Oppo A74 review

Read our full review to find out how the Oppo A74 differs, what our opinion of it is and whether it's worth the money.
Added by on 04.06.21 | Last update 12.23.21
Oppo A74 ревю
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Intro

The competition among budget smartphones in the market across the world is huge. Manufacturers are constantly finding a way to make such a balance of features go hand in hand with an extremely attractive low price. This is exactly how we can describe the Oppo a74 model. Its creators have coped brilliantly with the ambitious task of making it competitive.

Before reading the full review, you can familiarize yourself with the detailed Oppo A74 specs or watch the video below the article.

Specifications

  • Release date: 2021, April 05
  • Colors: Prism Black, Midnight Blue
  • Dimensions: 160.3 x 73.8 x 8 mm.
  • Weight: 175 g.
  • Screen: 6.43" inc, 1080 x 2400, AMOLED
  • Camera : Triple, 48MP
  • Chipset: Qualcomm SM6115 Snapdragon 662 (11 nm)
  • CPU: Octa-core (4x2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4x1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver)
  • Memory: 128GB 4GB RAM, 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM
  • Battery: 5000, Li-Po, non-removable
  • Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE
  • Operating system: Android 11, ColorOS 11.1
  • Sensors: Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Design

The Oppo a74 is a low-end smartphone. However, it looks like a more expensive model. This impression is created by three details. First and foremost are the iridescent colors on the rear panel. Made of plastic, it is endowed with the ability to reflect light in an interesting way. Second, the Oppo a74 is equipped with a three-camera unit that looks more than solid. Literally flagship-like. Finally, the impression of a higher price class is complemented by the minimal thickness of the bezels around the screen.

Finally, we must mention the fingerprint scanner, which is built directly into the display. It works fast and accurately enough.

Display

To the delight of the user, the Oppo a74 has an OLED panel display that has several advantages: lower power consumption, deep blacks and high contrast. In this case, we get a high maximum brightness that reaches up to 800 nits. Thus, under the direct rays of the sun, the Oppo a74's screen will remain legible.

The display of the smartphone, as already mentioned, pleases with thin bezels. Their width is only 1.6 mm. Only the bottom of the device is larger. The screen itself occupies over 90% of the front panel area, which is a high indicator. The display diagonal is 6.43 inches with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. The pixel density is over 400.

Performance

Oppo a74 is based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 chipset with 8 cores running at up to 2 GHz purity. It is complemented by a graphics accelerator and 4 GB, 6 GB or 8 GB of RAM. All this is enough to have a system that allows you to work comfortably with the Oppo a74. You can use programs, communicate over video, take photos, record videos, listen to music, surf, etc. As for games, the more resource-intensive ones can be accompanied by a slowdown. Because of this, we recommend tweaking the settings before you start playing.

We should also mention storage. On the Oppo a74, it's 128 GB - big enough to have unlimited options for the first year of using the device. You can expand it using a memory card if you wish.

The Oppo a74 runs Android 11 operating system, which is complemented by Oppo's proprietary interface. It is called Color OS and will leave a pleasant impression on you. The interface is cute and well thought out. There are various settings that allow you to adapt everything to your taste.

If you like to use a dark theme, the Oppo a74 will provide it.

Cameras

The main camera on the Oppo a74 is triple. The main module is 48-megapixel. It is complemented by a 2-megapixel module for macro shots and a 2-megapixel sensor for depth sensing. Using the latter you can blur the background in portrait mode.

During the day and in moderate light deficit, the Oppo a74's camera allows you to take quality photos. The detail is second to none and the colors are realistic. The dynamic range is wide. Auto exposure metering works excellently. You'll love how the HDR mode is implemented. It helps to extend the dynamic range. The photos turn out bright and compelling.

The finished Oppo a74 photos are stored at 4000 x 3000 pixels, i.e. 12 MP resolution. The full potential of the main camera can be realized when you request it from the settings.

If you haven't taken macro photos before, the Oppo a74 will make them your favourite. It's another when you can view objects in super fine detail.

Capturing video in turn is at 1920 x 1080 pixels or 1280 x 720 pixels at 30 frames per second. There are separate modes for slow-motion or sped-up shooting.

A 16-megapixel front camera is responsible for selfies. It features good detail when shooting during the day. In dark conditions, you will notice the appearance of flaws on the footage.

Autonomous operation

Oppo a74 is a smartphone that attracts attention with its thin body and large diagonal screen. At the same time, underneath its beautiful looks lies a 5000 mAh battery. Combined with an economical chipset and an OLED screen with moderate resolution, it allows the device to offer good autonomous performance.

You can count on over 20 hours of uninterrupted video viewing at maximum screen brightness. This indicator will increase if you reduce the brightness to 50%. With normal daily usage, you can recharge the Oppo a74 only after 2 days.

The recharge speed will also make you happy. From 0% to 15%, Oppo a74 charges in just 10 minutes. For a 50% charge you have to wait half an hour, and for 100% - 90 minutes.

Conclusion

The Oppo a74 is a modern phone that offers classy looks, a bright OLED screen and satisfactory performance.

Oppo A74 video review

Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is based on our team's personal experience with the Oppo A74 and third-party sources. While every effort has been made to provide accurate and reliable information, readers should keep in mind that this is a subjective assessment. The writing of this article was not paid for or sponsored by Oppo.

Richard Taylor

Richard Taylor

Richard Taylor is a technology expert and journalist based in the UK. With a degree in Computer Science from the University of Birmingham, he provides insightful analysis and expert reviews of the latest smartphones and technology. His technical expertise, passion for technology and years of experience make him a trusted source in the industry.

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