Item: OPPO A74 5G
Rating: 4
Author: Michael Aulia

OPPO A74 5G Review – If you are ready to jump into the 5G bandwagon but do not want to spend a thousand dollar or more for a 5G phone, make sure to check the new OPPO A74 5G, powered by A Qualcomm 5G SoC, out.

It has a huge 5,000mAh battery to complement the 5G’s power hungry nature so you can still have a good one day (and more) battery life even while tapping into Australia’s 5G network.

OPPO A74 5G Review – Packaging Contents & Unboxing

OPPO A74 5G Review – Design and Features

Despite of it being a mid-range phone, the OPPO A74 5G has a premium, metallic-looking design. There’s a gentle curve arcs around the back and it doesn’t look like a cheap plastic. The back of the phone also has that gently diffused hues no matter which colour you pick (available in Fluid Black and Space Silver – which is the review unit I have here).

Obviously, you do not want to cover the back of the phone with a case if possible. OPPO does include a transparent case in the packaging so you can at least protect the phone and still keep that look somewhat. And just like the other OPPO recent phones, the screen already comes protected with a screen protector applied.

Specifications wise, OPPO A74 5G is powered by Qualcomm 5G SoC with 6GB of RAM and a huge 128GB of ROM for storage. Then, a 6.5″ screen with 2400×1080 FHD+ resolution and a screen ratio of 90.5%. The display has a refresh rate of up to 90Hz, offering that smooth scroll we all like.

The screen is sharp and the colour is vivid. Browsing the Instagram feed is pleasing to the eyes and reading news after news feels good too thanks to that smooth refresh rate. It’s not 120Hz but 90Hz is still way better than 60Hz.

Thanks to a slim body design and about 190 grams of weight, the phone feels lightweight despite of the big battery.

Everything feels fast and responsive too, giving the illusion that you are using a more premium phone twice the price.

There is a fingerprint sensor on the power button, so when you use your thumb to turn the phone on, it’ll also automatically unlock it instantly.

To charge that big battery, OPPO offers an 18W Fast Charge for a super quick charging and obviously, you won’t find wireless charging support for a phone of this price. There is also only one mono speaker here.

The phone runs OPPO’s latest ColorOS 11.1 which is based on the latest Android 11 Operating System after a quick update.

As for the camera spec, OPPO A74 5G is equipped with a rear Quad Camera system: 48MP Main Camera with f/1.7, an 8MP Ultra-wide Angle Camera with f/2.2, a 2MP Macro Camera with f/2.4, and a 2MP Mono Camera with f/2.4. The front camera is 16MP with f/2.0.

There is also OPPO’s signature Beautification mode and also AI that can enhance the photos you are taken by identifying the scene and tweak accordingly.

Overall, photos taken by the OPPO A74 5G aren’t pretty good given a good amount of light, but it does struggle here and there in giving consistent Portrait shots and with the post processing.

I wish I could take more pictures, but unfortunately we were in lockdown while I was reviewing the OPPO A74 5G.

Photos taken by OPPO A74 5G

OPPO A74 5G Review Conclusion

OPPO A74 5G is a perfect phone for those who are looking for a 5G phone with good performance and smooth refresh rate. Realme 7 5G has a slightly pricier tag but I find that OPPO A74 5G is actually more responsive and snappier.

Make sure to check out OPPO’s Find X3 Lite too if you are looking for better photos at around A$150 more.

OPPO A74 5G retails for A$449 and available now for purchase from OPPO website or retailers like JB Hi-Fi and Officeworks.

Disclosure: OPPO A74 5G review sample was supplied for reviewing