OPPO F23 5G has become the latest addition to the F series smartphones from OPPO in India. The device launched on Monday and has got a mixed reaction from the market. Some users are very much on edge about OPPO’s decision to use Snapdragon 695 SoC for a Rs 25000 phone, while some love the four years of Android updates that it will get. Read ahead to get my take on the device. Alternatively, you can also check out the YouTube video linked below.
OPPO F23 5G Review: Design
OPPO F23 5G has a very basic design. It doesn’t really stand out in the market and looks like any other affordable smartphone. It is available in two colours - Cool Black and Bold Gold. I have the Bold Gold colour, and it really looks beautiful.
From afar, one might think that the device has a metal back. But it's actually plastic, and the sides have an aluminium-like finish, but again, it’s just plastic. From the front, there’s nothing new about the display or its design (it doesn’t even have to be). There’s a punch-hole cutout which houses the selfie sensor.
The device has a 3.5mm audio jack, a Type-C port, and a speaker grille at the bottom. The power button on the right also acts as the fingerprint sensor. On the left, there are volume rockers and a SIM tray. The device is very light and thin, giving off a decent look and feel.
Rating - 7.5/10
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OPPO F23 5G Review: Display
Talking about the display, the smartphone has a 6.72-inch screen at the front with support for 120Hz refresh rate. The display is quite strong and works well under the sunlight as well. It is Netflix and Amazon Prime Video certified as well. This means that watching OTT (over-the-top) content on it would be fun. It is actually pretty decent in reality, as I played some videos on different OTT platforms.
The smartphone also comes with the ultra-sound feature that OPPO packs in its devices nowadays. That means that even without earphones, you can listen to music, podcasts, and audio pretty loud.
The display supports FHD+ resolution, which is not bad for a mid-range smartphone today.
Rating - 8/10
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OPPO F23 5G Review: Battery and Performance
OPPO F23 5G is built with keeping performance and battery in mind. According to a Counterpoint Research report, over 46% of users charge their phones twice a day because of low battery anxiety. In fact, over 60% of users are ready to change their smartphones due to weaker batteries.
The OPPO F23 5G is being positioned by OPPO as the ultimate device to help you with getting a better battery life experience. It has a 5000mAh battery with 67W fast charging. OPPO said that it has incorporated 5-layer charging protection along with all day AI-power-saving solution to extend the battery life for users.
OPPO claims that with a single full charge, you will get 39 hours of voice calling, 16 hours of YouTube, and 8.4 hours of gaming with the OPPO F23 5G. But that really isn’t the case. While the battery life is actually excellent, the more times you charge it, the lesser efficient it will get.
Upon my personal testing, you can’t possibly get 8.4 hours of gaming with this device when you play graphics and power-demanding games such as PUBG and Call of Duty.
In terms of performance, the device is actually decent, not the best, but decent. OPPO went with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC, which you will also find in the similarly priced Samsung Galaxy A23 5G.
While it is a chipset that works, it would have been better if OPPO had gone with the Snapdragon 778G. But I think one of the reasons why OPPO went with the Snapdragon 695 is that it wanted a more power-efficient chip rather than a more powerful chip.
The whole premise of this device is better battery life, not better cameras or performance. So that is something you have to keep in mind while going for it.
Regardless, the fact that this smartphone will come with four years of Android updates and five years of security updates just blows my mind. Being a mid-range device, it is offering such great software support for years to come, which makes this smartphone a very special choice amongst its competitors.
What I like about this smartphone is how well it is positioned by OPPO. The company has actually tried to fill a gap with this smartphone for users who wanted a device with better battery performance and efficiency. So kudos to the marketing and the product team of OPPO.
The smartphone runs on ColorOS 13.1 right out of the box. Refer to the video above to check out how it looks.
Rating - 8/10
OPPO F23 5G Review: Camera
There’s a triple-camera setup at the rear with a 64MP primary sensor paired with a 2MP depth and a 2MP microlens. For selfies, there’s a 32MP sensor at the front. Take a look at the image samples below.
Rating - 7/10
OPPO F23 5G Review: Price Conclusion
The OPPO F23 5G is priced at Rs 24999 and is going to be available in the market from May 18, 2023. There’s a 10% cashback offer from major banks. It will be interesting to see how the market reacts to this smartphone.
The OPPO F23 5G is a decent device. The best thing about it is that it isn’t making claims such as being the most powerful device or being the best in camera. But it is trying to fill the gap in the market for users who want a better battery-efficient device.
OPPO F23 5G fulfils all the basic requirements. It has a good display, decent design, great sound, and a decent camera as well. It misses out on the ultra-wide angle sensor, but that’s ok, I guess, as long as you know what you need from your smartphone.
