The $449/499 OPPO A77 5G is one of those phones that won’t let you down. It is not a spectacular performer, but the full set of features and the 33W fast charge really stands out.

Head over to JB Hi-Fi or Harvey Norman, and you would be hard-pressed to find such value in a 2022 model.

Look for the RCM C-Tick on the box, and under Settings, About Device, Regulatory Labels.

We issue a strong warning that you must buy a genuine model with Australian firmware if you want to use 5G. Read Don’t buy a grey market phone to ensure you get the Australian model.

It is now in two parts. As this is a low-cost device, we will do a summary and a separate 300+ line database-driven spec, including over 70 tests to back up the findings. It also helps us compare different phones and features.

We use Fail (below expectations), Pass (meets expectations) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. We occasionally give a Pass ‘+’ rating to show it is good but does not quite make it to Exceed.

You can click on most images for an enlargement.

OK, this is where we get back to Glass slab territory. Fortunately, the back is not a fingerprint magnet and offers quite a grippy surface. The OPPO A77 5G has Applesque tones with straight sides – quite nice and grippy in hand.

There is a dual-camera (Primary and Depth) flash on the back, stereo ultra-linear speakers (under glass and down-firing) and OPPO’s usual right-side power and left-side volume rocker. It is relatively light at 163.8 x 75.1 x 7.99 mm x 190g.

Things that set it apart from the competition are a long 27+ hour battery life and a 33W charger inbox. Buy it for these alone.

It Is a bright, colour-accurate, tempered glass screen capable of streaming Netflix HD. No better for the price.

Like all LCD screens, it is not easy to read in daylight.

It is fit for purpose, but it is not for games. OPPO’s excellent thermal management means it can deliver full power over 15 minutes with a negligible 7% throttling loss.

It is a great mid-range processor but not for gamers.

NFC at this price is unusual. GPS performance is adequate and accurate to <10 metres. 5GHz Wi-Fi performance is good.

It has a strong phone signal strength but only finds one of the four closest towers. Not for areas with weak reception.

You can probably get up to a week between charges (light use) and recharge in an hour. Typical usage – 1-3 days.

Stereo is unusual for phones in this price bracket. But with an Analytical (no bass) sound signature, it is for voice only.

Bluetooth and 3.5mm headphones are excellent.

Toughened glass front and plastic back and frame are well made and have a nice feel in hand. OPPO’s strength is its two-year warranty and excellent after-sales support.

At this price, most phones are sell and forget. OPPO may upgrade it to Android 13 and offers two years of security updates. The Fingerprint reader is conveniently on the power button.

We use the term social media standard to denote the minimum quality you would post on social media. It is far better than that, but it is really a single sensor that does it all.

It is an excellent affordable 5G budget smartphone. Decent camera quality, battery last for a day or two, and the only downside is phone signal strength is for city and suburbs with good tower coverage (not black spots).

There are other 5G phones <$400, which are OK but cut a few too many corners. You will get a 12-month city phone – a burner if that is all you spend.

In my opinion, the OPPO A77 5G offers all you need whether you are a student, blue-collar, retiree or just want a reliable, lower-cost phone.

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