As Oppo approaches a decade of the F Series in India, here is a look back at the models that launched over the years ahead of the F35 series in India next month.
Oppo F1 (pictured) was the company's first F-series smartphone in India
Oppo's F series has evolved alongside the changing priorities of smartphone buyers in India over the years. The company moved from selfie-focused models to phones built around design, durability, fast charging, and increasingly capable cameras. The next chapter is now set to take shape with the upcoming launch of the Oppo F35 5G. In the days leading up to its debut, the company has begun revealing several details about the upcoming handset. It is expected to arrive in two colour options — blue and orange.
As Oppo approaches a decade of the F Series in India, here is a look back at the models that launched over the years.
Oppo's F-lineup occupies a distinct position in its portfolio. In the initial years, it was the company's camera-centric range, helping users become selfie experts. This was aided by high-resolution front cameras, Screen Flash, Beautify, and selfie panorama features. Oppo even introduced the idea of "Groupfie" through its wide-angle selfie technology. Later generations also experimented with AI beautification, pop-up cameras, waterdrop notches, and unique gradient finishes.
In recent years, the focus has shifted towards durability and battery life, with the F27 Pro+ introducing IP69 protection and the newer F31 and F33 series putting larger batteries and rugged construction at the centre.
The Oppo F1 was the starting point for the F series in India. It launched in February 2016 and was positioned as a camera-focused smartphone, with an 8-megapixel front camera and 13-megapixel rear camera. Oppo followed it with the F1 Plus in April, which introduced a 16-megapixel selfie shooter.
The lineup was further expanded with the F1s, bringing features like Beautify 4.0, Screen Flash, and Selfie Panorama.
The F3 Plus, launched in March 2017, introduced a unique dual-front-camera setup. It had a wide-angle sensor designed to fit more people into selfies. The F3 followed in May with the same basic principle in a more affordable package.
Later that year, the F5 arrived in India. It brought AI-powered beautification, a 20-megapixel front camera, and an 18:9 display. The F5 Youth followed in December, carrying similar features but again, at a lower price point.
Oppo launched the F7 in March 2018, continuing the selfie-first approach with a 25-megapixel front camera and AI Beauty 2.0. It also adopted the waterdrop-style notch design that was becoming common across smartphones at the time.
The Oppo F9 and F9 Pro arrived together in August. The phones brought a new V-shaped "waterdrop" display notch. The Pro model also offered VOOC Flash Charge, offering significantly higher charging speeds.
Until 2019, Oppo focused on selfie photography. With the launch of the F11 series in 2019, it shifted towards the rear camera. The Oppo F11 featured a 48-megapixel primary rear camera, while the F11 Pro used a new pop-up front camera, resulting in a notch-free display.
Oppo also promoted the Pro model's Ultra Night Mode for low-light photography.
Oppo F15 arrived in January 2020 and offered an attractive combination of a thin body, an AMOLED display, quad rear cameras, and AI-based video beautification features.
The F17 series followed in the same year. The Oppo F17 Pro was touted as one of the company's thinnest smartphones, at 7.48mm. It also debuted six cameras across the front and rear.
March 2021 saw the debut of the Oppo F19 Pro and F19 Pro+. The Pro+ variant introduced 5G connectivity and 50W charging, while both models featured quad rear cameras and Super AMOLED screens.
The standard Oppo F19 arrived in April, offering a 5,000mAh battery with 33W charging support.
The highlight of Oppo's F21 series was the Orbit Light around the rear camera deco, which was featured on the Pro model. The standard model debuted in both 4G and 5G variants, and both handsets offered slightly different displays, chipsets, and cameras.
The F21s Pro series arrived later that year. This time, the standout feature was a microlens camera that Oppo described as segment-first, capable of 15x and 30x magnification to capture microscopic details.
In 2023, Oppo moved away from the more experimental camera and design features of earlier F-series models toward a more conventional experience. The Oppo F23 5G came with a 120Hz display, Snapdragon 695 chipset, and 8GB of RAM that could be expanded virtually to up to 16GB.
2024 marked yet another shift, this time towards durability. The Oppo F25 Pro 5G launched in February 2024 with a 120Hz display, 67W SuperVOOC charging and a 64-megapixel primary rear camera. The F27 Pro+ 5G, introduced in June 2024, was claimed to be India's first smartphone to offer an IP69 rating, alongside IP68 and IP66 certifications. The phone also featured a curved OLED display and 67W charging.
The standard Oppo F27 5G followed shortly after. It brought a 120Hz AMOLED display and a 32-megapixel selfie camera.
The F29 series continued last year's durability push. The Oppo F29 and F29 Pro Both featured IP66 + IP68 + IP69 protection and a 360-degree Armour Body. The Pro model also added a 6,000mAh battery and 80W charging.
Oppo introduced the F31 series in the same year, with three models on offer. The F31, F31 Pro, and F31 Pro+ 5G carried 7,000mAh batteries and featured the same Armour Body construction as the F29 lineup.
The F33 series, launched in April this year, brought the camera story back to the forefront. It didn't, however, abandon the durability push. The F33 5G and F33 Pro 5G pack 7,000mAh batteries. The Pro model's headline feature is a 50-megapixel ultra-wide selfie camera with a 100-degree field of view.
With its latest lineup, Oppo has also brought back the Groupfie concept in a more automated form through its AI Groupfie Expert. The company claims it can widen the field of view when more faces enter the frame.
And that brings us to the latest chapter: the Oppo F35 5G Series. The upcoming lineup is rumoured to launch in the first week of October.
Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.