R7 is spec'd out appropriately for a mid-range device, matching Qualcomm's Snapdragon 615 SoC (octa-core 1.5GHz CPU, Adreno 405 GPU) with a hearty 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM memory. However, Oppo did cut some monetary corners by sticking only 16GB of internal storage. Thankfully, the microSD slot lets you expand the storage space, but it also sacrifices the dual-SIM functionality. Also, Android's inability to store app data on the microSD card (without third party modifications) limits the amount of apps you can keep installed on the 10GB or so of internal storage that's ultimately available to end users.

In performance benchmarks, the R7 performs acceptably and as expected from a mid-range smartphone, but it does not deliver anything beyond expectations. The unimpressive results in GFXBench's T-Rex and Manhattan 3D graphics tests indicate that the R7 is no good for gaming beyond the shimmering island of casual titles. This is mainly attributed to the Adreno 405 GPU's limited capacity of manning the heavy artillery, but thankfully, the Snapdragon 615 CPU and the abundance of RAM do a very good job handling the essential processing tasks. Although ColorOS is rich in graphics and animations, apps boot fast and there's hardly any serious lag or stutter to complain of.

Internet and connectivity

Chances are you won't find yourself out of range in most parts of the world.

The Oppo R7 is 4G LTE Cat. 4-connected, and works with the essential GSM, UMTS, and FDD/TDE LTE spectrums thanks to its Qualcomm modem. Therefore, chances are you won't find yourself out of range in most parts of the world.

The Oppo R7 is also a dual-SIM device - with a catch. The SIM slot can house either a microSD card and a single microSIM, or up to two microSIM cards simultaneously. Additionally, the Oppo R7 S supports HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, EDGE, and GPRS connectivity. It also has built-in GPS.

The stock browser is put together by Oppo and offers some nice functionality, such as setting a default search engine, traceless browsing, and No Picture mode to save bandwidth, Night Mode, and download management. It's not the fastest one we've used, though. If you insist on Chrome, it's right there waiting for you inside the Google folder, and other browsers can be downloaded from Google Play.

Thanks to Qualcomm's silicon, the smartphone is speedy enough to let you browse comfortably, without hiccups and major annoyances.

Camera

We are not wildly impressed by the Oppo R7's 13MP cam, but we must acknowledge that it has great potential.

A consumer-centric smartphone like the Oppo R7 definitely ought to shine in the camera department, as the majority of users simply love taking photos. This means that the smartphone that lands the best ones also has a stronger chance to sell, which partly explains why Oppo went completely off the deep end with the R7's camera. We're talking about a 13MP main shooter paired with a generous 8MP front cam. With cams like these, it's obvious that the R7 has you covered from both sides! But let's dig a little deeper into the intricacies of this camera setup, shall we?

On the R7's back lies an ever so slightly bulging 13MP ISOCELL camera with Schneider-Kreuznach optics. It is adorned by a single LED flash. The camera takes pictures in 4160 x 3120 resolution (4:3 ratio), or 4160 x 2340 resolution (16:9 ratio). Using an Oppo software trick, the camera can also stitch together pictures into a 5824 x 4368 (25MP) "Ultra-HD" resolution image, allowing for an additional depth to zooming.

Check out the camera samples below to get an idea of how this functionality can improve your photos. As you can see, 24MP images have slightly greater zoom depth and level of detail, but as a whole, it's nothing groundbreaking.


The 13MP module is complemented by an elaborate camera app that literally feels like a photographic toy shop! Styled quite noticeably after the iOS camera app, Oppo's can be that, or anything you want. By default, the camera boots into Normal regime, which is your typical automatic, point-and-shoot mode. Chances are this is how most users will be using the R7's camera, so it better be doing a good job! Well, does it?

We shot some photos on a beautiful morning to put the 13MP camera through its motions, and our main impression is that the Oppo R7 has a tendency to overexpose images. That's nothing a little bit of ISO adjustment can't resolve, but bear in mind you need to fire up Expert mode to access this setting, and all the button tapping involved could take precious seconds away from capturing that perfect moment. So if you rely on Normal mode, expect lots of "burned" (overexposed) scenes in your future. That aside, the R7 keeps the colors vibrant and retains a satisfactory level of detail.

Close-ups look great, too, although focus isn't always uniform and some parts of the image appear blurred. In such cases, you can tap to focus on a particular object and get the focus under your control, but beware - it's perfectly possible to end up with an under-exposed image as a result. Another defect we observed is a sort of a "burn" at the corners of photos taken against the sky. It seems sunny July weather brings about more light than what the camera sensor knows what to do with!

Still, despite its exposure management problem, the Oppo R7's cam is capable of pulling off very satisfactory shots, especially if you take matters in your own hands. In fact, you should feel obliged to take the time and explore all the imaginative modes and effects Oppo has built into the camera app. The ones that come pre-installed are the self-explanatory Colorful filters, HDR, GIF, and Slow Shutter. But Oppo's Camera apps shop also includes Audio photo, Double exposure, Super macro, and RAW as downloadable add-ons. You can freely install and un-install different camera modes, although you are not free to re-arrange the order in which they appear inside the app.

In low-light scenarios, you will see images go progressively softer as the amount of light that reaches the sensor grows weaker. Thankfully, they still remain clear and articulate, without any weird artifacts and glitches.



As for video recording, we think the Oppo R7 could do better, as the 1080p video we shot is quite compressed and parts of the image that contain similar information (such as the continuous blue sky) appear blocky. However, we're impressed with the noise cancellation, which makes one's voice sound almost pristine against the noisy backdrop. The trade-off to this is that the audio ends up filtered and sterile - but it's a necessary evil.


Moving on to the front camera, we have an 8MP unit, which goes to show Oppo's serious intentions to capitalize on the selfie trend. It may or may not be Samsung's 8MP ISOCELL camera sensor at play here, we cannot determine for sure. But the results it's capable of are just dandy! The big sensor captures a very good amount of detail, while the automatic face-tracking feature ensures your very important self stays in focus.

In addition, Oppo's lively effects can make for Instagram-ready shots, and nearly all shooting modes from the rear cam can be applied to front cam photos by downloading them from Oppo's Camera apps selection. Furthermore, the front cam records up to 1080p video (720p by default), and while we're not big on front cam recording, we're sure you'll enjoy excellent video chats (given you have a good Internet connection).

To sum it all up, we are not wildly impressed by the Oppo R7's 13MP cam, but we must acknowledge that it has great potential (if an educated user is willing to mingle with Expert mode settings), and that the camera apps Oppo cooked up are just plain fun! When it comes to the 8MP front cam, we commend Oppo for giving selfie lovers exactly what they want, which is high resolution photos and vibrant integrated filters.

Multimedia

A big, punchy display and strong musical performance make the Oppo R7 a pretty darn good multimedia smartphone.

With its big, punchy display and decent loudspeaker and headphone output, the Oppo R7 is a very good smartphone for multimedia. The device plays 1080p DivX, H.264, MPEG-4, and Xvid encoded video files without a hitch. As for music aficionados, the R7 has a special trick up its sleeve - Dirac HD Sound. It's a sound processing engine that optimizes the audio signal to sound its best on the bundled-in pair of stereo earphones. The difference in music reproduction quality isn't mind-blowing, but it's there. The sound becomes somewhat fuller and more detailed with the feature turned on, but the Dirac enhancements are only available while wearing earphones. Dirac HD does not discriminate between the bundled earphones or your favorite pair of buds, but whether you'll like the resulting sound is up to you.

Reading books is another type of multimedia consumption that's been mostly overlooked by manufacturers. Oppo, however, paid attention where it's due, and added an Eye protection display mode. When activated, it automatically filters out overly intense blue light to take the edge off the visuals, reducing the amount of light and color information your retinas are being blasted with. Coupled with the screen's ability to get really dim at a minimum brightness output of 3 nits, this makes the Oppo R7 a very good choice for avid bookworms.

All in all, the Oppo R7 will be an excellent multimedia device for the majority of smartphone users.

Call quality

The Oppo R7 is loud and clear.

We are honestly impressed by the Oppo R7's call quality! In both inbound and outgoing cals, the smartphone transmits pristine voices between callers. The active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic that's at play here definitely makes for a noise-free experience, while earpiece output is sufficiently loud.

Battery life

Oppo is yet to make a name for impressive battery life.

Qualcomm's chipsets may be famous for their efficiency, but powering them with an all-too-small 2320mAh battery cell is pushing your luck. Unfortunately, it will be the end user who pays the toll for Oppo's decision, as the R7 only managed an unimpressive 5 hours and 39 minutes of ongoing on-screen usage in our battery test. In Oppo's defence, the R7 comes equipped with the manufacturer's mighty VOOC fast charging technology, which lets users charge the smartphone to 50% in just about 30 minutes on the plug. While we're at it, topping off the smartphone to 100% takes just 80 minutes, which is very good!

Oppo rates the R7 as good for 11.5 hours of talking over GSM networks, and 9,1 hours of talk over WCDMA networks. Standby time is rated at 165 hours (about 7 days) on both networks.

Conclusion

The Oppo R7 hits pretty darn close to the target center.

We have to say, the Oppo R7 hits pretty darn close to the center target. It's a very attractive smartphone with a rich user experience and manageable, but not insignificant flaws. Once again, we have a victim of the thinness fad, for Oppo sacrificed battery capacity in order to bring the R7 to a slim 0.25in (6.3mm), and the result is an unimpressive battery life.

Moreover, the smartphone's 5-inch display can be dim and is a bit artificially sweetened. We also think Oppo should have spent a bit more time whipping up the automatic camera shooting mode into shape, as it's prone to over-exposing scenes.

These things aside, the Oppo R7 makes it quite far for a smartphone that costs $400 unlocked. It looks and feels premium, performance is generally great (scratch that if you play demanding 3D games), and the user and multimedia experiences aren't lacking in any considerable aspect. In fact, they make for a great all-around package.

Still, at a $400 unlocked price point, there are other handsets one could consider. The Xiaomi Mi Note and the Huawei Honor 6 Plus pack more screen estate and battery capacity, while the good old OnePlus One is still the best $350 can get you in today's smartphone market.