OPPO is the latest manufacturer to jump on the triple rear-facing camera bandwagon, tonight announcing the local release of the R17 Pro - its first smartphone with three rear cameras.
The OPPO R17 Pro has a rather unique rear camera setup, including a 12MP lens, and 20MP lens, and 0.43MP Time of Flight (TOF) lens.
As with the Galaxy S9, the R17 Pro's primary lens has a variable aperture can mechanical adjust between f/2.4 and f/1.5 depending on the available light. An aperture of f/1.5 is ideal for improved low-light performance, and also creates a shallower depth of field. An aperture of f/2.4 has more depth, for a sharper image. OPPO says R17 Pro will automatically pick which aperture is best for the situation, and adjust accordingly.
The Time of Flight lens isn't quite a traditional camera lens, and instead processes nanosecond bursts of infrared light to get accurate depth information and increase detail in photos. OPPO says this can also be used for 3D photography and augmented reality applications, but some of this functionality won't be available until after launch through a software upgrade.
Much like the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and Google Pixel 3, the OPPO R17 Pro features a dedicated night photography mode. This appears to implemented in a similar way, and uses exposure bracketing to get a more detailed image when shooting in lowlight environments. Essentially, it takes multiple photos at different exposures over a short period of time, and then stitches them together for an improved image.
OPPO has managed to shrink down the R17 Pro's notch (pictured above) down to a tear-drop shape, simply featuring a single front-facing camera. This gives the phone a 91.5% screen-to-body ratio. Notably, the 6.4-inch R17 Pro display has an in-screen fingerprint reader and is the first to be protected with Gorilla Glass 6. Gorilla Glass 6 is said to be twice as resilient as the fifth generation Gorilla Glass currently found on most flagship smartphones.
The R17 Pro also features OPPO's "SuperVOOC" fast charging technology; OPPO says you can charge the phone from flat to 40% with just a ten minute top-up. For comparison, many other fast charging solutions promise to take your phone from flat to 50% in around half an hour.
More importantly, the "radiant mist" blue and purple gradient finish is very pretty.
OPPO is also launching a non-Pro R17 (pictured above) alongside the R17 Pro, and there's a few key differences. You miss out on the triple rear-camera and SuperVOOC charging, and the processor is a little slower. The standard R17 is reasonably similar otherwise, complete with in-screen fingerprint reader and Gorilla Glass 6.
Neither the R17 Pro or R17 are water-resistant however, which is a bit weird, given that the R15 Pro was.
Here's how the pair compare:
Key Specifications
| OPPO R17 Pro | OPPO R17 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.4-inch 1080p+ | 6.4-inch 1080p+ |
| Processor | Snapdragon 710 | Snapdragon 670 |
| Storage | 128GB | 128GB |
| RAM | 6GB | 6GB |
| Rear-Facing Camera | 12MP + 20MP + 0.43MP TOF | 16MP + 5MP |
| Authentication | Face unlock + in-screen fingerprint reader | Face unlock + in-screen fingerprint reader |
| Battery | 2x 1,850mAh | 3,500mAh |
| NFC | Yes | No |
| Price | $899 | $699 |
Both the OPPO R17 Pro and OPPO R17 will be available from November 12. You'll be able to get the R17 Pro for $899 in a choice of "radiant mist" or "emerald green", while the $699 R17 comes in "ambient blue" and "neon purple" finishes.
You'll find the pair at JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, The Good Guys, and Mobileciti outright, and on plans through Woolworths Mobile and TeleChoice. Vodafone will have the R17 Pro available on a plan, but only in emerald green. Sorry to all the radiant mist fans out there.
Alex Choros
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