Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo recently announced that it was entering the South African market. It’s a brand that is relatively well-known internationally as it has made a name for itself in 40 different countries and regions, and it is finally landing on our shores. As the fifth-largest smartphone producer on the planet, we can expect some spectacular smartphones across the range. The first device to launch here is the Oppo A72, a mid-tier device that offers a whole lot for a modest price tag.
__Under the Hood__
The Oppo A72 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 with an Octa-Core CPU. The company’s Hyper Boost performance engine increases the speed of apps and games, which makes for a smooth, satisfying user experience. On the memory front, you’ll get 4GB of RAM and internal storage of 128GB with the option to expand with a microSD card. Oppo prides itself in its relationship with Google and this device comes ready with Android 11.
__Screen and Body__
The Oppo A72 has a 6.5-inch ultra-high-resolution display with a punch-hole selfie camera in the upper left corner of the phone. The A72 is pretty slim at only 1.73-mm thick. In terms of appearance, the company says it was inspired by the polar region where the stars are always visible. The device is available in Twilight Black or Aurora Purple for those that prefer a hint of colour.
__Quad Camera Setup__
The A72 has flashes of a flagship device with its four cameras situated at the back. It consists of a main 48MP AI camera, an 8MP camera and a pair of 2MP lenses which support Ultra Night Mode and 119-degrees wide-angle shots. The front-facing camera is a staggering 16MP for a mid-range device, perfect for those flawless selfies.
You’ll also get the benefits of a slow-mode video function and the anti-shake feature which allows you to capture stable pictures while moving.
__Fantastic Battery Life__
The battery capacity of the A72 is incredible, featuring a 5,000mAh battery which the company says guarantees all-day use, even at high intensity, while the 18W fast charger gets your battery juiced up in no time.
__Other Features__
Oppo says the A72 does have dual-SIM capability, which is great to manage your data use. The device sports Dual Stereo Speakers and Dirac 2.0 sound. Additionally, there’s a fingerprint sensor under the sidebar power button and even a headphone jack for those traditional audiophiles.
__Verdict__
The South African mid-tier smartphone market is already quite packed, but the Oppo A72 has enough features to do battle with more established brands like Samsung and Huawei.
