That is the conundrum I have faced with Oppo's A98 5G smartphone – to whom is this device best suited? After thinking it over for many days, one has finally concluded that this device could serve any one of a number of uses, with only heavy game-play being excluded.
The A series is Oppo's cheapest, but this does not translate to a lack of quality. Indeed, as I have observed time and again, this brand provides quality builds no matter whether it is in the flagship Find X range, the mid-range Reno devices or the A series.
[That is one reason why I have just completed three years with an A device, this being the A91 which has served my needs more than adequately since May 2020.]
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Image courtesy Oppo
The screen size is 6.72 inches, and offers a 91.4% screen-to-body ratio with an FHD+ resolution (2400x1800).
Apart from lacking an IP rating, the A98 5G has every feature that a smartphone that retails for $649 should have. In fact, it often exceeds the basics.
For example, Oppo offers a two-year warranty, two operating system upgrades and three years of security upgrades.
The security features all work with no lag, though I found registering a fingerprint a bit of a pain, done as it is through the off-on switch. This is an option that I have never liked; the on-screen registration is so much faster.
Unlike many others, Oppo offers a 67W SUPERVOOC fast charger with the A98; a full charge can be effected in a little under 47 minutes.
And the 5000mAh battery lasts well beyond a single day with moderate use, while even heavy use can be managed in a single day.
Battery life is ensured by the patented Battery Health Engine which is claimed to double the battery lifespan to four years or more.
The A98 5G is built atop a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695. It has 8GB of memory and also offers another 8GB of virtual memory.
Given this SoC, it is not suitable for playing games that require a great deal of grunt. However, ordinary PUBG and browser-based games run at an acceptable speed.
One aspect of a smartphone that is of vital importance to me is the sound. I spend more than two hours with every device I look at, trying out different kinds of music. The A98 5G meets my demands, no matter the genre of music one is listening to.
While there should be no need for the average user to seek more storage, the A98 5G can accommodate an SD-card of up to 1TB.
There are two refresh rates, high and standard, with the former going up to 120 Hz while the latter offers a maximum rate of 60 Hz. Both are smooth, and one never experiences throttling.
The camera system is excellent, with a 64MP AI camera, a 2MP depth camera a 40X microlens and a 32MP Selfie camera.
The A98 5G, which comes in Dreamy Blue and Cool Black, has been available from Office Works, JB Hi-Fi and OPPO Australia’s Online Store since 3 August.
SPECS
Size and weight
Height about 165.6mm
Width about 76.1mm
Thickness about 8.20mm
Weight about 192g
Storage
RAM and ROM Capacities 8GB + 256GB
RAM Type LPDDR4X (2133MHz 4 x 16-bit)
ROM Specifications UFS 2.2 @ 1Lanes Gear3
Phone Storage Card Supported
USB OTG Supported
Display
Size 6.72"
Screen Ratio 91.4%
Resolution FHD+ (2400×1080)
Refresh Rate Maximum: 120Hz
Touch Sampling Rate 240Hz
Colour Gamut
Vivid mode: 96%NTSC/100% DCI-P3
Gentle mode: 71%NTSC/100% sRGB
Colour Depth 16.7 million colors (8-bit)
Pixel Density 391PPI
Brightness
Standard maximum brightness: 550nits (Typical)
Maximum brightness under sunlight: 680nits
Panel LTPS LCD
Cover Glasses Panda 1681 secondary tempered glass
Camera
Rear
Main camera: 64MP; f/1.7; FOV 79°; 6P lens; AF support;
MONO: 2MP; f/2.4; FOV 89°; 3P lens;
Microscope: 2MP; f/3.3; FOV 65°; 3P lens, 5.5mm shooting, 20x/40x zoom in
Front
32MP; f/2.4; FOV 89°; 5P lens; FF
Shooting Mode
Rear: Nightscape, Photos, Videos, PRO, PANO, Portrait, Time-lapse, SLO-MO, Text scanner, Google Lens, Extra HD, Macro, Sticker, Dual-view video, Microscope
Front: Photos, Videos, PANO, Nightscape, Time-lapse, Sticker
Video
Rear
Up to 1080P @ 30fps
SLO-MO: 720P @ 120fps
EIS: 1080P/720P @ 30fps
Video zoom: 1080P/720P @ 30fps
Front
1080P @ 30fps or 720P @ 30fps (default)
Chips
SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 (SDM 695)
CPU 8 cores, up to 2.2GHz
GPU Adreno™ 619 @ 840MHz
Battery
Typical value: 5000mAh/19.45Wh
Rated value: 4880mAh/18.98Wh
Fast Charge
67W SUPERVOOCTM, VOOC, and PD (9V/2A)
Biometrics
Fingerprint Supported
Facial Recognition Supported
Sensors
Geomagnetic induction
Slit light sensing
Slit approach
Acceleration sensor
Gyroscope
Step recording function
Cellular Network
SIM 2 Supported
SIM Card Type Nano-SIM card
Frequency Band
GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
WCDMA: Bands 1/2/4/5/6/8/19
LTE FDD: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/26/28/32/66
LTE TDD: Bands 38/39/40/41
5G NR: n1/n3/n5/n7/n8/n20/n28/n66/n38/n40/n41/n77/n78
Connectivity
WLAN
Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n/;
WLAN 2.4G/WLAN 5.1G/WLAN 5.8G;
Wi-Fi Display is supported; Wi-Fi network sharing
Bluetooth Version
Bluetooth® v5.1, Bluetooth Low Energy
Bluetooth Audio Codec
SBC, AAC, aptX HD, LDAC
USB Interface USB Type-C
Earphone Jack 3.5mm
NFC Supported
Operating System
ColorOS 13.1
Location Technology
GNSS
Beidou: B1I; GPS: L1; GLONASS: G1; Galileo: E1; QZSS: L1 are supported
Others
AGPS assisted positioning, wireless LAN, cellular network positioning are supported
Maps Google Maps
In the Box
Phone x 1
Charger x 1
USB data cable x 1
SIM Ejector Tool x 1
Quick Guide x 1
Safety Guide x 1
Price: $649
