The Oppo F23 5G: A Deep Dive into Mid-Range Mastery
Oppo, a brand synonymous with stylish and feature-packed smartphones, has consistently delivered devices that strike a balance between performance and affordability. The Oppo F23 5G is their latest offering in the competitive mid-range segment, promising a compelling blend of powerful hardware, a vibrant display, and a long-lasting battery. This comprehensive review will delve deep into every aspect of the Oppo F23 5G, examining its strengths and weaknesses to help you decide if it’s the right phone for you.
Design and Build Quality: A Familiar Aesthetic with a Modern Touch
The Oppo F23 5G retains the familiar design language that Oppo has cultivated in its recent devices, featuring a sleek, polycarbonate back with a glossy finish. The phone is available in two color options: Bold Gold and Cool Black. The Bold Gold variant, as the name suggests, boasts a vibrant golden hue that shimmers under light, while the Cool Black option offers a more understated and sophisticated look.
The phone feels comfortable in hand, thanks to its curved edges and relatively slim profile. However, the glossy back is a fingerprint magnet, requiring frequent wiping to maintain a clean appearance. The camera module, housed in a rectangular bump on the top left corner, protrudes slightly, causing the phone to wobble when placed on a flat surface.
The build quality is generally solid, with no noticeable flex or creaking. The buttons are tactile and responsive, and the overall fit and finish are commendable for a device in this price range.
Display: A Smooth and Vibrant Visual Experience
The Oppo F23 5G features a 6.72-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels) LCD display with a 120Hz refresh rate. This combination delivers a smooth and fluid visual experience, whether you’re scrolling through social media, playing games, or watching videos.
The display is bright and vibrant, with good color accuracy and contrast. The viewing angles are also decent, allowing for comfortable viewing from various positions. The 120Hz refresh rate makes a noticeable difference in smoothness, enhancing the overall user experience.
However, being an LCD panel, it lacks the deep blacks and vibrant colors of AMOLED displays found in some competing devices. The sunlight legibility is also adequate but not exceptional.
Performance: A Capable Performer for Everyday Tasks
Under the hood, the Oppo F23 5G is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. This configuration provides ample power for everyday tasks, such as browsing the web, using social media apps, and streaming videos.
The phone handles multitasking with ease, and the 120Hz refresh rate ensures a smooth and responsive user interface. Gaming performance is also decent, with the phone capable of running most games at medium to high settings. However, demanding titles may experience occasional frame drops.
The 8GB of RAM ensures smooth multitasking, and the 256GB of storage provides ample space for apps, photos, and videos. The phone also supports virtual RAM expansion, allowing you to allocate up to 8GB of storage as additional RAM.
Camera: A Versatile Triple Camera Setup
The Oppo F23 5G sports a triple rear camera setup, consisting of a 50MP primary sensor, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. The front-facing camera is a 32MP shooter.
The primary camera captures good images in daylight conditions, with accurate colors and decent dynamic range. The images are sharp and detailed, although some noise may be visible in low-light conditions. The dedicated night mode helps to improve low-light performance, but the results are not always consistent.
The macro lens and depth sensor are largely gimmicky, offering limited utility. The 32MP front camera captures good selfies, with accurate skin tones and decent detail.
The video recording capabilities are also adequate, with the phone capable of recording 1080p videos at 30fps. However, the lack of optical image stabilization (OIS) can result in shaky footage.
Software: ColorOS 13.1 Based on Android 13
The Oppo F23 5G runs on ColorOS 13.1, based on Android 13. ColorOS is a heavily customized Android skin that offers a wide range of features and customization options.
The interface is clean and intuitive, with a plethora of customization options to personalize the look and feel of the device. Oppo has also included a number of useful features, such as app cloning, gesture navigation, and a dedicated game mode.
However, ColorOS is known for its bloatware, with a number of pre-installed apps that may not be useful to all users. Fortunately, most of these apps can be uninstalled.
Oppo has promised two years of major Android updates and four years of security patches for the F23 5G, which is a welcome addition.
Battery Life: A Long-Lasting Powerhouse
The Oppo F23 5G is powered by a massive 5000mAh battery, which provides excellent battery life. The phone can easily last a full day on a single charge, even with heavy usage.
The phone also supports 67W SuperVOOC fast charging, which allows you to charge the battery from 0 to 50% in just 18 minutes. This is a significant advantage over many competing devices in this price range.
Connectivity and Other Features
The Oppo F23 5G supports 5G connectivity, ensuring fast and reliable internet speeds. It also features a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, which is fast and accurate. Other connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, and a USB-C port.
The phone also features a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is a welcome addition for those who prefer wired headphones.
Audio: A Solid Audio Experience
The Oppo F23 5G features a single bottom-firing speaker, which produces loud and clear audio. The sound quality is decent, with good clarity and detail. However, the bass response is limited. The inclusion of a 3.5mm headphone jack is a plus, allowing for a more immersive audio experience with wired headphones.
Pros and Cons: Weighing the Strengths and Weaknesses
Pros:
Long-lasting battery life with 67W fast charging
Smooth 120Hz display
Decent performance for everyday tasks
Ample storage with 256GB
5G connectivity
Cons:
Glossy back is a fingerprint magnet
LCD display lacks the vibrancy of AMOLED panels
Camera performance is average
Bloatware in ColorOS
Macro and depth sensors are largely gimmicky
Verdict: A Compelling Mid-Range Contender
The Oppo F23 5G is a well-rounded mid-range smartphone that offers a compelling blend of features and performance. Its long-lasting battery life, smooth 120Hz display, and decent performance make it a good choice for everyday users.
While the camera performance is not exceptional, and the LCD display lacks the vibrancy of AMOLED panels, the phone offers a solid overall experience. The inclusion of 5G connectivity and 67W fast charging further enhances its appeal.
If you’re looking for a reliable and feature-packed mid-range smartphone with excellent battery life, the Oppo F23 5G is definitely worth considering. However, if camera performance is a top priority, you may want to explore other options.