Introduction
This is OPPO A93, the company’s latest mid-range device that offers more but at an affordable price. In case you didn’t know, OPPO has consolidated both the A-series and F-series under its new streamlined portfolio. That’s the reason why we don’t see the F series anymore. Being the successor of the A92, the A93 quite a few improvements and changes. Without further ado, here’s the full review!
OPPO A93 Specs
- 6.43-inch Full HD+ Dual Punch-Hole Super AMOLED display
- MediaTek Helio P95 processor
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB UFS 2.1 storage
- Cameras
- Rear: 48MP main + 8MP ultra-wide + 2MP depth + 2MP mono
- 16MP selfie camera + 2MP depth
- 4,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging
- ColorOS 7.2 on top of Android 10
- Colors: Matte Black, Metallic White
Unboxing
Design
In terms of design, the OPPO A93 looks quite similar to most Chinese smartphones at the same price range. It has a dual-camera cutout at the top left corner, which is quite tiny actually.
The back of the phone is a different story, it has a matte finishing that I prefer a lot! Obviously, the back of it isn’t a glass material, but plastic instead. You’ll see the quad-camera setup on the top left corner, which placed quite balance, then there’s actually a two-tone finishing on the back.
The bottom of the phone houses a 3.5mm audio jack, USB-C port, and the mono down-firing speaker. The phone is ultra-thin at just 7.48mm, it’s been a while since I last reviewed a phone with such a thin profile.
Display
The OPPO A93 sports a 6.43-inch Full HD+ Dual Punch-Hole Super AMOLED display. Having a Super AMOLED display also allows OPPO to put an in-display fingerprint sensor. Nope, it only has a 60Hz refresh rate, but a recent poll from AndroidAuthority shows that many people actually prefer a 60Hz Super AMOLED display to a 120Hz LCD display. Well, it actually makes sense since most people use their phones to watch videos and do things other than just scrolling around to see how smooth the screen is. Back to the topic, the A93 screen is absolutely top-notch, not as good as the one on the Galaxy Note20 but definitely good enough. Good job for opting for a Super AMOLED display!
Performance
Powering the phone is a MediaTek Helio P95 processor with 8GB RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1 expandable storage. OPPO claims that the Helio P95 AI benchmark is higher than the Snapdragon 855 processor, but I don’t really trust benchmarking as it can only be just a reference. Based on my experience, the A93 can only play Call of Duty: Mobile in “High” graphic quality and frame rate. As for PUBG Mobile, I was able to run “HD” and “Smooth” graphics with “High” frame rate. In the end, the A93 is still a mid-range device and this kind of performance is expected.
Software
The phone runs on ColorOS 7.2 based on Android 10. ColorOS 7.2 is now cleaner and faster than the previous version, but it still reminds you that you are using an OPPO phone with the overall look and feel. Personally, I’m not a fan of it but at least it’s better than before. Plus, you can now enable the app drawer, so that all your apps won’t appear on the home screen.
It comes with an app called “Soloop”, which is basically a video editor app that helps you auto-generate a video with just a click. The overall experience is better than before, but not all pre-installed apps can be uninstalled, especially those by Google and those pre-installed apps can be uninstalled via App Market.
Camera
The phone comes with a quad-camera setup on the back — 48MP main Samsung GM1ST + 8MP wide-angle + 2MP depth + 2MP mono. It comes with a list of AI Portrait features, which include AI Super Night Portrait, AI Night Flare Portrait, AI Color Portrait, AI Super Clear Portrait, Dual Lens Bokeh, and AI Beautification 2.0. All these features are for shooting portraits, I actually like the AI Color Portrait feature, it gives portraits a unique splash of color while fading out the background with a stylistic frame. The camera also supports shooting 108MP through software. You’ll need to switch to expert mode in order to shoot the 108MP (XHD) photos.
In terms of image quality, the main camera actually shoots nice photos, while the ultra-wide camera has a softer detail and warmer white balance. Overall, it’s an okay phone to shoot photos, its night mode also performs well. Check out all the camera samples here.
Battery Life
The OPPO A93 packs a 4,000mAh battery that supports 18W fast charging. Based on my usage, I was able to get around 6 hours of screen-on-time or more, and it is possible to charge this phone once in two days. The battery life is pretty impressive!
Final Words
Retailing at RM1,299, the OPPO A93 will be available from 10th October onwards. The phone is now available for pre-order on its Lazada store and you’ll get free gifts worth RM199 (Bluetooth speaker and OPPO Reno Umbrella). The phone has a great display, which is missing from most mid-range phones. The OPPO A93 is a phone for those who often watch videos using the phone and also taking portraits.