Oppo N1 CyanogenMod edition review: Pure mind

Introduction

Trying out new things is in Oppo's DNA. The Find 5 was a clue, the N1 is the hard evidence, that the up and coming Chinese maker will never miss an opportunity to surprise and try to amaze. You know who else has a different perspective on things? CyanogenMod developers. So what happens when you put the two together? You know the answer to that one - a real challenger to the Nexus. But let's not jump the gun, shall we?

Oppo N1 CyanogenMod official photos

The CyanogenMod initiative has been around for ages in tech chronology, but until very recently nobody even considered getting the custom Android ROM on mass-produced phones. At least not until Cyanogen was set up as a proper company with a vision of the future and a dedicated staff to fulfill it - not just a bunch of enthusiasts writing code for the devices they own.

CyanogenMod is based on stock Android and builds on it with features and ideas contributed by the community. It's the end user that matters, not the top brass, who more often than not have their own agendas.

Oppo and Cyanogen are a match made in heaven for everyone who wants their droid to feel truly different - in terms of both hardware and software. The custom OS was originally offered on a limited edition of the Oppo N1 but the ROM is now readily available and promising better performance, prolonged battery life and a slew of extra features on top of the pure Android look.

What's more to ask? Check out the full set of features below.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support; penta-band 3G with HSPA
• 5.9" 16M-color 1080p Super IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen with 373ppi
• Android OS v4.3 Jelly Bean with CyanogenMod 10.2; Android 4.4 KitKat is on its way with a CyanogenMod 11 update
• Quad-core 1.7 GHz Krait 300 CPU, 2 GB RAM, Adreno 320 GPU; Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset
• 13 MP autofocus camera, 206° module rotation; dual-LED flash; HDR, long exposure (up to 8 seconds), remote shutter
• 1080p video recording @ 30fps with HDR mode, continuous autofocus and stereo sound
• Touchpad on the back
• Dual-band Wi-Fi ac/a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA; Wireless TV-out (Miracast)
• GPS with A-GPS
• 16GB/32GB of built-in storage
• microUSB 2.0 port, USB on the go support
• Bluetooth v4.0
• NFC
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• 3610 mAh battery
• Accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
• Premium aluminum and polycarbonate finish
• O-Click Bluetooth Remote Control in the package

Main disadvantages

• Non expandable storage
• No LTE
• Non user-replaceable battery
• Hefty and big device, near impossible to operate single-handedly
• Snapdragon 600 is no longer flagship-grade

On the outside, the Oppo N1 running CyanogenMod is the same device. There are no special marks to differentiate it from its ColorOS-running sibling, neither are there any novelties about the hardware inside. The N1 with CyanogenMod is powered by the same Snapdragon 600 chipset, which while no longer Qualcomm's top dog, is by no means lacking in power.

Oh well, similarities with Nexus devices aren't purely coincidental, then. They didn't use to have the most powerful processing and graphics either - they simply delivered the pure, bloat-free experience certain users value above all else. The CyanogenMod-ded Oppo N1 builds on that with some unique features like the 13MP rotating camera module, rear touchpad and the impressive battery inside.

CyanogenMod Oppo N1 at HQ

These should be no news to anyone who has seen our Oppo N1 review - this time around, the OS is obviously the bigger story, but we'll still take it from the beginning. So, you're welcome to follow us to the next page where we look at the N1 from all sides.