OPPO launches a new version of the budget A53 smartphone with 5G

OPPO has unleashed a new and 5G version of the A53 (2020) on the Chinese market. It is much like the Snapdragon 460-toting budget option from earlier in the year, except of course it has a new SoC with dual-mode next-gen connectivity support instead.

Another potentially important new tweak in this new variant is that its 6.5-inch IPS display is FHD, rather than HD in the intial A53. It also exhibits 16+2+2MP rear cameras, an 8MP punch-hole selfie shooter, Bluetooth 5.1 and USB type C for a starting price of just 1299 yuan (~US$199).

Therefore, it may pose a serious headache for Redmi's new Note 9 5G in terms of cost-effectiveness. It also has a 90Hz display (with a 120Hz touch-sampling rate), whereas the previously-launched alternative is stuck with a standard 60Hz rate.

Then again, this OPPO A53 5G has a 4040mAh battery, whereas its possible rival has one of 5000mAh in capacity - as does the original A53. The Note 9 5G also has a newer Dimensity 800U processor.

In addition, it has more powerful camera sensors, and furthermore starts with 6GB RAM options whereas the OPPO starts at 4. The refreshed A53 is available to reserve in Secret Black, Streamer Purple or Lake Green colorways, and should ship from December 21, 2020.