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Oppo has pulled the wraps off its
latest flagship, the N3, a successor to
the N1. The company launched the
device amidst grand fanfare in
Singapore and we had the chance to
play around with the device to find
out what it’s like to use. Here are
our first impressions.
Design and display
The Oppo N3 is easier to use one-
handed than the N1
This is Oppo’s top-of-the-line model
sporting a premium look. The
aluminum chassis ensures that the
device is durable, while being as
lightweight as it can. It’s not as
massive as its successor, thanks to
the new reduced display size – down
from 5.9 inches to 5.5. inches. It
should be noted that the huge
display was considered one of its
weakest points, so it’s good to know
that Oppo has been listening.
The 1080p Full HD display is bright
and vivid, and with the high pixel
density of 400ppi, there shouldn’t be
much to complain about. It also gets
a layer of Gorilla Glass 3 for added
protection against scratches and
should be able to withstand rough
use.
The device is fairly portable and easy
to use with one hand, if not for
longer durations. In bid to make it
look expensive, the company has also
added a faux-leather stitching around
the rotarised camera.
Camera
Oppo has maintained the highlight of
the device – the swivel camera – that
can be used to take rear as well as
front photos. However, it has added
a big improvement in the form of the
motorised ability that automatically
rotates the camera 206 degrees,
without the need to manually rotate
it. All one needs to do is open the
camera app and then swipe your
finger downwards to rotate the
camera to click your selfie. It can be
moved upwards to take it back to the
earlier position. It worked quite well
each time we did it.
Notice the faux-leather stitches
around the 16MP camera
Besides, you can also control the
camera via the ‘Touch Access’ on the
rear side and the all new O-Click 2.0
remote. Another improvement comes
in the form of the 16MP camera,
which has been upgraded from the
13MP we saw on the N1. It’s a true-
selfie phone and quite capable of
taking some really good self-shots.
However, we can ascertain this only
once we’ve tested its camera abilities
in different conditions.
Software
Just like other Chinese brands, Oppo
ships with its own customised version
of Android OS. The all-new N3 runs
on the latest version of the Color OS
2.0. It is based on Android Kitkat and
has introduced a more minimalistic
look. Navigating gets really easy once
you get used to it.
Other specifications
The N1 disappointed with the
Snapdragon 600 chipset, but Oppo
has now spruced up the processing
power by opting for a 64-bit
Snapdragon 801 chipset in the N3.
It’s also backed by 2GB of RAM,
which should provide plenty of
horsepower for running apps and
games at a lightening speed. It seems
speedy enough to run everyday apps
and we didn’t experience any lags
during our limited stint with the
phone.
The fingerprint scanner is positioned
just below the Oppo logo
The fingerprint scanner works in a
similar fashion as in most of the
devices, but is housed on the rear
instead of the home button. It let
you add up to five fingerprints.
Oppo also claims to have improved
the battery life drastically with the
new VOOC technology. It packs in a
3000mAh battery. However, we will
know the exact battery life only once
we conduct our loop tests.
Bottom Line
With the Oppo N3, the company has
tried to add all the elements required
in a high-end device along with
gimmicky features such as a
fingerprint scanner and a 16MP
swivel camera. It has tried to tick all
the boxes with the Full HD display,
64-bit chip and a large battery, but
one of the crucial factors that
remains is is the pricing.
The Oppo N3 is launched for USD
649 that translates to approximately
Rs 41,000. The device is expected to
launch in India soon. While the exact
availability or pricing details are not
disclosed yet, it is expected to come
roughly at a similar price. This could
prove as a hindrance, considering
Oppo will be competing with
seasoned OEMs like HTC and
Samsung, and not the budget
segment like Xiaomi and others.
Oppo N3 first impressions: Ticks all the right boxes to be a premium handset Tech2 Mobile
latest flagship, the N3, a successor to
the N1. The company launched the
device amidst grand fanfare in
Singapore and we had the chance to
play around with the device to find
out what it’s like to use. Here are
our first impressions.
Design and display
The Oppo N3 is easier to use one-
handed than the N1
This is Oppo’s top-of-the-line model
sporting a premium look. The
aluminum chassis ensures that the
device is durable, while being as
lightweight as it can. It’s not as
massive as its successor, thanks to
the new reduced display size – down
from 5.9 inches to 5.5. inches. It
should be noted that the huge
display was considered one of its
weakest points, so it’s good to know
that Oppo has been listening.
The 1080p Full HD display is bright
and vivid, and with the high pixel
density of 400ppi, there shouldn’t be
much to complain about. It also gets
a layer of Gorilla Glass 3 for added
protection against scratches and
should be able to withstand rough
use.
The device is fairly portable and easy
to use with one hand, if not for
longer durations. In bid to make it
look expensive, the company has also
added a faux-leather stitching around
the rotarised camera.
Camera
Oppo has maintained the highlight of
the device – the swivel camera – that
can be used to take rear as well as
front photos. However, it has added
a big improvement in the form of the
motorised ability that automatically
rotates the camera 206 degrees,
without the need to manually rotate
it. All one needs to do is open the
camera app and then swipe your
finger downwards to rotate the
camera to click your selfie. It can be
moved upwards to take it back to the
earlier position. It worked quite well
each time we did it.
Notice the faux-leather stitches
around the 16MP camera
Besides, you can also control the
camera via the ‘Touch Access’ on the
rear side and the all new O-Click 2.0
remote. Another improvement comes
in the form of the 16MP camera,
which has been upgraded from the
13MP we saw on the N1. It’s a true-
selfie phone and quite capable of
taking some really good self-shots.
However, we can ascertain this only
once we’ve tested its camera abilities
in different conditions.
Software
Just like other Chinese brands, Oppo
ships with its own customised version
of Android OS. The all-new N3 runs
on the latest version of the Color OS
2.0. It is based on Android Kitkat and
has introduced a more minimalistic
look. Navigating gets really easy once
you get used to it.
Other specifications
The N1 disappointed with the
Snapdragon 600 chipset, but Oppo
has now spruced up the processing
power by opting for a 64-bit
Snapdragon 801 chipset in the N3.
It’s also backed by 2GB of RAM,
which should provide plenty of
horsepower for running apps and
games at a lightening speed. It seems
speedy enough to run everyday apps
and we didn’t experience any lags
during our limited stint with the
phone.
The fingerprint scanner is positioned
just below the Oppo logo
The fingerprint scanner works in a
similar fashion as in most of the
devices, but is housed on the rear
instead of the home button. It let
you add up to five fingerprints.
Oppo also claims to have improved
the battery life drastically with the
new VOOC technology. It packs in a
3000mAh battery. However, we will
know the exact battery life only once
we conduct our loop tests.
Bottom Line
With the Oppo N3, the company has
tried to add all the elements required
in a high-end device along with
gimmicky features such as a
fingerprint scanner and a 16MP
swivel camera. It has tried to tick all
the boxes with the Full HD display,
64-bit chip and a large battery, but
one of the crucial factors that
remains is is the pricing.
The Oppo N3 is launched for USD
649 that translates to approximately
Rs 41,000. The device is expected to
launch in India soon. While the exact
availability or pricing details are not
disclosed yet, it is expected to come
roughly at a similar price. This could
prove as a hindrance, considering
Oppo will be competing with
seasoned OEMs like HTC and
Samsung, and not the budget
segment like Xiaomi and others.
Oppo N3 first impressions: Ticks all the right boxes to be a premium handset Tech2 Mobile
