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Chinese smartphone maker OPPO has launched its latest upper mid-range model, the F3 Plus, and while the new device unfortunately doesn’t come with OPPO’s recently displayed 5x zoom camera unit, it does offer an unusual imaging feature: a dual-front camera.
The front unit features a 16MP main camera with 1/3″ sensor and F2.0 aperture for standard selfies. It is accompanied by an 8MP module with 1/4″ sensor and a super-wide-angle lens with 120 degree angle of view for group selfies. Thanks to built-in facial recognition, the camera app can notify users to switch to the wide angle camera if there are more than three people in the frame.
The rear camera is more conventional but offers capable-looking specifications. A 16MP 1/2.8″ Sony IMX398 sensor is paired with a fast F1.7 aperture and optical image stabilization. Dual PDAF doubles the ‘focus pixels’ on the image sensor for up to 40% faster focus times in low light.
In the processor department you’ll find Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 653 octa-core offering, backed by 4GB RAM and 64GB of internal storage. A dual-slot card tray can hold two Nano SIM cards or one Nano SIM card and a microSD card, expanding memory to up to 256GB. OPPO claims the beefy 4,000 mAh battery allows for a standby time of more than 284 hours. It also features the company’s own VOOC fast charging technology which can get you up to 2 hours of talk time with 5 minutes of charging.
At the front you’ll find a 6″ 1080p IPS LCD display that is covered by 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The F3 Plus features a metal unibody and comes in black or gold. It will be available from April 1st in a number of Asian regions. No information on pricing or global availability has been released yet.
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OPPO Launches F3 Plus, Kickstarting the ‘Group Selfie’ Trend with A First-ever 120° Wide-angle Front Camera
March 23, 2017 – OPPO unveiled today the F3 Plus, the latest model of its Selfie Expert series. The F3 Plus sports the brand’s first dual front selfie camera including a first-of-its-kind 120° wide-angle group selfie camera. Priced at XX, the F3 Plus will go on sale from April 1st in India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Myanmar.
OPPO’s F3 Plus’ dual front camera will answer urban dwellers’ pursuit of snapping perfect selfie photos with a 16-megapixel camera and group selfie photos with a 120° wide-angle camera. The rear camera is co-developed with Sony, equipped with a customized IMX398 sensor for serious photography. The F3 Plus is a high-end smartphone that is efficient, long-lasting, secure and beautiful, addressing today’s highly-demanding mobile-first world.
“OPPO is an industry leader in the Selfie Revolution with the recent ‘Selfie Expert’ F-series. Our brand has been growing rapidly across Southeast Asia and other regions around the world. We became the No.2 smartphone brand in India in 2016. The F3 Plus marks the beginning of a new ‘Group Selfie’ trend, and reinforce our position as the Selfie Expert,” said Sky Li, OPPO Vice President and Managing Director of International Mobile Business.
“The F3 Plus was created for urban warriors, selfie photo aficionados and lifestyle mavens who want with the need to capturing flawless selfie photos, and our groundbreaking dual front camera smartphone will deliver the photos they seek. The F3 Plus is also packed with outstanding performance, premium design and amazing battery life,” Sky Li added.
Remarkable Wide-Angle & Dual Front Selfie Camera Define the Next Expert-Class Photography
OPPO’s devotion to perfecting the selfie camera technology began at the very start of their business nine years ago, when no other manufacturer focused on the selfie snapping capturing trend. For example, in 2012, the N1 model pioneered the world’s first rotating camera. In 2016, the F1 Plus was the first-ever device to sport a 16 megapixel front camera. Taking one step further, the revolutionary dual selfie front camera will take the standards of camera hardware and selfie photography to new heights.
Set to be the next ultimate ‘Selfie Expert’, the F3 Plus features dual front selfie camera. The 16-megapixel front camera builds upon the technology offered by the previous ‘Selfie Expert’ F1s. At the core of this camera is a 1/3-inch sensor, which increases light exposure and clarity of images. The large f/2.0 aperture allows for great depth-of-field effects – clear foreground focus matched with the perfect amount of background blurriness.
In becoming the ‘Group Selfie’ secret weapon, the first-in-the-market, specialized 120-degree wide-angle 8-megapixel camera captures a much wider view, up to 105 percent more than a regular 80-degree lens. This allows even more people to enter the frame with minimized lens distortion, thanks to the 6P camera lens. The camera also features a ¼-inch sensor.
This group selfie camera is a reflection of OPPO’s ‘user-oriented’ philosophy. With the built-in Smart Facial Recognition, the F3 Plus will notify users to switch to ‘Group Selfie’ mode if there are more than three people in the frame. Users can snap their Group Selfie at ease, without compromising image stability when taking the selfie with one hand.
The outstanding rear camera offers professional high-quality photography performance with fast focusing speed, noise reduction and advanced low-light performance. Powering the 16-megapixel rear camera is a brand-new 1/2.8-inch IMX398 sensor. This sensor is jointly developed by OPPO and Sony, which features Dual PDAF – dual phase detection autofocus technology. This new technology doubles the sensor’s pixel array area where the photodiodes are embedded, necessary for phase detection autofocus. This makes for 40 percent faster focusing speeds even in low light. Paired with the large f/1.7 aperture, the resulting images are clear and breathtaking.
There are other innovative technologies packed into the F3 Plus to help users capture picture-perfect, flawless selfies. OPPO’s pioneering beautification editing software, Beautify 4.0, will allow users to choose from various beautification modes, ensuring images presenting the favorable effects.
A Flawless Smartphone Experience
The OPPO F3 Plus is fast, utilizing an octa-core processor backed by 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM. It also offers a dual-slot card tray that can hold two Nano 4G SIM cards or one Nano SIM card with a microSD card, expanding memory to up to 256GB. OPPO’s leading optimized ColorOS 3.0 system ensures superb speed with reduced energy consumption and flawless performance with built-in Privacy Protection feature and the Avast-based virus scanner.
Extended daily usage is another of the device’s core features. The 4,000 mAh built-in battery gives the F3 Plus a standby time of more than 284 hours[1]. Through OPPO’s proprietary and industry leading rapid VOOC Flash Charge Solution, the battery will charge four times faster than standard batteries. can get up to 2 hours of talk time with just 5 minutes of charging.
Privacy protection and security is also a top priority. F3 Plus’ Lightning-Fast Touch Access is undoubtedly one of the quickest in the market. The home-button fingerprint reader in the F3 Plus unlocks the phone in a mere 0.2s. The fingerprint reader is even more versatile with the fingerprint-activated calling and app launch functions.
Users can enjoy the flexibility to multi-task and ‘work hard, snap hard’, all on one smartphone – seamlessly, securely, with a long battery life.
[1] This number is for reference only and may differ depending on individual user usage / conditions.
Stunning Design and Exquisite Craftsmanship
Created with OPPO’s belief in design excellence, the F3 Plus is constructed with a metal unibody and carefully crafted for a better sense of hand-gripping, resulting in a sleek and thin smartphone that is a wonder to hold. The 6-inch, 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 screen features a pre-applied protective screen coating, giving it an elegant, classy and premium look while retaining unmatched durability.
The “Six-String” ultra-fine antenna is a design rethink by OPPO, removing the ubiquitous, thick pair of white antenna lines seen in previous smartphone models, and gives the back shell a stunning look.
Amazing Colors & Competitive Pricing
The F3 Plus comes in Black and Gold. The suggested retail price is $ XXX. It will be made available first in India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines and Myanmar. Launches in the Middle East and North Africa will follow.
The F3 is also announced today, featuring the dual selfie front camera and 5.5-inch screen display. It is expected to be available in May 2017.
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)