After years of following developments in the world of technology, it is hard to be impressed. Minor additions are 'game changers,' and there's more marketing than technologies in new products. But with Oppo the story is different: we are impressed.
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a href="http://www.poandpo.com/hs1114/oppo_r5_1v.jpg" rel="lightbox">Who made the first smartphone with hardware supported HDR? The manufacturer you, as an end user, most probably never heard of: Oppo. And that was two years ago when they also managed to make the thinnest smartphone in the world. And now they have another top product that leaves others in the dust, including the biggest names in the business. It seemed that the technology can't any further and that iPhone 6's 6.1mm is as thinnest as it can be done but Oppo made its R5 just 4.85mm thick.
That has its price: there is simply no room for a headphone jack but there is an USB-to-3.5mm audio adapter so you don't have to buy some special headphones. A big plus for Oppo.
There is another feature that left us stunned: every smartphone is finished by hand to give a perfect sheen and feel. Yes, by hand. The technique that only manufacturers or high-end luxury products use these days. Before the R5 is touched for the first time, its frame has been forged nine times and it's made of first-grade steel so the strength and the overall feel are at the highest level. But there's more: phase-change materials. They are used to jeep the device at a constant cool temperature that helps electronics and prolongs its lifetime.
Now, let's see what can be incorporated in a smartphone less than 5mm thick. R5 features an Octa-core CPU and comes with a 5.2 inch AMOLED screen giving the highest brightness and color rendition, the lowest reflection ratio, and highest ambient light contrast ratio available. The display has full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and 423 ppi and 16 million colors. While other high-end smartphones are satisfied with a 13-megapixel, the R5 lets you to take the shot with an imperceptible focus time of 0.18 seconds and delivers 50MP high-definition picture clarity.
Another nice feature, especially if you are a businessman and every second matters, is Oppo's VOOC mini rapid charging system, where a 30-minute charge will provide 75% battery life and a 5-minute charge will allow for a two-hour call. So, you don't have to worry if the important call is five minutes away and your smartphone has no juice, those five minutes will be enough to get power to close the deal. And it does look good, like a fashion statement more than a piece of hardware. ■
