OPPO A80 5G – great value for clumsy city slickers (smartphone review)

The OPPO A80 is a well-priced, entry-level $369 5G smartphone with a 360° Damage-Proof Armour Body and decent city and suburb phone reception.

If you don’t know, OPPO has been a well-respected Chinese brand in Australia since 2014. It has offices, repair facilities, and a warehouse in Sydney. The build quality is excellent.

This is a mini-review, so we will summarise the main points from our 70+ tests with the tabular results at the end.

• 6.67” 1604 x 720, bright 60/90/120Hz IPS LCD – decent colourful screen with more than enough brightness to be read in in-direct sunlight. ✅
• MediaTek Dimensity 6300 SoC can be laggy with several apps open, but it is fit for purpose. Throttling is well controlled.
• The SoC has no serious AI capacity – not expected
• 8/256GB RAM/storage is class-leading ✅
• Wi-Fi 5 AC 2.4/5GHz has a maximum speed of 433Mbps out to 10M, but it is not strong– Passable
• 4G/5G phone reception is suitable for city and suburb use or with good tower coverage.
• Battery life should be two days for typical users and 10-15 hours for heavy users. ✅
• No charger is supplied. Using a 15-25W PD 3.0 charger recharges in 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• A mono speaker (earpiece and bottom speaker) solely for clear voice (not music)
• Single mic for hands-free (no noise reduction)
• 3.5mm jack for cabled earphones gives good stereo sound.
• OPPO quality build with 360° Damage Resistant Armour Body using China Southern Glass (twice-reinforced) and Panda Glass (twice-reinforced). ✅
• Stary Black or Midnight Purple
• Android 14 with two Android upgrades and three years of security patches. ✅
• 50MP camera (bins to 12.5MP) and a 2MP depth sensor – OK point-and-shoot results in day and office light
• 8MP selfie – OK for single and dual selfies
• Rating 78/100 (a pass mark is 70/100) ✅

Reviewers comment

At $349, it is a reliable, great value, well-made phone with city and suburb phone reception.

Don’t forget to read CyberShack’s view and view the photos at the end.

OPPO A80 5G Data tables

Brand	OPPO
Model	OPPO A80 5G
Model Number	CPH2369
RAM/Storage Base	8/256
Price base	369
Warranty months	24-months ACL
Tier	entry level
Website	Website
From	Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, Good Guys, Officeworks, Bing Lee and OPPO online
Country of Origin	China
Company	OPPO is now #2 in Australia for Android smartphone market share. It has achieved this by offering excellent products and after-sales service.
More
Test date	August 2024
Ambient temp	10-27°
Release	August 2024
Other models not for Australia (Don’t buy)	The genuine Australian model has an RNZ C-Tick on the box label. Also, check Settings, About Device, and Regulatory.
More	CyberShack OPPO news and reviews CyberShack smartphone news and reviews

Screen Specs

Size	6.67″
Type	IPS LCD
Flat, Curve, 2D, 3D	Flat with centre O-Hole
Resolution	1604 x 720
PPI	264
Ratio	20:9
Screen to Body %	89.9%
Colours bits	8-bit 16.7m colours
Refresh Hz, adaptive.	Auto or stepped 60/90/120Hz
Response 120Hz	N/A
Nits typical, test	Claim 1000 nits HBM (test 897)
Nits max, test	N/A
Contrast	1500:1 (tested 1475:1)
sRGB	Claim Natural 71% NTSC (100% sRGB) Vivid 83% NTSC (Test 112% sRGB)
DCI-P3	N/A – Not DCI-P3
Rec.2020 or other	N/A
Delta E (<4 is excellent)	Approx 3.2
HDR Level	720p HD SDR
SDR Upscale	No
Blue Light Control	Yes – Comfort
PWM if known	No
Daylight readable	Yes, but the peak nits are momentary before settling back to 400-500 nits.
Always on Display	N/ A
Edge display	N/ A
Accessibility	Usual Android features
DRM	L1 FHD SRD streaming
Gaming	Not really for gaming
Screen protection	Panda (Twice reinforced)
Comment	Bright screen with reasonable colour accuracy.

Processor Specs

Brand, Model	MediaTek Dimensity 6300
nm	6 TSMC
Cores	2 x 2.4GHz & 6 x 2.0GHz
Modem	MT
AI TOPS OR Multi-thread Integer Operations Per Second (INOPS) GINOPS = billion	Geekbench AI CPU Backend 547/528/1028 Geekbench AI GPU Backend 159/217/215 Geekbench AI NNAPI Backend 231/347/202 AiTuTu: 41817 AI Benchmark 5: 65.4 INOPS: 11.82 GINOPS: 10.18
Geekbench 6 Single-core	788
Geekbench 6 multi-core	1972
Like	Benchmarks Slower than a Qualcomm SD4 Gen 1. It seems almost identical to MT Dimensity 6080.
GPU	ARM MALI-G57 MC2 1072MHz
GPU Test
Open CL	1396
Like	Slow
Vulcan	1428
RAM, type	8GB LPDDR4X plus up to 8GB virtual RAM
Storage, free, type	256GB UFS 2.2 (206GB free)
micro-SD	Yes, to 2TB
CPDT internal seq. Read MBps sustained	317 (Jazz Disk Peak 508.55)
CPDT internal seq. write MBps sustained	238 (Jazz Disk peak 351)
CPDT microSD read, write MBps	77/42 mountable
CPDT external (mountable?) MBps	27/25 OTG Only
Comment	It has a 50-month fluency claim for keeping its system speed.

Throttle test

Max GIPS	190261
Average GIPS	171995
Minimum GIPS	146881
% Throttle	18%
CPU Temp	50°
Comment	Reasonable day-to-day performance in email, browsing, and general phone features.

Comms Specs

Wi-Fi Type, model	Wi-Fi 5 AC 2.4/5GHz maximum speed 433 Mbps half-duplex.
Test 2m -dBm, Rx/Tx Mbps	-38//433/433 5GHz
Test 5m	-38/433/390
Test 10m	-52/200/165
BT Type	5.2 (Claims 5.3, but processor does not support it)
GPS single, dual	BeiDou: B1I; GPS: L1; GLONASS: G1; Galileo: E1; QZSS: L1
USB type	USB-C 2.0 480Mbps
ALT DP, DeX, Ready For	Wi-Fi casting and Chromecast
NFC	Yes
Ultra-wideband	No
Sensors
Accelerometer	Yes
Gyro	No (emulated by SoC)
e-Compass	Yes
Barometer
Gravity	Yes
Pedometer
Ambient light	Yes
Hall sensor
Proximity	Yes
Other
Comment	Wi-Fi signals are not strong. At 2m from the router, it is -38dBm when it should be around -28dBm. It was also extremely slow to auto-range on mesh.

4/5G specs

Type	4/5G
SIM	Hybrid dual SIM or SIM and microSD
Active	DSDS Only one active at a time
Ring tone single, dual	Single
VoLTE	Carrier dependent
Wi-Fi calling	Carrier dependent
4G Bands	1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/26/28/38/39/40/41/66
Comment	All Australian 4G bands
5G sub-6Ghz	n1/3/5/7/8/20/26/28/38/n40/n41/66/77/n78
Comment	All Australian sub-6Ghz and low-bands.
mmWave	N/A
Test Boost Mobile, Telstra
DL/UL, ms	17/16.3/24ms (average)
Tower 1 -dBm, fW or pW	-79 to -91 12.6pW to 794.3fW
Tower 2	No
Tower 3	No
Tower 4	No
Comment	There is a good, strong reception signal, but it cannot find the three adjacent towers. This is for the city/suburbs or areas with a tower nearby.

Battery specs

mAh	5100mAh/19.95WH single battery It can be as low as 4970mAh/19.44Wh Rated for over four years if charged once daily (80% capacity remaining).
Charger, type, supplied	Not supplied It can use up to 45W SUPERVOOC but is really PD 13.5W chargeable. Most PD 3.0 chargers will charge at 9V/1.5A/12W.
PD, QC level	Most PD 3.0 chargers will charge at 9V/1.5A/12W.
Qi, wattage	No
Reverse Qi or cable.	No
Test (60Hz or adaptive screen)
Charge % 30mins	Claim 30 minutes 50%
Charge 0-100%	1 hour 10 minutes
Charge Qi, W Using Belkin Boost Charge 15W fast wireless charge	N/A
Charge 5V, 2A	Approx 3 hours
Video loop 50%, aeroplane	17 hours 44 minutes
PC Mark 3 battery	23 hours 36 minutes Accubattery 28 hours
GFX Bench Manhattan battery	4373.3 minutes (7.29 hours) 3139 frames
GFX Bench T-Rex	625.1 minutes (10.42 hours) 3262 frames
Drain 100-0% full load screen on	4 hours 47 minutes Accubattery 5 hours
mA Full load screen on	1250-1300mA
mA Watt idle Screen on	250-300mA
Estimate loss at max refresh	Tested on Performance mode and Adaptive screen
Estimate typical use	Two days of typical use, but heavy users may need to top up daily as it draws more under load.
Comment	We are saddened that OPPO has not included a charger – following in the bad footsteps of Samsung, Apple, Google Pixel, and Nokia. It appears that you need the SUPERVOOC charger to halve charging time.

Sound hardware

Note that it is a mono device, not stereo, as advertised.

Speakers	Earpiece and mono down-fixing speaker.
Tuning	No
AMP	MediaTek
Dolby Atmos decode	No
Hi-Res	No
3.5mm	Yes
BT Codecs	SBC/ AAC/ APTX/ APTX HD/ and LDAC
Multipoint	Should work
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	82dB
Media (music)	80
Ring	80
Alarm	75
Notifications	80
Earpiece	55
Hands-free	A single mic means no noise or wind reduction. Adequate for inside use
BT headphones	Reasonable L/R separation

Sound quality

Sound quality	Tested despite being mono – there is no sound stage.
Deep Bass 20-40Hz	Nil
Middle Bass 40-100Hz	Nil
High Bass 100-200Hz	Slow linear build to 1kHz
Low Mid 200-400Hz	Flat
Mid 400-1000Hz	Flat
High-Mid 1-2kHz	Flat
Low Treble 2-4kHz	Flat
Mid Treble 4-6kHz	Flat
High Treble 6-10kHz	Slow linear decline to 20kHz
Dog Whistle 10-20kHz	Decline
Sound Signature type	Mid-centric for clear voice. The missing bass makes this muddy, and the missing treble means there is little character and directionality.
Soundstage	None – it is mono
Comment	At this price/ mono is all you can expect, and it is focused on clear voice. This is not stereo as advertised.

OPPO A80 build specs

Size (H X W x D)	165.79 x 76.14 x 7.68mm
Weight grams	186
Front glass	Called 360° Damage Resistant Armour Body China Southern Glass (twice-reinforced) Panda (twice-reinforced)
Rear material	Plastic
Frame	Plastic
IP rating	IP54
Colours	Starry Black Moonlight Purple
Pen, Stylus support	Not specified
In the box
Charger	No
USB cable	USB-A to USB-C 3W
Buds	No
Bumper cover	No
Comment	Excellent build quality (as are all OPPO phones)

OS specs

Android	14
Security patch date	5 July 2024 – barely current)
UI	ColorOS 14.1
OS upgrade policy	Two – Android 15 and 16
Security patch policy	Three years of quarterly updates
Bloatware	Quite a lot – all removable. The lower the cost, the more bloatware you get.
Other	Has all Google Apps as well as its alternatives. Use Google Apps where possible for backup purposes.
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

OPPO A80 rear camera

The key issue here is that it is really a single-sensor camera. The 2MP is used for bokeh (portrait) depth estimation.

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° (64.8 to 76.9°)
Stabilisation	No
Zoom	10X
Rear 2	Portrait (a mono-depth sensor for bokeh)
MP	2MP
Sensor	GalaxyCore GC02M1
Focus	FF
f-stop	2.4
um	1.75
FOV (stated, actual)	89°
Stabilisation	No
Zoom	No
Video max	1080@60fps but 1080@30fps default
Flash	New ring flash (could be dual)
Auto-HDR
	AI eraser Photo, Video, Night, Pro, Pano, Portrait, Time-lapse, Slo-mo, Text Scanner, Google Lens, HI-RES, Dual-view Video, and Sticker
QR code reader	Via Google Lens
Night mode	AI

OPPO A80 Camera test photos

OPPO A80 selfie

MP	8MP
Sensor	GalaxyCore GC08A8
Focus	FF
f-stop	2
um	1.12
FOV (stated, actual)	80 (69.6 to 81.8°)
Stabilisation	No
Flash	Screen fill
Zoom	N/A
Video max	1080p@30fps
Features	Photo, Video, Portrait, Night, Time-lapse, Pano, Dual-view Video, and Sticker
Comment

CyberShack’s view – The OPPO A80 is a great value 5G phone

It is one of many OPPO global cookie-cutter phones that fit into a niche. In that $300-399 niche, it is the class leader.

There is no point in lamenting that it has mono sound or is a city phone. To get a better, more featured phone, you would be looking at

• $449 Nothing CMF 1 5G (also a city phone)
• $499 OPPO Reno 11 F (ditto)
• $499 Motorola Edge 50 Fusion (city and regional).

OPPO A80 ratings

Ratings	2024 rating 70/100 pass mark
Features	75
	It has everything you need—dual hybrid SIM/MicroSD, a fit-for-purpose SoC, fast charge capability but no charger, NFC, and a fingerprint sensor on the power button.
Value	80
	It is excellent value at $369 for a 5G and 8/256GB.
Performance	75
	It performs reasonably, but the antenna strength is only for cities and suburbs.
Ease of Use	85
	OPPO is easy to use, has a great 2-year warranty and local support
Design	75
	Another bland glass slab, but now slightly more unbreakable.
Rating out of 10	78