OPPO A77 5G – fast charging on a budget (smartphone review)

The $449/499 OPPO A77 5G is one of those phones that won’t let you down. It is not a spectacular performer, but the full set of features and the 33W fast charge really stands out.

Let’s position it

• Dual-hybrid sim 4/5G so you can use lower-cost mobile plan resellers
• Better than social media class camera
• MediaTek Dimensity 810 processor and 4/64GB  or 6/128GB and microSD
• Stereo speakers and a 3.5mm headphone jack
• Bright 720p screen
• Wi-Fi 5 AC, BT 5.1 and NFC
• 27+ hour PC Mark 3 battery life – incredible and 33W fast charge
• OPPOs excellent build quality and 2-year warranty

Head over to JB Hi-Fi or Harvey Norman, and you would be hard-pressed to find such value in a 2022 model.

Australian Review: OPPO A77 5G CPH2339 4/64 or 6/128GB, DUAL HYBRID SIM

Website	Product page
Price	$449 4/64 and $499 6/128GB (this is the one to get)
Colours	Midnight Black or Ocean Blue
From	JB Hi-Fi, Big W, Australia Post, The Good Guys (Midnight Black only), Bing Lee (Midnight Black only), Harvey Norman, Woolworths
Warranty	2-years ACL
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.
More	CyberShack OPPO news and reviews

Better buy genuine, or 5G won’t work

Look for the RCM C-Tick on the box, and under Settings, About Device, Regulatory Labels.

We issue a strong warning that you must buy a genuine model with Australian firmware if you want to use 5G. Read Don’t buy a grey market phone to ensure you get the Australian model.

Deep-Dive review format

It is now in two parts. As this is a low-cost device, we will do a summary and a separate 300+ line database-driven spec, including over 70 tests to back up the findings. It also helps us compare different phones and features.

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed.

You can click on most images for an enlargement.

First impression – another glass slab – Pass

OK, this is where we get back to Glass slab territory. Fortunately, the back is not a fingerprint magnet and offers quite a grippy surface. The OPPO A77 5G has Applesque tones with straight sides – quite nice and grippy in hand.

There is a dual-camera (Primary and Depth) flash on the back, stereo ultra-linear speakers (under glass and down-firing) and OPPO’s usual right-side power and left-side volume rocker. It is relatively light at 163.8 x 75.1 x 7.99 mm x 190g.

Things that set it apart from the competition are a long 27+ hour battery life and a 33W charger inbox. Buy it for these alone.

Screen: 6.59″ 60 or 90Hz – Pass+

It Is a bright, colour-accurate, tempered glass screen capable of streaming Netflix HD. No better for the price.

Like all LCD screens, it is not easy to read in daylight.

Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 810 and 4/64 or 6/128GB and microSD – Pass

It is fit for purpose, but it is not for games. OPPO’s excellent thermal management means it can deliver full power over 15 minutes with a negligible 7% throttling loss.

It is a great mid-range processor but not for gamers.

Comms – Wi-Fi 5 AC Dual-band, BT 5.1 and NFC – all you need Pass

NFC at this price is unusual. GPS performance is adequate and accurate to <10 metres. 5GHz Wi-Fi performance is good.

Phone – city and suburbs only – Pass(able)

It has a strong phone signal strength but only finds one of the four closest towers. Not for areas with weak reception.

Battery – 5000mAh and 33W charging – Exceed

You can probably get up to a week between charges (light use) and recharge in an hour. Typical usage – 1-3 days.

Sound – Stereo – Pass

Stereo is unusual for phones in this price bracket. But with an Analytical (no bass) sound signature, it is for voice only.

Bluetooth and 3.5mm headphones are excellent.

Build – better than most and 2-year warranty – Exceed

Toughened 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 – you may get 13 – Pass+

At this price, most phones are sell and forget. OPPO may upgrade it to Android 13 and offers two years of security updates. The Fingerprint reader is conveniently on the power button.

OPPO A77 5G Camera – dual-sensor, but one does all the work – Pass+

We use the term social media standard to denote the minimum quality you would post on social media. It is far better than that, but it is really a single sensor that does it all.

• 12MP binned – 1X Day Primary sensor – the colours are excellent with good dynamic range. Good details in the background, shadows, and highlights.
• 48MP – 1x Day – the 12MP binned image is better
• 2X Day Primary sensor – colours are excellent with good dynamic range. The background is getting noisy.
• 10X Day: Primary sensor: Forget it
• Ultra-wide: N/A
• Macro: The 2MP sensor takes reasonable macro shots, but as usual, 4cm focus is critical
• Indoor office light: Excellent colour with deep black dog’s ears.  The definition is excellent.
• Bokeh Depth: A 2MP sensor helps for bokeh shots, which are excellent.
• Dark <40 lumens: The standard (not night mode) is noisy and has blown-out details. It is struggling.
• Night mode brings up the detail, saturates the colour, and removes a lot of noise
• Selfie: The 8MP selfie has natural skin tones and details and a range of filters to enhance any image. Best in day and office light
• Video (we are not video experts): You can shoot at 1080p@30fps, but there is no stabilisation.

CyberShack’s view – OPPO A77 5G is good value at $449/499

It is an excellent affordable 5G budget smartphone. Decent camera quality, battery last for a day or two, and the only downside is phone signal strength is for city and suburbs with good tower coverage (not black spots).

There are other 5G phones <$400, which are OK but cut a few too many corners. You will get a 12-month city phone – a burner if that is all you spend.

In my opinion, the OPPO A77 5G offers all you need whether you are a student, blue-collar, retiree or just want a reliable, lower-cost phone.

CyberShack Smartphone comparison v 1.1 (E&OE) OPPO A77 5G

Brand	OPPO
Model	A77
Model Number	CPH2339
Price Base	4/64
Price base	$449
Price 2	6/128GB $499
Warranty months	24-months ACL
Tier	Mid-range
Website	Product Page
From	JB Hi-Fi/ Big W/ Australia Post/ The Good Guys (Midnight Black only)/ Bing Lee (Midnight Black only)/ Harvey Norman/ Woolworths
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	1-17 August
Ambient temp	10-20°
Release	Jun-22
Other models not for Australia (Don’t buy)	Please buy from the approved retailers. If not, you may get a 5G handset that cannot be used on Australian networks.

Screen

Size	6.56″
Type	A-SI LCD
Flat/ Curve/ 2D/ 3D	Flat
Resolution	1612×720
PPI	269
Ratio	20.15:9
Screen to Body %	89.9
Colours bits	8-bit/ 16.7m colours
Refresh Hz/ adaptive	60 or 90HZ
Response 120Hz	N/ A
Nits typical/ test	480 (tested 478)
Nits max/ test	600 (tested 601)
Contrast	1500:1
sRGB	Gentle 100+%
DCI-P3	Vivid 100% of the 16.7million gamut
Rec.2020 or other	N/A
Delta E (<4 is excellent)	N/A
HDR Level	No
SDR Upscale	No
Bluelight 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	L1 for HD SDR playback
Gaming	40fps at best
Screen protection	Holitech/ BOE: AGC DT-Pro (Dragontrail like GG3)
Comment	Excellent, bright screen – slightly bluish cast, but you can adjust this.

Processor

Brand/ Model	MediaTek Dimensity 810 https://www.mediatek.com/products/smartphones-2/mediatek-dimensity-810
nm	6
Cores	2 x 2.4Ghz +6 x 2.0Ghz
Modem	Integrated
AI TOPS	Estimate 6-7 TOPS (low-end AI)
Geekbench 5 Single-core	594
Geekbench 5 multi-core	1776
Like	Like SD723G single core and SD845 multicore
GPU	ARM Mali-G57 MC2
GPU Test
Open CL	1635
Like	Between SD732G and SD845
Vulcan	1654
RAM/ type	4 or 6GB LPDDR4x plus 3GB virtual ram swap from storage
Storage/ free/ type	64GB eMMC or 128GB (94GB free) UFS 2.2
micro-SD	Up to 1TB
CPDT internal seq. Read MBps	558
CPDT internal seq. write MBps	275
CPDT microSD read/ write MBps	83/33 mountable as storage
CPDT external (mountable?) MBps	27/27Mbps OTG only
Comment	Relatively fast mid-range SoC fit for purpose as a smartphone but not for gamers
Throttle test
Max GIPS	168,163
Average GIPS	161,100
Minimum GIPS	147,310
% Throttle	7
CPU Temp	50°
Comment	OPPO’s thermal management is excellent, offering far more stable performance under load than many other brands.

Comms

Wi-Fi Type	Wi-Fi 5 AC 2.4/5Ghz
Test 2m -dBm/ Mbps	-32/433
Test 5m	-45/433
Test 10m	-54/433
BT Type	5.1
GPS single/ dual	Single
USB type	USB-C 2.0 480Mbps
ALT DP/ DeX/ Ready For	Wi-Fi casting and Chromecast. No USB-C to HDMI support.
NFC	Yes
Ultra-wideband	No
Sensors
Accelerometer	Yes -combo with Gyro is very sensitive.
Gyro
e-Compass	Yes
Barometer
Gravity	Yes
Pedometer
Ambient light	Yes
Hall sensor
Proximity
Other	Pedometer
Comment	Everything you need.

LTE and 5G

SIM	Dual hybrid with microSD
Active	Only one active at a time
Ring tone single/ dual	Single
VoLTE	Carrier dependent
Wi-Fi calling	Carrier dependent
4G Bands	1, 2, 3, 4 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41 66
Comment	All Australian 4G bands
5G sub-6Ghz	N1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78
Comment	All Australian sub-6Ghz and low-bands
mmWave	No
Test Boost Mobile/ Telstra
UL/ DL/ ms	47/21/38ms
Tower 1 -dBm/ fW or pW	-86/2.5 to 4pW
Tower 2	No
Tower 3	No
Tower 4	No
Comment	Typical of MediaTek, it found the closest tower only at reasonable signal strength. Only for City/suburbs with good tower coverage.

Battery

mAh	5000 single battery
Charger/ type/ supplied	33W SUPERVOOC 5V/ 2A/ 10W or 5-11V/ 3A (33W) – charges at 4.741A
PD/ QC level	PD capable – Overcharge protection may influence results
Qi/ wattage	No
Reverse Qi or cable	No
Test (60Hz)
Charge % 30mins	50%
Charge 0-100%	1 hour and 8 minutes
Charge Qi/ W	N/A
Charge 5V/ 2A	4.75 hours
Video loop 50%/ aeroplane	15 hours 44 minutes
PC Mark 3 battery	21 hours 28 minutes
Accubattery	18 hours
GFX Bench Manhattan battery	427.6min (7.13hrs) 3095 frames
GFX Bench T-Rex	677.8min (11.3hrs) 3352 frames
Drain 100-0%    full load screen on	6 hours test Accubattery 5 hours
Watt full load	1000-1300mA
Watt idle Screen on	200-250mA
Estimate loss at max refresh	Expect about 20% less at 90Hz
Estimate typical use	Two to three days at typical use
Comment	Excellent battery life and a fast 33W charger make this a class-leader

Sound

Speakers	Earpiece and ultra-linear stereo speaker – forward-firing under glass at the top and down-firing at the base.
Tuning	No
AMP	2 x AW87
Dolby Atmos decode	No
Hi-Res	No
3.5mm	Yes
BT Codecs	SBC/ AAC/ LDAC
Multipoint	Should support it
Dolby Atmos (DA)	No
EQ	Real Original Sound Technology EQ Smart/ Movie/ Game/ Music
Mics	2 with some noise-cancellation
Test dB – all on EQ flat DA off
Volume max	85dB
Media (music)	75
Ring	80
Alarm	80
Notifications	75
Earpiece	55
Hands-free	Decent hands-free and has two mics for some wind noise reduction.
BT headphones	Could drive them on SBC/ AAC and LDAC but not aptX
Sound quality
Deep Bass 20-40Hz	Nil
Middle Bass 40-100Hz	Nil
High Bass 100-200Hz	Nil to 150 then steep build to 250
Low Mid 200-400Hz	Flat
Mid 4000-1000Hz	Flat
High-Mid 1-2kHz	Flat
Low Treble 2-4kHz	Flat
Mid Treble 4-6kHz	Slow linear decline to 20Hz
High Treble 6-10kHz	Slow linear decline to 20Hz
Dog Whistle 10-20kHz	Slow linear decline to 20Hz
Sound Signature type	Analytical signature. (bass/mid recessed; treble boosted) – crisp but not pleasant for most music. Fine for clear voice
Soundstage	Interesting to have a forward-facing under-glass speaker and a bottom-facing speaker. The sound stage, however, is quite limited.
Comment	It is focused on clear voice.

Build

Size (H X W x D)	163.8 x 75.1 x 7.99
Weight grams	190
Front glass	Dragontrail hardened
Rear material	Plastic
Frame	Plastic
IP rating	IPX4
Colours	Midnight Black Ocean Blue
Pen/ Stylus support	No
In the box
Charger	33W SUPERVOOC
USB cable	USB-A to USB-C SuperVooc
Buds	No
Bumper cover	Yes
Comment	OPPO leads this class with a 33W charger – it’s fast.

OS

Android	Android 12
Security patch date	5/07/2022
UI	ColorOS 12.1
OS upgrade policy	Should get Android 13
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
Comment	ColorOS is the light grease on Android wheels that makes it easier to use
Security
Fingerprint sensor location/ type	On power button – 9/10 test
Face ID	Yes 2D
Other	OPPO ColorOS has advanced security features

OPPO A77 5G camera

Rear Primary	Wide
MP	48MP bins to 12MP
Sensor	Sony IMX586
Focus	AF
f-stop	1.7
um	.8 bins to 1.6
FOV° (stated/ actual)	80 (68.6-80.9)
Stabilisation	No
Zoom	10x digital
Rear 2	Depth
MP	2
Sensor	GalaxyCore GC02M1B
Focus	FF
f-stop	2.4
um	1.75
FOV (stated/ actual)	89.1
Stabilisation	No
Zoom	No
Video max	1080p@30fps – no EIS
Flash
Auto-HDR
	Night/ Photo/ Video/ Portrait/ Expert/ Extra HD/ Panorama/ Time-lapse/ Slow-motion/ Text scanner/ Google Lens/ Sticker
QR code reader	Via Google Lens
Night mode	AI
Front
MP	8
Sensor	OV08D10
Focus	AF
f-stop	2
um	1.12
FOV (stated/ actual)	79 (67.1-79.4)
Stabilisation	No
Flash	Screen fill
Zoom	4x digital
Video max	1080p@30fps
Features	Photo/ Video/ Panoramic/ Portrait/ Night/ Time-lapse/ Sticker
Comment	12MP binned – 1X Day Primary sensor – the colours are excellent with good dynamic range. Good details in the background, shadows, and highlights. 48MP – 1x Day – the 12MP binned image is better 2X Day Primary sensor – colours are excellent with good dynamic range. The background is getting noisy. 10X Day: Primary sensor: Forget it Ultra-wide: N/A Macro: The 2MP sensor takes reasonable macro shots, but as usual, 4cm focus is critical Indoor office light: Excellent colour with deep black dog’s ears.  The definition is excellent. Bokeh Depth: A 2MP sensor helps for bokeh shots, which are excellent. Dark <40 lumens: The standard (not night mode) is noisy and has blown-out details. It is struggling. Night mode brings up the detail, saturates the colour, and removes a lot of noise Selfie: The 8MP selfie has natural skin tones and details and a range of filters to enhance any image. Best in day and office light Video (we are not video experts): You can shoot at 1080p@30fps, but there is no stabilisation.

Ratings

Features	8
	MicroSD mountable for video 3.5mm 33W fast charge
Value	8
	It packs a lot for the price.
Performance	8
	Solid MediaTek Dimensity 810 performance is acceptable for smartphone use.
Ease of Use	8
	ColorOS 12 is easy to learn and offers the much-needed grease over Android 12 wheels. Antenna signal strength means you need good tower coverage.
Design	8
	Another bland glass slab
Rating out of 10	8.00
Final comment	We don’t recommend the 4/64GB version at $449, but the 6/128GB is excellent value at $499. The closest competition is the Moto G82 5G.

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