OPPO A96: The All-rounder Mid-range Performer
OPPO released the A96 in April of 2022, succeeding the A95 as the most bang for your buck mid-range phone you can get. Initially sold at RM1,299, you can now purchase the OPPO A96 at a price of RM1,199 in Malaysia.
It’s no secret that the mid-range phone market is heavily saturated. From the Samsung Galaxy series to the Xiaomi POCO range, almost every mobile brand has their sights locked on to the mid-range segment. Even despite the heavy competition, the OPPO A96 still stands out.
Here’s what makes the OPPO A96 one of the strongest contenders in the mid-range market.
Design & Performance
To be a star, you have to look like star. The OPPO A96 comes in two red carpet-worthy colours: Starry Black and Pearl Pink. The Starry Black is sleek and elegant like an all-black tuxedo, while Pearl Pink exudes brilliance from it’s glossy iridescent colours. And don’t worry about smudges, the rear of the OPPO A96 is resistant against fingerprint marks and scratches.
The OPPO A96 is fitted with an 8-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor. This obviously isn’t the most outstanding chipset, but it is known to provide decent gaming experience on mobile devices.
In terms of memory and storage, the OPPO A96 gives you 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. However, storage is expandable to up to 1TB via a MicroSD slot. Just as in the A95, the A96 also supports 5GB of extended virtual RAM for added speed.
Display & Camera
OPPO did not compromise on its display when inventing the A96. It packs a 6.59-inch display with 2412 x 1080 FHD+ resolution with a 96% NTSC colour gamut. Dual speakers located at the bottom of the A96 provides the final touch for an immersive content experience.
A much welcomed feature to the A96 is the Adaptive Refresh Rate Technology. The OPPO A96 typically runs at a 90Hz refresh rate, but will adjust itself based on the displayed content. This in turn conserves battery usage, giving you more juice to last throughout the day.
The cameras on the OPPO A96 isn’t revolutionary, but ticks all the boxes of a good enough phone camera. The dual camera setup on the rear consist of a 50MP main camera and a 2MP bokeh camera. Unfortunately, the A96 does not have an ultra-wide angle lens, but it does have a Panorama feature. The front camera located on the punch hole display is 16MP.
The A96 isn’t going to be a photographer’s first choice. So if you’re looking for something with punchier camera specs, we recommend OPPO’s Reno8 Pro 5G, or any of the Reno range.
Battery and Durability
One of the major plus points of the OPPO A96 is its long-lasting battery. The 5,000mAh battery is enough to guarantee a full day’s usage before needing to plug in the charger. What’s more, the A96 comes with 33W SUPERVOOC Fast Charging, capable of giving you 50% in 26 minutes. If you’re an overnight charger, you’ll be glad to know that Optimized Night Charging prevents the A96 from overcharging, thus retaining battery health in the long run.
When it comes to hardware durability, the OPPO A96 will stand the test of time. In developing the A96, OPPO sent the A96 through several environment and drop test to make certain of its hardiness. The result of that is a phone capable of withstanding harsh falls and extreme environments.
The OPPO A96: Reliability and practicality guaranteed
The OPPO A96 isn’t revolutionary in any way. It doesn’t boast the latest and greatest specs, nor does it have top of the line camera systems. But when it’s all said and done, you’ll find that the the A96 is a steadfast companion to have by your side. The A96 is nothing less than a competent all-rounder that checks off everything that’s needed in a day-to-day phone, and it does so more than sufficiently. Moreover, durability in hardware and battery performance is certain.
Whether or not the OPPO A96 sits on the throne of mid-range phones is up for debate, but it is certainly in the running. Regardless, you can hardly go wrong with the OPPO A96 when it’s sold at an affordable price in Malaysia!
