Would you choose a cheaper mid-ranged dual-rear camera smartphone over a slightly more expensive 18:9 aspect ratio phone? The Xiaomi Mi A1 or the Oppo F5? This video might help you decide!
| SPECS | Xiaomi Mi A1 | Oppo F5 |
| Display | 5.5″ 1080 x 1920 LTPS IPS LCD (~403 ppi) | 6″ 1080 x 2160 IPS LCD (~402 ppi) |
| Dimensions & Features | 155.4 x 75.8 x 7.3 mm, 165 g, Hybrid dual-SIM tray | 156.2 156.5 x 76 x 7.5 mm, 152 g, Dual stand-by, Dual SIM Tray |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 625 | Mediatek Helio P23 |
| CPU | Octa-core 2.0 GHz Cortex-A53 | Octa-core |
| GPU | Adreno 506 | Mali-G71 MP2 |
| Memory | 4 GB RAM, 64 GB (expandable up to 128 GB) | 64 GB, 6 GB RAM or 32 GB, 4 GB RAM (dedicated slot expandable up to 256GB) |
| Connectivity | LTE Cat. 4, 802.11n, BT 4.2, GPS, FM Radio, 2.0, Type-C, 3.5mm audio jack | LTE Cat. 4, 802.11n, BT 4.2, GPS, microUSB 2.0, 3.5mm audio jack |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3080mAh | Non-removable Li-Ion 3200mAh |
| Price | PhP 13,995.00/$280 | PhP 15,990/$320 |
Design
First noticeable feature between the phones are the bigger display on the F5 with the Mi A1 having enough room for back-lit capacitive keys below, but with both having their fingerprint scanners located at the back portion.
Just above the scanners are their cameras, two for the Mi A1 and a single camera for the F5. Beside the cameras are their designated flash opposing location on both phones.
Edges are also sharper on the F5 compared to the bulkier feel of the Mi A1 but with both having almost the same bezel design. Side buttons are placed on the same edge on the Mi A1 while the F5 having distributed on either side. The Mi A1 houses a hybrid sim tray while a dedicated sim tray for the F5.
Display
Even if the F5 has a larger aspect ratio, they both have an IPS LCD display with the Mi A1 having a 1080p resolution compared to the 1080 x 2160 resolution of the F5. Either way, the Mi A1 can compete with the Brightness level of the F5, a bit brighter might I say.
Camera
The Mi A1 packs a dual 12 MP rear camera while the F5 has a single 16 MP rear camera, but is a dual rear camera an advantage? Going through the photo samples, the F5 produces sharper and more vibrant colors compared to the Mi A1’s darker and nosier quality.
The F5 can also take lighting better due to its higher aperture rating than the latter, which produces photos with wider shadows. Outdoor shots also have the same aspect on the F5 producing brighter contrast compared to the Mi A1 making what is a gloomy weather even more gloomier.
One of the benefits that we found on the Mi A1’s dual camera are its zoom capabilities up to 10X its original size compared to the F5 which HAS 4X zoom capacity. Night time shots have a brighter quality on the F5 with a dimmer tone on the Mi A1 but still produce great quality night shots.
Selfies however are more detailed on the Mi A1 compared to the F5 which removes minute facial features. Low- lit and Night time shots on the Mi A1 has a grainy texture compared to the F5, but both can still produce great selfies.
The Mi A1 can record videos up to 4k with 30 fps and the F5 up to 1080 p with 30 fps which I guess is another benefit of the dual camera on the Mi A1.
| Phone | Rear Camera | Front Camera | |
| Xiaomi Mi A1 | Dual 12 MP, f/2.2, f/2.6 phase detection autofocus, 2x optical zoom, dual-LED (dual tone) flash
Video: 2160p@30fps, 720p@120fps |
5 MP, 1080p | |
| Oppo F5 | 16 MP, f/1.8, phase detection autofocus, LED flash
Video: |
20 MP, f/2.0, |
Chipset/Processor/Rom
The Mi A1 is powered by a Snapdragon 625 while F5 Plus has a chipset of Mediatek Helio P23 both having 4GB of ram and running on Nougat, but due note that the F5 is not in its final software. Using the following benchmarking tools, we received these results in the process:
| Device | AnTuTu | Geekbench (single-core) | Geekbench (multi-core) | PCMark Work 2.0 |
| Xiaomi Mi A1 | 59904 | 874 | 4176 | 4896 |
| Oppo F5 | 62500 | TBD | TBD | 3216 |
As mentioned before, the Oppo F5 is not at its final software and hardware, geek bench results will come out after the initial consumer ready F5 units are released. Gaming on both phones are at a decent quality but don’t expect a smooth 60 fps on high demanding games. Either way, gaming experience are still enjoyable.
Fingerprint scanners work instantaneously with the F5 a millisecond faster than the Mi A1 but still with a 10/10 performance
Battery
Through our ManilaShaker Battery Rating, we can confirm the following overall lifespan of both devices:
| Device | Battery | Battery Time | Charging-Time |
| Xiaomi Mi A1 | 3080 mAh | 30h 27m | 1h 52m |
| Oppo F5 | 3200 mAh | 37h 28m | 1h 49m |
Audio
Both loudspeakers are located at the bottom part of the phone mirroring positions and headphone jacks. Audio quality are almost at par with the Mi A1 sounding a bit louder in our side, hear and decide for yourselves.
Price
Both the Xiaomi Mi A1 and the Oppo F5 are available in local and online stores with the Mi A1 retailing at $280 or ₱ 13,995.00 while the F5 at $320 or ₱15,990.00, although prices will differ in countries after taxes.
How about you guys would you go for a cheaper mid-ranged dual-rear camera smartphone or a slightly more expensive mid-ranged 18:9 aspect ratio phone? Comment down below what you think, like if you loved the video.
