hen Oppo launched the F9 Pro (Review) in the market last month, it also announced the Oppo F9 at the same event. The Oppo F9 ₹ 17,991 was not given as much attention as its sibling, and it has only just recently become available in the market. In comparison to the Oppo F9 Pro, this less expensive version lacks VOOC fast charging, has 4GB of RAM instead of 6GB, and the 25-megapixel selfie camera has been cut down to 16 megapixels. However, all these reductions to the features and specifications result in a lower price. While the F9 Pro is priced at Rs 23,990, the new Oppo F9 comes in at a Rs. 4,000 less.
While the Oppo F9 is more affordable than the F9 Pro, there are a lot of smartphones at around this price that offer good value for money. Should the Oppo F9 be your first choice? We put it to the test to find out. The Oppo F9/F9 Pro is yet another installment in the hugely popular Oppo mid-range series. It's the first phone in the family with a dual-camera on the back and backtracks on the screen cutouts by moving to a tiny waterdrop notch. You have probably noticed we are using the F9/F9 Pro inscription for this review and there is a reason for that. Oppo has chosen a rather awkward approach to the naming of its mid-ranger. In India - one of the key markets for the F-series - the F9 is available in two versions. There is the F9 Pro with 6GB of RAM, a 25MP selfie camera and VOOC flash charging, and the regular Oppo F9 with 4GB of RAM, a 16MP selfie shooter, and no VOOC charging. Yet in every other market Oppo is selling only the F9 but with specs matching the Indian pro version(6GB, 25MP, VOOC). So, the phone we got for review is called F9, but specs-wise it's identical to the F9 Pro as seen in India. We hope this clears it up and we'll refer to the phone as just F9 from here on.
In 2018, there’s a thin line between a fashion statement and a smartphone for daily use. With how the designs are evolving, the line is only going to get murkier. Take the Oppo F9 Pro for instance. The company calls it a work of art. And for the most part, it is. Oppo clearly has spent a lot of time refining the design of the phone. You get a whole new notch on top of the display and gradient colour patterns. It clearly looks different and in the price range it launched at, the Oppo F9 Pro does have a lot of competition. It’s new from the inside as well with an updated version of ColorOS based on Android 8.1 Oreo and super-fast VOOC charging. It also happens to be the first phone in Oppo’s F-series to feature a dual rear camera. That’s a lot of new things for the Chinese upstart, but how do they add up in the larger scheme of things? Let’s find out.
The internals are well chosen too - the Helio P60 chip has already proven as a solid mid-range performer, you get a dual-camera on the back with bright lens and a super high-res selfie snapper. Add the large battery with VOOC support and it looks like a great package. Sadly we are still seeing a dated microUSB port.
The Oppo F9 is made out of plastic, and its highlight feature is its display. It has a smaller notch compared to what we have seen on most other smartphones in the market. Oppo calls this a ‘waterdrop’ design, and it only houses the 16-megapixel selfie camera. The earpiece is cleverly positioned above it, helping in making the notch smaller. Vivo’s V11 Pro (Review) has a similar notch, and the upcoming OnePlus 6T is also rumoured to sport it. The Oppo F9 Pro certainly looks stunning. The design including the gradient glass back and the water drop notch does make the phone stand out. The new UI also helps make the phone look more premium. But it’s performance leaves a lot to be desired, especially considering the price it’s offered at and the competition. The Snapdragon 845-powered Poco F1 is available at a lower price point while the Nokia 7 Plus is an all-rounder in terms of performance and imaging. The primary (if not the only one) reason to get the Oppo F9 Pro is for its selfie camera that relies on extensive AI algorithms to deliver results that are both eye-pleasing and well-detailed. The VOOC charging tech is also nullified somewhat by a poor battery life. Get this only if you are a selfie enthusiast and consider your smartphone to be a fashion statement.
Oppo F9/F9 Pro review Oppo F9 price in India
When it comes to shape and size, the Oppo F9 and the Oppo F9 Pro are identical. To help distinguish between the two models, Oppo offers different finishes. While the F9 Pro gets flashy colour schemes with different patterns and gradients, the F9 has a diamond cut pattern similar to what we saw on the Realme 1 (Review). There are two colour options, Mist Black and Stellar Purple. The whole pattern isn’t visible at all times, but sections pop up when light hits the back of this phone at different angles. We had the purple version in for review, and it looks quite different from the many black and gold smartphones currently in the market.In 2018, there’s a thin line between a fashion statement and a smartphone for daily use. With how the designs are evolving, the line is only going to get murkier. Take the Oppo F9 Pro for instance. The company calls it a work of art. And for the most part, it is. Oppo clearly has spent a lot of time refining the design of the phone. You get a whole new notch on top of the display and gradient colour patterns. It clearly looks different and in the price range it launched at, the Oppo F9 Pro does have a lot of competition. It’s new from the inside as well with an updated version of ColorOS based on Android 8.1 Oreo and super-fast VOOC charging. It also happens to be the first phone in Oppo’s F-series to feature a dual rear camera. That’s a lot of new things for the Chinese upstart, but how do they add up in the larger scheme of things? Let’s find out.
The internals are well chosen too - the Helio P60 chip has already proven as a solid mid-range performer, you get a dual-camera on the back with bright lens and a super high-res selfie snapper. Add the large battery with VOOC support and it looks like a great package. Sadly we are still seeing a dated microUSB port.
The Oppo F9 is made out of plastic, and its highlight feature is its display. It has a smaller notch compared to what we have seen on most other smartphones in the market. Oppo calls this a ‘waterdrop’ design, and it only houses the 16-megapixel selfie camera. The earpiece is cleverly positioned above it, helping in making the notch smaller. Vivo’s V11 Pro (Review) has a similar notch, and the upcoming OnePlus 6T is also rumoured to sport it. The Oppo F9 Pro certainly looks stunning. The design including the gradient glass back and the water drop notch does make the phone stand out. The new UI also helps make the phone look more premium. But it’s performance leaves a lot to be desired, especially considering the price it’s offered at and the competition. The Snapdragon 845-powered Poco F1 is available at a lower price point while the Nokia 7 Plus is an all-rounder in terms of performance and imaging. The primary (if not the only one) reason to get the Oppo F9 Pro is for its selfie camera that relies on extensive AI algorithms to deliver results that are both eye-pleasing and well-detailed. The VOOC charging tech is also nullified somewhat by a poor battery life. Get this only if you are a selfie enthusiast and consider your smartphone to be a fashion statement.
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