The buzz may have been surrounding the flagship OPPO N3, but OPPO decided to spring a little surprise for the attendees at the global launch in Singapore. The impossibly thin OPPO R5 — the world’s thinnest phone at an unbelievable 4.85mm thick.
It’s nice to see manufacturers like OPPO pushing the envelope of what’s possible with clever engineering. The OPPO R5, though not the flagship, is outwardly impressive. Built around a hand-polished aluminium alloy chassis which also integrates a clever cooling system called Cool Element, and the OPPO R5 isn’t just thin, but also one of the most durable. No bend jokes please.
It’s so thin, it’s equivalent to two DVDs stacked on top of each other. No kidding.
It’s beautifully built, with a 5.2-inch Full HD AMOLED (423PPI) display and packing some impressive innards. Powering the featherweight device is an all new, power-efficient octa-core processor from Qualcomm — the MSM8939 Snapdragon 615 procsessor running at 1.5Ghz and packed with 2GB RAM.
The single-SIM, 4G LTE phone sports 16GB storage, a conventional 13MP rear camera and 5MP front-facing camera, both with f/2.0 lens coupled with Sony’s IMX124 sensor.
Available in white, the new device also features the innovative VOOC rapid charge technology.
The OPPO R5 runs ColorOS 2.0 on top of Android 4.4.4 KitKat.
Battery life should be adequate with a 2,000mAh battery, which is slightly bigger than its direct competitor, the Samsung GALAXY Alpha.
In the race for ultimate thinness though, results in several disadvantages — the omission of a microSD slot and 3.5mm audio jack.
Pricing and availability
The OPPO R5 is expected in Malaysia at the end of November, and will retail at RM1,598 (US$499).
Initial impressions
The OPPO R5 is sexy. It’s incredibly thin without being flaky or fragile. In fact, it feels solid in the hands. The display is brilliant and crisp, and camera more than decent.
Cosmetics aside, the new device feels zippy and the cameras work well.
The major deal-breakers for some may be the limited storage, and lack of microSD support and headphone jack. Users will be forced to use wireless headphones, or get the optional O-Music Bluetooth clip.
Not for everyone, but it will certainly turn heads.
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