OPPO A71 (2018) Hands-On, First Impressions

OPPO has released a 2018 reboot of their A71 mid-range smartphone with some major improvements in the processor and front camera department. Take a look at our hands-on first impressions of the A71 (2018) below.

Like the A71 2017, the design of the 2018 variant is identical to each other. At first glance, the front panel of the device is not that much of an eye-catcher since it shows a somewhat usual design pattern with other OPPO devices.

The front panel shows the 5.2-inch display while sitting above are the 5MP front camera, call speaker, and a sensor. Below the display are the capacitive buttons that serve as the task manager, menu, and back buttons.

On the left are the volume rockers while on the right is the tray that houses the dual-SIM card and dedicated microSD card slots while just below it is the power button.

Up top is the 3.5mm audio port while placed down below the device is the microUSB port that is in between two groups of holes where the microphone(left) and loudspeaker(right) are located.

Turning the device on its back shows the 13MP rear camera and LED flash beside it, while sitting below them is the OPPO logo. The back panel looks premium, thanks to its gold-colored matte finish.

The device feels light and thin upon holding it, and its matte finish at the back provides an easy-grip in the hands. The matte back finish repels most fingerprints, smudges, and grime which we really liked. The front panel, though, has a pre-installed screen protector but is a fingerprint and smudge magnet.

One major upgrade to this device is the implementation of the A.I. Beautification technology in the front camera which the F5 pioneered in. Here are the sample shots that were produced on the rear and front cameras.

OPPO A71 (2018) specs:
5.2-inch HD TFT display @ 1280 x 720 resolution, 282ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 450
Andreno 506 GPU
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
Expandable up to 256GB via microSD (dedicated)
13MP f/2.2 rear camera w/ LED flash
5MP f/2.4 front camera w/ A.I. Beauty Technology
4G LTE
Dual SIM (nano-SIM)
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/b
Bluetooth 4.2
GPS, A-GPS
microUSB
USB OTG
ColorOS 3.2 (based on Android 7.1.1 Nougat)
3,000mAh battery
148.1 x 73.8 x 7.6 mm
137 g
Gold, Black

The OPPO A71 2018 is priced at Php7,990 and will be available in stores today, March 10. Stay tuned as we will be discussing more of the changes of this device in the coming days as we take this for a full review.