2018 was the year of mid-range phones’ evolution. Now, there are several budget phones with innovative features, great aesthetics and even decent cameras. And you can even get them for less than $300 easily. Oppo A7 is the latest Oppo’s mid-ranger and it brings important improvements to performance and battery life compared to its predecessor. In this article, we will compare it with the new Vivo Y95 and one of the most wanted mid-rangers in the actual market: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite. Will the Oppo A7 be able to take its consistent slice of the market by competing with these titans?
Oppo A7 vs Vivo Y95 vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
| Oppo A7 | Vivo Y95 | Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT | 155.9 x 75.4 x 8.1 mm, 168 grams | 155.1 x 75.1 x 8.3 mm, 163 grams | 156.4 x 75.8 x 7.5 mm, 169 grams |
| DISPLAY | 6.2 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 272 ppi, IPS LCD | 6.22 inches, 720 x 1520p (HD+), 270 ppi, 19:9 ratio, IPS LCD | 6.26 inches, 1080 x 2280p (Full HD+), 403 ppi, 19:9 ratio, IPS LCD |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 450, octa-core 1.8 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 439, octa-core 1.95 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.2 GHz |
| MEMORY | 3 GB RAM, 32 GB, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – micro SD dedicated slot | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB, micro SD slot | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 64 GB – 6 GB RAM, 128 GB |
| SOFTWARE | Android 8.1 Oreo, Color OS | Android 8.1 Oreo, Funtouch OS | Android 8.1 Oreo, MIUI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS |
| CAMERA | Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4 16 MP f/2.0 front camera |
Dual 13 + 2 MP f/2.2 and f/2.4 20 MP front camera |
Dual 12 + 5 MP f/1.9 and f/2.0 24 MP front camera |
| BATTERY | 4230 mAh | 4030 mAh | 3350 mAh, Fast Charging with Quick Charge 3.0 |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Dual SIM slot | Hybrid Dual SIM slot | Dual SIM slot |
Design
A sure thing is that all of these phones come with outstanding designs, with impressive reflective backs and a very high screen-to-body ratio. For me, the most attractive is Vivo Y95 as it has a higher screen-to-body ratio due to its smaller waterdrop notch and a thinner chin. Further, it is available in beautiful gradient colors. Oppo A7 is very similar, but it has a slightly different texture on the back and a slightly lower screen-to-body ratio. Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has a very attractive back as well, but its notch is bigger and the body is thinner.
Display
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has the best display. On a screen which measures more than 6 inches, a resolution lower than 1080p means a low level of detail, and that is exactly the case of Oppo A7 and Vivo Y95. Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has an average IPS panel, but still better than its opponents. On the other hand, the lower resolution of Vivo Y95 and Oppo A7 makes the battery last longer.
Specs & Software
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is the most performing device because it comes with a way better processor than Vivo Y95 and Oppo A7. Further, it has a variant with more RAM and more internal storage. The Snapdragon 660 is much more powerful than any SoC from the Snapdragon 400 series, so there is no challenge: Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is the best. But unlike its opponents, it does not feature a micro SD slot. All of these handsets come with a customized Android version.
Camera
Despite being the most affordable handset, Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has even a better camera department than Vivo Y95 and Oppo A7. It features two rear cameras with brighter apertures as well as a selfie camera with a higher resolution and auto HDR. Oppo A7 and Vivo Y95 are at the same level, with the former featuring some AI-backed features which seem more advanced for selfies, and the latter having a higher resolution for the selfie camera.
Battery
Oppo A7 has the biggest battery and it will be able to last very long thanks to the HD display and the very efficient chipset. Vivo Y95’s battery is just slightly smaller and its components are efficient as well, so its battery life is excellent as well. Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite has a 3350 mAh unit which can only deliver an average battery life.
Price
Even though it has the best performance and camera department, Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite is available at a more affordable price: about €200/$228. Oppo A7 and Vivo Y95 cost about €270/$307 and €250/$285 respectively, but I would still prefer the Oppo A7 due to its very long battery life. And even though it has a lower-end SoC compared to Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite, it features the new HyperBoost technology which is able to enhance CPU and GPU performance by up to 31 percent.
Oppo A7 vs Vivo Y95 vs Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite: PROs and CONS
Oppo A7
PROs
- HyperBoost technology
- Big battery
- Micro SD dedicated slot
- Original design
- FM radio
CONS
- HD display
Vivo Y95
PROs
- High screen-to-body ratio
- Big battery
- Great design
- FM radio
CONS
- Lower-end SoC
- HD display
Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite
PROs
- Wonderful design
- More affordable
- Good performance
- Better display
CONS
- No micro SD
- No FM radio
