The Oppo F3 smartphone was launched in the Indian market on Thursday at Rs. 19,990, giving yet another option for selfie enthusiasts across the country to choose from. The new Oppo handset is the latest ‘selfie expert’ from the Chinese brand’s stables, and the only one under Rs. 20,000 with a dual selfie-camera setup. While the dual selfie-cameras indeed give Oppo F3 an edge in this competitive segment, other smartphones such as Vivo V5s, and Gionee A1, are not far behind either. We take a look at the strengths of the three smartphones to help you decide which would be the best pick for you.
Oppo F3 selfie camera setup consists of two sensors – a 16-megapixel unit with 76.4-degree wide-angle lens for your selfies, and an 8-megapixel unit with a 120-degree wide-angle lens for group selfies with friends. The smartphone’s Smart Facial Recognition feature will automatically suggest which lens is ideal for the selfie, says Oppo, though you do have the option to switch the lens manually. The Oppo F3 supports bokeh effect and panorama selfies, and comes with Screen Flash, Palm Shutter, and Beautify 4.0 software.
In terms of specifications and features, the Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based Oppo F3 is not a slouch either, featuring a 1.5GHz MediaTek MT6750T6 octa-core SoC, coupled with with Mali-T860 GPU and 4GB of RAM, and it has a 3200mAh battery. It comes with a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) display with 2.5D curved glass design and Gorilla Glass 5 protection, dual-SIM functionality, and Clone Apps software to let you run two separate WhatsApp accounts simultaneously. Other key specifications of 64GB internal storage, support for microSD cards up to 128GB, and for the rear camera, a 13-megapixel 1.3-inch sensor with PDAF, and LED flash, apart from 4G VoLTE support, a fingerprint sensor, and a microUSB port.
The Vivo V5s launched at Rs. 18,990 just a week ago, and sports a 20-megapixel front camera with a 'Moonlight Glow' front light. Vivo says the Moonlight Glow light ensures that selfies have vivid, natural colours. The Vivo V5s front camera is also said be optimised for group selfies. It has a 13-megapixel rear camera with PDAF, and allows users to stitch multiple images together to create a 52-megapixel Ultra HD photo.
Another highlight of the smartphone is the AK4376 Hi-Fi Audio chip on board for audio enhancements. Running on Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Vivo V5s is powered by a 1.5GHz MediaTek MT6750 chipset, with 4GB RAM. The smartphone also has a 5.5-inch screen with 2.5D curved glass design, but it has a lower display resolution, of 720x1280 pixels. Other key features of the Vivo V5s are 64GB internal storage, up to 256GB storage expansion, 3000mAh battery, 4G VoLTE, microUSB port, fingerprint sensor, and hybrid dual-SIM slots.
The Gionee A1 was launched at Rs. 19,999 in late March, and is the only Android 7.0 Nougat-based smartphone of the three. The key features of smartphone include the selfie camera, its large battery capacity, a body made using aircraft-grade metal, and Waves MaxxAudio processing to deliver better audio.
The fixed-focus Gionee A1 selfie camera has a 16-megapixel sensor and comes with a selfie flash that the company claims has been customised to “spread light onto faces more evenly and softly” and enhances facial complexions and gives users “a natural glow and rosiness.” Its 4010mAh battery with 18W ‘ultrafast charging’ can charge the battery to capacity in 2 hours.
On the specifications front, Gionee A1 buyers get 5.5-inch display with full-HD resolution, 2GHz octa-core Helio P10 processor, 4GB RAM, 64GB built-in storage, up to 256GB microSD card support, and hybrid dua-SIM slots. It also has a 13-megapixel front camera with PDAF, fingerprint sensor, microUSB port, and 4G VoLTE support.
Now that you know a little about each phone, which is the right one for you? The Gionee A1 would be the best fit for those looking for a selfie smartphone with long battery life, while the Oppo F3, with its dual selfie-camera setup is promising for those who take group selfies frequently. On the other hand, Vivo V5s with its Moonlight Glow front light is a good option for selfie enthusiasts who want a phone that takes great images in the dark.