Oppo F23 5G: The Budget 5G Smartphone Worth Considering

The OPPO F23 5G is the latest budget 5G smartphone from the Chinese brand. Released in May 2023, the F23 5G promises great battery life, decent performance, and connectivity with 5G networks. In this competitive price segment flooded with options, does the Oppo F23 5G stand out? Let’s take a closer look at what this phone offers.

The OPPO F23 sports a no-frills design with a plastic back and frame. The Bold Gold and Cool Black colour options look premium for a budget phone. The phone feels solidly built and fits comfortably in hand due to its 8.2mm thickness and 192 grams weight. On the front is a 6.72-inch FHD+ LCD with small bezels and a left-aligned hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and animations.

Oppo F23 5G Key Specifications

What’s in the box?

• OPPO bundles the F23 5G with a 67W SuperVOOC fast charger
• USB Type-C cable and a silicone protective case.
• You also get a pre-applied screen protector.
• Unfortunately, there are no earphones in the box.

Stellar Performance and Cutting-Edge Software

The Snapdragon 695 chipset and 8GB RAM deliver smooth performance for everyday tasks. Gaming performance is also decent, thanks to the Adreno 619 GPU. You’ll be able to play most games in medium settings. With up to 256GB of built-in storage, you have the option to store a lot of apps, games, photos, and videos locally. On the software front, the F23 5G runs the latest ColorOS 13 interface based on Android 13 out of the box. ColorOS offers numerous customisations and a neat design with fluid animations. OPPO promises four major Android OS updates and five years of security updates, giving the phone great longevity.

Capturing Every Detail, Camera Quality

For photography, the OPPO F23 gets a capable 64MP main camera alongside depth and macro sensors. The main camera clicks vibrant photos with natural colours in daylight. Low-light shots have decent clarity but some noise. There is no dedicated ultra-wide or telephoto lens, limiting shooting flexibility. Selfies shot by the 32MP front camera have nice colours but lack fine detail when zooming in. Overall, camera quality is acceptable for the price but not best-in-class.

Oppo F23 5G Redefines Battery Life for Seamless Connectivity

With its 5000mAh battery and efficient Snapdragon 695 chip, the F23 5G delivers excellent battery life. You can get 1.5-2 days of usage per charge with moderate use. When you do need to top up, the bundled 67W fast charger juices up the phone from 0-50% in just 28 minutes. The battery should easily last over a day, even for heavy users.

Striking Display of Oppo F23 5G for an Unmatched Visual Experience

The Oppo F23 5G boasts a 120Hz 6.7-inch IPS LCD. Average smartphone display. The IPS LCD has rich colors. I saw too many highlights on the Oppo F23 5G’s display while watching YouTube. It doesn’t support YouTube and Netflix HDR content.  This display is responsive, though. The 120Hz refresh rate makes browsing through menus and other features on this device smooth. Display brightness is adequate. We tested the Oppo F23 5G’s luminance using a Lux Metre and found 576 nits at the highest and six nits at the minimum on a white screen. I had no issues with the smartphone’s sunlight visibility.

Sleek Elegance Meets Cutting-Edge Innovation

The Oppo F23 5G looks like its smaller sibling, the Oppo A78 5G, released earlier this year. The back panel is polycarbonate with an oval camera module. The rear panel has a shiny strip from the camera module, adding contrast. The polycarbonate back panel feels weak and cheap in the hand. Oppo F23 5G comes in cool black and bold gold with a comparable gloss strip down from the camera module.  Initially, things are simple.

The chin is thick, yet the hole punch display has tiny bezels. Although the Oppo F23 5G has flat edges, the back panel bends. I wish the display blended into the frame more, but that’s a small design flaw. The Oppo F23 5G is lightweight otherwise. We found the smartphone to weigh 192 grams, as Oppo promised.  The Oppo F23 5G has a simple design. Lightweight and attractive with the two-tone gloss strip, but poor manufacturing quality. The display is 6.7 inches, which is large but not uncomfortable. The orientation is taller than wide, and the hole-punch display is standard for smartphones in this class.

Oppo F23 5G – Pros and Cons

Should I buy the Oppo F23 5G?

If you’re looking for an affordable, future-ready device with great battery life, the Oppo F23 5G is a solid option. Key strengths of this phone are its modern 120Hz display, excellent software support, reliable everyday performance, and long-lasting battery. However, keep in mind that camera quality and gaming performance are average compared to rivals. If those aspects are important for you or if you can stretch your budget, consider alternatives like the Moto G82 5G, Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G, or Realme 10 Pro+ 5G.

FAQs

What’s the refresh rate of Oppo F23 5G’s display?

The OPPO F23 5G comes with a 6.72-inch FHD+ LCD with a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and animations.

What is the price of the Oppo F23 5G in India?

The Oppo F23 5G is priced starting at Rs. 19,999 for the 8GB/128GB variant. The higher 8GB/256GB model costs Rs. 20,999. Some occasional discounts and offers can bring the effective price down.

What is the battery life of the Oppo F23 5G?

Battery life is excellent – the large 5000mAh battery lasts 1.5-2 days of moderate usage thanks to an efficient processor. Fast charging support further helps to minimise downtime.

Does the Oppo F23 5G have a stereo speaker setup?

No, the F23 5G only has a single bottom-firing loudspeaker. There is no stereo sound effect.

What colours is the Oppo F23 5G available in

The smartphone comes in two colour options – Bold Gold and Cool Black. Both have a premium metallic shine and attract fingerprints to some extent.