Recent launches from big names such as Samsung, LG, HTC, Sony, Apple and BlackBerry mean that UAE consumers wanting a new smartphone are spoilt for choice. What's more, a number of hitherto lesser-known smartphone makers are also coming out with competitive devices.
The newest of these upstarts is China’s Oppo, which formally entered the UAE market last month with the launch of its flagship device, the Find 7. So how does it compare to the competition?
The Find 7 is most directly comparable to LG’s G3, one of my favourite devices of the year. Both models sport a 5.5-inch display, the same size as an iPhone 6 plus, and just a shade smaller than the Galaxy Note 4.
Unlike the deep, striking colours of Samsung's Super Amoled screens, both the Find 7 and the G3 sport a Quad HD display, offering less vivid, more natural- looking colours. The G3 had one of the best smartphone displays going by our reckoning, and the Find 7's display is right up alongside it.
While both handsets sport a solid 13MP rear camera, the Find 7 trumps the G3 with a 5.1MP front camera, meaning higher quality selfies.
The Find 7’s slight demerits include its outdated operating system, running Android Jelly Bean rather than the newer KitKat.
Other niggles include the blue “Skyline” notification light along the bottom of the display. It’s a laudable attempt to do something a little different, but it just looks sleepy and dim. And while the Find 7’s Gestures shortcuts have made some reviewers pretty excited, it all feels a bit surplus to requirement.
The Find 7 retails for Dh2,199, about Dh100 less than the G3’s 32GB model. Smartphone geeks will point out scores of minor technical differences, but in truth there’s not a lot to choose between the two handsets.
While LG's aggressive advertising of the G3 means that it will inevitably trump the Find 7 in sales, that should not detract from the fact that the Find 7 is a fine smartphone, and a worthy competitor to other flagship devices on the market.
q&a fluency in sign language
John Everington reveals more on the attributes of the Oppo Find 7.
So what’s this “Gestures” thing all about?
It's one of the more curious features of the Find 7. You swipe down from the top left-hand corner of the screen, which brings up a touchpad. You then draw a simple shape which can launch an app, send an SMS or call someone in your contacts. For example, drawing a circle opens the camera, and drawing a "V" turns on the flashlight app.
How odd. Does it work?
Yes, after a bit of practice. It’s an interesting feature which some reviewers really like, but was a bit fiddly for me.
So what else does the Find 7 have going for it?
At the end of the day it looks and feels like a high-end smartphone with nice clean lines, although its back cover (which, incidentally, comes in white, blue and black) is a bit plasticky. The Android user interface is what you’d expect and is speedy enough, although it really would have been nice to have Android KitKat rather than Jelly Bean.
So what’s next for Oppo?
Well, last week it announced the launch of the N3, which “features an automated rotating camera capable of taking pictures using its free-stop and multi-angle shooting features” and the R5, the “world’s thinnest full HD phone, measuring just 4.85mm”.
Wow. The world’s thinnest full HD phone? Will it be as bendy as the iPhone 6 Plus?
They didn’t say.
jeverington@thenational.ae
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