OPPO A74 5G Review: Affordable 5G For Everyone
May 17, 2021Performance: Snapdragon 480 5G, 6GB RAM
Display: 6.5-inch (1080 x 2400)
Weight: 190g
Storage: 128GB
Battery: 5,000mAh
Features:1080p
Rear Camera:48MP Main, 8MP Ultra wide-angle, 2MP Marco, 2MP Mono
Front Camera:16MP
Rating: 7/10
Price: RM 1,099.00
OPPO is responsible for creating some of the nicest looking budget phones on the market. The company seems to have a nackt for making affordable phones seem premium. The A74 5G is a prime example of this. On paper, it appears to be a regular run off the mill device with a 5G antenna, but the contrary seems to be true.
The rear panel has a unique matte color scheme, and the one we have is called Space Silver. It has a surprisingly reflective look that mimics that of an aluminum finish. Far from a facsimile of said metal surface, the color does allow the phone to stand out amongst peers that are usually far less striking. OPPO also offers the phone in black, which has a more subdued appearance.
As someone who is a little OCD about punch hole displays, I have a great sense of appreciation for manufacturers who place the camera hole to the far left. It feels less intrusive then placing it dead center. And it’s easier to forget that it’s there especially when streaming content on your phone. That’s because it’s placed at an area of the screen where nothing eventful is displayed.
The A74 5G is fitted with a 6.5-inch FHD+, LCD display. It offers 480 nits of brightness and a decent color gamut. However, users who are used to OLED displays will find that this phone’s unit feels a little washed out. The contrast seems to have been set a little low as well. LCD panels are generally less eye-catching than OLED/AMOLED ones.
This isn’t a deal breaker for most people but those of whom who are transitioning from an AMOLED screen to an LCD, will notice the disparity between them. Mind, unless you’re a stickler for screen quality, the A74 5G should offer decent display performance for watching movies and playing games thanks to the 90.5% screen ratio.
A Snapdragon 480 5G sits at the heart of this phone and on paper, it doesn’t seem impressive. Qualcomm’s model nomenclature suggests that this is a budget chipset and as such it should offer nothing more than lackluster performance. However, the contrary seems to be true here. Despite the less than stellar computing power, the A74 5G is still able to hold its own.
This is due in part to its 90Hz refresh rate, 6GB RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. As such the phone feels far more responsive than it ought to be. Apps launch and close almost instantly. The same is true when switching between them. There isn’t a hint of lag or stuttering when leaving one app and accessing others that are incrementally more demanding.
It’s a pleasant surprise because the perception associated with lower-end Snapdragon chipsets isn’t great. For general use, the A74 5G will do exceptionally well regardless of the tasks set before it. However, you will need to temper your expectations when it comes to gaming performance. It will do fine with less demanding titles, but don’t ask too much of it here.
The usual OPPO related finger gestures and shortcuts are present and accounted for, and if you’ve used them in the past, it should work the same for this phone too. ColorOS 11.1 is based on Android 11 and as such it comes with the same level of functionality and features. It’s just that OPPO has skinned it to suit its requirements.
The rear camera array consists of a 48MP sensor, 8MP wide-angle sensor, 2MP Macro and 2MP Monochrome one. It’s a similar story here as it was with the phone’s chipset. The hardware isn’t very powerful but with the help of its AI software is able to capture decent pictures. You can choose to toggle the “AI enhancement” off or on.
When enabled, its algorithm is able to sharpen images, adjust exposure, highlights and shadows as well as tweak the contrast, to provide you with the best version of said image. That said, it can’t work miracles on bad pictures, but make minute adjustments for a more desirable outcome.
Sometimes it’s a hit or miss, and others, the AI pulls off a pro-level result. This works in both good and low lighting conditions. Images that are captured look decent and relatively sharp. The same is true of selfie images taken with the front camera. The beautify feature lets you take flattering selfie images because it smoothens the skin and hides imperfections.
The absence of optical image stabilization (though it has EIS) is a major point against this phone. Footage that you capture appears shaky and less fluid. This can be tempered by being more deliberate and steady with your camera movements. If you manage this, the phone will be able to capture decent footage provided that lighting conditions are at least suboptimal.
Keep in mind that the A4 5G isn’t meant for pro-photography. Instead, it is best suited to people who take casual pictures of their outings. Understanding the limitation of this phone’s camera hardware is important, because if this is a deal breaker to you, then it would be best to seek smartphones with more capable camera sensors.
OPPO has given the phone a 5,000mAh battery, which will allow you to go untethered for at least a day and a half. Even with moderate to heavy usage, the A74 5G should be able to eke out enough power to get you through the entire day without reaching for the charger. Speaking of the power brick, OPPO includes an 18W fast charging one in the box.
It’s perfect for quick top-ups, especially when you are in a hurry. Now, it’s nowhere near as impressive as OPPO’s more expensive phones like the Reno5 5G with its 65W SuperVOOC 2.0, but it will get the job done. We’re in a time where phones are not supplied with dedicated chargers, so it’s comforting to know that OPPO still gives you an 18W one in the box.
Charging the phone from empty to 100% should take slightly more than an hour. This should be more than enough for early morning juice ups, which is a routine most of us have become accustomed to in 2021. But to lengthen the life of any phone’s battery, it would be best to keep the charge level between 20 to 80%, which may prove inconvenient at times.
The A74 5G doesn’t have an under the screen fingerprint sensor. Instead it has a physical sensor on the side mounted power button. It’s quick to respond to a single touch, and is quite reliable at reading fingerprints. Though this isn’t an ideal spot to place a fingerprint reader, it happens to be the most convenient location for most people.
Our current telecommunication infrastructure isn’t ready for 5G yet, so we are unable to verify the speeds that this phone is capable of achieving. But it’s good to know that when the service is eventually offered to the general public, owners of the A74 5G will be able to get on the plan without having to worry about compatibility.
Should You Buy It?
If you are looking for an affordable 5G phone then this might be the device for you. It has proven to be a decent performer for most tasks safe for high end mobile gaming and media editing work. We didn’t encounter a single hiccup or crash, which is a testament to the great job OPPO has done to optimize ColorOS to suit the A74 5G’s underwhelming hardware.
The Snapdragon 480 5G is a decent chipset and its capabilities are bolstered by a good helping of RAM, responsive display and decently fast 128GB UFS2.1 storage. If you find yourself in a stalemate when choosing between this phone and something else, remember that the 480 5G’s processing power is more than enough for most people.
The only obvious drawback has to do with the display. The LCD simply cannot match the output of an OLED/AMOLED one. There is simply no comparison between the two, so if you are particular about this, then this phone isn’t meant for you. LCD panels are cheaper than OLED ones, and OPPO had to make cost cuts somewhere to keep the phone’s price down.
OPPO’s AI does a good job of making average pictures look good. Though it might not get it right 100% of the time, it comes quite close to that mark. It is able to take decent pictures, which are on par with other devices in the same price bracket. If you need something with better performance, the Reno series should win you over.
All things considered, the A74 5G is a decent budget to mid-range phone that is future-proofed for the world of 5G. If you are an average user who is looking for an affordable device that offers good computing power, camera performance and battery life, then this is the device for you. It’s meant to win over the average Joe who is geared up to embrace 5G connectivity.
