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Oppo R9s Plus review: The camera is the best thing about it
Despite size upgrades to the R9s, Oppo's large, midrange R9s Plus struggles to impress.
Aloysius Low is a Senior Editor at CNET covering mobile and Asia. Based in Singapore, he loves playing Dota 2 when he can spare the time and is also the owner-minion of two adorable cats.
Oppo's R9s Plus is a bigger version of the 5.5-inch R9s, and uses its larger size to pack in a much meatier battery and upgrades to its rear 16-megapixel camera. Specifically, it adds optical image stabilization (OIS). All that sounds great, but the larger build winds up just supersizing the smaller R9s' weaknesses, including the rough chamfered edges that make the metal-clad phone uncomfortable to hold.
Oppo R9s Plus
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
I very much wanted to like this phone, but the iPhone-inspired design (that's not as smooth and seamless as the iPhone), and the phone's tendency to significantly heat up during gameplay were huge drawbacks for me. On the other hand, the quality 16-megapixel rear camera with OIS does help it stand out slightly amid the competition. Check out the sample shots below.
Like the smaller R9s, battery life seems to be the phone's other strong suit. In our video test, where we loop video in airplane mode until the battery's last gasp, the Plus managed to last 15 hours and 40 minutes, which is pretty good, though not as fantastic as the 22-hour battery life of the cheaper Samsung Galaxy A7.
The R9s Plus is quite expensive for a midrange phone -- it costs around $550, which converts to £450 and AU$730 -- and that's because you're partly paying for the higher-end aluminum body and for the Oppo name. At the end of the day, the OnePlus 3T dominates the R9s Plus in both performance and value -- it's the far smarter buy. And if the 3T isn't to your taste, there's always the Asus ZenFone 3 or Samsung Galaxy A7, both strong midrange contenders.
Hardware specs comparison
| Oppo R9s Plus | Samsung Galaxy A7 | OnePlus 3T | Asus ZenFone 3 | |
| Display size, resolution | 6-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels | 5.7-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels | 5.5-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels | 5.5-inch; 1,920x1,080 pixels |
| Pixel density | 367ppi | 386ppi | 401ppi | 401ppi |
| Dimensions (Inches) | 6.44x3.18x0.29 in | 6.2x3.1x0.31 in | 6.01x2.94x0.29 in | 6.01x3.05x0.3 inches |
| Dimensions (Millimeters) | 163.6x80.8x7.4 mm | 156.8x77.6x7.9mm | 152.7x74.7x7.35 mm | 152.6x77.4x7.7mm |
| Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 6.53 oz,185g | 5 oz., 141g | 5.57 oz; 158g | 5.47 oz; 155g |
| Mobile software | Android 6.01 Marshmallow | Android 6.01 Marshmallow | Android 7.0 Nougat | Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow |
| Camera | 16-megapixel | 16-megapixel | 16-megapixel | 16-megapixel |
| Front-facing camera | 16-megapixel | 16-megapixel | 16-megapixel | 8-megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K | Full-HD | 4K | 8-megapixel |
| Processor | Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 (1.95Ghz+1.44Ghz) | 1.9GHz Octa Core, Exynos 7880 | 2.35GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 | 2Ghz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 |
| Storage | 64GB | 32GB | 64GB, 128GB | 32/64GB |
| RAM | 6GB | 3GB | 6GB | 3/4GB |
| Expandable storage | Up to 256GB | 256GB | None | Up to 256GB |
| Battery | 4,000mAh | 3,600mAh (nonremovable) | 3,400mAh (nonremovable) | 3,000mAh (nonremovable) |
| Fingerprint sensor | Home Button | Home button | Home button | Back cover |
| Connector | Micro-USB | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Special features | Water-resistant | Notifications toggle, dual-SIM, Dash Charging | Laser/phase detection autofocus, OIS (4-axis), fingerprint doubles as shutter button | |
| Price off-contract (USD) | Converts to $550 | N/A | $439 (64GB), $479 (128GB) | $249 |
| Price (GBP) | Converts to £450 | N/A | £399 (64GB), £439 (128GB) | Converts to £170 |
| Price (AUD) | Converts to AU$ 730 | N/A | Converts to AU$590 (64GB), AU$652 (128GB) | Converts to AU$350 |