We unbox the OPPO R1x!

Today we’ll be unboxing OPPO’s newest headturner, the R1x. The R1x is a member of the company’s R lineup, which means it focuses more on form rather on function. It was built to turn heads and not set record benchmarks, and that’s exactly what it does for better or for worse. Let’s take a look at the specs:

OPPO R1x specs

• 1.5GHz Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor
• 2GB of RAM
• 5-inch HD IPS display, 720 x 1280
• 16GB of storage, expandable via microSD
• 13-megapixel rear camera with flash
• 5-megapixel front camera
• Dual-SIM
• 3G, LTE
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
• Android 4.4 KitKat with ColorOS
• 2,420mAh battery
• Php 15,990

Packaging and contents

OPPO’s continously impressed us with the packaging of their offerings, with both the R5 and the N3 coming in very swanky, nice looking boxes. While the R1x comes in a less ostentatious package compared to its siblings, the box that it comes in is no less sturdy, which is what you’d want to keep the phone inside nice and safe.

A cardboard sleeve protects the actual box which contains the phone, USB cable, VOOC fast charger, headphones and a nice hard rear cover for the phone.

Initial impressions: one of the most beautiful mid-rangers we’ve laid our hands on

Since the R1x prioritizes looks over actual performance, OPPO had to make sure that the phone turned heads whenever it’s taken out by its owner. To do this, the company used a unique faceted back that was crafted using a UV embossing technique, protected by sapphire glass.

This unique design reflects light back in a diamond-like pattern, which is something that we really haven’t seen before on a phone. While the effect is somewhat subdued on the white review unit we had for this unboxing, it’s very apparent on the blue variant of the phone that we featured during the official launch of the device.

As far as design goes the R1x takes a lot of cues from its older brother, the R5. The R1x uses a magnesium-aluminum alloy frame with chamfered edges that give the phone a premium look and feel. It doesn’t come close to the extreme thinness of the R5 (6.8mm vs 4.85mm on the R5) which allows it to have a 3.5mm jack that’s missing from its older and thinner brother.

Control layout is typical for a 5-inch smartphone – power button on the left, volume rocker on the right, 3.5mm jack up top and the USB port on the bottom. There are two SIM slots on either side of the phone, and one can be used as microSD slot to compliment the 16GB internal storage on the R1x.

The R1x uses a 5-inch HD display, which is obviously a downgrade from the 5.5-inch full HD panel on the R5. Physical capacitive keys sit right below the 5-inch display.

The OPPO R1x is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 615 processor, paired with 2GB of RAM. Snapdragon 615 is a capable processor and is the same SoC used in the R5, though don’t expect the phone to beat any speed records anytime soon. While the phone is quite snappy when navigating through the menus of Android 4.4 KitKat and ColorOS, only a full review and stress test will show if the R1x suffers from the same overheating issues that was present on the R5 because of the Snadragon 615 processor.

At Php 15,990, the R1x faces stiff competition from a number of phones, most notably ASUS’ Zenfone 2. Then again, the R1x is being positioned as a stylish, fashionable phone rather than a bang for the buck device. We’ll be reviewing the R1x in the next few days so come back then to see the full review.