OPPO F29 5G first look: 300% network boost tested

OPPO F series devices are entry-level smartphones that offer decent value for money. Now we have the OPPO F29 5G, the latest in this lineup, and it looks promising. This phone comes with IP69 water resistance, a drop and shock-resistant chassis, a 6500 mAh battery, and a promise to deliver a 300% boost in network reception.

The specifications of the OPPO F29 make it a bang-for-the-buck proposition on paper. But you can’t be sure unless you go hands-on with the device. So here’s our detailed OPPO F29 5g first look to help you make the right choice.

OPPO F29 5G specifications

OPPO F29 5G box contents

The OPPO F295G offers a standard yet complete unboxing experience. Inside the box, you get the phone, a 45-watt SUPERVOOC charger, a cable, a protective case, and a SIM tool. You have pretty much everything you need to get started with the device.

The phone even comes with a protective film on the screen. I’d always recommend you to get a good screen guard, but this film is good to go for some time.

OPPO F29 5G design

We haven’t put OPPO’s shockproof claims to the test yet, but such big claims usually have some merit. The OPPO F29 5G has a hard plastic back with metal sides. There’s a USB-C port, speakers, and SIM tray at the bottom, with volume and power buttons on the right side.

It has noticeable but even bezels on all sides so they’re not off-putting. The purple colour looks clean, but the massive camera module only has one real camera and a depth sensor. Anyone can put a finger to 3 out of the four camera cutouts on this phone and know there’s only one functioning unit.

The OPPO F29 5G looks neat, sharp, understated and premium, but for me, the fake camera cutouts are the only weak part of its design.

Display

The OPPO F29 has a sharp panel with vibrant colours for its price. The 120hz panel is good for watching videos and movies, and you can also use features like Holo Sound to make the most of its stereo speakers.

Indoor visibility is excellent and the screen also goes amply dim for low light scenarios. It also cleverly tackles outdoor usage with a special outdoor mode. This mode bumps up the brightness along with a couple of other settings to make outdoor usage convenient.

OPPO F29 5G cameras

You get a 50MP rear camera and a 16MP front shooter. You can use the rear camera in 1x and 2x modes, but you don’t get an ultrawide. The results are satisfactory and consistent in most situations. There’s a noticeable loss of sharpness in the portrait mode, where the background blur doesn’t feel natural.

The front camera also gives good output in the right light. Don’t expect much in low light, but give it some fill light and you’re good to go. The overall camera interface is intuitive, fast, and familiar so there’s almost no learning curve.

OPPO F29 performance

I’ve only used this phone for 2 days, and so far it was quick to setup, familiar to get started with, and smooth to use. There’s a lot of bloatware but you can remove most of it. You’re getting a Snapdragon 6 Gen 1 chip paired with 8GB RAM, which should be sufficient for daily use.

You can count on this phone for day-to-day use, light gaming, multimedia usage, and occasional content creation for social media. It packs a 6000 mAh battery that gives it more than a day’s worth of backup, and the 45-watt fast charger juiced it from 20% to 84% in 46 minutes.

OPPO F29 300% network test

This is one of the most interesting claims that OPPO has made around the F29 5G. The box says you’ll get 300% better network coverage because of the new Hunter antenna design. OPPO says this phone gets network bands on all sides, so no matter how you hold it, there’s nothing blocking reception.

I put this to the test and took this phone for internet speed test runs on the balcony, then indoors, and lastly in the basement. While internet speeds plummeted as I went underground, the phone still retained enough network to make and receive calls. None of my previous phones have managed to maintain a stable connection in that basement, so I think OPPO is onto something.

OPPO F29 5G first look: Verdict

The OPPO F29 5G shows that OPPO has the formula to make a solid and premium-feeling phone on a budget. This phone would get even better if only they get rid of the placeholder camera cutout, and slightly reduce the chin and forehead bezel.

For this price, it already has decent cameras, ample performance, and a massive battery with good charging speed. OPPO has also promised 2 years of OS and 3 years of security updates on top of military-grade toughness and IP69 rating.

In my opinion, if you don’t mind the camera bump that feels like an afterthought, the OPPO F29 5G is a great value proposition that checks all the right boxes. And if you want more details and longer-term usage, stick around and turn on our notifications so you can read the full review when it rolls out.