OPPO A77s Hands-On Philippines: All About Aesthetics

OPPO A77s Hands-On Philippines: All About Aesthetics

Initial Verdict: The OPPO A77s earns points for its unique Sunset Orange design, and is a reasonable upgrade over the A76 in the Philippines thanks to its upgraded rear camera, stereo speakers, an actual IP rating.

Pros

  • Stunning back panel design (for the Sunset Orange variant)
  • Stereo speakers

Cons

  • No ultra-wide-angle camera
  • Notch on the display instead of punch-hole

 

OPPO A77s Philippines Specs

  • Snapdragon 680 processor
  • 8GB LPDDR4X RAM
  • 128GB UFS 2.2 storage, expandable via MicroSD
  • 6.56-inch HD+ IPS display, 90hz refresh rate
  • 50-megapixel f/1.8 main camera with PDAF, 2-megapixel f/2.4 depth sensor
  • 8-megapixel selfie camera
  • 4G, LTE
  • WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, side-mounted fingerprint scanner
  • Stereo speakers, IP54 rating
  • 5000mAh battery
  • 33w fast charging
  • Android 12, ColorOS 12.1

OPPO updates its lower-end A-series in the Philippines, bringing over the A77s as its latest offering. The budget mid-range phones shines in its fiberglass-leather back panel with the Sunset Orange variant–but is that enough to entice people to get this gorgeous-looking phone?

Design

While the A77s does come in a Starry Black color, you should definitely go for the Sunset Orange one since it has a fiberglass-leather back panel that mimics the vegan leather back panels used on flagship devices. Aside from making it look more premium than its asking price, we like this particular material as it is both durable and resilient against smudges. The rectangular camera module has two cameras, and the flash area has a metallic accent that stays in line with the phone’s premium looks.

Just like any modern smartphone, the A77s dons flat frame sides, and we’re glad that they keep a non-glossy finish. The left side has the volume rocker and SIM tray, while the right side has the power button that acts as a fingerprint scanner. At the bottom, you have a headphone jack, USB-C port, and a loudspeaker. It’s also worth mentioning that the A77s does have an IP54 rating, which should give you peace of mind in case you get caught up in the rain using the phone.

Display

While we rave about the back panel design, we found it strange that the A77s went for a display with a notch–considering both the A76 and A74 actually had punch-hole displays. The display still uses an HD+ resolution like its predecessor, and you also get a decent 90hz refresh rate.

During our short time with the phone, the A76’s display is fairly good for an IPS panel, though we think it’s one of those older panels given the thick chin. Despite using a slightly dated display, the A77s upgrades from the A76 by having stereo speakers, which we really think should be a standard feature on phones.

Cameras

While you still get a dual-rear camera setup, the A77s drops the 13-megapixel shooter of its predecessor in exchange for a 50-megapixel one. You are still capped at Full HD video recording due to the limitations of the Snapdragon 680, but the higher resolution sensor should translate to better photo and video output overall. We will see if this holds true once we get a review unit and have a longer time with the phone.

Like its predecessor, you have the same 8-megapixel snapper with the A77s.

Internals and Battery

Just like the A76, the A77s is also powered by a Snapdragon 680 processor and 128GB internal storage. The A77s does get more RAM at 8GB, making it more suitable for gaming and multitasking duties. The Snapdragon 680 is close to a year old at this point and still remains to be a popular choice for budget mid-range 4G phones thanks to its stellar power efficiency.

Speaking of power efficiency, the A77s also comes with the same 5000mAh battery that has support for 33w USB-PD charging. Based on our experience with the same battery size on a Snapdragon 680-powered phone, we expect the A77s to perform very well when it comes to battery life–and can possibly do better since it comes with Android 12-based ColorOS 12.1 out of the box.

Wrap-up and Initial Conclusions

Despite being a few thousand Pesos more expensive than its predecessor, the A77s does offer a reasonable set of upgrades compared to the A76–if you don’t mind the dated display that has a notch. Those considering the A77s should go for the Sunset Orange color, as it is one of the most gorgeous back panel designs we’ve seen on a budget mid-range phone.

OPPO A77s Price Philippines

The A77s is priced at Php 13,999 and will be available on October 29.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

Latest Reviews

Best Phones in the Philippines

Best Guides

Recent Posts