For many years, OPPO has built its name around affordable smartphones. Now with a growing number of premium offerings in its portfolio, it still makes some of the best-selling entry-level devices in markets like the Philippines. Their latest release, the OPPO A3, is expected to become another hit much like the device’s predecessors.
Interested to know if it’s the entry-level smartphone you should get? In our OPPO A3 review, we’ll explore what it has to offer and see if it’s worth your money.
OPPO A3 Specs
- Android 14, ColorOS 14
- Dual SIM, Dual standby
- 6.67-inch HD+ IPS display, 1602 x 720 pixel resolution, ~264ppi
- 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate
- 1000-nit peak brightness
- Panda Glass
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 1 octa-core processor
- 6GB RAM
- Adreno 610 GPU
- 128GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
- 5-megapixel front camera
- 50-megapixel (f/1.8, AF) + Flicker sensor rear cameras, LED flash
- MIL-STD-810H, IP54 dust and splash resistant
- Fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
- HSPA+, 4G LTE
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
- Bluetooth 5.0
- GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS
- 360-degree NFC
- USB-C
- Dimensions: 165.77 x 76.08 x 7.68mm
- Weight: 186g
- Colors: Sparkle Black, Starry Purple
- 5,100mAh non-removable battery, 45W SUPERVOOC charging
Design and Build Quality
OPPO is making a big deal about the OPPO A3’s rugged durability. The company claims it has Military-Grade Shock Resistance as it received MIL-STD-810H certification — a certification we’ve also seen on a bunch of phones before, but rarely on a device at this price segment.
In theory, it should be able to withstand accidental drops and tumbles better than most of its competition. Still, don’t deliberately drop it as it may still break, especially if it lands on tough surfaces or on its sides.
While I didn’t have the heart to drop test this phone, I did our standard light bend tests to check the frame’s rigidity, and I found that it’s indeed sturdier than most phones I’ve tested at this price. No squeaks or cracking noise that can cause an alarm.
I also like the design of the free case, which reminds us of a rugged suitcase. I liked using it not only because it did a great job protecting the screen and the cameras on the back, but due to how it contributed positively to the overall aesthetics of the device.
Speaking of aesthetics, the review unit I got is called Starlight White. The design is immaculate and looks very clean, with fingerprint marks and smudges barely noticeable even on its shiny, glass-like surface.
There are glitters that shimmer subtly as they react to light. Even the camera island, while taking a substantial amount of space, still looks elegant and barely adds a bump so you can lay the phone flat on any surface.
The frame has a matching gray hue, which compliments the overall design. It’s flat, like most phones today, but the edges have been smoothened out to remove the sharpness that would’ve been very uncomfortable to the hands.
It is also very thin at only 7.68mm and weighs around 186g. If an easy-to-carry, comfortable, and durable daily driver is at the top of your list, the OPPO A3 definitely checks that.
Taking a tour, we have the 6.67-inch IPS display on the front, with a punch-hole for the selfie camera. The thickness of the bezels is acceptable for a non-OLED screen.
The left side has a long SIM tray that can hold two nano SIM cards and a microSD card.
Left side has the volume controls and the power/lock button that doubles as the fingerprint scanner. The buttons feel incredibly well-made, clicky, and tactile — an attention to detail we rarely see on a device at this price.
The top is clean, while the bottom has the USB-C, microphone, bottom-firing loudspeaker, and the 3.5mm headphone jack for those who still use it.
On the back, we have two large lenses for the 50-megapixel camera and the flicker sensor. We also got the LED flash back here.
Display and Audio
The OPPO A3 has a 6.67-inch HD+ IPS display with a 1602 x 720 pixel resolution, ~264ppi, 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, and a bright 1,000 nits of peak brightness.
Display quality is fine. It’s not bad, but not stellar either. It gets the job done, and that’s all you need for the price. The extra brightness makes outside visibility better, the colors are decent, and the contrast is typical.
It has an adaptive refresh rate that can be set down to 60Hz depending on the task at hand. But due to the underwhelming processor (more on that later), I chose to have it on 90Hz all the time, so things feel a little smoother.
Widevine L1 support is here, so you can stream in HD on Netflix and Prime Video. Speaking of streaming, it would’ve been nice to see stereo speakers on this thing. Still, just like the display, the single bottom-firing loudspeaker only offers decent performance. Clarity is obviously not the best, but the bass is there. The 300% volume boost mode is a nice addition, but the standard 100% mode — at least for me — is already loud enough.
Hardware and Performance
Powering the OPPO A3 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 6s Gen 1 octa-core processor, with 6GB RAM, 128GB of storage, and an Adreno 610 GPU. Definitely not the fastest chip for the price, and it shows in benchmarks and everyday tasks.
OPPO A3 Benchmark Scores
The performance of the A3, to put it plain and simple, is laggy. Opening apps takes some time, refreshing news feeds is sluggish, taking pictures is quite slow, and more.
While the device excels in some areas, it’s absolutely lacking in terms of day-to-day performance.
Let’s head to gaming. Call of Duty Mobile, one of the most optimized games for Android, ran fine under Medium settings. Expect occasional frame drops and slight overheating, but overall, the game was playable. PUBG Mobile also ran fine on Smooth/Medium, although there are some lags if there are plenty of players on screen.
Farlight84 was also playable using Smooth/Low settings, as long as you’re patient with it. Mobile Legends fans will be glad to know that the OPPO A3 handled the title well under High/Ultra. Asphalt Legends Unite was also smooth under High Quality.
Unsurprisingly, Genshin Impact is barely playable, even in the lowest settings. It quickly heats up, too. The bottom line is, the OPPO A3 is not built for hardcore gamers. Casual gaming, sure, but if you plan on playing for hours, rank up, or love demanding titles — this is not the phone for you.
| Game | Graphics Settings |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Medium • Frame Rate: Medium |
| Farlight84 | • Graphics Quality: Smooth • Frame Rate: Low |
| PUBG Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Smooth • Frame Rate: Medium |
| Genshin Impact | • Graphics Quality: Lowest (Default) |
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | • Graphics Quality: High • Frame Rate: Ultra • HD Mode: On |
| Asphalt Legends Unite | • Visual Quality: High Quality |
Software and User Interface
The OPPO A3 runs on Android 14 operating system with ColorOS 14.0. OPPO’s interface is one of the most polished and well-developed in the market. This means that it easily beats other budget phones when it comes to software. Unsurprisingly, it lacks the AI features found on the new Reno series like the Reno12 F 5G and Reno12 Pro.
One annoyance I did notice are the bloatware. There are a bunch of games and other programs that were used to be just suggestions, but after a few days, it started to download and take space from the storage. They can be deleted, though, but can still be a hassle.
Phone Manager is a handy app that scans your system and lets you optimize it with a press of a button. Storage Clean Up also does the same with your storage by removing junk to free up space.
Hyperboost is also a nice feature, which can optimize any game while you’re playing. You can pick between Balanced Mode, Low Power Mode, and Pro Gamer Mode. You can also block notifications, optimize your network, start a screen recording, and more.
The OPPO A3 utilizes both face unlock and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for biometric security. They work fine, but not that fast.
Most-used apps like the Camera app are easy to use and straightforward. The Google Keyboard was also used as a default keyboard. Although, I’m not a big fan of the default Filipino layout with the letter Ñ dedicated key, which leads to a lot of typos. But, it can be easily changed in the settings.
Still, there’s no denying that OPPO nailed the UI and software on this budget phone, something that other budget-centric brands are struggling with on their phones.
Cameras
The OPPO A3 has a 50-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture, a flicker sensor, and a 5-megapixel selfie snapper on the front. It saves photos at 12.5-megapixel by default and comes with Dual-View video, 2x zoom button, and 50MP Hi-Res photo mode.
Image quality from the OPPO A3 is actually good, considering the price tag. The colors may not be great, but definitely decent for the price. Contrast is also expressive, details and sharpness are passable, and the dynamic range is fine. I just think that it noticeably overprocesses the skies in some shots.
Low-light shots look decent, too. Just make sure you take the time to take the photo as it could easily look blurry and have ruined contrast if you mov quickly.
The 5-megapixel front-facing camera, as expected, doesn’t take the sharpest selfies. Still, the shots are decent and should be more than enough for video calls. Just make sure you disable the face beauty modes, so the sharpness and details doesn’t get worse.
Battery and Charging
The OPPO A3 has a 5,100mAh battery, marginally bigger than the usual 5,000mAh capacity we usually see in most phones today. OPPO claims that the battery can retain at least 80% of its battery health even after 4 years.
Sadly, the battery performance was below average. PCMark’s battery test loops different workload until the battery drops from 100% to 20%. I ran it with the WiFi and Bluetooth off and the screen brightness and volume at 50%. It lasted 12 hours and 4 minutes in that test, which is below the average score I get of around 14 hours and 30 minutes.
I then ran our 1080p YouTube Video Loop Test at 50% brightness and volume, in full screen mode, until the battery went from 100% to 1%. The device only lasted 11 hours and 42 minutes, which is below the average score I get of around 15 hours.
Charging is done via OPPO’s 45W SUPERVOOC Flash Charge adapter, easily one of the fastest chargers you can get for the price. In our test, a quick 15-minute charge provides 0-15% charge. A full charge took about 1 hour 35 minutes, which is good for an entry-level phone.
- 15mins: 0-15%
- 30mins: 35%
- 45mins: 52%
- 1hr: 71%
- 1hr 15mins: 88%
- 1hr 35mins: 100%
Verdict
The OPPO A3’s clean and sturdy design, unique and eye-catching case, bright display, polished user interface, fast charging, and speedy charging make it a good daily driver that should last you for years.
Again, what sets the OPPO A3 apart from the usual budget smartphones is its military-grade shock resistance with MIL-STD-810H certification. It’s also resistant to multiple types of liquid, as OPPO claims that it can handle splashes of soup, tea, or even oil. These kinds of durability features are not usually offered in entry-level smartphone, so it’s kinda on the A3.
Still, it suffers from the same problems as its predecessors. OPPO’s poor chipset choice still makes the A3 lag behind the competition in terms of day-to-day and gaming performance. I’m also not a big fan of the bloatware and wish the battery life lasts longer.
Bottomline is, the OPPO A3’s mature software and reliable build quality make it a good daily driver for a lot of people who want a durable smartphone and don’t do resource intensive tasks. But for users who want the most performance they can get for the money, I would highly suggest looking at its competitors instead.
OPPO A3 pricing and availability in the Philippines
The OPPO A3, which has a single 6GB/128GB configuration option, has a price of Php8,999 in the Philippines and is available on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop. You can also get it at Home Credit for as low as Php1,079 per month and through credit cards at 0% interest for a 6-month installment plan.
If you want something cheaper, you can check out the OPPO A3x. It essentially has the same specs, but with a downgraded camera and lower RAM and storage with a starting price of Php5,499.
Pros
- Clean and sturdy design, stylish free case
- MIL-STD-810H certification
- Polished and easy-to-use interface
- Good main and selfie cameras
- Speedy 45W charging
Cons
- Competition offers better performance
- Annoying bloatware
- Below average battery