Oppo R5: Size-zero obsession

Oppo R5 is a good smartphone, but the company has made some compromises to make the device look sleek

The world of technology has grown at an unbelievable pace in the recent years. And, it has had a great impact on the way we live, the way we communicate and the tools of communcations we use. I still remember the clunky handset (could be used as a weapon now) my father bought in 2001. The small black-and-white screen on which we could play that snake game had a strange appeal to it. Maybe I am not a visionary, but I honestly never thought phones would someday evolve into 'smart' ones. But I was wrong - horribly wrong. Recently, we received the Oppo R5. At only 4.85 millimetres, it is one of the slimmest smartphones. The device grabs eyeballs with its sleek design and bright display, but does it have enough for you to shell out big cash for it? Let's find out.

Design
The super slim Oppo R5 comes with a 5.2-inch AMOLED display with a 1080-pixel resolution or 423 pixels an inch. Images are crisp and viewing angles great. Sunlight visibility was not an issue. At the front, you will find the usual Android soft keys and the front camera (at the top right corner). At 155g, the R5 feels does feel slightly heavy. What might let you down is the absence of a 3.5-mm audio jack, mainly due to the thin body.

Performance

Oppo's extra attention to the design of R5 has taken a toll on the hardware part of the device. At 2,000mAh, we would say the battery is small for a device in this price range. Though the device comes with a 'rapid charger' that manages to lend about 75 per cent to the gadget in 30 minutes, that top-up charge runs out in about five hours on average use. And that is not something any user would enjoy. The back metal plate got heated when playing games for long, even though it never became too hot to handle.

The R5 boasts a Snapdragon 615 chipset, running the octa-core CPU at 1.5GHz. To aid that, it has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. Sadly, there is no slot for a memory card.

We did not encounter any lags while using the device on day-to-day basis. However, while playing games such as Ashphalt8, we experienced lags. The touchscreen is highly responsive. The phone is powered by Android 4.4 KitKat with Oppo's custom ColorOS operating system that is smooth and easy to use.

The 13MP rear camera produces rich images in good light conditions and manages to work fine in poor light. The 5MP front camera is something that would make the selfie lovers happy. We can say the camera application is impressive. It offers a rich choice of modes for clicking and editing pictures. The 'beauty face' function with the front camera deserves appreciation.

Verdict
If you are someone for whom the design of the smartphone matters a lot and can live with the compromises made on performance, the Oppo R5 is not a bad choice at Rs 29,999. But for a user who seeks value-for-money product or who wants high-end gaming performance, we would suggest exploring other options.
Oppo R5
Screen: 5.2 inches
Processor: Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615, quad-core
Cameras: 13MP (rear); 5MP (front-facing)
OS: Android OS, v4.4.4 (KitKat)
RAM: 2GB
Battery: Non-removable Li-Po 2,000mAh battery
Price: Rs 29,990