OPPO A58 4G 2023 – all you need (smartphone review)

The OPPO A58 4G 2023 is all you need in a $299 4G phone – decent screen, adequate camera, and great battery life. But OPPO adds special touches like 33W fast charging and its AI camera smarts that add real value.

The OPPO A58 4G 2023 is an update to the A57 2022. And, we suspect one of the last 4G phones it will make. The price difference now between 4G and 5G System-on-a-Chip is negligible.

We must add that this is a cake-mix formula phone like so many of the A-series. It comes in 4G and 5G versions, with larger RAM and storage, different screens, camera sensors, batteries, processors, and even BBK brands realme and vivo, all baked into a cake that suits the various markets it is sold in.

That is a good thing, as OPPO makes the best use of its component purchasing power and factory setup to produce consistently well-made and popular phones.

Australian review – OPPO A58 4G 2023 dual SIM, dedicated SD, 6/128G, Model CHP2257

Website	Product page
Price	$299
Colours	Glowing Black and Dazzling green
From*	OPPO Online, Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, Good Guys, Bing Lee, Big W
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.

* Grey market – no Australian warranty

We strongly advise you to buy a genuine model with Australian firmware. It is easy to identify the Australian version – under Settings>About Device>Regulatory, there is an Australian RNZ C-Tick mark. There is also an RNZ C-Tick on the box. Read Don’t Buy a Grey Market Phone (guide)

Deep-dive

We perform over 70 tests, and the full specs are in a table at the end. The first part is an essential summary only.

First Impression – Pass

The Dazzling Green is just a little different and stands out. Of course, it is still a plastic and glass slab.

Screen: 1080p, 60Hz, LTPS/LCD – Pass

It is a nice, bright, reasonably colour-accurate screen. Its claim to fame is 680 nits brightness in sunlight (with automatic light exposure turned on).

Some will criticise 60Hz, but I would rather have this screen than a poor colour 120Hz one.

Processor – MediaTek Helio G85 – Pass

It is a reasonably powerful processor for the price.

It has 6GB RAM but can borrow up to another 6GB as slower virtual swap RAM from its storage. OPPO’s Dynamic Computing combines hardware and software to boost the system performance and manage multiple apps.

Storage is 128GB is eMMC 5.1 (90GB free). 

Performance is close to the Unisoc T610 or MT Helio G70.

Throttle – acceptable for this device

Comms – Pass

It has Wi-Fi AC 2.4/5GHz bands and keeps the speed well to 15m. In addition, it has NFC, GPS (single-band <3m accuracy), and USB-C 2.0 (480Mbps) for OTG cut and paste to an external flash/SSD.

Phone – Dual SIM and dedicated microSD – Pass

The strongest feature of this phone is the amazing signal strength – 15-20pW (picoWatts) that rivals the best-performing phones. But it only finds one tower (Qualcomm-based systems typically find the nearest four). It is perfect for the city and suburbs.

Battery – 5000mAH for two or more days of use – Pass+

It comes with a 33W SUPERVOOC Fast charger (inbox) and takes 1 hour and 19 minutes to charge. This is excellent for a low-cost phone. You can use any PD2.0 or 3.0 charger as it charges at 9V/3A/27W.

The SDR 1080p video loop is 14 hours and 32 minutes. You can expect two days of typical use.

Sound – Stereo – Passable

So few phones have great sound – OPPO Find N3 Fold – the most advanced foldable smartphone in 2023 at $2699 leads the pack there.

With the OPPO A58 4G, you get stereo sound (earpiece and a distinct bias to the bottom-firing speaker) with Ultra volume mode. OPPO claims it lifts volume 200% for the earpiece and 300% for the speaker. Great marketing, but the reality is that it maxes out at 85dB whereas most phones are 75-80dB.

It has no low-or-mid-bass, very slowly building high-bass and mids and then falls off a cliff at 6kHz to 20kHz. The sound signature is strictly mid for clear voice.

Build – Pass+

It is well-made and should withstand the knocks. Glass protection is not specified, but OPPO has a pre-installed plastic screen protector that helps. It does not come with a bumper cover.

It is rated IP54, which means rain rain-resistant.

Android 13, and you will get 15 – Pass+

OPPO has been steadily increasing its OS and patch support, and it comes with at least two OS upgrades and three years of quarterly security patch updates. Add the two-year warranty, and it’s a keeper.

OPPO A58 4G 2023 rear camera – Pass

First, remember the cake-mix analogy at the beginning. This phone supports over ten different sensors from Omnivision, Samsung, Sony, and GalaxyCore, so we will assume they are all from Omnivision.

It has a single 50MP (bins to 12.5MP) camera and a 2MP depth sensor for bokeh. As such, it is a simple point-and-shoot camera backed by OPPO’s camera smarts. For example, Night mode takes several seconds from shutter to finish, and focus can be a little slow.

Camera Comments

You can tell that the AI is working overtime here, and it is largely successful in binned shots to bring out details and colours. It is one of the better <$300 camera results we have seen.

• 1X Day Primary sensor: good dynamic range, bright colours and good HDR details in the shadows and highlights. Good detail in the foreground and background.
• 2X Day Primary sensor: Equally good as 1X
• 5X Day Primary sensor: Pushing the limits of digital zoom but has good foreground details and negligible background noise.
• Ultra-wide: N/A
• Macro: N/A, but 50MP sensor focuses down to 4cm
• Indoor office light:
• Bokeh Depth: Using AI, and without a human subject, it does not know how to separate foreground and background, so it is all bokeh.
• Dark <40 lumens: Quite a decent image but lacking details.
• Night Mode: Excellent colour, detail and range. It picks up details from the monitor screen.
• Selfie: The 8MP is adequate.

Video (we are not video experts):

• Primary sensor: You can shoot at 1080p@30fps, and the day/office light results are good, but low light is lacking.
• Selfie: 1080p@30fps; results are adequate. Fine for video conference.
• Overall, the video is good but lacks dynamic range in low light.

CyberShack’s view – OPPO A58 4G 2023 is a well-featured 4G phone

It is hard to be enthusiastic about a $299 phone, no matter how nice the Dazzling Green is.

It is a good 4G phone (signal; strength is superb) and has a suitable point-and-shoot camera, battery life (fast charge), decent 2+2+3 warranty, OS and patch policy. Add OPPO quality, and it’s a good buy.

Competition

• Motorola G54  5G 128GB $299 Motorola G54 – Under $300 for a 5G smartphone
• OPPO A78 4G 5G Qualcomm SD680 $329 (the one to buy for the strongest phone signal).

Ratings

• Features: 9 – everything you need
• Value: 8 – reasonable price, but the OPPO A78 4G at $329 is far better value and performance.
• Performance: 8 – MediaTek SoC and modem are average performers. Only finds one tower in 4G tests.
• Ease of Use: 9 OPPO ColorOS 13.1 and 2+2+3 (warranty/OS/patches) is great
• Design: 8 – Another formula PMMA glass slab

Pro

Adequate performance – not for gamers

Bright, colour-accurate 1080p 60Hz screen

Excellent battery life and 33W charger

Excellent quality build and 2+2+3 policy with local support

Average camera – better than social media class

Con

Despite signal strength, it is a city and suburbs phone only

AI image post-processing is limited

Single mic means not as suitable for hands-free use

CyberShack Smartphone comparison v 1.10 (E&OE)

OPPO A58 4G

Brand	OPPO
Model	OPPO A58 4G
Model Number	CPH2257
Price Base	6/128
Price base	299
Warranty months	24-months ACL
Tier	Upper entry-level 4G
Website	https://www.oppo.com/au/smartphones/series-a/a58/
From	OPPO Online, Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, Good Guys, Bing Lee, Big W
Country of Origin	China
Company	OPPO is now #2 in Australia for Android smartphone market share. It has achieved that by excellent product and after-sales service.
More
Test date	20-30/10/23
Ambient temp	25°
Release	October 2023
Other models not for Australia (Don’t buy)	Don’t buy the 8GB version. Also, an A58 5G version.

Screen

Size	6.72″
Type	LTPS LCD
Flat, Curve, 2D, 3D	Flat
Resolution	2400 x 1800
PPI	391
Ratio	20:9
Screen to Body %	0.914
Colours bits	8-bit/ 16.7m colours
Refresh Hz, adaptive	60Hz
Response 120Hz	N/A
Nits typical, test	550 (test 555)
Nits max, test	680 (test 674)
Contrast	1500:1
sRGB	Gentle 100% (test 103%)
DCI-P3	Vivid 100% (test 99%)
Rec.2020 or other	N/A
Delta E (<4 is excellent)	Test 2.9
HDR Level	No
SDR Upscale	No
Blue Light Control	No
PWM if known	N/A
Daylight readable	It ramps up to 680 nits (Auto light sensor), making it more readable but not like OLED.
Always on Display	No
Edge display	No
Accessibility	Usual Android features
DRM	L1 HD SRD streaming
Gaming	Not really for gaming
Screen protection	Not specified
Comment	It has a bright screen, although ALS is slightly aggressive towards battery life. Fixed 60Hz is expected at this price.

Processor

Brand, Model	MediaTek Helio G85 Benchmarks
nm	12
Cores	2×2.0GHz & 6×1.8GHz
Modem	MT
AI TOPS	Estimate 4
Geekbench 6 Single-core	429
Geekbench 6 multi-core	1436
Like	Unisoc T610 or MT Helo 70
GPU	ARM Mali-G52 MC2 (MP2)
GPU Test
Open CL	Would not run
Like	This does not mean its faulty but that some video standards are not supported.
Vulcan	Would not run
RAM, type	6GB plus up to 6GB virtual swap RAM.
Storage, free, type	128GB eMMC 5.1 (90GB free)
micro-SD	Up to 1TB (dedicated)
CPDT internal seq. Read MBps	215
CPDT internal seq. write MBps	148
CPDT microSD read, write MBps	78/30 mountable for photos.
CPDT external (mountable?) MBps	N/A  OTG only
Comment	Nearly three-year-old 12nm SoC fit for general phone use
Throttle test
Max GIPS	148186
Average GIPS	127439
Minimum GIPS	116474
% Throttle	0.17
CPU Temp	50°
Comment	Good thermal management for a 12nm SoC.

Comms

Wi-Fi Type, model	Wi-Fi 5 AC
Test 2m -dBm, Mbps	26/390
Test 5m	-33/390
Test 10m	-48/390 (15m -52/390)
BT Type	5 (advertised as 5.3)
GPS single, dual	Single
USB type	USB-C 2.0 480Mbps
ALT DP, DeX, Ready For	No
NFC	Yes
Ultra-wideband	No
Sensors
Accelerometer	Yes
Gyro	Yes
e-Compass
Barometer
Gravity	Yes
Pedometer
Ambient light	Yes
Hall sensor
Proximity	Yes
Other
Comment	Wi-Fi kept a solid signal to 15m

LTE

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	1/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41
Comment	All Australian 4G bands
5G sub-6Ghz	N/A
Comment	N/A
mmWave	N/A
Test Boost Mobile, Telstra
UL, DL, ms	45/29/31
Tower 1 -dBm, fW or pW	-71/15-20pW (amazing)
Tower 2	No
Tower 3	No
Tower 4	No
Comment	There is an excellent strong reception signal, but it cannot find the adjacent three towers. For city/suburbs or areas where there is a tower nearby.

Battery

mAh	5000 single battery 19.55Wh
Charger, type, supplied	33W SUPERVOOC 5V/ 2A/ 10W or 5-11V/ 3A (33W) Tended to charge at 9V/3A/27W
PD, QC level	PD capable – Overcharge protection may influence results.
Qi, wattage	N/A
Reverse Qi or cable.	N/A
Test (60Hz or adaptive screen)	Adaptive
Charge 0-100%	1 hour 19 minutes
Charge 5V, 2A	Approx 4 hours
Video loop 50%, aeroplane	14 hours 32 minutes
PC Mark 3 battery	16 hours 30 minutes Accubattery 17 hours 49 minutes
GFX Bench Manhattan battery	364.9 minutes (6 hours) 862 frames
GFX Bench T-Rex	360.5 minutes (6 hours) 2147 frames
Drain 100-0% full load screen on	5 hours 23 minutes Accubattery 5 hours 57 minutes
mA full load	1400-1450
mA Watt idle Screen on	200-250
Estimate loss at max refresh	Tested on Adaptive mode.
Estimate typical use	Two days of typical use, but heavy users may need to top up daily as it draws more under load.
Comment	Reasonable battery life and a 33W charger inbox is a real bonus.

Sound

Speakers	Stereo (earpiece and bottom-firing speaker
Tuning	No
AMP
Dolby Atmos decode	No
Hi-Res	No
3.5mm	Yes
BT Codecs	SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC. 16-bit/44100Hz/stereo
Multipoint	Should work
Dolby Atmos (DA)	No
EQ	Real Original Sound Technology EQ Smart/ Movie/ Game/ Music
Mics	1
Test dB – all on EQ flat DA off
Volume max	80
Media (music)	78
Ring	80
Alarm	80
Notifications	80
Earpiece
Hands-free	A single mic means mono recording and no noise or wind reduction. Adequate inside.
BT headphones	Reasonable L/R separation

Sound quality

Deep Bass 20-40Hz	Nil
Middle Bass 40-100Hz	Nil
High Bass 100-200Hz	Slow build to 1kHz
Low Mid 200-400Hz	Slow build to 1kHz
Mid 4000-1000Hz	Slow build to 1kHz
High-Mid 1-2kHz	Flat
Low Treble 2-4kHz	choppy but 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	It is as wide as the phone in landscape mode but biased towards the bottom speaker.
Comment	Focus on clear voice instead of music is understandable at this price.

Build

Size (H X W x D)	165.65 x 75.98 x 7.00
Weight grams	192
Front glass	Not stated
Rear material	Plastic
Frame	Plastic
IP rating	IPX4 but mentions IP54 in some materials
Colours	Glowing Black Dazzling Green
Pen, Stylus support	No
In the box
Charger	33W SUPERVOOC
USB cable	USB-A to USB-C SUPERVOOC
Buds	No
Bumper cover	No
Comment	OPPO leads this class with a 33W charger.

OS

Android	13
Security patch date	5 October (November review)
UI	ColorOS 13.1
OS upgrade policy	Two to Android 15
Security patch policy	Three years of quarterly updates
Bloatware	OPPO App Market, Boking.com, express VPN, Facebook, GoPro Quik, Linkedin, Locl Screen magazine, Music Party, TikTok, WPS Office and various OPPO alternatives to Google apps.
Other	Has all Google Apps.
Comment	ColorOS is the light grease on Android wheels that makes it easier to use
Security
Fingerprint sensor location, type	On the power button – a 9/10 test
Face ID	Yes 2D
Other	OPPO ColorOS has advanced security features
Comment	OPPO Packs so much of its smarts into ColorOS – camera, battery health, app management and more. It is nice to see these on a budget phone.

OPPO A58 4G rear camera

Rear Primary	Wide
MP	50MP bins to 12.5MP
Sensor	Omnivision OV50D
Focus	AF
f-stop	1.8
um	.6 bins to 1.2
FOV° (stated, actual)	75.5°
Stabilisation	No
Zoom	8X digital
Rear 2	Depth
MP	2
Sensor	Omnivision OV2b
Focus	FF
f-stop	2.4
um	1.75
FOV (stated, actual)	89.1°
Stabilisation	No
Zoom	No
Video max	1080p@30fps
Flash	Yes
Auto-HDR	Yes
	Night, Video, Photo, Portrait, Time-lapse, PRO, PANO, Sticker, and Google Lens
QR code reader	Googel Lens
Night mode	AI

OPPO A58 4G front camera

MP	8MP
Sensor	Omnivision OV8856
Focus	FF
f-stop	2
um	1.12
FOV (stated, actual)	80°
Stabilisation	No
Flash	Screen fill
Zoom	N/A
Video max	1080p@30fps
Features	Video, Photo, Portrait, Time-lapse, PANO, and Sticker

Camera Comments

You can tell that the AI is working overtime here, and it is largely successful in binned shots to bring out details and colours. It is one of the better <$300 camera results we have seen. • 1X Day Primary sensor: good dynamic range, bright colours and good HDR details in the shadows and highlights. Good detail in the foreground and background. • 2X Day Primary sensor: Equally good as 1X • 5X Day Primary sensor: Pushing the limits of digital zoom but has good foreground details and negligible background noise. • Ultra-wide: N/A • Macro: N/A, but 50MP sensor focuses down to 4cm • Indoor office light: • Bokeh Depth: Using AI, and without a human subject, it does not know how to separate foreground and background, so it is all bokeh. • Dark <40 lumens: Quite a decent image but lacking details. • Night Mode: Excellent colour, detail and range. It picks up details from the monitor screen. • Selfie: The 8MP is adequate. Video (we are not video experts): • Primary sensor: You can shoot at 1080p@30fps, and the day/office light results are good, but low light is lacking. • Selfie: 1080p@30fps, results are adequate. Fine for video conference. • Overall, the video is good but lacks dynamic range in low light.

Ratings

Features	9
	Everything you need
Value	8
	Slightly outclassed by Moto G54 5G, and you should consider the OPPO A78 5G at $329 with a Qualcomm modem.
Performance	8
	Reasonable performance, but the antenna strength is only for cities and suburbs.
Ease of Use	9
	OPPO is easy to use, has a great 2-year warranty and local support
Design	8
	Another glass and PMMA slab, albeit an attractive green finish.
Rating out of 10	8.4

Pro
1	Adequate performance – not for gamers
2	Bright, colour-accurate 1080p 60Hz screen
3	Excellent battery life and 33W charger
4	Excellent quality build and 2-year warranty with local support
5	Average camera – better than social media class
Con
1	Needs to use the OPPO 33W SUPERVOOC charger and cable to reach charge speeds
2	City and suburbs phone only
3	AI image post-processing is limited.
4	Not for games
5	A single mic is not as suitable for hands-free use.
Final comment	Decent all around 4G phone

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