Samsung is definitely the biggest name in the Android smartphone world. This South Korean brand’s claim to fame is their flagship line — the Galaxy Note 8 and the new Galaxy S9 series.
But to appeal to the emerging markets like the Philippines, Samsung has to come up with budget-friendly smartphones. That’s the reason why we have devices like the Galaxy J2 Pro.
However, the competition in the entry-level smartphone market is quite stiff. And in the Galaxy J2 Pro’s case, it’s going head-to-head against other handsets like the OPPO A71 (2018). Both are under the Php8k price range and launched at the early stages of 2018.
The question is, between the two, who will offer better value for the money? Well, that’s what we’re about to figure out.
| OPPO A71 2018 | Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Android 7.1 Nougat ColorOS 3.2 | Android 7.1 Nougat Samsung Experience |
| SIM | Dual SIM Dual Standby Nano SIM format | Dual SIM Dual Standby micro SIM format |
| Display | 5.2-inch HD IPS LCD display 1280 x 720 pixel resolution ~282ppi | 5-inch Super AMOLED qHD display 960 x 540 pixel resolution Corning Gorilla Glass 4 ~220ppi |
| Processor | 1.8GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 | 1.4 GHz quad-core Qualcomm MSM8917 Snapdragon 425 |
| RAM | 2GB | 1.5GB |
| GPU | Adreno 506 | Adreno 308 |
| Storage | 16GB internal expandable via microSD up to 256GB | 16GB internal expandable via microSD up to 256GB |
| Front camera | 5-megapixel f/2.4 aperture | 5-megapixel f/2.2 aperture LED flash |
| Rear Camera | 13-megapixel f/2.2 aperture LED flash | 8-megapixel f/2.2 aperture LED flash |
| Security | Facial Recognition | Fingerprint scanner |
| Connectivity | HSPA+ 4G LTE Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n Bluetooth GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS | HSPA+ 4G LTE Cat. 4 WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth 4.2 GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BSD FM Radio microUSB 2.0 |
| Dimensions | 148.1 x 73.8 x 7.6mm | 143.8 x 72.3 x 8.4mm |
| Weight | 137g | 153g |
| Color | Black Gold | Black Gold Blue Pink |
| Battery | 3,000mAh non-removable | 2,600mAh removable |
| Price | Php7,990 | Php7,490 |
OPPO’s bread and butter have always been the budget smartphones. Yet, we still have to give credit to Samsung for doing a good job in attempting to penetrate a slightly foreign market.
Related: Xiaomi Redmi 5A vs Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro (2018): Specs Comparison
Judging by the specs table above, there’s no definite winner between the two. The other might be lacking in a particular area, but it was able to defeat its opponent in the other segments.
For one, the OPPO A71 has a 5.2-inch HD screen while the Samsung J2 Pro only has a 5-inch qHD display. But the thing is, the AMOLED panel from Samsung is still better than the IPS panel found on A71.
The OPPO A71(2018) has a better Snapdragon 450 processor with 2GB of RAM, while the latter only has a Snapdragon 425 chipset. OPPO’s bet also has a sharper rear camera at 13-megapixel and a bigger battery at 3,000mAh.
However, let’s not forget the price differences between the two. The OPPO A71 retails for Php7,990 while the Galaxy J2 Pro is slightly cheaper at Php7,490.
To wrap it up, we think you’re better off spending the extra Php500 to get the OPPO A71. That’s a pretty reasonable extra cost for all the better features and hardware that it offers.
Both the OPPO A71 and Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro are available in the Philippines through their respective stores, kiosks, and authorized dealers.