The 5.5-inch ZenFone 3 variant (click for complete specs) and the R9s have a lot of similarities. They are both powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 with Adreno 506 GPU; they offer 5.5-inch screens with 1080 x 1920 resolution and 64GB ROM/4GB RAM combo; and their respective user interfaces are based on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow. They have 16-megapixel rear cameras, too. However, OPPO makes use of the new Sony IMX398 with dual focus on the R9s, the first device, along with the R9s Plus, to use the sensor. The cameras can record super-crisp 4K video. This is great news for a number of reasons, one reason being that we’re finally able to bring a video to life, before in HD we lost some colour dept but now with the new 4k capabilities we get this back! Also, with a massive rise in ultra 4k projectors and TV’s, it allows for the content produced to be displayed with minimal effort, with a great picture.
The OPPO R9s takes these areas a notch higher, too:
- Its front camera has double the megapixel count at 16 megapixels. (The quality of images it produces remains to be seen, as megapixel count doesn’t necessarily translate to better photos.)
- Protecting its display is Corning Gorilla Glass 5, unlike the ASUS ZenFone 3’s Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
- Charging it is much faster than charging the ZenFone, thanks to OPPO’s VOOC fast-charging technology. It will only take about an hour to fully fill up its battery.
- And speaking of battery, the R9s’ has a little bit higher capacity at 3010mAh (compared to ASUS’ 3000mAh).
The R9s will be priced at 2,999 Chinese yuan or about P20,000 or $415 when it becomes available in China on October 28. If OPPO Philippines will bring the phone here and match the ZenFone 3’s P18,995 (approximately $394) price tag, odds are we’ll probably recommend it, pending a product review, of course.
If OPPO Philippines will match the ZenFone 3’s P18,995 (approximately $394) price tag, odds are we’ll probably recommend the R9s.
How about the OPPO R9s Plus?
We’re pitting this against the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra (click for full specs) because the two have huge full-HD displays, though the latter comes in at 6.8 inches; by contrast, the R9 Plus screen is smaller at 6 inches.
So, how do they stack up against each other? See their differences:
- Underneath the OPPO phone’s hood is the newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 processor, which is said to provide better connectivity and graphics and multimedia performance than the Ultra’s Snapdragon 652 chip.
- The ZenFone’s rear camera has a higher megapixel count at 23 megapixels. But let’s also take into account again the fact that a higher megapixel count doesn’t automatically result in better photos.
- The OPPO R9s Plus’ back camera shoots 4K videos.
- And its front camera is a 16-megapixel shooter, compared with the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra’s 8-megapixel cam.
- The tougher Corning Gorilla Glass 5, rather than the ASUS phone’s Gorilla Glass 4, protects the screen of the R9s Plus.
- The Ultra’s battery capacity is higher at 4600mAh. The R9s Plus has a 4000mAh battery.
- The latter’s RAM taps out at 6GB, unlike the ZenFone’s 4GB, but internal storage goes as high as 128GB on the ASUS device.
Both smartphones have fast-charging capabilities, Adreno 510 GPU, and Android 6.0.1. Marshmallow-based UIs.
So which do we prefer? Based on the specs alone and not on their actual performance, the OPPO R9s Plus seems to be a better deal if you’re not after a bigger display; it will set you back at just 3,499 Chinese yuan or roughly P25,000 or $519 when it becomes available in December. Compare that with the ASUS ZenFone 3 Ultra’s P32,995 price (around $685). Of course, real-life performance is still king, so before you choose a phone priced like them, we suggest you check the devices thoroughly first.
Via GSMArena
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