Oppo R5 review: One to remember

Oppo R5 360-degree spin

The Oppo R5 stands at 148.9 x 74.5 x 4.85mm - an amazingly thin profile though we can't say the same about the screen bezels. The R5 is by no means light though at 155g, with all the metal used on the unibody.

Unboxing the Oppo R5

The Oppo R5 comes in a flat retail box, quite similar to the Oppo Find 7 and 7a packaging, and the level of attention to detail leaves no doubt you are unboxing a premium smartphone.

Inside the box, you'll find a high-current VOOC rapid charger, a microUSB cable, a high-quality in-ear headset and the required microUSB-to-3.5mm adapter to use it.

A SIM ejection pin and a luxury "window" flip case complete the tally.

Oppo R5 retail package

The case looks very similar to Samsung's S-View accessories - it's made of synthetic leather, while the display window is enhanced by a subtle polished aluminum frame. The R5 fits nicely inside the premium case and the added extra thickness is negligible.

The original flip case

Unlike Samsung's and LG's solutions, the Oppo R5's flip case doesn't offer any customization of the peek window. You get the time with date, the status bar, along with missed notifications. You can't change the wallpaper or configure the information displayed.

Update, Jan.21: Oppo has contacted us with details regarding the retail packaging of the device. As it turns out, we've received a pre-release version of the flip case, which is improved further to fit even better on the Oppo R5. You should definitely have than in mind while looking at the case pictured in our review.

There's a Limited Edition Gilded Oppo R5. Instead of a flip case, this one came with a plastic case, which has a frosted-glass look on the back and transparent sides. This leaves gold hues of the sides of the handset clearly visible.

Gilded Oppo R5 box

Update, Jan.21: Oppo also confirmed for us the retail Oppo R5 has no charging issues with third-party chargers and should work well with pretty much any wall charger and/or cable you decide to use.

Design and build quality

Phones like the Oppo R5 are a rare sight. This may sound strange so soon after we reviewed the likes of the Gionee Elife S5.1 and the Lenovo Vibe X2, but Oppo's is, undoubtedly, special.

Even without knowing it is among the slimmest phones in the market, you'll know you're dealing with a premium phone that's certain to turn quite a few heads.

The super thin metal frame gives the Oppo R5 the strength to endure some accidental drops, while the front has been shielded by Corning Gorilla Glass 3 against scratches.

The Oppo R5's rear is beautiful yet familiar - it's also made of metal, except for the top and bottom bits, accommodating the antennae.

Oppo R5

One can't help but notice the camera hump at the back - just like the iPhone 6 and the record-slim Vivo X5 Max, Oppo couldn't fit the entire camera module in such a thin body. It isn't such a big deal, but a protruding lens is more likely to get scratched compared to other setups. Hopefully, the metal ring around the lens will lend it some extra level of protection.

Oppo R5 flanked by the Gionee Elife S5.1 and the iPhone 6 Plus

The 5.2" Oppo R5 isn't among the most compact devices in the market, by its slim profile is a challenge to all the button-less and bezel-free bodies that accommodate similar or bigger screens.

Super-slim, yet weighing an extra-solid 155g, the Oppo R5 is one of those devices you'll love not only for the looks, but for the in-hand experience, too.

Handling the Oppo R5

There's a limited edition Gilded Oppo R5 with gold-colored metal sides and golden highlights (buttons under the screen, Oppo logo on the back). The metal panel on the back is painted white to make the gold hues pop.

Limited Edition Gilded Oppo R5 next to its white twin

Controls

Above the 5.2" Super AMOLED screen we find the earpiece, which also doubles as the single speaker. The 5MP selfie camera and a couple of sensors are right next to the tiny earpiece grille.

A peek above and below the screen

The traditional Android capacitive dock is below the screen. The Oppo R5 uses the old arrangement of controls: Menu, Home and Back. Those are painted in silver and have white backlighting.

As for the hardware controls, they are all on the right side of the phone - you get a Power/Lock key and a volume rocker - both made of what seems to be metal.

The controls are on the right

The left side has the lonely microSIM compartment, ejectable via the metal pin provided in the retail package.

The microSIM bed is on the left

There is nothing on the top of the R5, while its bottom features the microUSB port and the primary microphone. The USB port is also used for connecting a headset via a dedicated microUSB-to-3.5mm adapter - Oppo couldn't fit a standard audio jack in a body this thin. We wouldn't have objected if it wasn't for the even thinner Vivo X5 Max, which has a 3.5mm jack.

There's nothing at the top • the microUSB port is over at the bottom

The bulging 13MP camera lens is in the top left corner of the phone's back. The single-LED flash is near the hump, as is the secondary microphone intended for stereo video recording and noise cancelling during calls.

The 13MP rear camera