OPPO A17 – as low as you can go (Smartphone review)

The OPPO A17 is an entry-level phone with good functionality and value if you only need a reliable, low-cost device.

It is a phone that would have been <$200, but inflation, US dollar strength, and COVID supply chain issues push this to RRP $259.

To do that and not compromise on build quality (yes, you want it to last a few years), a low-powered processor, micro-USB 10W charging (USB-C PD charging costs much more), no NFC, no buds (it has a 32.5mm jack), no bumper case, and mono speaker.

On the plus side, it has a 5000mAh battery, a decent bright screen, 4/64GB/dedicated microSD, Dual SIM, a creditable 50MP/2MP camera, 64-bit Android 12 with two years of security patches and a 2-year warranty.

Our retail spies say its nearest competitor is the $229 Motorola e32 4G 64GB – cheap as chips and just as satisfying, and there is considerable upsell to the unlocked OPPO A57s 4G on sale at $279.

Australian Review: OPPO A17, CHP2477, 4G, 4/64GB, dual-sim and dedicated micro-SD

Website	Product page
Price	$259
Colours	Midnight Black | Lake Blue
From	Authorised retailers JB Hi-Fi, Good Guys,
Warranty	2-years ACL
Made in	China
Company	OPPO is now #2 in Australia for Android smartphone market share. It has achieved that through excellent product and after-sales service.
More	CyberShack OPPO news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Passable (meets low expectations), Pass (meets expectations), Pass+ (near Exceed but not class-leading) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below.  You can click on most images for an enlargement.

Entry-level phones should at least score a pass mark against each category.

First Impression – another glass slab – nothing to see here

Glass slabs (a glass screen, plastic frame and PMMA (acrylic or similar) plastic back are the lowest-cost way to deliver features. This is a well-made slab with a light leather-grain patterned PMMA back.

It has the usual OPPO power button (Fingerprint sensor) and volume rocker on the right side. On the bottom is a 3.5mm 4-pole audio jack, a mono down-firing speaker and a micro-USB power/data connector, which is so yesterday but saves money over including USB-C PD circuitry.

Screen – 6.56”, 1612 x 720, 8-bit/16.7m, 60Hz, A-Si LCD and Panda Glass protection – Pass

It is the screen you expect for the price and the same as the. It shares many specs with this model, which is only available on a mobile plan from Konec.

Maximum nits are 600 (in a 2% window) and typically around 350 at full brightness. But lower-cost LCD screens are not very daylight readable, affecting things like trying to frame photos or read messages in bright light.

Summary: Bright and colourful.

Processor – MediaTek Helio G35 – Passable

This is a three-year-old, 12nm, eight-core processor well outclassed by the Qualcomm entry-level SD4XX series even back then. This accounts for most of the savings on this handset.

It is slow. Apps can take seconds to open, and the Geekbench single/multi-core score is 171/1037 (we feel a usable phone starts around 500/1500).

It will not run OpenCL or Vulkan GPU tests and falls over in GFX Bench T-Rex and Manhattan tests. Simply put, the GPU is not for gaming.

The 64GB (39B free) storage is eMMC 5.1 and is slow – CPDT sequential read/ write is 202/123Mbps. A micro-SD card (to 1TB) is 80/27MBps. It will accept an external micro-USB flash drive (maximum size unknown but likely 64GB) but not external SSDs at 24/7MBps.

Throttling loses 9% of its power under load over 15 minutes with a maximum of 96,375 GIPS, an average of 91,363 and a minimum of 72,292. It is not a powerhouse – a reasonable SD4XX processor has closer to 150,000 GIPS.

Comms Wi-Fi 5 AC, BT 5.0 but no NFC – Passable

All are fit for purpose. Wi-Fi is a maximum of 433Mbps, keeping the 5GHz signal to 10m from the router.

BT is 5.3 but does not support Google Swift Pair (nor, we presume, multi-point).

GPS has about a 10-metre accuracy, and in-car navigation/recalculation at highway speed can be tricky.

Phone – Pass for city/suburb use

MediaTek modems generally don’t find more than the closest tower – this is no different. If you want better phone coverage, look for Qualcomm-equipped phones.

Battery – suitable for a day or two – Pass+

The MediaTek 12nm SoC is quite power-hungry under load but lasts well under light loads.

• 5V/2A/10W, 0-100% charge: 3 hours, 7 minutes
• PC Mark 3 Modern Office Battery (typical use): 18 hours
• Accubattery: 16 hours 12 minutes
• Video loop: 13 hours
• GFX Manhattan – would not run
• GFX T-Rex – would not run
• Drain – idle: 250-300mA
• Drain 100% load: 1500mA
• 100-0% full load: 5 hours

Under typical use, you should get two days of battery life, but the 12nm SoC sucks battery under load, reducing that to 5 hours.

Sound – for clear voice only

It has a single amplifier that drives the mono earpiece in phone mode, if in hand-free or music mode and a down-firing bottom speaker.

The maximum volume is 80dB (average). It has no low- or mid-bass, very little high-bass, and recessed treble, making this a Mid sound signature: (bass recessed, mid-boosted, treble recessed) – for clear voice.

It has no sound stage (it is mono), and Real Original Sound pre-sets do nothing.

A single mic means no noise cancelling, but it is acceptable for indoor hands-free use.

Bluetooth 5.0 has SBC and AAC codecs (not aptX as claimed, as it does not use a Qualcomm SoC), and earphone performance is quite good and loud. The 3.5mm jack outputs analogue sound, and it is quite clean.

Build – better than many and 2-year warranty – Pass+

Toughened Panda glass front and plastic back and frame are well made and have a nice feel in hand. OPPO’s strength is its two-year warranty and excellent after-sales support.

Android 12 – unusual at this price – Pass+

A-series get two years of security patches, and it is unlikely this will get an OS upgrade. OPPO has improved security patch updates – this has December 2022 for a January review.

ColorOS is a light touch over Android and is easy to use.

OPPO A17 Camera – Good in day and office light – Pass

It has a 50MP sensor that bins (4:1) to 12.5MP. Binning means it takes the best pixels and uses AI to create a better image. The 2MP sensor is to judge depth to about 10 metres, but as it lacks a portrait/bokeh mode, we wonder if it does anything.

But AI depends on processor strength, and the MediaTek SoC does not have enough to make a significant difference with this 50MP sensor. It takes decent pictures in day or office light but is inadequate in low light.

• 1X Day: The colours are accurate/natural, but the dynamic range (saturation) is lacking. Good details in the foreground but way too much noise in the background.
• 2X Day: Good shot but a very noisy background
• 5X Day: Don’t go there
• Ultra-wide: Not applicable
• Macro: 50MP sensor does this, and the definition is quite good
• Indoor office light: Colours are a little washed out, but the definition is good
• Bokeh Depth: No bokeh portrait setting – why bother with a 2MP depth sensor?
• Dark <40 lumens: The standard (not night mode) struggles with washed-out monitor screens but does a reasonable job otherwise.
• Night mode – why bother? It gives it a little more detail and colour but at the expense of dynamic range.
• Selfie: 5MP RGGB has close to natural skin tones and details and a range of filters to enhance any image.
• Video (we are not video experts): You can shoot at 1080p@30fps, but there is no stabilisation in any mode. We found 720p@30fps had better colour. The mono mic is not very sensitive and misses recording sounds.

CyberShack’s view – OPPO A17 is all about value

After we test everything, we know the compromises, if any, to make a smartphone to a price.

The only real compromise is the slow MediaTek Helio G35 processor and its impact on 4G modem antenna signal strength and AI post-processing photo enhancement. The other items, like micro-USB charging, can be overlooked.

The slow processor is evidenced by the lag between opening and launching apps – it is not bad but noticeable. The 50MP binned to 12.5MP sensor would shine with a more powerful processor. Photos are better than social media standards but lack some dynamic range.

Ultimately, it is an unlocked 4G phone at a low cost. Its strengths are OPPO’s build quality, warranty, and support.

Rating Explanation

Note: If a low-cost phone scores over 70/100, it is pretty good for the price.

• Features: 80 – it has everything you need except NFC.
• Value: 80 – It is reasonable at $245 RRP, but the $299 OPPO A76 OPPO A76 4G – honest, reliable and fast charging is way better.
• Performance: 70 – it is slow, only for the city and suburbs, and photos won’t win awards.
• Ease of Use: 90 – OPPO is easy to use, has a great 2-year warranty and local support.
• Design: 80 – another glass and PMMA slab.
• Total 80/100

General

Brand	OPPO
Model	A17
Model Number	CPH2447
Price Base	4/64
Price base	$249
Warranty months	24-months ACL
Tier	Entry-level
Website	https://www.oppo.com/au/smartphones/series-a/a17/
From	Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi. Good Guys, Officeworks, Bing Lee
Country of Origin	China
Company	OPPO is now #2 in Australia for Android smartphone market share. It has achieved that through excellent product and after-sales service.
Test date	1-5 February 2023
Ambient temp	25°
Release	Sep-22

Screen

Size	6.56″
Type	A-SI LCD
Flat, Curve, 2D, 3D	FLAT
Resolution	1612 x 720
PPI	269
Ratio	20:09
Screen to Body %	84.2
Colours bits	8-bit/ 16.7m colours
Refresh Hz, adaptive	60Hz
Response 120Hz	N/A
Nits typical test	480 (tested 462)
Nits max, test	600 (tested 594)
Contrast	1500:1 (tested 1330:1)
sRGB	100% sRGB (Gentle)
DCI-P3	100% DCI-P3 of 8-bit (Vivid)
Rec.2020 or other	N/ A
Delta E (<4 is excellent)	N/ A
HDR Level	No
SDR Upscale	No
Blue Light Control	Yes
PWM if known	N/ A
Daylight readable	Not for direct sunlight
Always on Display	N/ A
Edge display	N/ A
Accessibility	Usual Android features
DRM	L3 for HD SDR playback
Gaming	40fps at best
Screen protection	Panda Glass MN228
Comment	Bright screen – slightly bluish cast, but you can adjust this.

Processor

Brand, Model	MediaTek Helio G35 https://www.mediatek.com/products/smartphones-2/mediatek-helio-g35
nm	12
Cores	eight (4×2.3GHz & 4×1.8GHz)
Modem	MT 4G
AI TOPS	Estimate <3
Geekbench 5 Single-core	171
Geekbench 5 multi-core	1037
Like	Lower than any Qualcomm SD4XX
GPU	IMG GE8320 @ 680MHz
GPU Test
Open CL	N/A
Like	Slow
Vulcan	Would not run
RAM, type	4GB LPDDR4X 1600 plus up to 4GB virtual expansion
Storage, free, type	64GB eMMC 5.1 (39GB free)
micro-SD	Up to 1TB (dedicated)
CPDT internal seq. Read MBps	202
CPDT internal seq. write MBps	123
CPDT microSD read, write MBps	80/27
CPDT external (mountable?) MBps	24/7
Comment	Nearly three-year-old 12nm SoC fit for general  phone use
Throttle test
Max GIPS	96375
Average GIPS	91353
Minimum GIPS	72,292
% Throttle	9%
CPU Temp	50%
Comment	Excellent thermal management

Comms

Wi-Fi Type, model	Wi-Fi 5 AC
Test 2m -dBm, Mbps	-26/433
Test 5m	-46/433
Test 10m	-50/433
BT Type	5.3
GPS single, dual	Single
USB type	USB-C 2.0 480Mbps
ALT DP, DeX, Ready For	Wi-Fi casting and Chromecast
NFC	No
Ultra-wideband	No
Sensors
Accelerometer	Yes
Gyro	Pseudo – provided by SoC
e-Compass	Yes
Barometer
Gravity
Pedometer
Ambient light	Yes
Hall sensor
Proximity	Yes
Other
Comment	Minimal sensor range affects accuracy.

LTE and 5G

SIM	Dual and dedicated microSD
Active	Only one active at a time
Ring tone single, dual	Single
VoLTE	Carrier dependent
Wi-Fi calling	Carrier dependent
4G Bands	1, 3, 5, 7,8,20,28
Comment	All Australian 4G bands
5G sub-6Ghz	N/ A
Comment	N/ A
mmWave	N/ A
Test Boost Mobile, Telstra
UL, DL, ms	21.9/24.3/29
Tower 1 -dBm, fW or pW	-79 to -81/2-15pW
Tower 2	No
Tower 3	No
Tower 4	No
Comment	Powerful reception signal but cannot find the adjacent three towers. For city/suburbs or areas where there is a tower nearby.

Battery

mAh	5000mAH approx
Charger, type, supplied	5V/2A/10W supplied
PD, QC level	10W only, but you can use any PD charger that has a 5V/2A output
Qi, wattage	No
Reverse Qi or cable	No
Test (60Hz)
Charge % 30mins	10%
Charge 0-100%	3 hours 10 minutes Does not support PD fast charge
Charge Qi, W	N/A
Charge 5V, 2A	3 hours 7 minutes (10W)
Video loop 50%, aeroplane	13 hours
PC Mark 3 battery	18 hours
GFX Bench Manhattan battery	Would not run
GFX Bench T-Rex	Would not run
Drain 100-0% full load screen on
mA full load	1000-1500mA
mA Watt idle Screen on	250-300mA
Estimate loss at max refresh	N/A
Estimate typical use	Two days of typical use
Comment	For the price, we expect USB-C, not micro-USB. We know the SoC can charge at 30W, but it has not been enabled as it has in the A57s (same SoC)

Sound

Speakers	Earpiece and mono down-fixing speaker
Tuning	No
AMP	MT
Dolby Atmos decode	No
Hi-Res	No
3.5mm	Yes. 3.5mm cable earphones lack volume.
BT Codecs	SBC, AAC (claims aptX, but this is missing)
Multipoint	No
Dolby Atmos (DA)	No
EQ	Real Original Sound Technology EQ Smart/ Movie/ Game/ Music
Mics	1 – no noise cancellation
Test dB – all on EQ flat DA off
Volume max	80
Media (music)	70
Ring	77
Alarm	79
Notifications	70
Earpiece	55
Hands-free	A single mic means no noise or wind reduction. Adequate inside.
BT headphones	Reasonable L/R separation and good volume

Sound quality

Deep Bass 20-40Hz	Nil
Middle Bass 40-100Hz	Nil
High Bass 100-200Hz	Nil
Low Mid 200-400Hz	Build to flat
Mid 4000-1000Hz	Flat
High-Mid 1-2kHz	Flat
Low Treble 2-4kHz	Flat
Mid Treble 4-6kHz	Decline to 20kHz
High Treble 6-10kHz	Decline to 20kHz
Dog Whistle 10-20kHz	Decline to 20kHz
Sound Signature type	Mid: (bass recessed, mid boosted, treble recessed) – for clear voice.
Soundstage	None – it is mono
Comment	At this price/ mono is all you can expect, and it is focused on clear voice. It is too tinny for most music genres.

Build

Size (H X W x D)	164.2 x 75.6 x 8.3
Weight grams	189
Front glass	Panda MN228
Rear material	Supposed leather look plastic
Frame	Plastic
IP rating	IPX4
Colours	Midnight Black Lake Blue
Pen, Stylus support	No

Inbox

Charger	5V/2A/10W
USB cable	USB-A to micro-USB 2A cable
Buds	No
Bumper cover	No
Comment	Low-cost device – we don’t expect more.

OS

Android	12
Security patch date
UI	ColorOS 12.1
OS upgrade policy	No OS upgrade
Security patch policy	Two years of security patches
Bloatware	A little too much – AliExpress/ Amazon/ Booking.com/ Facebook/ LinkedIn/ O Relax/ PUBG/ Soloop Cui/ TikTok/ and OPPOs alternatives for Google Apps. All are removable
Other
Comment	ColorOS is the light grease on Android wheels that makes it easier to use

Security

Fingerprint sensor location, type	On the power button – 8/ 10 test
Face ID	Yes 2D
Other	OPPO ColorOS has advanced security features

Camera – OPPO A17

Rear Primary	Wide
MP	50MP
Sensor	Samsung S5KJN1
Focus	AF Open loop motor
f-stop	1.8
um	.6 bins to 1.29
FOV° (stated, actual)	77 (66-78)
Stabilisation	No
Zoom	5X digital
Rear 3	Depth
MP	2
Sensor	Galaxy Core GC02m
Focus	FF
f-stop	2.4
um	1.75
FOV (stated, actual)	89
Stabilisation	No
Zoom	No
Special
Video max	1080P@30fps or 720P@30fps (default)
Flash	Single LED
Auto-HDR	Yes
QR code reader	Via Google Lens
Night mode	Yes, but not enough AI power to be effective

Front- OPPO A17

MP	5
Sensor	Samsung SK5E9Y but likely OmniVision OV5675
Focus	FF
f-stop	2.2
um	1.12
FOV (stated, actual)	76.8 (65.6-77.3)
Stabilisation	No
Flash	Screen fill
Zoom	N/A
Video max	1080P@30fps or 720P@30fps (default)
Features	HDR
Comment	1X Day: The colours are accurate/natural, but the dynamic range (saturation) is lacking. Good details in the foreground but way too much noise in the background. 2X Day: Good shot but a very noisy background 5X Day: Don’t go there Ultra-wide: Not applicable Macro: 50MP sensor does this, and the definition is quite good Indoor office light: Colours are a little washed out, but the definition is good Bokeh Depth: No bokeh portrait setting – why bother with a 2MP depth sensor? Dark <40 lumens: The standard (not night mode) struggles with washed-out monitor screens but does a reasonable job otherwise. Night mode – why bother? It gives it a little more detail and colour but at the expense of dynamic range. Selfie: 5MP RGGB has close to natural skin tones and details and a range of filters to enhance any image. Video (we are not video experts): You can shoot at 1080p@30fps, but there is no stabilisation in any mode. We found 720p@30fps had better colour. The mono mic is not very sensitive and misses recording sounds.

Ratings

Features	80
	It has everything you need except NFC.
Value	80
	It is reasonable at $245 RRP, but the $299 OPPO A76 OPPO A76 4G – honest, reliable and fast charging is way better.
Performance	70
	It is slow, only for the city and suburbs, and photos won’t win awards.
Ease of Use	90
	OPPO is easy to use, has a great 2-year warranty and local support.
Design	80
	Another glass and PMMA slab.
Rating out of 10	8
Final comment	This would have been a <$199 phone last year, but the Aussie dollar and COVID-related costs have increased the price. As far as a serviceable smartphone, it is good value, provided you have budget performance expectations.

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