Last week, Oppo officially took the wraps off the Oppo F21 Pro series in India. The lineup consists of two models, namely Oppo F21 Pro and Oppo F21 Pro. We have already published our review of the former device. 

Now, let us compare it to the latter model in this article and find out whether the 5G-enabled variant is worth its asking price. For the unaware, the Oppo F21 Pro and Oppo F21 Pro 5G are priced at ₹22,999 and ₹26,999 respectively.

Before I begin, I would like to put a disclaimer that his comparison between the Oppo F21 Pro and the Oppo F21 Pro 5G is based on my personal experience with the review samples loaned to me by Oppo India. The opinions mentioned here are mine alone, and the company had no editorial input or early look.

Oppo F21 Pro vs Oppo F21 Pro 5G: Which one should you buy?

Box Contents

Both the Oppo F21 Pro and Oppo F21 Pro 5G arrive in an identical box with the same list of contents. Buyers will find the following items in the retail box.

• Smartphone
• Transparent Case
• 33W SuperVOOC Charger
• USB Type-A to Type-C cable
• SIM Ejector Tool
• Documentation

Design and Build

In my review of the Oppo F21 Pro, I praised its design. It is one of the best-looking smartphones under ₹25,000. The same can also be said for the Oppo F21 Pro 5G, which is positioned in the under ₹30,000 category. However, I prefer the 4G model over 5G.

The 4G variant has a unique fiberglass leather finish on its back. But it is worth noting that this finish is only available on the Sunset Orange color option, since the Cosmic Black version has a matte glass finish.

On the other hand, the Oppo F21 Pro 5G only comes in a glass finish for both Rainbow Spectrum and Cosmic Black versions. I have the former, and it looks like cotton candy when viewed from certain angles. At the same time, the colors look flat when viewed straight.

The orange-colored Oppo F21 Pro also feels better in the hand. It does not slip and looks unlike any other phone on the market. It surely is a head-turner. You don’t need a case unless you are one of those who drop their handsets often.

Whereas, the Oppo F21 Pro 5G is like a regular smartphone with a glass back. This means it is slippery in the hands, but features a matte finish to keep it free of smudges.

Talking about the rear camera placement, the sensors on the 4G model are placed on a rectangular island, which resembles an old-school camcorder. There’s a white LED ring around one of the cameras.

While the cameras on the 5G model are placed on the rear panel itself. Two of them even have blue-colored LED rings. Oppo calls them ‘Orbit Lights’. They look better than the single LED ring on the 4G device.

Display and Sound

The Oppo F21 Pro and the Oppo F21 Pro 5G sport an identical 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels (FHD+) and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The screen has a 180Hz touch sampling rate, a punch-hole at the top left corner, and can reach a peak brightness level of 600 nits.

The only difference between the two is the presence of a 90Hz refresh rate on the 4G model as opposed to the standard 60Hz refresh rate on the 5G model. This one change in the specs makes a day and night difference, at least to me. Once you are used to a high refresh rate screen on smartphones, there’s never going back.

As far as the performance of the screens is concerned, they are almost identical with one minor difference. The color tone is cooler on the 5G model and warmer on the 4G variant. They are good for consuming content and can get bright enough under direct sunlight. These displays are fine but nothing out of the ordinary.

Further, though they have support for HDR10 and HLG standards, they cannot play HDR videos on YouTube or any other streaming platform. However, both have Widevine L1 certification (which was not present on the 4G model when its review was published)  and are able to play FHD (1080p) content on Netflix and Prime Video.

Talking about sound, both the phones house a single bottom-firing speaker. But their audio output is slightly different from one another. I prefer the one on the 4G handset as it is not only louder but also sounds fuller with less distortion at higher volume levels.

As far as wireless sound performance is concerned, it is near identical on both of them. I paired the Oppo Enco Air 2 Pro with these phones, and they sounded the same when connected to either of them.

However, only the 4G model has support for ColorOS quick pairing. On the 5G model, users need to enter pairing mode as they need to for devices from other brands. It is possible for Oppo to add this feature via a software update, but we are not sure if and when it will arrive.

Hardware and Software

The major difference between the Oppo F21 Pro and the Oppo F21 Pro 5G is their chipsets. The former houses a 4G-only Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC, while the latter is powered by a 5G-enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 SoC. 

The two of them sport 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB UFS 2.2 storage. But only the 4G smartphone has a MicroSD card slot (dedicated).

Oppo F21 Pro Benchmark

Undoubtedly, the 5G model is faster as it has a better chip. But since it lacks a high refresh rate display, I felt the 4G model to be smoother to my eyes, though it is slower. 

As you can see from the screenshots, the F21 Pro 5G scores way more on AnTutu Benchmark. Even on Geekbench, it has a better score than the F21 Pro. Only if it had a 90Hz display, the experience would have been even better.

Oppo F21 Pro 5G Benchmark

On the software front, despite being cheaper with a less-powerful chip, the 4G handset boots ColorOS 12 based on Android 12. Whereas, the 5G variant comes with Android 11-based ColorOS 12.

The software on the two phones is almost identical, and they even come with the same bloatware, most of which is uninstallable. But the 5G version lacks new Android 12-exclusive features like granular location permission, camera/microphone indicator, and more.

Camera

The two phones have different camera systems. But one thing is common between them. Though they have triple cameras on the rear, only one of these sensors is useful, in addition to the front-facing camera.

The Oppo F21 Pro arrives with a 64MP primary camera, a 2MP snapper with a 15x microlens, a 2MP depth sensor, and a 32MP shooter for selfies. On the other hand, the Oppo F21 Pro 5G comes equipped with a 64MP primary camera, a 2MP macro shooter, a 2MP monochrome sensor, and a 16MP selfie camera.

Oppo F21 Pro Camera Samples

Despite featuring the same 64MP OmniVision OV64B sensor as their main camera, the output is different from these handsets. This is likely due to the presence of different ISPs and software processing.

The pictures from the 5G version have warmer color tones as opposed to cooler color tones in the images from the 4G variant. Further, the pictures from the latter phone are more vibrant due to higher saturation. None of them can produce accurate colors, but the images from the 4G handset are more pleasing to the eyes.

Oppo F21 Pro 5G Camera Samples

As mentioned in my review of the Oppo F21 Pro, human skin tones are almost accurate in the images from this smartphone. But the same cannot be said for the Oppo F21 Pro 5G since it’s totally opposite. Though I don’t like the selfies from either of these handsets, the output from the 4G model is better.

In low-light conditions, both of them cannot output good-quality pictures. Night Mode does not help either. As far as video recording is concerned, the devices are limited to 1080p resolution and the quality is acceptable in good lighting without much stabilization and is not recommended for low-light situations.

Connectivity

The connectivity options on the Oppo F21 Pro and the Oppo F21 Pro 5G are identical, except for the 5G support on the latter. They feature dual SIM card slots, dual-band WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.1, and GNSS. 

I did not face call drops on either of them. The WiFi connection works well as it should, and so do Bluetooth and GNSS.

I could not test 5G on the Oppo F21 Pro 5G as the networks are yet to go live in India. When they do go live, users should be able to experience the latest cellular technology, but the same cannot be said for the Oppo F21 Pro users.

Battery and Charging

Both the Oppo F21 Pro and the Oppo F21 Pro 5G are fueled by the same 4,500mAh battery. They also have support for the very same 33W Oppo SuperVOOC fast charging protocol.

But during my usage, I found out that the 5G device actually charges a bit faster. It is roughly around 8 minutes faster as it takes about 1 hour and 14 minutes to reach 100% from 10% as opposed to around 1 hour and 22 minutes required by the 4G handset.

Since the SoCs featured in these smartphones are built on a 6nm process, they are energy-efficient. The devices can easily last a day on a full charge on normal usage. 

Verdict

Even though the Oppo F21 Pro 5G has a faster chipset, it is not enough for me to recommend it over the Oppo F21 Pro. The 4G variant does most of the things better. It even looks unique in the orange color and feels better in the hands.

The cherry on top is that the 4G version is ₹4,000 cheaper than the 5G model. The price further paints a clear picture that the Oppo F21 Pro is truly the winner of the two.

With that being said, as I mentioned in my review, the Oppo F21 Pro itself is not the best option in this price segment. But if you are in the market for either of these two devices, you should probably go with the 4G model instead of the 5G one.

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Earlier this week, the Oppo F21 Pro series had been launched in India. And now, the 4G only F21 Pro model has begun its first sale in the country, so let’s have a look at its pricing and other availability details.

Talking about the smartphone first, it’s the latest mid range handset from the Chinese brand. It sports a 6.4 inch FHD+ display that offers a 90Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 600 nits. The front also has a 32 megapixel Sony IMX709 punch hole selfie camera. Meanwhile, the rear features a 64 megapixel triple camera setup that includes a 2 megapixel micro lens, and another 2 megapixel depth sensor.

Under the hood, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC powers the device, along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Users can even virtually expand the memory by another 5GB. The Oppo F21 Pro 4G is priced at 22,999 INR (roughly 302 US Dollars) for its lone 8GB+128GB storage configuration. It is also available in two color options, including Orange and Black. Although, the latter has a glass rear panel while the former has fibreglass leather on the rear, which offers a more premium feel and look.

At the moment, the smartphone is available for purchase on Amazon India and offline retail stores as well. The brand is offering a 10 percent cashback on all major banks, along with an assured buyback value of up to 70 percent. Customers are also being offered one time screen replacement and no cost EMI options as well. There is also an exchange bonus of up to 2,000 INR (roughly 26 US Dollars) for old devices and 3,000 INR (roughly 40 US Dollars) for Oppo devices.

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The post Oppo F21 Pro first sale live in India, Here’s price, specs, & where to buy appeared first on Gizmochina.

After teasing for days, Oppo has officially launched the Oppo F21 Pro in India. The mid-range smartphone arrives with a revamped design and a new set of features. Just like its predecessors, it has a unique look and feel, but comes with mediocre specs. Is this phone any better than other devices in the segment? Should you buy it? I try to answer these questions in this review.

Before delving into the review, I would like to put a disclaimer that this review is based on my personal experience with an Oppo F21 Pro review sample loaned to me by Oppo India. The opinions stated here are mine alone, and the company had no early look or editorial input.

Oppo F21 Pro Review

Box Contents

• Oppo F21 Pro
• Transparent Case
• 33W SuperVOOC Charger
• USB Type-A to Type-C cable
• SIM Ejector Tool
• Documentation

Unlike previous models in the lineup, the device does not ship with a free pair of wired earphones.

Design and Build

The best thing about the Oppo F21 Pro is its design. The phone comes in two color options, namely Sunset Orange (fiberglass leather) and Cosmic Black (glass). 

I have the former color variant. The back of this version is made of fiberglass leather. This artificial leather finish feels good in the hands and looks fascinating in the orange color. It’s one of a kind, as there aren’t many orange-colored smartphones in the market.

I didn’t use the case included in the box at all. Clearly, the handset wants to be used naked. During my week of usage, the leather back did not accumulate any noticeable dirt.

Another notable thing about the phone’s design is its camera island. It mimics a camcorder with a dual-tone finish. Apart from an LED flashlight, there’s also an LED ring for notifications.

The flat frame of the handset is made of plastic, but it feels sturdy in the hands. The two sides of the frame are occupied by a tactile power key on the right and volume buttons, as well as the SIM card slot on the left. 

The top only includes a secondary microphone hole. Whereas, the bottom houses a 3.5mm headphone jack, a primary microphone hole, a USB Type-C port, and a speaker grille.

As a whole, the smartphone measures only 7.54mm in thickness (excluding the camera bump) and weighs just 175 grams. Hence, it is very comfortable to hold for a long period of time.

Display and Sound

The Oppo F21 Pro sports a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with a punch-hole on the top left corner. The canvas has a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels with a 20:9 aspect ratio.

The screen supports up to 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. The display performs well for the price. It gets sufficiently bright under direct sunlight. 

However, it is worth noting that the panel could not run at 90Hz refresh rate at all times. This could be either due to the lower mid-range chipset or because of the software optimization. It is a known issue on phones with a similar configuration.

Interestingly, though the screen supports HDR10 and HLG standards, it cannot play HDR videos on YouTube. Also, the device lacks Widevine L1 certification, and therefore, it cannot play HD videos on popular streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. But Oppo says these issues will not be present on the retail unit. 

Unlike most smartphones in the segment, the Oppo F21 Pro does not come with dual stereo speakers. Though it has a single bottom-firing unit, it is loud enough for binge-watching. Anyway, the absence of stereo sound will always be felt if you are used to it, like me.

Then, there’s a headphone jack for those who don’t own or prefer wireless earphones. But as mentioned earlier, you won’t find a free pair of wired earphones in the box.

Hardware and Software

The Oppo F21 Pro is run by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 SoC. The chipset is paired with 8GB LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB UFS 2.2 storage. 

The handset also has support for up to 5GB of virtual RAM. By default, it ships with the 3GB virtual RAM option enabled. I did not make any changes to the value throughout my usage, as most users would.

On the software front, the device boots ColorOS 12.1 based on Android 12. The experience is the same as what you would find on Oppo smartphones with the same software, but only slower. This means you also get bloatware, but unfortunately, they are uninstallable.

Though the software tries to be responsive as possible, it is held down by the lower-end chip. That does not mean the phone is dead slow. It’s just not as fast as the competitors and Oppo’s own Reno 7 and Reno 6.

The handset performs well for day-to-day usage. It can hold multiple apps in memory, but not for a long period of time, which is expected from a similarly specced device. Just don’t expect a good gaming experience, as it is not built for it.

Camera

The Oppo F21 Pro comes equipped with a triple camera setup on the rear. The system consists of a 64MP OmniVision OV64B primary sensor, a 2MP Galaxycore GC02M1 sensor with a 15x microlens, and a 2MP Galaxycore GC02M1B depth sensor. Whereas, on the front, it features a 32MP Sony IMX709 RGBW sensor for selfies.

Out of the four cameras, only two of them are useful. The depth sensor is of no use like on any other smartphone. On the other hand, there’s not much to do with the microlens. One would get bored in a while and may forget that it even exists.

Talking about the primary camera first, it is the same sensor found on the expensive Oppo Reno 6 Pro 5G (review) and Oppo Reno 6 5G (review) last year. However, the software processing is quite different.

Those two Reno handsets couldn’t output the proper skin tones of human subjects. But the new F21 Pro comes close. I really like how it shows the color of dark skin. The device even does not make changes to irregularities like pimples. The output from the camera is almost the same as what you see in real life.

But the color accuracy is not great, and that’s fine because people love pictures that are appealing to their eyes. There’s no over-saturation as such, which is a good thing.

HDR or high dynamic range is good but just like the Renos I have tested earlier, the processing is sometimes too extreme when there’s more backlight. Hence, you get to see halo effects in such images.

In low light conditions, the pictures are grainy, as you would expect from a lower mid-range smartphone. The night mode does not help much either.

Coming to the selfie camera, though the device has good hardware, the processing is poor. I did not like using the front camera at all. The skin tones are way off the chart. But the other aspects are similar to that of the main camera. Additionally, both the front and rear cameras have a wider lens to accommodate more subjects.

As far as video recording is concerned, both the rear and front cameras are limited to 1080p at 30fps quality. The videos out of these two sensors are average at best. They are slow at focussing and there’s no stability. In low light, they are grainy, just like the photos. Anyway, the audio captured by the microphones is clear, but there’s no noticeable noise cancellation.

Miscellaneous

The handset is limited to 4G connectivity, which is fine as 5G networks are yet to go live in India. Even if the new generation network gets launched by the end of 2022 or early 2023, it won’t be widely available across the country.

Talking about what’s present, LTE mobile data works well as it should and so does mobile hotspot. There’s no issue with the audio from the headpiece, and the same can be said for the microphone quality. Similarly, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth work fine. I did not face any drops.

Finally, the LED ring light for the microscope camera can also be used for notifications, call alerts, charging indications, and even for game launches. Though it looks cool, I didn’t find any use for it as I usually place my phone backside down.

Battery and Charging

The Oppo F21 Pro gets its juice from a 4,500mAh battery. On a full charge, it can easily last a day and some more. Because the Snapdragon 680 chip present inside the device is energy-efficient as it uses a 6nm process.

At the same time, the battery can be recharged in less than 90  minutes with the included 33W SuperVOOC fast charger. It takes around 1 hour and 20 minutes to fill from 10% to 100%.

It is definitely not the fastest charging handset in the segment. But that’s fine for most people, unless you are one of those who are always in a hurry.

Verdict

Just like most Oppo smartphones, the Oppo F21 Pro is not meant for everyone. It is average in all categories, except for the design. The phone’s look and in-hand feel need to be experienced firsthand to appreciate them.

There are consumers for whom design comes first. For them, this could be the best purchase.

Whereas, for others, if you are fine with the shortcomings mentioned above, there’s nothing wrong in choosing this handset over competitors. 

Alternately, the Oppo F21 Pro is probably one of the best options for those looking for a secondary smartphone in this price segment. Mostly because it is thin and light and offers a good battery life, in addition to its looks being a head turner. 

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• OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G Review: Fancier Design but no Major Hardware Upgrades
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