I have been using the OPPO A93 for quite sometime now. This is the latest from OPPO that was launched in Kenya late last month and is available in stores for Ksh 30,999.
When talking about the OPPO A93, you will have to compare it to the OPPO Reno 4 as these two have so many similarities. The A93 looks and feels like an affordable version of the Reno 4 and anyone who is looking to buy the Reno 4 may be wondering if they should go for the A93 and save some money. I will be highlighting some of the key differences in this review to help you decide which one is the right choice for you.
As we are talking about the OPPO A93, we will also mention its predecessor, the OPPO A92 that I reviewed a few months back and loved it. The OPPO A series is the company’s mid-range series that has some very good devices and the A93 is one of them.
There have been some subtle upgraded on the A93 compared to the A92 and having used both phones, I will let you know if they are worth it or not
Well Built Phone
Outside appearances matter and with the OPPO A93, you are getting top quality here. The design is quite good and similar to the one on the Reno 4. Compared to the A92, this feels like a massive upgrade and premium.
The new colour options OPPO has with the A93 make the phone really stand out even when compared to the Reno 4. The variant I got has a blue colour at the back with a purple tone on the edges. This makes it look stunning and an eye-catcher every time I take the phone out.
The camera arrangement on the A93 is also quite different for what we saw on the Reno 4. With the A93, OPPO has gone with a square camera module to hold the 4 sensors at the back. This is slightly different from the Reno 4 that has a vertical camera sensor arrangement.
For overall quality, you are getting one of the best within this price range. You are practically getting the same design and build (almost) as you would if you bought the Reno 4 which is available for slightly more that this.
Display
Here we are getting a 6.43-inch display with a resolution of 1080 by 2400 pixels. This display size is just right as it is not too big neither is it too small. I can comfortably use it with one hand and that is good enough for me.
This display gets bright enough for use under direct sunlight. The brightness adjusts automatically to ensure you can easily see what is on the display at all times. The colour reproduction is great and almost on the same level as what we saw with the Reno 4.
Under the display we have a fingerprint sensor embedded for unlocking the phone among other security features. It does work great and is accurate all the time and so far I have not had any issues using it.
Above the display and to the left we get to see dual front facing camera.
Performance
I have not had any performance issues when using the OPPO A93. The phone is powered by the MediaTek Helio P95 processor that the company has paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage space. With this combination, you are expecting the best performance and that is exactly what you are getting.
The A93 handled everything I was running without any problems. From day to day tasks that involve calling, texting and social media, this phone did not have a problem. I even played a few games from time to time and the phone still handled those with ease too.
For the software, we are getting Android 10 out of the box with ColorOS 7.2 on top.
Cameras
OPPO smartphones are known for their cameras and the A93 falls into that category too. The back cameras take some decent shots in different lighting conditions. The back camera module is made up of a 48MP main sensor, an 8MP ultrawide sensor and two 2MP sensors (depth and monochrome sensor).
The shots you get are not on the Reno 4 quality but compared to the A92, you are getting quite an upgrade.
As for the selfies, you are also getting some decent shots with the A93. Very detailed selfies that you will have no problems sharing on social media. Check out some sample photos below.
Battery
The OPPO A93 comes with a 4,000 mAh battery which is slightly smaller than the one on the Reno 4. The A93 supports 18W fast charging which may be fast but not as fast as the 65W fast charging on the Reno 4.
With the 4,000 mAh battery, I could still get the phone to last an entire day on a single charge. You can get it to last longer depending on how you use your phone.
Conclusion
So is the OPPO A93 just a cheaper Reno 4? While that might seem like it on paper, these two phones are quite different in some way. The Reno 4 is more expensive and has slightly better specs. Even with that said, the A93 is a decent phone worth the money. It may not have the superior cameras and performance of the Reno 4 but does hold its ground.
You will have no issues going with either option to be honest. The Reno 4 is perfect for anyone who wants the premium touch on a smartphone with better performance and cameras as well as fast charging support.
Compared to the A92, the OPPO A93 is a worthy upgrade. It offers better performance and camera. I have enjoyed the time I have spent with the A93 and it is a phone I would not mind using even after I have reviewed.