That gradated metallic blue is a cool look.

Aloysius Low/Proinertech

Oppo’s R17 is a reasonably handsome Cellphone, but it surely may very well be higher.

I’ve solely spent a short while with it to date, but it surely lacks that one thing particular to assist it stand out in a sea of comparable Chinese language Android telephones. Twin rear cameras, stunning design, a full-screen expertise with a tiny notch — these make it a killer midrange cellphone, however we have seen loads of comparable telephones this yr.

It does have an Underscreen Fingerprint Sensor, however Vivo already beat Oppo to the market with that function within the Vivo X21 ($469 at Amazon.com). At three,499 Chinese language yuan (about $510, £395 or AU$700), does the R17 have what it takes to make it a must-buy?

For one factor, it is a actually beautiful trying cellphone. When you would not be caught lifeless with a boring champagne-gold cellphone, the three-gradient metallic-blue rear of the R17 is beautiful and crowd pleasing. For an additional factor, the twin 16- and 5-megapixel rear cameras take fairly good AI-powered footage, and Oppo has tweaked the cellphone to have the ability to seize evening pictures with ease.

For prime dynamic vary (HDR), which generally combines just a few pictures collectively for a clearer picture, Oppo says the R17 makes use of uncooked photograph knowledge when processing the ultimate picture, leading to a picture that is cleaner and wealthy intimately. Selfie pictures additionally get a lift on its entrance 25-megapixel digicam, which has a magnificence mode that may slim your cheeks and make your eyes lots greater. (I do know, it is bizarre, however these modes are actually common in China.)

I took the cellphone out for a spin in Shanghai, and got here away fairly impressed with its photo-taking capabilities. I am ready until it will get darkish to see the way it handles at evening. Portrait mode pictures appear a tad odd, with an excessive amount of synthetic bokeh, however I will have to check this out extra to see if it is intentional.

Whereas the cellphone feels barely heavy, it is a comfy heft that makes it really feel costlier. Packing a three,500-mAh battery, the cellphone ought to have the ability to final a full day, simply. There isn’t any waterproofing or wi-fi charging, which is a disgrace.

Examine again quickly for extra info from the launch occasion — there’s an upscale Oppo R17 Professional mannequin I have never seen but.

Fast specs

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 670 octa-core processorMemory: 8GB RAM, 128GB onboard storageDisplay: 6.Four-inch full-HD+ 2,340×1,080 pixels resolutionBattery: three,500 mAhSoftware: Android eight.1 OreoUnderscreen fingerprint sensor