OPPO’s budget-friendly A57 has finally dropped in the Philippines, and there is a whole lot more for user’s to enjoy than just its price tag. Engineered by OPPO to boast innovative features that addresses everyday productivity and entertainment demands, the A57 has a lot of promise to be the device to help conquer your daily needs. Coming from OPPO’s reliable A Series, the A57 highlights a more powerful battery to support as much entertainment as possible, and enhanced audio and visual quality to facilitate an immersive experience.
Design:
Admittedly, I was amazed by how large the device was upon its unboxing. Despite its relatively big build, I was pleasantly surprised as to how the A57 still kept a slim frame, which can be attributed to its 163.74 x 75.03 x 7.99 frame. Even with its size, sporting a straight middle frame allows for better handling, making it all the more pleasant when playing games, taking photos, scrolling through social media before bed, or simply storing it in your pockets or bags.
Making use of the A57 during my recent trip to Bangkok, I greatly appreciated it being lightweight and portable, especially going around with my already stuffed shoulder bag.
The A57’s monochromatic getup adds a certain boldness to its persona; its Glow Design that mimics a galaxy of stars creates a sophisticated aura. Coming in two different colors, Glowing Black and Glowing Green, the former has a very straight-forward and minimalist approach, while the latter, on the other hand, has a more vibrant and striking look.
On a side note, a minor detailing that caught my eye is how the subtle “OPPO” logo on the bottom-right of the rear stands out in contrast to the flashy Glow Design. More than the razzle dazzle, however, the A57’s coating is also built to maximize scratch and fingerprint resistance.
Display:
Having a large display is one thing, but having the necessary specs to heighten the entertainment experience is a major bonus, which is exactly the deal with the A57. As a device expected to be the source of entertainment, the A57 features a 6.56-inch Colour-Rich Display with a 96% NTSC color gamut, something you’ll appreciate most when playing games or streaming videos.
As someone who spends a significant amount of time watching videos, specifically on YouTube and Netflix, having such big and quality displays definitely makes such activities all the more enjoyable.
One thing I did notice, however, was that its screen tends to attract a lot of dust and particles that stick to its surface.
Processor:
In order to meet the productivity and entertainment needs, OPPO equipped the A57 with the MediaTek Helio G35 Processor, a fast octa-core chipset with an efficient 12nm design, for consistent and reliable performance. The A57 has 4GB + 64GB of memory and supports 1TB of external memory expansion, as well.
Aside from having the capabilities to support gaming and entertainment, I was impressed by how much heavy multitasking the A57 can endure without suffering a dip in its performance; from taking pictures, following Google Maps, searching for places to eat, scrolling through social media and listening to music, to name a few, I was amazed by how resilient the A57 remained throughout constant usage during my Bangkok trip.
Battery:
As mentioned earlier, one of OPPO’s points of emphasis for the A57 is having a battery with higher capacities in order to support your needs– whether work or play –with long-lasting power. In support of its massive 5000mAh battery is its 33W SUPERVOOC super-fast charging technology, which can completely recharge the device in a mere 72 minutes. Both its overall battery capacity and its fast-charge ultimately allow you to enjoy more and worry less.
And if those aspects weren’t more than satisfactory already, there are a multitude of supporting features to help in maximizing your battery’s life span. Among those is the Super Nighttime Standby, an AI mode that learns sleeping patterns to know when to minimize power consumption.
To say OPPO put emphasis on a power-packed battery would now be an understatement.
Especially as a device expected to be put into constant and heavy usage, being equipped with a capable battery makes such a huge difference. What I appreciated most is that not only does it have a power-packed battery, but activities such as multitasking, gaming and watching videos don’t drain the battery at an alarming rate.
Walking around Bangkok for hours, I was delighted that the A57 still had enough battery to last despite all-day usage, which was a huge plus because either I didn’t need to carry a bulky power bank around or I could use its charge for other essentials, such as my pocket wifi.
Sound & Volume:
Not only is the A57 built to merely meet entertainment needs, but to add quality and excitement to it, too.
In order to generate more power and, consequently, have higher volume outputs (85dB), OPPO equipped the A57 with Ultra-Linear Stereo Speakers for that extra oomph. While for those who want to take it up a notch, Ultra Volume Mode allows you to increase the volume even further.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that its Ultra Volume Mode made such a significant increase, but what I did like was that it retained its audio quality throughout the volume spectrum.
As someone who primarily uses headphones, I honestly wouldn’t be able to fully appreciate the A57’s sounds to the fullest. Nonetheless, its speakers are still an excellent pair with its large display, truly making the entertainment experience as immersive as possible.
Camera:
Located at the top left of the rear side are 2 cameras: a 13MP main camera and an 8MP Bokeh camera. Meanwhile, centered above the screen is its 8MP front camera. Adding to the A57’s versatility are many Nightscape filters at your disposal, such as Cyberpunk, Cosmopolitan and Dazzle Nightscape, for when you want to let your creative side out. For those avid selfie-takers, too, is AI Portrait Retouching for its front camera. The A57 also has Flash Snapshot, which helps in reducing shaky images.
Using the A57 to snap pictures around Bangkok was a treat, as its cameras delivered fairly vibrant and detailed photos. The many features and filters also made it all the more fun to play around with.
Verdict:
Addressing everyday needs and productivity has been made more budget-friendly with OPPO’s A57, as its vast display, respectable processor, power-packed battery and decent camera, among others, make the A57 a device to be reckoned with.
