if you’re the type who tends to drop your phone or mishandle it, OPPO’s latest budget smartphone, the OPPO A3, might be perfect for you. This phone comes with a military-grade shock resistance and multi-liquid protection, making it one of the most durable budget phones out there.
To be honest, I’m not exactly clumsy, and I rarely drop my phone. In fact, during the almost two months I’ve been using the OPPO A3, I haven’t dropped it even once. But as I mentioned in my first impressions article, we did perform durability tests during the pre-briefing, and I even posted a Facebook reel showing the tests.
But beyond its durability, how does the OPPO A3 perform in other areas? In this article, I’ll share my full review and overall experience with this budget phone.
Display and Multimedia Experience
Let’s start with the display. The OPPO A3 features a 6.67-inch IPS LCD screen with an HD+ resolution. While it’s not the sharpest or most high-quality display compared to other smartphones, the experience it offers is what you’d expect from a budget phone.
However, the display is quite vibrant, so I’m confident that you’ll enjoy watching videos or browsing the web on this phone, especially if it’s your first smartphone. It also supports up to 1,000 nits of max brightness, which makes the screen easy to read even when used outdoors in bright sunlight.
Additionally, the phone has a 90Hz refresh rate, providing smooth browsing and gaming. While I would’ve preferred a 120Hz refresh rate for an even smoother experience, the 90Hz is decent enough, especially considering this is a budget-friendly device.
One standout feature I appreciate is the Ultra Volume Mode, which boosts the phone’s volume up to 300%. Plus, there’s still a 3.5mm headphone jack, which is great news for those who still prefer using wired earphones.
Performance
Now, onto performance. There’s been some talk that the OPPO A3’s performance is a bit underwhelming for its price point, but for me, it’s enough for casual users who primarily use their phones for communication, entertainment, and light gaming.Â
That said, I wish OPPO had used a more powerful chipset instead of the 4nm Snapdragon 6s Gen 1. A better chipset could have boosted this phone’s overall performance. The upside, however, is that the A3 passed the 50/36-month fluency protection test, meaning its performance should remain smooth even after extended use.
The OPPO A3 comes with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The unit I tested was the 8GB/256GB variant, and so far, I’ve had no issues with multitasking or storage.
However, this variant’s price is a bit high for a budget phone, as you could potentially get a decent mid-range phone in the same price range.Â
The phone runs ColorOS 14 based on Android 14, which isn’t too heavy despite the presence of bloatware (which can be uninstalled). I’ve already received a few software and security updates, but it’s unclear how many major updates this phone will get in the future.
Since the chipset isn’t the most powerful, you might experience some FPS drops during gaming. I tried playing Mobile Legends and Call of Duty: Mobile, and they were playable, but when it came to more demanding games like Genshin Impact, the phone struggled. So, it’s best suited for lighter games.
In terms of benchmarks, the OPPO A3 scored 6,586 on PCMark Work 3.0 and 252,099 on the AnTuTu Benchmark. These scores are relatively low for its price range, especially when compared to other budget smartphones that now offer significantly higher benchmark results at similar price points.
Camera
The OPPO A3’s cameras deliver decent image quality. The 50MP main camera produces vibrant and sharp photos. Even the front camera performs well, although I found the shadow processing a bit lacking and the contrast slightly high, but overall, the camera is good for a budget phone.
I was pleasantly surprised by the camera’s quality, considering this is a budget device. It’s not like other budget phones that often have poor-quality cameras, so kudos to OPPO for this. Of course, it doesn’t quite match the quality of mid-range phones, so it’s important to manage expectations.
The phone can record videos at 1080p@30fps, which is sufficient for casual shooting. However, there’s no stabilization, so videos may appear shaky—but this is expected from a budget phone.
Camera modes include photo, video, pro, panorama, night, hi-res, portrait, slo-mo, time-lapse, dual-view video, sticker, and text scanner.
Here are some sample photos taken with the OPPO A3:
Battery
One of the strongest features of the OPPO A3 is its long battery life. With a 5,100mAh battery, you can expect plenty of juice, especially since the phone uses a power-efficient chipset and has an HD+ resolution display. While I couldn’t provide a reliable battery benchmark (the test failed several times), I can confidently say that this phone can last you a full day or more on a single charge.
The phone also supports 45W SUPERVOOC fast charging, which allows you to fully charge the device in around an hour. This is pretty good for a budget phone, offering fast charging at a reasonable price.
Conclusion
Overall, the OPPO A3 is a great option for those looking for a durable budget phone. It may not offer the most powerful performance, but it’s capable of handling light gaming and everyday tasks. The camera quality is decent for its price, and the battery life is impressive. I’d recommend this phone to users like employees, students, or delivery riders who are on a budget but need a reliable phone that can last for years. It’s also a solid choice for kids who tend to be less careful with their phones, thanks to its durability.
OPPO A3 SpecificationsÂ
- Display:Â 6.67-inch LCD, HD+ resolution, 90Hz refresh rate, 1,000nits max brightness
- CPU:Â 6nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen1
- GPU:Â Adreno 610
- RAM:Â 6GB LPDDR4X
- ROM:Â 128GB eMMC 5.1, expandable via microSD card slot
- Rear Camera:Â 50MP + Auxiliary lens + LED flash
- Front Camera:Â 5MP
- Battery:Â 5,100mAh, 45W SUPERVOOC charging
- OS:Â ColorOS 14, Android 14
- Connectivity:Â 2.4GHz & 5GHz WiFi, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, Hybrid SIM (nano), NFC
- Sensors:Â Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope
- Colors:Â Amber Orange, Olive Green
- Weight:Â 186g
- Dimensions: 165.77mm (H) × 76.08mm (W) x 7.68mm (D)
- Others:Â Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, AI face unlock, USB-C, military-grade shock resistance, multi-liquid protection
Price and availability
- 6GB/128GB – PHP 8,999 | Shopee link | Lazada link
- 8GB/128GB – PHP 9,999 | Shopee link | Lazada link
- 8GB/256GB – PHP 11,999 | Shopee link | Lazada link
The OPPO A3 is now available starting at just PHP 8,999! You can grab yours at any authorized OPPO reseller or through their official stores on Shopee and Lazada.
