The new OPPO A3 is built to last—Is this budget phone designed for you?

OPPO recently released a new durability and stability-focused smartphone in the Philippines called PHP 8,999.

The FREE case of the OPPO A3

The new OPPO A3 is designed to last

In case you missed it, the device called OPPO A3 is one of the very few (the only one we've seen under PHP 10K so far) with US Military-Grade Shock Resistance, an SGS 5-star rating for overall drop resistance, and Multiple Liquid Resistance (IP54) for the body.

The frame is polycarbonate, but OPPO claims that its internals are more shock-resistant than most budget phones. The back has a glass-like feel.

The phone passed plenty of international certifications ensuring its durability

The display also has the China Southern Glass (twice-reinforced) and Panda (twice-reinforced).

Its display has several glass protections

The other interesting thing is the phone doesn't look like the thick and heavy rugged phones that were not pocket-friendly before.

Fairly elegant appeal for a budget phone

OPPO didn't also go overboard with its look giving it an "elegant" overall appeal.

It has a nice boxy overall look that measures just 165.77 x 76.08 x 7.68 mm and weighs 186 grams. This is a reasonably handy device (a bit slippery without the case) with the "just right" heft. 

The company also included a pretty good quality flexible TPU case with a Rimowa-inspired design.

To keep it short, this handset has been certified to survive up to 1.6 meters of drops and water spray from any direction.

Slim yet tough

It is not advisable to try to break it by force to test its durability, but thanks to its certifications that are not that easy to obtain, this handset has a higher chance of survival compared to other phones without those certifications.

Moreover, OPPO claims that its battery is also durable. The brand promised that it would perform at around 80 percent capacity even after 4 years of use. It also has a 36-month Fluency rating that promises a "like new" performance even after 3 years of continuous use.

Just note that only time will tell if those claims are true.

Who is this for?

The back design of the device

OPPO probably designed this handset for the clumsy users who often drop their phones and kids who throw their phones when having tantrums since the phone is certified to be durable.

The 6.67-inch 90Hz display is only HD+ in resolution though. Don't expect the crispest images around. But, it has a peak brightness of up to 1,000 nits making it usable for outdoor use, and has Splash Touch technology allowing its screen to be used even when wet.

So, this might also be an option for Ankas/Grab/Lalamove riders who often use their phones outside, rain or shine. 

While it only has 4G LTE connectivity, the GPS bands are also nearly complete ( GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, Galileo, BeiDou) making it ideal for navigation.

It comes with a 45W fast charger

The battery life is also extra long thanks to its 5,100mAh capacity. In my experience, it can last for about 2 days as a backup phone and a whole day with 30 percent left in the tank as a main handset.

At PC Mark, it lasted over 13 hours before the benchmark app crashed. There's about 40 percent left after that.

The 45W USB-C SUPERVOOC fast charging is also legit and can charge the phone from 0 to 50 percent in 30 minutes. Then for a full charge, it'll need just a little over an hour.

AnTuTu and Geekbench benchmark scores

While it is usable for casual use, speed is where OPPO should improve next time though.

The 11nm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1 octa-core processor is power-efficient, but don't expect it to be as fast as the regular Snapdragon 6 Gen 1. Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 is at least 2x faster than this.

Decent for social media use and basic phone tasks, but it is slower than most similarly priced phones

OPPO paired it with 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and a not-that-fast 128GB eMMC 5.1 expandable internal storage.

It isn't for me or anyone in need of a faster phone, especially those that game and need a faster 5G connectivity. Just be a little bit more careful not to drop them often without a case to prevent unwanted damage.

What it can do is run social media applications like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok decently. It can also do CapCut, but video rendering will be slower than usual. Netflix, Viu, and other OTT platforms are usable as well.

Before the recent update, it is laggy when you switch from one app to another. Thankfully, OPPO seeded an update that optimized the experience to make it smooth enough for casual users.

For games, Mobile Legends is playable. For more demanding games, it'll definitely struggle.

Overall, it would have been better if OPPO used at least the Snapdragon 680 or the MTK Helio G99 for better overall performance.

I would also like to note that its thermal management is okay and it doesn't heat up easily even when you use it while plugged in.

Dual cam setup

The cameras for photography are also mid for the price. They are generally decent and could take social media-worthy photos.

The camera UI

Its rear cameras did okay outdoors and shot usable indoor photos. The shooting speed is also not bad.

OPPO A3 indoor food shot

OPPO A3 indoor coffee shot

OPPO A3 Night mode 1

OPPO A3 Night mode 2

In the dark, it is not advisable to shoot moving subjects. It will be generally grainy as well.

The solution is the built-in Night mode which enabled us to take cityscapes that are generally acceptable for most. Manage your expectations though, it won't be as crisp as more expensive devices. Artifacts will also be noticeable when you pixel peep.

We also noticed that it has no Portrait mode at the back.

Selfie cam sample w/ Portrait mode

The selfie camera is only 5MP, but it can still take decent indoor shots. The portrait mode is far from perfect, but it is available for selfies.

For videos, it can do up to 1080p 30fps at the back and front. It is just shaky without a tripod or gimbal since there is no stabilization.

Other features

The device also has a side-mounted fingerprint reader that works instantaneously.

It only has a single speaker, but it has up to 300 percent loudness.

Personally, I won't be using the 300 percent loudness and it is peaky with plenty of distortion. The use case I can see here is if you really need to hear something in an outdoor environment. Otherwise, I'll go down to 70 percent speaker volume or use earphones (wired or wireless) for personal listening.

OPPO A3 Specs

Display: 6.67-inch CSG, Panda (twice-reinforced) protected LCD screen w/ 90Hz refresh rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate, HD+ 1604 x 720 resolution at 264 ppi

CPU: 2.11GHz 11nm Snapdragon 6s 4G Gen 1 octa-core processor

GPU: Adreno 610

RAM: 6GB LPDDR4X

ROM: 128GB eMMC 5.1 expandable via microSD card slot

Back Camera: 50MP f/1.8 w/ AF, open-loop focus motor + Flicker Sensor + Turbo Torch

Selfie Camera: 5MP f/2.2

Battery: 5,100mAh w/ 45W SUPERVOOC

OS: Android 14 w/ ColorOS 14

Connectivity: WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n (2.4GHz/5GHz), 5G, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0 BLE (SBC, AAC, aptX), OTG, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, QZSS, Galileo, BeiDou, dual SIM

Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic

Others: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, MIL-STD 810H + SGS shock/drop  rating, IP54 dust and water splash resistance, USB-C, Colors: Sparkle Black, Starry Purple

Dimensions: 165.77 x 76.08 x 7.68 mm

Weight: 186 g

Price: PHP 8,999

Quick thoughts

Handsets with durability and longevity in mind like this one should be welcomed with open arms.

Remember, here in the Philippines having a smartphone is still a luxury, a reason why there is a market for extra-durable phones under PHP 10K like this.

We also liked that the handset is slim and fairly stylish despite its "ruggedness".

However, as mentioned above. It isn't for everyone. It isn't the fastest phone for the price and we've seen others with better cameras.

It is understandable if you will opt for this if you are a basic smartphone user who only does calls, messaging, and social media—and if durability is your top priority.

What do you guys think?