Mid-range phones can make a great case for folks keen to spend less than a grand, but if you want well under that, there are budget models, too, which is where Oppo has another.
Try as we like, we don’t always have a lot of money to spend on a new phone. Mobiles can sure get expensive, and you only need to look at the flagship offerings to see that. But upgrades exist where you don’t necessarily need to spend up big, and if you’re buying something new for someone who doesn’t the need the best whiz bang model, there are also options that can satisfy.
There are plenty of choices in the mid-range, offering a phone for under a thousand easily, but more typically to the tune of between $300 and $700. But that still can be too much.
What if you’re looking for something under $250?
If you find yourself in this category, there are a few options, and there may also be another, as Oppo sets another A-series model for folks who don’t want to spend too much on a phone.
The latest A-series is the Oppo A18, a phone sporting a sizeable 6.56 inch screen and a big 5000mAh battery, more or less suggesting two day of life should be possible. It’ll get a 90Hz screen that Oppo calls a “Sunlight Display”, which basically means it can boost the brightness for when you’re outdoors, helping you to see what’s on-screen without needing to seek out shade, as can be the case with other phones. It’s HD+ only (1612×720), but it will brighten up to help you see things under the Australian sun (or the sun in any other part of the world, for that matter).
A MediaTek Helio G85 will power the phone, as will Android with Oppo’s ColorOS, and there are two cameras on the back, but in fairness, only one of those is actually useful. Between the 8 megapixel main camera and 2 megapixel bokeh camera, you’ll only really be able to tap into the first, with the 2 megapixel there to capture backgrounds and blur them in portrait mode.
Worth noting is that an 8 megapixel main camera isn’t a high-end model by any stretch of the imagination, and neither is the 5 megapixel camera at the front, either.
However, Oppo’s price may provide the balance budget buyers are looking for, with the A18 being made available for $219 in Australia, under the $250 mark for a phone sporting a big screen and big battery.
For the price, buyers can expect 128GB storage with a microSD slot to improve it more, though the specs make it clear you’re getting a budget phone.
Between the HD+ screen and meagre megapixels in the camera, the Oppo A18 is not a flagship by any stretch of the imagination. But for the price, it also doesn’t need to be.
“With its sleek design, powerful features, and enhanced camera capabilities, the A18 marks the next evolution in our mission to redefine the mid-range smartphone experience and bring further value to our users,” said Michael Tran, Managing Director for Oppo Australia.
Tran’s comment aside, the Oppo A18 seems set as a budget phone rather than one of the many mid-range models, where Oppo already has a few more to choose from including the $369 A79.
But given those models tend to cost over $300, it’s always interesting to see what companies can deliver for under that price, and the A18 is definitely suited there.
