Oppo A74 Review, Pros and Cons – Oppo mid-range smartphones come with subtle features and great design, sometimes they are miss in the value section. But the Oppo A74 4G and the Oppo A74 5G hit the right spot. But the question remains which one has more value than the other since both phones were released at a reasonable price.
Both Oppo A74 5G and 4G smartphones come with similar designs and specifications. But there are few changes to the screen, chipset, rear camera, and fast charging. To learn more, let’s start with a detailed review of the Oppo A74.
Table of Contents
Oppo A74 Review
Highlights
- You will have a 6.43 inches AMOLED display panel in the 4G variant, while the Oppo A74 5G variant has a 6.5 inches LTPS IPS LCD panel.
- In terms of performance, the Snapdragon 480 chipset makes it to the A74 5G. The A74 4G equips the Snapdragon 662 chipset.
- Both phones get 48 MP as the main camera sensor and a 16 MP selfie camera is seen.
- As far as software layers are concerned, you are getting the latest Android 11 OS based on ColorOS 11.1 custom interface.
- The battery section is probably the only aspect where both the Oppo A74 5g and 4g phones are on the same level because of the 5000 mAh battery support.
Design and Display
Both the Oppo A74 smartphones consist of a slim built with a plastic casing design, but the impressive factor is the side edge, which is soft to the touch. Though, like most mid-range phones, it looks cheap. But, it doesn’t matter when you notice the new camera module that features a unique texture.
Also, the Oppo A74 4G and the Oppo A74 5G have a light layout, but you’ll notice smudges if you don’t prefer to wear covers because of the glossy appearance. But there’s no news about any gorilla glass protection or IP rating and what you can expect from a standard budget phone. You will get a side-mounted fingerprint reader on the A74 5G smartphone compared to the fingerprint reader on the A74 4G under the display.
However, the screen quality looks much more amazing than that shown on the spec sheet. Whether it’s the A74 4G’s 6.43 inches AMOLED panel or the 6.5 inches LTPS IPS LCD display panel, you’ll notice the top-notch quality in every frame. Also, the boon of a 90Hz refresh screen on the 5G variant is a good selling point.
Memory and Internal
The processing aspect of both models is almost similar in terms of performance cores, while the large offering of the 8nm Snapdragon 480 chipset offers 5G connectivity. On the other hand, you will have direct access to the 12nm Snapdragon 662 chipset. Visual rendering is fabulous and dedicated game space software further enhances gameplay.
In terms of software layers, ColorOS 11.1 UI provides a near-standard Android experience, although there are few unwanted bloatware apps in the ecosystem. Speaking of personalization features, you can decorate your home screen with widgets, themes, and apps. Also, both phones are equipped with the latest Android 11 OS.
You will have 128GB of storage space with 6GB of RAM in the Oppo A74 5G, while the A74 4G has 4GB, 6GB, and an 8GB RAM variant with the same storage option. After that, you’ll also reach the secondary storage unit to expand the boundaries. Although, it’s not the dedicated but the shared SIM slot version. On a side note, the Oppo A74 has UFS 2.1 single lane memory type that increases data read and transfer speed.
Camera
Image processing through Sony’s 48MP lens is not insufficient, but at the same time not good either. The color mixing technology gives something like an artificial effect when taking pictures and, most of the time, the images don’t have a natural feel. While this factor varies from user to user, some find it good and some don’t.
If you prefer a more realistic photograph, you may be disappointed with the Oppo A74 smartphone. But still, you’re getting dynamic range with a 2MP macro that can take sharp shots up to 4cm, while the 2MP depth enhances portraits. The 5G model has an additional 8 MP ultrawide sensor on the rear.
The Oppo A74 4G and 5G phones front camera follows the same standards, as it achieved a 16MP selfie camera. In addition to the lens and its quality, the native camera app offers perfectly good features for every situation. Whether it’s slow motion, HDR, time-lapse, or night mode effect, you’ll be immersed in filters and features. Although, video recording only goes up to 1080p resolution, and manufacturers don’t offer a stabilization feature on the 4g variant.
Battery and Others
The battery backup of the Oppo A74 4G and 5G phones is equivalent and robust, as you will have about 7 hours of screen time duration. With this, you can easily consume content excessively without worrying about battery life and add a few more hours to your gameplay. Still, the Oppo A74 4G wins the match in terms of charging support, as it has the help of a 33W SuperVOOC fast charger. On the other hand, the A74 5G relies on an 18W block.
In terms of price, the company designs the price range in a very sophisticated way, as you will be confused about which one to choose. The starting price of Oppo A74 4G is around $399 (Rs 17,999) approx, while at the same price you can buy the 5G variant also. In the end, it all depends on your requirements.
Oppo A74 Specifications Detail
Down below you can see the full specifications of the Oppo A74 smartphone.
| Specifications | Oppo A74 | Oppo A74 4G |
| Network | 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G | 2G, 3G, 4G |
| Announced | April 2021 | Same |
| SIM | Dual SIM | Same |
| Dimensions | 6.41 x 2.94 x 0.33 inches | 6.31 x 2.91 x 0.31 inches |
| Weight | 190g approx. | 175g approx |
| Size | 6.5 inches | 6.43 inches |
| Display | LTPS IPS LCD 90Hz 480 nits brightness 20:9 ratio ~405 ppi density | AMOLED 430-800 nits brightness 20:9 ratio ~409 ppi density |
| Protection | No | Same |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 Pixels | Same |
| OS | Android 11, ColorOS 11.1 | Same |
| Chipset | 8nm – Qualcomm SM4350 Snapdragon 480 5G | 11nm – Qualcomm SM6115 Snapdragon 662 |
| CPU | Octa-core 2×2.0 GHz Kryo 460 6×1.8 GHz Kryo 460 | Octa-core 4×2.0 GHz Kryo 260 Gold 4×1.8 GHz Kryo 260 Silver |
| GPU | Adreno 619 | Adreno 610 |
| Card slot | Yes (dedicated slot) | Same |
| RAM | 6GB | 4GB, 6GB, 8GB |
| Internal | 128GB UFS 2.1 (single lane) | Same |
| Camera | 48 MP (wide) PDAF 8 MP (119° ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) 2 MP (depth) LED flash, panorama, gyro-EIS 1080p@30fps | 48 MP (wide) PDAF 2 MP (macro) 2 MP (depth) LED flash, HDR, panorama 1080p@30fps |
| Selfie | 16 MP (wide) Panorama 1080p@30fps | Same |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Same |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes | Same |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Same |
| Bluetooth | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX |
| GPS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS | Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| NFC | Yes | No |
| Infrared port | No | Same |
| Radio | No | Same |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go | Same |
| Sensors | side-mounted fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro proximity, compass | Under display fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro proximity, compass |
| Battery | Li-Po 5000 mAh Fast charging 18W | Li-Po 5000 mAh Fast charging 33W |
| Colors | Fluid Black, Space Silver | Prism Black, Midnight Blue |
| Expected Price | USD 399 (Rs. 17,999) approx. | Same |
Oppo A74 Pros and Cons
Down below you can see the list of pros and cons (advantages and disadvantages) of the Oppo A74 5G and 4G smartphones.
Pros
- Long-lasting battery.
- Elegant and vibrant color effects.
- Convenient customization features.
- Latest Android 11 operating system.
- Impressive photography.
- Available in 5G variant.
- 33W fast charging on 4g model.
- Quad camera and NFC support on 5g model.
- Support 5G and NFC (market depends)
- AMOLED display on 4g model.
- LTPS IPS LCD display with 90Hz refresh rate on 5g model.
Cons
- No Corning glass protection.
- No IP rating certification.
- Slow charging speed on Oppo A74 5G.
- Bloatware present on the interface.
- Without wireless charging support.
- Low processing speed on 4g model.
Conclusion
Both Oppo A74 4G and 5G are excellent phones and add value to their price. Both have several impressive features while, at the same time, there are undoubtedly some flaws. But when you consider buying an affordable phone that also offers a decent amount of photography, you can go with the Oppo A74 4G. However, if you’re thinking of buying a phone as a long-term investment, there’s no doubt that the Oppo A74 5G looks like a more reliable deal.
However, it all depends on your perspective of what you want from a phone, whether it’s a stunning photograph or a future-proof tag. After all the final decision to you, but if you’re looking for a better alternative, the Poco M3 Pro is an attractive option to check out.
