OPPO is one of the most well-known brands in the midrange category. They know what the mainstream market wants and make sure that their new releases — including the new OPPO A78 5G — have them.
Long battery life, speed, design and durability, and camera quality. These are just some of the main things that people care about a smartphone. Does OPPO’s latest midranger cover those bases well? We find out in our OPPO A78 5G full review.
OPPO A78 5G Specs
- Android 13, ColorOS 13
- Dual SIM, Dual standby
- 6.56-inch HD+ IPS display, 1612 x 720 pixel resolution, 269ppi
- 90Hz refresh rate
- Panda Glass
- 2.2GHz MediaTek Dimensity 700 octa-core processor
- 8GB RAM
- Mali-G57 MC2 GPU
- 128GB internal storage, expandable via microSD
- 8-megapixel front camera
- 50-megapixel (f/1.8, AF) + monochrome rear cameras, LED flash
- Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Face unlock
- Stereo speakers, Headphone jack
- HSPA+, 4G LTE, 5G
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band
- Bluetooth 5.3
- GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS, BDS
- NFC
- USB Type-C
- Dimensions: 163.8 x 75.1 x 7.99mm
- Weight: 188g
- Colors: Glowing Purple, Glowing Black
- 5,000mAh non-removable battery, 33W SUPERVOOC charging
Design and Build Quality
The OPPO A78 5G shares a similar look with other OPPO devices like the Reno8 T 4G and Reno8 T 5G. It looks fairly clean while also being eye-catching.
On the back, there’s the similar layout to the Reno8 T 5G with two rounded lenses for the cameras and the LED flash, highlighted by a long and glossy finish which is a fingerprint magnet.
The rest of the back panel has a shiny paint job that shimmers with light. Unlike the glossy area near the camera, this one is safe from pesky fingerprint marks. If you like to keep it clean, you can use the free clear case on the box, which is pretty slim and barely adds bulk to the handset.
A continuing trend on today’s phones is flat edges, which the A78 5G also has. It provides a decent grip and looks really clean. It’s also part of the main chassis, which feels really sturdy.
At 7.99mm and 188g, it’s as thin and as light as most phones on the market today. Nothing special there.
On the front, there’s the usual 6.56-inch display with a waterdrop notch for the selfie camera. At this price point, we should already be getting a punch-hole cutout for the camera, which gives a more premium look.
OPPO pre-installed a screen protector, so you don’t have to worry about the screen for a while. Plus, it boasts an IPX4 rating for being splash resistant. This means it will survive accidental water spills, but don’t try submerging it in water.
On the left side, there’s the hybrid SIM tray that can accommodate either two nano SIMs or have the second one hold a microSD card.
Below it is the volume controls that feel well-made and tactile without the loud clicky sound. The lock/power button is located on the right side. It works fine, but I wish it protruded just a bit more, so it’s much easier to press.
The top is clean while at the bottom we have the loudspeaker, USB-C port, microphone, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Overall, we’re fine with the looks of the OPPO A78 5G. It looks elegant and attractive, although going with a waterdrop notch instead of a punch-hole kinda makes it look outdated. The build is solid, though, and it should stand the test of time.
Display and Sound Quality
The OPPO A78 5G has a 6.56-inch HD+ display with a 1612 x 720 pixel resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. There’s no better way to say it, but going with an HD+ resolution for a device at this price is really disappointing.
On the upside, the 90Hz refresh rate was a nice inclusion, but it’s something that’s already expected by now.
Overall, the display quality, while lacking in sharpness, is passable. The high refresh rate makes the interface feel smooth, but not on a lot of apps. The screen also beams enough brightness for outdoor use.
The sound quality from the stereo speakers is great with a really loud volume made possible by OPPO’s 200% feature. Clarity is obviously not the best but voices are clear enough for watching vlogs, while the bass is audible for music videos.
Hardware and Performance
The OPPO A78 5G runs on a MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor, a disappointing choice considering the price and age of this chip. It is paired with a Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of expandable storage.
OPPO A78 5G benchmark scores
Being one of the most tried and tested chips in the market, the Dimensity 700 was able to provide reliable performance on the A78 5G. Taking pictures was seamless, browsing the UI is smooth, and scrolling through social media feeds was hassle-free.
You can also run 4-5 apps in the background without having to worry about any of them closing down when you get back to them.
The gaming performance was also good, but definitely not the best. The Graphics Quality for Call of Duty Mobile is capped at Medium with the Frame Rate set at High. Under those settings, the game ran smoothly without any noticeable lags or substantial frame drops. Overheating is not an issue, either.
Other games like Mobile Legends, LoL Wild Rift, and PUBG Mobile ran well. As expected, it’s struggling with more demanding games like Genshin Impact, but it’s still playable.
Software and User Interface
The OPPO A78 5G comes with the latest Android 13-based ColorOS 13 user interface. The UI’s overall look is still similar to previous versions, but now with added features to go with the latest Android iteration.
It offers customization features that let users pick between pre-installed wallpapers and themes. Font sizes and styles, icon configurations, and more are also available.
For a better multitasking experience, the A78 5G has split screen mode and flexible windows that run apps in a floating window. We also love the gesture navigation, which is really seamless on a screen like this. But if you want that classic Android feel, you can enable the classic three-button navigation.
As a standard, the OPPO A78 5G uses Google Keyboard by default, which is comfortable and really easy to use. The camera app, a feature a lot of people will use most of the time, is intuitive and straightforward.
Overall, the interface really complements the hardware. It’s also modern, so you can enjoy the latest features Android has to offer.
Camera
The OPPO A78 5G boasts a sharp 50-megapixel main camera joined by an auxiliary monochrome sensor. An 8-megapixel selfie camera sits on the front.
Image quality is definitely not the best, but it’s still enough for social media. The colors are a little off with a bizarre warm tone and there is some oversharpening in the details. Contrast is decent and the dynamic range is passable.
Low-light shots are really bad with a lot of noise and grains, even when the night mode is enabled.
The 8-megapixel selfie camera has enough sharpness and produces decent skin tones, but the quality suffers indoors with a noticeable drop in details.
Cameras are definitely not the strongest feature of the OPPO A78 5G. Nevertheless, the disappointing camera hardware can still be salvaged with good camera software. Let’s wait and see if OPPO improves it in the future.
Connectivity
As the name suggests, the OPPO A78 5G has 5G connectivity, as well as HSPA+ and 4G LTE — all worked fine during our time with it.
Also onboard are dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.3, USB Type-C, and as a cherry on top, NFC. We tested all of them and there were no issues.
Battery
The OPPO A78 5G has a 5,000mAh battery — quite standard on most phones in this price range.
As usual, we ran PCMark’s battery test with the screen brightness and volume set to 50%, and the WiFi and Bluetooth turned off. Under those conditions, the device lasted for 14 hours and 47 minutes before dropping from 100% to 20%.
That’s pretty good and around the average of the scores were getting in other similarly priced devices. In real-world use, the A78 5G can last you for about a day and a half of casual web browsing and watching videos. But if you play games a lot or binge-watch the whole day, you might need to charge it before going to sleep.
Speaking of charging, one of its strongest features is the 33W SUPERVOOC charging. In our tests, charging from 20% in 30 minutes took us to 75%, another 20 minutes and we’re at 98%. A full charge took less than an hour.
Verdict
At Php14,999, there’s really not a lot to like about the A78 5G. For the money you’d be paying, you should already get an FHD+ display, a more modern CPU, and much better camera quality.
Still, the A78 5G was able to provide good performance. It’s pretty decent as a daily driver because of its comfortable build, smooth display, good battery life, fast charging, and loud stereo speakers.
But is it the best smartphone you can get for the price? Definitely not.
OPPO A78 5G price and availability in the Philippines
The OPPO A78 5G is available in the Philippines for a price of Php14,999. You can get it at the brand’s official stores in Shopee, Lazada, and through physical shops nationwide.
Pros
- Attractive, solid build
- Smooth 90Hz refresh rate
- Loud stereo speakers
- Good battery life, fast charging
Cons
- Low HD+ resolution
- Camera quality could be better