The OPPO F25 Pro stands out as an affordable smartphone from the brand in 2024, and despite its affordability, the phone successfully checks off several boxes that typically appeal to young customers. For instance, the phone maintains a sleek and lightweight design despite carrying a 5,000mAh battery for all-day backup. It even rocks a 32-megapixel front camera with support for 4K video recording, which can be highly useful for those who frequently use social media apps, including Snapchat and BeReal.
However, some issues still persist. One such issue is that the brands limits availability of stereo speakers to more premium devices, a feature which should ideally be available across all price points. There’s also no NFC, which can elevate the digital payment experience. Therefore, should you consider the OPPO F25 Pro in the first place?
Verdict
The OPPO F25 Pro proves to be a reliable smartphone if design, cameras, and battery performance matter to you. It also boasts a tall 6.7-inch AMOLED display, which offers punchy colours. However, the media experience gets slightly hampered due to the lack of stereo speakers. There’s Android 14-based ColorOS out-of-the-box, though the pre-installed apps make the experience cluttered. In any case, the OPPO F25 Pro is a decent choice considering the price.
Design and display
Before we get to the appearance, let’s look at the overall design, for which OPPO deserves credit. The OPPO F25 Pro measures barely 7.5mm in thickness and weighs 177 grams despite carrying a chunky battery. The phone also feels well-balanced, and the placement of the physical buttons (volume and power) is ergonomically friendly, at least for my grip.
Even the camera module has a minimal bump, allowing you to lay the phone almost flat on an even surface. While most of the build is plastic, the quality does not feel sub-standard by any metric. There’s also IP65 certification for dust and water resistance, which is relatively superior to the IP54 rating that most smartphones in the segment have. In other words, the phone can withstand water splashes even on a rainy day.
But the OPPO F25 Pro’s appearance can be polarising despite its sturdy design. While I appreciate the Lava red colour and shiny accents on the back, I am not the biggest fan of the big round cutouts for the triple rear cameras. Even the rectangular frame around the camera cutouts attracts lots of fingerprint smudges and requires constant cleaning.
On the front, things remain more or less similar compared to last year’s OPPO F23. This doesn’t imply that the viewing experience on the OPPO F25 Pro is compromised. The OPPO F25 Pro boasts a tall 6.7-inch display with Full-HD+ resolution (2,412 x 1,080 pixels) and 120Hz refresh rate. The display features very slim bezels, making the video viewing and reading experience highly pleasant. The brightness under harsh daylight is adequate, and you won’t face issues with readability.
The Netflix app lacks HDR support, yet the colour and contrast are vibrant owing to the AMOLED display. To test the performance, I watched a biopic on Indian Air Force officer Gunjan Saxena on the app, and the low-light shots appeared nicely balanced. Depending on your subscription plan, you can anticipate a crisper picture quality.
However, the overall viewing experience could have been refined had OPPO equipped the F25 Pro with stereo speakers. Additionally, the absence of a headphone jack means you’ll need Bluetooth-enabled earbuds.
Cameras
The F25 Pro continues to feature three cameras on the back, similar to the OPPO F23. The camera system gets headlines with a 64MP primary sensor without OIS support. The ultra-wide camera now leverages an upgraded 8MP sensor. There’s also a 2MP macro camera.
Typically, the Oppo F25 Pro prioritises warm tones for the final image with prominent shadows. As a result, photos with adequate surround light look more dramatic than in real life. While some, including myself, may prefer a more balanced approach, these images with OPPO F25 Pro are more social media-ready. It means users do not have to go through the hassle of editing.
The portrait mode relies on the primary camera and some software tweaks. Images included a decent amount of depth, and the skin tone detection was accurate during my tests. Compared to the OnePlus Nord CE4 (review), the OPPO F25 Pro maintained a more saturated approach, though both images have their own distinct qualities, catering to individual preferences. In extreme low-light conditions, the primary camera exhibits a soft dynamic range, sometimes obscuring details, and the white balance may become slightly inconsistent. Nevertheless, the images in low-light conditions appear decent, if not the best.
The upgraded ultra-wide camera maintains similar colour science as the primary camera. However, details aren’t always the best in different lighting conditions. The macro camera performs surprisingly well detecting subjects (ideally 4cm away), but the final output lacks the rich colours and sharpness you would expect.
For videos, there’s support for 4K30fps or 1080p60fps recording. There isn’t much to complain about details and colour for a phone at this price point. However, most videos feature strange stutter during dynamic shots, likely due to the lack of OIS (optical image stabilisation). It might likely get fixed via an OTA update.
The same recording support is also available on the 32MP front camera, which is impressive considering the price of the OPPO F25 Pro. Still shots with and without portrait mode maintain balanced colours, and the skin tone detection remains natural. Portrait shots also include a rich bokeh effect with near-accurate edge detection.
Performance and software
The OPPO F25 Pro rocks a new MediaTek Dimensity 7050 SoC based on the TSMC N6 (6nm-class) chip production process. The unit I am reviewing offers 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage and 8GB RAM, priced at Rs 23,999. By spending an additional Rs 2,000, you can get the variant with a 256GB storage configuration. It also means the OPPO F25 Pro competes directly against notable rivals, including Nothing Phone 2(a) and Redmi Note 13 Pro.
In terms of benchmarks, the OPPO F25 Pro performs fairly well, though it’s behind some of its direct rivals, including the Dimensity 7200 Pro-powered Phone 2(a) (images below). Notably, it offered better stability in its peak performance during the CPU Throttle test.
In real-world, the OPPO F25 Pro proves to be a reliable performer. It ships with Android 14 out-of-the-box and is promised three years of major Android updates, which is commendable for a smartphone priced below Rs 25,000. OPPO could’ve enhanced the software experience by refining the animations when switching and closing apps as they currently appear flat. The UI also feels cluttered due to the presence of numerous pre-installed apps. At the same, some ColorOS 14 features are equally useful. AI-powered smart touch (to copy text from photos and videos) and auto pixelate (for privacy), are some of my favourites.
I tested the gaming performance by playing BGMI and COD (Call of Duty). Thankfully, the relatively flat screen does not lead to mistouches, though you may occasionally notice stutters, perhaps due to optimisation-related issues. Thankfully, the OPPO F25 Pro did not exhibit significant heating or battery drain issues after playing these two moderately heavy titles.
Battery
The OPPO F25 Pro features a bigger 5,000mAh battery with 67W charging (included in the box). The charger is reminiscent of the old OnePlus charger due to its boxy design. With the bundled charger, the phone attained 100 percent battery in around 45 minutes.
Even the battery backup is equally solid, as noticed during my review and PC Mark’s battery test. In the latter, the OPPO F25 Pro ran for over 19 hours with flight mode enabled and 50 percent battery. Otherwise, you can expect a full-day battery with mild gaming and camera usage, and a high refresh rate enabled.
Final verdict
The OPPO F25 Pro stands out as a decent choice if you’re in the market for a sleek smartphone that offers reliable performance and cameras coupled with a solid battery and fast charging. While the design may resonate with some, it doesn’t align with my personal preferences. However, it could very well appeal to yours.
With that said, OPPO needs to refine the software experience in its budget offerings. The Nothing Phone 2(a) could be an excellent option if you prioritise clean software. For gaming enthusiasts, the Redmi Note 13 Pro or POCO X6 Pro may be more suitable choices. However, if your focus is on cameras, particularly for selfies, the OPPO F25 Pro, boasting a 32MP front shooter, is sure to impress.
Editor’s rating: 7.5 / 10
Reasons to buy
- The OPPO F25 Pro boasts a sleek design. It weighs barely 177 grams despite rocking a 5,000mAh battery.
- The phone offers a solid battery backup. The 67W charging support is also respectable.
- The OPPO F25 Pro features a flat display, best suited for those who don’t prefer a curved screen. Readability is also good under harsh sunlight.
Reasons not to buy
- While there’s Android 14 out of the box, the software needs to be refined.
- The OPPO F25 Pro also lacks stereo speakers.
