It’s not easy shopping for a smartphone, especially during the festive season when customers have to choose from a slew of new launches and hefty discounts on online platforms on earlier launches. OPPO’s new F21s and F21s Pro 5G are a follow up to the F21 Pro that we checked out on MW about four months ago. OPPO is beefing up its Rs 20-25K segment and the F21s Pro is part of that revamp. So, what’s changed with the F21 Pro and is this device worth considering if you’re looking for options at this price point?
That familiar OPPO glow
OPPO is one of the brands that has placed a great emphasis on style and flaunt value. We all like to show off our phones and this is a phone that you are unlikely to slip into a back case unless that case is ultra-clear. OPPO sent us the Dawnlight Gold that will look good in those Diwali family pics thanks to its lustre. It’s tough to pin down the colour and that’s the fun part. You see everything from shades of purple to pink to aquamarine blue. It’s almost like being at a wine tasting and trying to list down all the notes. Everyone is right because you’re likely to see almost the entire array of rainbow colours.
OPPO calls its OPPO Glow a process that brings together millions of nanoscale diamonds that twinkle on your phone. And in case you’re worried whether the glow will stay after Diwali, OPPO clarifies that the scratch and wear-resistant anti-corrosion glass gives it longevity. There’s also a more subtle shade – Starlight Black. In terms of design language, this one’s almost identical to the OPPO F21 Pro with its flat edge design.
Biology lab throwback
Remember the first time you looked down a microscopic lens when you were in your school Biology lab. You’re likely to experience the same thrills on the 2MP Microscopic lens where you can shoot on 15X and 30X modes. Just like the F21 Pro, this lens is a trade-off with an ultra-wide lens. The microscope lens definitely offers a fun experience but you have to figure if you miss the ultra-wide lens option. It’s the same 64MP primary lens as the F21 Pro. In effect, the camera experience is almost identical to the F21 Pro.
Wrap up
The F21 Pro is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 Processor. The device clocked a respectable score of 1666 (multi-core) on our Geekbench test. It’s the same processor as the F21 Pro. There’s 4500 mAh battery (there’s a 33W charger in the box) despite its light 182gm heft (the F21 Pro is marginally heavier than its predecessor). The other headline feature is the immersive 6.43-inch AMOLED display (2400 x 1080 pixels) that keeps things smooth with a 90Hz refresh rate.
The OPPO F21s Pro is near identical to its predecessor except for the new colour options. We’re wondering why OPPO didn’t do a limited edition colour option instead of launching this as an all-new model. We’re still not fans of the extra bloatware on this device. The F21s Pro scores with its display, design and dependable battery and then there’s that microscopic lens.
The OPPO F21s Pro (8GB/128GB) costs Rs 22,999 and comes in Dawnlight Gold or
Starlight Black. OPPO is offering multiple offers for Diwali.
