OPPO’s newest smartphone is aimed at budget-conscious people who want to get their money’s worth. Let’s see if the OPPO A18 hits its mark for a smartphone that can be reliable for an affordable price. Here is our review of the OPPO A18.
Table of Contents
OPPO A18 Specifications
| OS: | ColorOS 13.1, Android 13 |
|---|---|
| Processor: | MediaTek Helio G85 |
| Display: | 6.56″ 90Hz IPS |
| Wireless Connections: | 4G, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Memory: | 4GB+64GB 4GB+128GB |
| Connectors: | USB Type-C, OTG |
| Cameras: | Rear Camera: Main – 8MP, f/2.0 Depth – 2MP, f/2.4 Front Camera: 5MP, f/2.2 |
| SIM Card Slots: | Dual SIM (Nano-SIM), Dedicated MicroSD card slot |
| Battery: | 5,000 mAh 10W charging |
| Price: | Php 5,999 |
The Unboxing
Like the other A-series smartphones from OPPO, it comes in a box with the model name printed on it. When you open the box, you will find the unit itself, a clear silicone case, a power adapter, a USB-C cable, a SIM ejector pin, and a user manual.
The Design
The OPPO A18 received the same treatment as other recent A series models in terms of design. It features a sandblasted finish with an ergonomic flat-edged design and smooth edges. On the rear camera side, there’s a raised capsule-shaped area that houses two cameras. Additionally, there’s a glossy elongated capsule with an “INNOVATIVE AI CAMERA” text, which may be a bit cheesy for some.
Our review unit comes in the Glowing Blue variant, a sky-blue color that truly shines when illuminated. The other available color is Glowing Black.
In terms of durability, OPPO claims it has undergone rigorous durability tests in its lab. The OPPO A18 comes with an IP54 rating for dust and splash resistance, making it suitable for everyday use.
The volume control and power button with a fingerprint sensor can be found on the left side. On the other side, you’ll see the SIM tray slot, accommodating two nano SIM cards, and a dedicated MicroSD card slot for storage expansion. At the bottom, there’s an audio jack port, microphone hole, USB-C port, and a speaker grill.
The Display and Speaker
The OPPO A18 features a 6.56-inch 90Hz IPS display with a resolution of 1612×720 pixels. While it may not have the highest resolution by today’s standards, it’s still suitable for browsing the internet and scrolling through social media. However, if you intend to watch your favorite shows, you might find it lacking in sharpness.
Nevertheless, the OPPO A18 offers decent visuals and good viewing angles. Even in direct sunlight, you can still see the display clearly, as it reaches 720 nits in high brightness mode.
In terms of audio, it has a down-firing speaker that manages to provide a decent listening experience. You can also crank up the volume to 300%, but it may sound a bit tinny at higher levels. If you prefer to enjoy your music privately, you can use the audio jack port to connect your earphones.
The Performance
The OPPO A18 is equipped with the MediaTek Helio G85, composed of 2 Cortex-A75 and 6 Cortex-A55 cores, manufactured using a 12-nanometer process technology. It’s a chipset that’s already three years old. Paired with it is 4GB of RAM with an additional 4GB of virtual RAM, called OPPO’s RAM Expansion, which converts up to 4GB of unused internal storage. The internal storage included in our unit is 64GB, but there’s also a 128GB storage option available.
Here are the benchmark results for the OPPO A18:
The OPPO A18 runs ColorOS 13.1 based on Android 13. It’s surprising to see that it has fewer pre-installed apps compared to its higher-end models. While interacting with the phone, you can feel the age of the chipset, as it may not be as smooth, even with a 90Hz display.
This becomes more apparent when playing games, such as Mobile Legends or Wild Rift, where there’s minimal stuttering in gaming sessions. When playing high-demanding games like Genshin Impact at the lowest graphic setting, there’s frequent stuttering during gameplay, but you can still play if you’re determined.
The Camera
The OPPO A18 features an 8-megapixel rear camera paired with a 2-megapixel depth camera. On the front, there’s a 5-megapixel camera in a teardrop-shaped notch.
The rear camera performs as expected for an 8-megapixel camera. In daylight shots, it can capture decent images with good details and natural colors. However, it struggles in low-light conditions, producing soft details and grainy images.
As for the front camera, it features a 20% AI retouching feature. Selfies taken with AI retouching enabled tend to soften details, but when disabled, there is minimal to no noticeable difference. Overall, the images are of good quality, with lighting conditions playing a crucial role in achieving better results.
The Battery
The OPPO A18 boasts a 5000 mAh battery capacity, capable of lasting for 12 hours with regular use. In our day-to-day usage, which includes activities like browsing the internet, scrolling through social media, listening to music, playing games, and taking pictures, the phone still had 25% battery capacity left after 12 hours of use.
However, it’s worth noting that the included charger for the OPPO A18 is only 10W, which means it takes almost 3 hours to fully charge the phone. Fortunately, OPPO has implemented an optimized charging feature in its ColorOS. This feature slows down battery aging by learning your charging habits and waiting to finish charging past 80% until just before you start using your device. This means you can leave your smartphone to charge overnight, and it will finish charging by the time you wake up and start using the phone.
OPPO A18 Verdict
The OPPO A18 can serve as a reliable smartphone for people seeking a basic device and is capable of prolonged use. It also boasts decent durability and an IP rating suitable for day-to-day scenarios. With 128GB of internal storage out of the box and the option to expand it using the dedicated MicroSD card slot, you can store numerous files and images. The battery life is also commendable for extended use.
Nevertheless, its performance falls short, particularly for gaming enthusiasts. The display lacks the high resolution found in other smartphones within its price range. Lastly, the camera setup offers a basic configuration, so don’t anticipate amazing others with its photography capabilities.
The OPPO A18 is priced at Php 5,999 and is available at all offline stores nationwide and online platforms like Shopee and Lazada.
