OPPO A53 Review. in depth review for you

OPPO has made significant progress in the premium mid-range market by releasing appealing smartphones with robust specifications. In the inexpensive market, however, the company has not had the same success, frequently losing out to its own progeny Realme. We've seen phones like the Realme 6i, which earned a name for itself as one of the cheapest phones with a 90Hz display earlier this year. OPPO is now attempting to compete with its own 90Hz phone, the OPPO A53.

The OPPO A53 is a low-cost smartphone that starts at Rs 10,990. The device's key selling point is that it has a 90Hz screen. A punch-hole display, a 13MP triple camera array, Snapdragon 460 SoC, and a 5,000mAh battery round out the features of the OPPO A53. But, at Rs 10,990, does the OPPO A53 offer enough value to compete with the Realme 6i, Redmi Note 9, and other budget phones?

The OPPO A53 is obviously promoting the 90Hz display, which is the most crucial feature here. Despite the smoothness of the display, the HD+ resolution leaves you wanting more. Everything else about the OPPO A53 is decent, but not great.3

OPPO A53 FULL SPECIFICATIONS

OPPO A53 review: Design and display

The OPPO A53 may not be as appealing as the F17 Pro, but it appears to be a good value for money. In fact, it looks a lot like its Realme-branded siblings. The front panel has a hole-punch display, and the back panel is curved and glossy. The phone is available in three colours: Electric Black, Fairy White, and Fancy Blue. The Fairy White option, which looks exquisite and classy, was sent to us for review. Any fingerprints or smudges that would be visible on the other two alternatives will be hidden by the colour.

A fingerprint sensor and a rectangle camera module with three sensors and an LED flash are located on the back panel. At the bottom, there's a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Type-C port, and a single speaker grille. Two nano-SIM cards and a microSD card can be used in the phone's triple card slot.

The OPPO A53 feels comfortable in the hand and isn't overly weighty at 186 grammes. The side buttons are firm and have a great clicky feel to them. The majority of operations can be completed with one hand, although you will need to alter your hold on occasion to reach the top of the screen.

The 6.5-inch HD+ (1,600 x 720) display on the OPPO A53 has an 89.2 percent screen ratio. The display's hallmark is its 90Hz refresh rate, which ensures a pleasant scrolling experience. Although the high refresh rate looks fantastic, we encountered stutters while scrolling, which appears to be a chipset issue.

While the fast refresh rate is appealing, the HD+ resolution is not. Because phones with FHD+ resolution are now available for less Rs 10,000, the OPPO A53's 720p limitation has an impact on the viewing experience. Videos and text won't be as sharp, but the colours on the screen will be OK. However, we were pleased to see that stereo speakers are supported, which enhances the experience of watching movies and playing games on the phone.

OPPO A53 review: Camera

The cameras on the OPPO A53 aren't particularly impressive, at least not in this price range. A 2MP macro lens and a 2MP depth sensor complement the 13MP primary camera. The phone lacks a wide-angle lens, which we believe would have been a better alternative than a 2MP macro lens. Anyone who has used an OPPO or Realme smartphone will be familiar with the camera app. HDR, Dazzle Color, portrait mode, AI beautifying, and other features are available.

The 13MP primary camera can take passable photos in daytime, but don't expect them to be particularly sharp or detailed. We also noticed that without AI Dazzle Color, colours were washed out. Although the system does not drastically increase colours, you will be able to capture somewhat better hues with the setting enabled. When compared to photographs taken without HDR mode, the dynamic range is adequate, and it improves the highlights and shadows.

Even in clear daylight, we found the camera shutter speed to be quite slow, resulting in blurry shots more often than we would have preferred. The 2MP macro lens performs as well as can be expected. Close-up shots will appear noisier than ordinary close-up photos taken with the primary camera, so it's best to utilise it when there's lots of light around. The OPPO A53 lacks a dedicated Night Mode, which is surprising given that practically every other rival in this price range does. The OPPO A53's night shots are gloomy and noisy without a low-light setting.

In daylight, the 16MP selfie camera captures selfies with excellent colour reproduction and skin tones. Selfies aren't extremely detailed, but they're good for posting on social media, especially if the AI beautification doesn't smooth the skin out too much. The selfie portrait option performs a poor job of subject separation, and the algorithm oversharpens the image unnecessarily.

OPPO A53 review: Performance and software

OPPO's decision to use the Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 chipset was also unusual. In a market flooded with phones powered by MediaTek Helio G90T, Snapdragon 720G, and other low-cost processors, the cheap CPU doesn't really stand out. The OPPO A53 performs poorly on benchmarking platforms such as Geekbench and AnTuTu, so you'll have to set your expectations low when it comes to performance.

Although opening apps can feel sluggish, the smartphone can handle basic day-to-day chores like messaging and social media browsing without issue. We were sent the 4GB RAM model for review, which can slow down multitasking and switching between programmes. The 6GB RAM option may be more useful, but it costs Rs 13,990, a price at which far more powerful alternatives are available.

On medium graphics, the OPPO A53 can run games like PUBG and Call of Duty Mobile. We tested PUBG on both Smooth + High and Balanced + Medium graphical settings (before it was banned). While the images aren't crystal clear and the actions aren't silky smooth, we found the gameplay to be enjoyable. Along the way, there were a few lags and stutters, but that's to be anticipated with this chipset. After a 30-minute session, the phone became slightly warm.

The stereo speakers on the OPPO A53 come in handy once again, especially when playing games. It enhances the immersion of the experience and gives the phone a competitive advantage over its competitors in this market. Although the speakers may become pretty loud, they aren't the cleanest or finest sounding in the sector. A 3.5mm headphone port is also included for wired listening.

The OPPO A53 runs ColorOS 7.2, which is based on Android 10, and our unit had the August security patch installed. ColorOS includes a system-wide night mode and significantly less bloatware than previous versions. The UI looks sleeker and easier to browse with less pre-loaded apps. Swiping up brings up the app drawer, while swiping right brings up Google's Discover feed.

OPPO A53 review: Battery Life

The OPPO A53 has a good 5,000mAh battery that can last all day even when used heavily. We define heavy usage as continuous messaging, a couple hours of social media surfing, and an hour or two of gaming or video streaming. On a single charge, we got an average of 5 hours of screen time, which was really good. The OPPO A53 lasted an amazing 15 hours in our PCMark battery test.

In the box, you'll get an 18W fast charger that will charge the device from zero to 100 percent in about 2 hours and 45 minutes. It isn't the quickest charging device we've seen in this category.

OPPO A53 review: Verdict

In India, the OPPO A53 starts at Rs. 10,990. As of Sep 17, 2021, it is available for the lowest price on Croma in India.

In the sub-Rs 15,000 sector, the OPPO A53 confronts stiff competition. Phones like the Realme 6i, Redmi Note 9 Pro, and others provide a well-rounded experience, with strong performance, respectable cameras, FHD+ displays, and long battery life. In comparison to its competitors, the OPPO A53 falls short in key aspects. It has an HD+ display, a Snapdragon 460 SoC that isn't particularly impressive, and an acceptable set of cameras.

In our opinion, there are two compelling reasons to purchase the OPPO A53: the 90Hz display and dual speakers. The former provides a fluid scrolling experience and is visually appealing, however it is hampered by a low screen resolution. The latter makes watching movies and playing video games a joy. If these two qualities are important to you, the OPPO A53 is a good choice. However, if you evaluate what the competition has to offer, you'll get more bang for your buck.