Announced in January this year, the OPPO R1x is the international version of the OPPO R1c, available in its homeland China. The sleek mid-ranger with a stylish sapphire back plate arrived quietly on Malaysian shores several weeks ago. Read on for the unboxing and quick hands-on first impressions.
In terms of design, the R1x is sleek and appealing and while it isn’t quite as thin as other R-series models like the R5 higher up the range, it is still a considerably thin phone. Measuring just 6.8mm, it weighs in at a featherweight 130g.
An all-metal frame encases the 5-inch display on the front and the beautiful sapphire crystal back panel. It’s well put together, and feels great in the hands.
In the box, you get the R1x unit, USB charger, micro-USB charge cable, user manuals and a transparent protective casing.
The device is powered by a powerful 64-bit quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 mated to an Adreno 405 GPU. It gets 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage.
It’s a dual-SIM, dual-standby 4G LTE device supporting micro-SIM and nano-SIM. It has a hybrid SIM tray that supports a second SIM or micro-SD expansion of up to 128GB.
It boasts a 13MP f/2.0 autofocus camera with LED flash on the rear, and a 5MP unit on the front. The R1x’s shooting prowess is enhanced by the PI2.0+ imaging engine.
Power is served by a 2,420mAh battery which delivers up to 8 hours of talktime and up to 250 hours of standby time. Sadly, there’s no VOOC Rapid Charging technology built into the R1x.
Performance
The camera isn’t bad at all, with the 13MP shooter delivering balanced images with good colour reproduction and details. It’s pretty snappy although it occasionally has problems with metering, especially in low light. The 5MP delivers good images too, and should satisfy selfie enthusiasts, aided by the famed Beautify mode.
Battery life is generally good, lasting a full day with average use. Use the camera a lot (and you will) and battery life will, naturally, drop.
Pricing and availability
The OPPO R1x retails for RM1,398 and is available at all authorised OPPO resellers.
Initial verdict
The OPPO R1x is a beautifully made device and despite being positioned as a mid-ranger, it performs well in all aspects. If there’s one con I can single out, it would be the absence of the famed VOOC charging, which is one of the best features of an OPPO device.
Sure, there are better spec-ed phones in its class for cheaper, but if you’re looking for a stylish phone, then the R1x should appeal.
