Oppo N1: Unboxing & first impressions of the CyanogenMod phone
Today the Oppo N1 to give you a first taste.
Unboxing
Within the usually formed flat and square Oppo box, we uncovered a USB cable, a power cord, earbuds, the obligatory quick start guide and a SIM card eject. But that's not all: Oppo donated to every buyer the small Bluetooth remote control O-Click and Easy Cover protective casing.
Taking a look at the packaging, it quickly becomes clear that Oppo wants to give a premium feel to their customer. The white plastic box, in which the N1 and accessories is packed, is extremely stable and has silver accents. All cardboard boxes and cases in the package have a leather embossing and the silvery imprinted Oppo logo that shimmers as well. Unboxing aside, lets take a look at the Oppo N1.
The unit is very well made and is on par with the HTC One or Sony Xperia Z1. On the right side, you’ll find the buttons for power and volume which have precise pressure points and do not wobble. The combination of the matte white housing and aluminum frame gives the N1 a very high-class look and feel, but at the same time also somewhat cold and sterile.
Camera
A highlight is the rear camera with dual-LED flash. It triggers with 13 megapixels and can turn over to the front and therefore be used as a front camera as well. Initial fears that the camera would wobble and not be well made vanished after briefly trying it out. The rotation mechanism could be a bit heavier though. If the N1 is on the table and one grabs the phone from the top, the camera moves as a result.
Display
With a size of 5.9 inches, the screen is huge for a smartphone. Colors are crisp, but not oversaturated. With a Full HD resolution (1,920 x 1,080 pixels, 373 ppi), individual pixels cannot be made out with the naked eye. The IPS panel provides a stable viewing angle, no matter from which perspective, and the display is bright enough for comfortable viewing even outdoors.
Software
The Oppo N1 runs Android 4.2.2 and the manufacturer UI ColorOS. Since the N1 is also known as the CyanogenMod smartphone, the popular custom ROM should be easy to install, but this has not been tested by us yet as we got the ColorOS version. ColorOS supports various themes which can be downloaded easily from the Internet and activated via the built-in theme manager. A Jelly Bean theme is already installed alongside the default theme.
Special Features
The rotating camera on the Oppo N1 is not the only peculiarity. The back has a touch-sensitive area of 12 cm square. The technology, baptized "O-Touch", ensures that you can operate the N1 comfortably without having to touch the display. In a short test, the O-Touch was quite imprecise and operation was slightly cumbersome.
Specifications
| Display | 5.9-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 pixels, 373 ppi, LCD, IPS Panel |
|---|---|
| System | Android 4.2.2 with ColorOS |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 600, Quad-Core, 1.7 GHz |
| Memory | 2 GB |
| Internal storage | 16/32 GB |
| Connectivity | HSPA, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Camera | 13 MP (back and front), Dual LED |
| Battery | 3,610 mAh |
| Dimensions | 170.7 x 82.6 x 9 mm |
| Weight | 213 grams |
| Price | $599 (16 GB), $649 (32 GB) Availabe at the Oppo web store. |
Verdict
Our first impression of the Oppo N1 has been very positive and due to its size alone it is immediately noticeable. Whether it can make the cut for everyday life will be shown later on in our more profound hands-on test.
I keep seeing references to the camera being able to rotate & be both front & rear camera - but if I understand the manufacturer's web site, the camera is functional at all angles in between and a little bit beyond, and that is the point: it can be held at more relaxed, more convenient angles for handheld picture taking; and it can be lain on its back or front instead of leaning all wobbly against something at not quite the right angle for using the self-timer function to get yourself in a group picture or record a video.
"Both front and back" would be a trivial gimmick that would probably cost more to make than putting in two cameras.
Usable and useful at angles in between (and beyond) make it a real problem solver - and potentially problem-maker, as a spycam. Either way, certainly nontrivial, and much more than a gimmick.
I've used waist-high-viewfinder cameras on and off for over fifty years, and as soon as I saw the rotating camera on the Oppo N1, I *wanted* one. Eye-level cameras were a necessary evil with SLRs - it is about time we are getting beyond them.