14 DAY TRIAL // In 2015, paying around $100 / €93 for a smartphone will go a long way. Currently, those looking to purchase a wallet-friendly handset with decent specifications have quite a few options. For example, Huawei has just introduced the LTE-capable SnapTo, which sells for just $179 / €166 on Amazon.
And now, Chinese phone manufacturer Oppo has launched a new dual-SIM phone that is set to retail for just $160 / €149. Like the Huawei SnapTo before it, the Oppo A31 is also an LTE-compatible handset, but that’s not all you’ll like about it.
The A31 bears a distinctive dual-glass design with a metallic frame that unites the two glass panels together in a sleek 8mm / 0.31-inch profile.
While the smartphone does look gorgeous on the outside, the internal specifications will probably fail to get you extremely excited.
Oppo A31's specs aren't flashy
The Oppo A31 arrives with a 4.5-inch display capable of a disappointing 480 x 854 pixel resolution. Under the hood lives a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 chipset that features a quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU fitted with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage (expandable via microSD card slot up to 128GB).
In the photography department, the phone takes advantage of an 8MP camera on the back with f/2.2 aperture and LED flash support, plus a 5MP shooter in front for selfies and video calls. Last but not least, the device’s life clings to a 2,000 mAh battery which should provide you with enough power.
A pretty negative aspect here is that, just like Huawei’s SnapTo, this Oppo model runs Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box with Color OS 2.0 on top. There’s no word on whether the company plans to update the phone to Android 5.0 Lollipop, but given that its flagship models haven’t received the new build, you’re probably in for a big wait with this handset.
The new Oppo device will go on sale in Ice White and Sappire Blue, and if you don’t mind the pretty uninspiring specs, the device might prove to be quite an acquisition. Especially for folks who aren't really fans of Google’s Android 5.0 Lollipop and prefer KitKat all the way.
