Oppo releases a sub-$250 smartphone with a bigger battery than most premium phones

Entry level smartphones are packing some of the best batteries these days, with phone manufacturers reaching out to users that want inexpensive, no fuss handsets that they won’t have to charge for several days. Recently, we saw TCL release the sub-$300 TCL 20 R 5G with a 4500mAh battery capacity. Now, Oppo has followed suit by releasing another handset in its affordable A-Series line-up, the Oppo A16s with a whopping 5000mAh battery life.

Credit: Oppo

The A16s, which will carry an RRP price tag of just AU$249, has a very similar feature set to the aforementioned TCL 20 R 5G but minus the 5G connectivity. Similarities lie in the screen size, storage, and resolution, with both handsets featuring 6.52-inch HD+ LCD displays with 720x1600-pixel resolution and 64GB of internal storage.

Oppo says the A16s’s Eye Care Display is a little different though, since it features adapting brightness that can adapt the phone’s screen brightness down to just 2 nits to suit the prevailing environmental conditions and to be easier on the eyes.

Like the TCL 20 R 5G, Oppo’s A16s will also sport a triple camera array featuring a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and 8-megapixel front-facing camera. Its 13-megapixel rear-facing camera will include a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and 2-megapixel macro camera, which should give it reasonable image quality. Powering all this is an 8 Core MediaTek Helio G35 processor.

For gaming the TCL 20 R 5G looks to be the sportier of the two phones, with the fast 5G connectivity and revved up 90Hz screen refresh rate likely to give it the edge over the Oppo A16s’s 60Hz, and 4G connectivity. This aside, the A16s comes with some appealing software optimisations and compatibility.

Oppo says the new handset will be capable of producing images in vivid colour thanks to an AI-powered Colour Mode that will change colour saturation and contrast ratios automatically - a feature which should appeal to users that tinker on social media.

Credit: Oppo

The A16s also comes with Night-time Standby Mode, Super Power Saving Mode, Optimised Overnight Charging and Smart Temperature Control. Google Lens OCR will allow users to translate foreign languages while travelling, and Google Nearby compatibility will allow users to share images and files with friends nearby with just a tap.

The Oppo A16s will come in two colours: Crystal Black and Pearl Blue. Optus is now currently selling the A16s in Crystal Black only. Both colours will be available from November 4, 2021 from JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, The Good Guys and Harvey Norman. 

The Oppo A16s is currently available on an Optus pre-paid plan via the widget below: