Oppo N1 Mini review

The Oppo N1, that released last year, was quite an interesting device, offering unique features like a swivelling camera and a rear touch panel. Despite its great specs, features, and price tag, what may have been a turn off for some consumers its large size, courtesy and its large 5.9-inch display. To counter that, and in keeping with the trend that most Android OEMs now follow, Oppo released a “mini” version of its device. Here’s our comprehensive review of the Oppo N1 Mini!



Design





The design aesthetics of the N1 Mini is identical to its larger sibling, only comparatively more compact. That said, the Oppo N1 Mini isn’t exactly a small device by any stretch of the imagination, and is in fact, slightly larger than other 2014 flagships like the HTC One (M8) and the Samsung Galaxy S5.





If you liked the unibody design of the Oppo N1, you’ll have no complaints with this device either, with the N1 Mini also featuring the solid build quality of the former. It’s made entirely of plastic, and at 9 mm thick and weighing 150 grams, it’s certainly not the thinnest or the lightest device. But its heft actually contributes to a great feel in the hand, with its curved back making it very comfortable to hold. This review model comes with a matte finish, allowing for a good grip, and the gold trim that runs around the perimeter actually adds to the grip as well, in addition to giving the N1 Mini a classy look.





You’ll find the power button on the left side of the phone, which might take some getting used to, depending on which device you’re switching from. The volume rocker is on the right, and the microUSB port, headphone jack, and speaker, all found along the bottom. The speaker does sound quite good, but its unfortunate placement means that you may end up covering it while watching a video or playing games with the device in the landscape orientation.



Display





With the exception of the Sony line of Xperia Compact smartphones, a mini version of a flagship device usually comes with a downgrade in the specifications as well. In the case of the Oppo N1 Mini, that begins with its display. You get a 5-inch LCD display with a 1280 x 720 resolution, resulting in a pixel density of 294 ppi. While its not 1080p as you might have hoped for, this display still looks pretty sharp overall. The viewing angles are good, there are no issues with brightness, and you also get vibrant colours that don’t look overly saturated, allowing for a surprisingly pleasant experience on this display.



Performance





Under the hood, you get the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, clocked at 1.6 GHz, backed by the Adreno 305 GPU and 2 GB of RAM. The Snapdragon 400 has proven to be a very capable processor that is quickly becoming the standard when it comes to mid-range devices, and allows for a pretty smooth experience on the N1 Mini as well. Swiping and scrolling were smooth, apps opened and closed quickly, multi-tasking was a breeze, and overall, there were rarely any instances of noticeable lag. Understandably, this processing package doesn’t hold a candle to ones that are found on high-end flagships, but the performance is still very good.


You get 16 GB of built-in storage, but there is no microSD card slot, so that is something to consider, and may require some memory management on your part, depending on how much you like to save on your smartphone.





The Oppo N1 Mini packs a 2,140 mAh battery, which might be a little small by current standards, and that shows in the battery life, that is just about average. You won’t have too much trouble getting through a full day with moderate use, and I was able to get up to 4 hours of screen-on time while performing regular tasks throughout the day like sending texts, checking Facebook and Twitter, watching YouTube videos, and playing some games.



Camera





One of the most unique features of the Oppo N1 is its swivel camera, and that makes a return on the Mini version as well. You get a 13 MP shooter that functions as both the rear camera and the front-facing camera, that will allow you to take some high-quality selfies, if that’s something you’re into. Of course, this means you don’t have a dedicated front-facing unit, but its not very often that you’re both camera units simultaneously anyway.


The camera software is quite basic and simplistic, with a few shooting modes available that isn’t different from what you’d get with any other smartphone camera. There is no HDR mode, but the Ultra HD Mode from the original Oppo N1 is available here as well. That said, while this mode allowed for 50 MP shots on the bigger device, in the case of the N1 Mini, you get the option of taking 24 MP photos.





As far as the picture quality is concerned, the camera of the Oppo N1 Mini is more than decent. Given the right lighting conditions, images are crisp and clear, with good colour reproduction and dynamic range that wasn’t too bad either, resulting in some well balanced shots. As is the case with a lot of smartphone cameras, low light photography isn’t the best, but this camera is pretty good overall, and as mentioned, gives you the ability to take some high quality selfies.



Software





The Oppo N1 Mini features the Color OS, based on Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, which is a little outdated at this point, but hopefully means that an update to the latest version of Android is coming up soon. Color OS does include some interesting additions, such as the panel of toggles in the notification dropdown, where a brightness slider can also be found, You can also download an install themes if you don’t like the way it looks out of the box, and it’s always nice to have some form of customization readily available. Features such as the screen gestures are also available here, allowing you to use preset gestures to open the camera, turn on the flash, and more, or set a custom gesture to launch a particular application.



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Pricing and Final Thoughts


The Oppo N1 Mini is currently available for $529.99 from Amazon, which is definitely steep given its mid-range nature, and the fact that there are some high-end smartphones out there in the same price range, if not cheaper. If you are considering picking one up, it does offer 4G LTE support on T-Mobile and AT&T, so that is something you won’t have to compromise on, as you sometimes might with devices from other Chinese OEMs.


So there you have it – a closer look at the Oppo N1 Mini! If you loved the Oppo N1, and only wished for it to be smaller, the N1 Mini is the answer, also offering a solid build quality and the unique swivelling camera. That said, don’t be deceived by the name, there’s nothing mini about the N1 Mini, in terms of size. Specifications are lower though, and the price tag is difficult to justify, especially with high-end smartphones like the Moto X and OnePlus One(if you can get one) in the scene.

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Xiaomi vs OnePlus: Which one will come out on top?

When it comes to Android OEMs, some of the first names that come to mind are Samsung, LG, Motorola, HTC and Sony. Of course there are plenty of other OEMs out there, and recently two Chinese smartphone makers in particular have been the center of the spotlight — OnePlus and Xiaomi.

While neither company is very old, they have managed to attract quite a bit of attention, even if they are far from household names globally. On one side you have Xiaomi, founded in 2010 and a powerhouse that has not only a longer market presence, but a larger fanbase than OnePlus. On the other side you have OnePlus, founded in 2013 and holds one viral product for their company, the OnePlus One. Both companies employ a number of techniques to sell to their consumers, with Xiaomi listening directly to their users via social media, and OnePlus doing about the same, but with an added element of viral marketing.



Xiaomi’s social media campaigns are funded by their massive reserves of cash due to their position as China’s top smartphone seller and their most recent round of funding. While OnePlus uses a combination of viral marketing, coupled with special events and CyanogenMod to try and thrust themselves into the spotlight. One of the best indicators of who is doing better than the other is of course by how much interest each company has generated, as well as who has sold the most phones over the most recent financial quarters. With that said Xiaomi and OnePlus, one already very successful company, and the other just starting to make its mark, first try to sell you their product.
Sell me OnePlus One, sell me Redmi!



Xiaomi’s presence in the Chinese market has been staggeringly successful. In just three years Xiaomi went from a company that sold what some considered a copycat Apple product to now holding the highest percentage market share in the world’s largest country. Many people wonder how Lei Jun, Xiaomi’s CEO, started off as a mandressing like Steve Jobs selling the first Xiaomi phone with its MIUI ROM, to making his product so popular that their Mi3 phone sold out in mere seconds.



There are some who believe the reason for Xiaomi’s popularity comes in part because of the illusion of rarity. What this means is, that some people perceive Xiaomi as purposefully withholding sales of their phones so that only a certain number of their product is available. This is in order to give people a sense of exclusivity when they are able to finally buy it.

Good business practices aside, it clearly is an effective technique no matter how dubious or skeptical one may be of its moral value. Lei Jun, stated that the reason for constantly running out of his product was due to a lack of production, which he then said his company was in the process of streamlining. Lei Jun then went on to state that smartphones are like seafood, and that nobody would purposely curb its supply since it would become stale and undesirable. OnePlus and their product the OnePlus One, sang a similar song of controversy and limited supply.


Peter Lau

OnePlus, founded by Pete Lau the former vice president of OPPO, announced their partnership with CyanogenMod for their release of the OnePlus One “2014 Flagship Killer” in Q2 of this year. This catapulted them into what can only be described as the oddest journey a fledgeling smartphone brand has ever had to endure.



When the OnePlus One was first announced, the hype around the phone became deafeningly loud

When the OnePlus One was first announced, the hype around the phone became deafeningly loud; a phone running the most popular alternative Android ROM CyanogenMod, with specs that rival even the best phones like the Nexus 5 and sporting the same CPU as the Galaxy S5. The phone not only had the specs, but it had the price to match. At only $300 USD for the 16GB version and $350 for the 64GB version, some would argue that it was the consumer’s perfect phone.

OnePlus had developed the technique of being invited first before being able to buy the OnePlus One, leading to only a choice few being able to get the phone regardless of if they had the funds to obtain it. By using the invite only scheme of getting their phones in conjunction with clever marketing and killer specs, people flocked to the OnePlus One, and in return OnePlus’ phone had truly hit the sweet spot of consumer satisfaction. That is, until their marketing team started making some awkward gaffes.
Competitions, Mi Fan festivals, and you

TheNextWeb

OnePlus had garnered lots of attention with its announcement that it was partnering with CyanogenMod on a new phone. After multiple news sites covered their debut, in April of 2014 Oneplus created a competition for a new way to get the OnePlus One called “Smash the Past”.

In order to gain publicity OnePlus decided to create a competition where after being one of the lucky 100 winners to get an email, you would have to smash your current phone on video to get a brand new OnePlus One for only $1.00. After signing up, where upon notifying that you were one of the lucky 100 winners, you would record a video of you destroying your phone, seems simple enough, right?



Of course in the beginning, the community was no doubt excited for their chance to get the OnePlus One, but some members got so excited that they didn’t read the first part of the rules and destroyed their phone before they were even chosen. After that misstep, and after the realization that destroying your perfectly functioning phone was a waste, people got angry that such a competition would even exist in the first place. Others also thought that smashing your phone to get another phone was a waste, and although their competition was not well received by the public-at-large, their next major competition had an even worse outcome.



That competition’s name? Ladies First. OnePlus’ initiative to give a “shout out” to all of the female fans of their phone, “In true gentlemen fashion because chivalry is not dead.” Pulled the biggest snafu possible, drawing the ire of almost every online news outlet and feminist group on the internet. After only a few hours OnePlus decided tostop the contest, stating in a new forum post that, “We understand that our contest was in bad taste…” and that they had decided to end the contest early. Xiaomi’s social media relations have certainly been less controversial but nonetheless still an interesting part of a powerful company.

OnePlus has competitions, Xiaomi also has competitions to get their latest phones, but more personalized than that, they have the Mi Fan Festival. Seemingly evolved from Xiaomi’s birthday which is April 6th, Xiaomi’s Mi Fan Festival gives the most devoted fans of the company a chance to show their undying love and devotion. The most recent, and arguably the first official Festival, took place this year April 8th in Southeast Asia’s economic powerhouse of Singapore.

Starting from 10 a.m. and ending at 10 p.m. for a full twelve hours fans had the chance to win over $80,000 in prizes, over 10k Redmi phones, 3k Mi3 phones, and 10k in-ear headphones. To an outside observer it seems like the Festival was a very convenient way to gain market penetration in Singapore, and solidify the support of anyone who had come to the event from another country. With all the different marketing campaigns, competitions, and festivals, which company comes out on top?
Teddy Bear vs. The Virus



In one corner we have OnePlus, with their underdog status and viral marketing, and in the other corner we have the economically proven Xiaomi with their massive user base. If people look strictly at the financial reports of both companies, along with total number of sold smartphones and the quarterly demand for each company’s products, Xiaomi comes out on top. If you look at the hype surrounding each company, articles that included OnePlus’ namepeeked in around mid-to-late April overtaking articles mentioning Xiaomi, with a sharp decline and then a steady increase. Xiaomi has had a generally stable amount of interest until June where it seemingly skyrocketed over the period of about three to four weeks where it now sits far above OnePlus. So in terms of articles pertaining to the companies and consequently ‘hype’, Xiaomi also comes out on top.

Xiaomi’s already indefatigable march across the world has begun in China and they are planning on moving internationally later this year. This will lead to an even bigger market share along with increased profits. For OnePlus, the arrival of a real pre-order system and hints of a next-gen OnePlus Two may just drum up interest again for the company in the not-too-distant future.

With all of that said, Xiaomi has a strong chance of becoming an internationally powerful smartphone manufacturer, OnePlus has a chance as well, but lacks the established brand Xiaomi has spent these past few years to achieve and has certainly made some very real mishaps when it comes to marketing.

What do you think, does OnePlus have the chance to become a big deal globally, or will it be known as a one hit wonder when all is said and done?

Which company do you think will come out on top, in the long run?

Xiaomi
OnePlus
It's hard to say, OnePlus could still turn things around.
It's hard to say, Xiaomi might have a harder time reaching out to global markets than OnePlus.
Honestly, I wouldn't buy from either company.



just leave your comments

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iPhone 6 Plus vs Galaxy Note 3 quick look

Over the past hours, we’ve brought you comparisons between Apple’s new iPhones and theGalaxy S5, HTC One (M8), and the LG G3. Now it’s time for another quick look, and this time we have two heavyweights in the ring: the iPhone 6 Plus and the Galaxy Note 3.

While the Note 3 is a year old, it’s still the device to beat for Apple’s new-fangled large screen iPhone 6 Plus. The Note 4 is just around the corner, but until its release next month, the Note 3 remains the epitome of what a large phone should be.

Time to see who comes on top in our iPhone 6 Plus vs Galaxy Note 3 quick look comparison!


Design

The iconic design of our two contenders is recognizable around the world. The iPhone 6 Plus is just a larger rendition of a concept that has remain virtually unchanged for years – the circular home button, the rounded corners, the top and bottom antenna lines on the back, all make a return.



Samsung has more experience in designing and building large phones, and that shows in the streamlined lines of the Note 3 and its large screen-to-footprint ratio. The iPhone 6 Plus falls short in this respect.

The large bezels at the top and bottom of the iPhone 6 Plus – while necessary to accommodate the Touch ID home button and to preserve the form factor – make the 6 Plus much larger than it needs to be. The 6 Plus is actually larger than the Note 3, even if its screen is 0.2 inches smaller. Even if it’s a bit thicker than the iPhone, the Note looks more compact, for the same reason.



The Note 3 features a plastic build with a faux leather texture on the back. This mimicry, and especially the faux stitching going around the phone’s edges, is polarizing among users. However, the leathery texture does give the Note 3 an excellent grip in hand.

The metal body of the iPhone feels very premium, and makes for a durable device, as we’ve seen in our earlier drop test. The rounded edges are a nice departure from the rigid shape of past generations, and help the phone sit very comfortably in hand. The metal is a bit slippery though, while the protruding camera will cause the phone to wobble when used on flat surfaces like a desk top.



To sum up, the iPhone 6 Plus may be more tastefully designed, but the Note 3 has a bigger screen in a smaller body, which is an important feature in this product category.
Display

The biggest difference in the display department is the technology underlying the screens of the two phones. Samsung uses a Full HD AMOLED screen with deep blacks and colors that just pop, while Apple has an LCD screen of the same resolution that is a bit more restrained in terms of saturation. It doesn’t take an expert to notice the difference – picking one approach over the other boils down to personal preference, though the Note 3 offers a way to tone down color saturation, so it’s more flexible in this regard.



Both displays are crisp, viewing angles are great, and brightness is excellent, though we feel the Note 3 has a slight edge. Regardless, these truly are the best that LCD and AMOLED technologies have to offer, at least until the Note 4 comes along next month.
Performance and hardware

At a high level, the Note 3 has a more impressive spec sheet. We can’t forget though that we’re talking about very different platforms and ecosystems, so the difference in performance may not be as clear cut as spec sheets alone would indicate.

The 6 Plus comes with a dual-core A8 processor and 1GB of RAM, but that’s enough to make the device fly through the user interface and apps. The Note 3 is no slouch either, even if it’s already a year old – the Snapdragon 800 remains a top processor, which helped by the 3 GB of RAM, makes easy work out of most tasks. With that said, some optimization on the software side would probably make it run even smoother.



You get 16, 64, or 128GB of storage on the iPhone 6 (though the top configuration will cost you a pretty penny). The Note 3 only hits 64GB, with the microSD card slot available to make up the difference.

While the Note series has had NFC for years, Apple just adopted it for its new iPhone, but there’s a catch – the chip is locked, so it’s only useful for the Apple Pay service for now.

Like the iPhone 5S, the 6 Plus incorporates a fingerprint scanner in its home button, which should make life easier if you’re concerned about security. Samsung only introduced a similar feature on the Galaxy S5, so you will need to wait for the Note 4 to enjoy it.



When it comes to battery life, the Note 3 is one of the leading devices, and it will be interesting to see how the iPhone 6 Plus competes. The Note 3 has a 3oo mAh advantage in battery capacity, so it will probably outrace the iPhone in longevity. Plus, the battery is removable, so a spare unit could further extend usage.


Camera

The Note 3 comes with a 13MP rear camera that does a great job in bright scenes, with crisp details and fine color reproduction. This camera is also known for its good macros, solid video, and a ton of software features and options.

It’s in low-light conditions that the Note 3 shows its limits, which is a problem that is common on many smartphones, especially when there’s no OIS to prevent noise.



Apple stuck to 8MP for the rear camera of the iPhone 6 Plus, but the sensor is supposedly all new. Thanks to a tech called Focus Pixels, this camera should be able to focus almost instantly, which can be helpful in a variety of situations. Plus, there’s optical image stabilization, which you don’t get on the Note.



8MP is at the low limit of smartphone camera technology today, so if larger, more detailed pics is something you want, the Note 3 is the way to go. If top notch image quality is what you’re after, you can’t go wrong with the iPhone 6 Plus.
Software

The Note 3’s software features revolve around the S Pen stylus – features like Air Command, S Note, floating apps, Scrapbook, S Finder, handwriting recognition are all made possible by the handy little stylus that hides in the Note 3’s slot.

Samsung is making good use of screen real estate with the Multi-Window feature, which lets you open up two apps at a time. Floating apps lets you pin small utility apps like calculator or S Note on the screen for easy access.



But the S Pen can be useful across the operating system, whenever precision is important. Plus, it’s a great tool if you love to doodle or handwrite your notes.

The iPhone 6 Plus comes with the same colorful interface introduced last year, but with a bevy of new features that bring iOS closer to Android in terms of functionality. Features like widgets, custom keyboards, app extensions, and app battery usage breakdown are welcome additions. Continuity is something that you don’t get on Android out of the box – the ability to start a task on the iPhone and continue on a compatible Mac or iPad seems really cool, but of course, you need to be deep into Apple’s ecosystem to really enjoy it.



Overall, the iPhone 6 Plus is a competent device, but the Note 3 is the better productivity device, with its powerful stylus and multitasking features. Samsung has figured out ways to use the large screen to its fullest, while the 6 Plus is mostly just a larger version of the iPhone 6.
Wrap up

We won’t issue a verdict after this quick look, but we’ll do list the features that we think tip the scale in favor of one device or the other. The Note 3 comes ahead thanks to its compact build and larger screen, larger, removable battery and microSD card slot (though not all users care about that), more hardware features, and especially the S Pen and all its software features. The iPhone 6 Plus has a premium build and a solid unibody construction, a fingerprint scanner, a great camera, and a fine-tuned operating system.

Who comes on top in your opinion? List your pros and cons in the comments!

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