If you don’t need the fancy 5G speed and want something with a big screen, several cameras, and a smidgen of water resistance, Oppo’s latest budget phone could be worth a look.
The newest iPhones aren’t going to be within everyone’s budget, and nor will a bunch of Android models, either. If you’re someone who needs enough phone without a hefty price point, it’s clear there are mid-range and budget options out there.
Even in the mid-range 5G world, the options can be pretty compelling, getting that flagship feature of high-speed 5G down to a more wallet-friendly price point.
But if you don’t need that, and just want a big phone that offers a solid 4G experience plus many of the fix-ins, the sub-$300 phone world might be where to look, and this week there’s another of those in Australia, as well.
The latest addition comes by way of Oppo, which is releasing a phone with a big screen, big battery, yet with a small price, coming in the $249 A16s.
Looking a little like the 5G A54 we saw a few months ago, the Oppo A16s gets metallic finish with a plastic body and a fingerprint sensor on the side, making it a dead ringer for the A54, but with some of the features changed.
Rather than four cameras at the back, there are only three, made up of a 13 megapixel main camera, a 2 megapixel depth camera, and a 2 megapixel macro camera, while the front sees an 8 megapixel camera.
Under the hood, Oppo is relying on an eight-core MediaTek Helio G35 to keep things going, with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage, the latter of which can be pushed a little with a microSD slot, as well, with Android skinned with Oppo’s ColorOS 11 on-board.
The screen is quite sizeable, seeing a 6.52 inch HD+ only display, running at 1600×720, making it a big picture, but one that will lack in clarity. However, that screen also makes it possible to run a big battery, too, getting a 5000mAh battery under the hood to offer what should be relatively long life, as well.
Perhaps most interesting is how much Oppo has left in for the $249 price, with WiFi, Bluetooth, and even NFC for Google Pay also along for the ride, the latter of which was once a rarity in low-end phones.
“The A16s was designed by taking into account the same considerations that we do for our flagship devices, as we believe in creating modern, reliable tech that’s accessible to all,” said Michael Tran, Managing Director of Oppo in Australia.
“It’s important to us that we can offer Australians devices that stand-out,” he said. “Which is why the A16s doesn’t compromise either looks or performance, with premium finishes, a powerful AI triple camera and several optimisation features.”
For the most part, Oppo’s A16s seems focused not just on the budget crowd, but also potentially young adults and seniors, getting a big screen and potentially support for mobile payments in a low-end body, while also keeping the battery life strong.
Oppo notes that the A16s also includes a smidgen of water resistance in the phone, with IPX4 water resistance providing spill resistance, but hardly something your kids can go swimming with.
Priced at $249 in Australia, the Oppo A16s will be available at Optus and Vodafone now, with November seeing release at retailers and Telstra.
