Oppo F35 Pro 5G First Impressions

Oppo introduced its F1 series in India in 2016. Positioned as a “selfie expert”, the Oppo F1 Plus was the world's first phone to be equipped with a 16-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calls, marking a leap forward for the industry. Recently, the company celebrated 10 years of its F series in India. On Monday at noon, the tech firm launched the Oppo F35 series in the country as the newest member of the family. The lineup includes the latest Oppo F35 Pro 5G. With the new F35 series, Oppo continues to focus on offering flagship-grade selfie camera sensors at a non-flagship price.

The new Oppo F35 Pro 5G arrives in India at a notably higher price than its predecessor. However, this isn't surprising, as no smartphone has been immune to the price hikes driven by the ongoing RAM and storage crisis. Yet, prima facie, the increase seems slightly more modest than for other models in this price range.

Its price starts at Rs. 45,999 for the base 6GB + 128GB RAM and storage configuration. Meanwhile, the higher-end 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 256GB variants are priced at Rs. 49,999 and Rs. 54,999, respectively. This is where most customers will feel the pinch: unlike last year's Oppo F33 Pro 5 G, which had 8GB of RAM, this year's base model gets 6GB.

Oppo F35 Pro 5G sports a similar camera module to its predecessor

The Oppo F35 Pro 5G ships in three colour options, namely Sunset Orange, Twilight Brown, and Wave Blue. I found the new pastel-like brown shade the least appealing, while the blue finish seems much livelier. However, the flagship colour, and what could go on to be the choice of many, is the orange colour option. It is indeed loud and in-your-face. But it is also the most appealing among the three.

When the light falls directly on the rear panel, the Oppo F35 Pro 5G's orange shade appears plain and simple. But when the light hits it at an angle, the wavy, shimmery patterns appear. The overall colour scheme and textures complement each other well, giving it a premium appearance.

Oppo F35 Pro 5G is relatively thin and comfortable to hold

Compared to its predecessor, the Oppo F35 Pro 5G has no major design differences. It still features the Smile Curve Design rear camera module. The glass camera island features glittery specks beneath it, which the company calls the Starry Sea Lens. The phone also offers a great in-hand feel, with your palm comfortably wrapping around the device's flat frame.

The power button and volume controls are placed on the right side of the Oppo F35 Pro 5G. The ergonomic placement of the physical buttons makes them easy to reach and tap without stretching your thumb. At 210 grams, the Oppo F35 Pro 5G is light to hold, unlike other smartphones with an 8,000mAh battery.

Oppo F35 Pro 5G's Sunset Orange shade is the most appealing among the three colour options

In terms of the technical specifications, the Oppo F35 Pro 5G is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 7360 Max chipset. It also supports 80W wired fast charging. The highlight is the 50-megapixel front-facing camera for selfies and video calls, with autofocus support. On the back, the handset gets a dual camera unit with a 50-megapixel main shooter and an 8-megapixel ultrawide camera.

Oppo F35 Pro 5G boasts a 50-megapixel selfie camera

To conclude, the Oppo F35 Pro 5G feels good, seems capable, and looks good while doing it all. The build and in-hand feel add a cherry on top. However, we still need to test the remaining aspects of the smartphone, like the camera, performance, battery life, and charging speed. Stick around for our in-depth review of the Oppo F35 Pro 5G, coming soon.