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MagyarOppo A94 5G smartphone in review: 5G Android phone for under 400 Euros
In our reviews of smartphones belonging to Oppo's A series, the A74 and the A73 5G showed that they are solid and suitable for everyday use while being reasonably priced. it's the A94 5G's turn now, which is a bit more expensive than the aforementioned models with a price of approximately 390 Euros (~$475). In return, it's equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 800U SoC and its integrated ARM Mali-G57 MP3 graphics unit, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of internal storage.
We compare it with the competition listed below, to which further smartphones from our database can be added for comparison under each section.
Possible contenders in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 82.1 % | 06/2021 | Oppo A94 5G Dimensity 800U, Mali-G57 MP3 | 173 g | 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 6.43" | 2400x1080 | |
| 80.1 % | 11/2020 | Realme 7 5G Dimensity 800U, Mali-G57 MP3 | 195 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.50" | 2400x1080 | |
| 85.9 % | 05/2021 | Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G SD 780G 5G, Adreno 642 | 159 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.55" | 2400x1080 | |
| 80.6 % | 05/2021 | Nokia X20 SD 480, Adreno 619 | 220 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
| 79.7 % | 02/2021 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G Dimensity 800U, Mali-G57 MP3 | 199 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.53" | 2340x1080 |
Case - Light 5G smartphone
Oppo has built the A94 5G with a plastic frame and a glass back. The front is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. In addition, two color variants are available with "Fluid Black" and "Cosmic Blue". The low weight of 173 grams makes the A94 5G one of the lightest smartphones in our test field, and many competitors score worse in terms of thickness as well.
Connectivity - Dual SIM and microSD simultaneously available
The Oppo A94 5G can accommodate one microSD card and two nano SIM cards without them blocking each other. Both SIM slots support VoWLAN and VoWiFi, but only one card at a time can connect to 5G networks. The USB-C port transfers data using the USB 2.0 standard, and a 3.5 mm jack is also available. In addition, the Camera2 API supports Level 3. DRM Widevine L1 is also on board.
microSD card reader
According to the manufacturer, the microSD card reader in the A94 5G supports cards of up to 256 GB. Only average read and write speeds are achieved with our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference memory card, but other smartphones either don't have a card reader or are significantly slower like the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Oppo A94 5G (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software - A94 5G with ColorOS 11.1
Oppo has installed the Android 11-based ColorOS 11.1 on the A94 5G, which includes security patches at the level of April 5, 2021. Using the device is very similar to using a pure Android system, but there are manufacturer-specific apps and a modified menu structure. While some preinstalled apps, such as Netflix, can only be disabled, others, such as TikTok, can also be uninstalled.
Communication and GNSS - Very accurate tracking
Besides GSM, 3G, and LTE, the A94 5G also supports the new 5G mobile standard. In close ranges, NFC, Bluetooth 5.1, and Wi-Fi 5 are also available. However, the data transfer rates that can be achieved in combination with our Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router are slightly below average.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G | |
| Realme 7 5G | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G | |
| Oppo A94 5G | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G | |
| Average of class Smartphone (last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G | |
| Oppo A94 5G | |
| Realme 7 5G | |
| Nokia X20 | |
The Oppo A94 5G achieves a very high accuracy of up to one meter outdoors when using the GPS Test app to determine our location. GPS, BeiDou, GLONASS, and Galileo are available for this.
The Android smartphone is also more accurate than our reference device, the Garmin Edge 500, on our routine bike ride.
Telephone and call quality - Good connectivity with the Oppo smartphone
The phone app on the A94 5G provides a direct view of saved favorites and allows a numeric keypad to be displayed. In addition, two further tabs show a list of recent calls and the user's contacts. The earpiece offers a high volume during calls, and ambient noise is filtered out well. The microphone also transmits speech clearly, so that users on both ends can be understood well.
Cameras - No optical zoom
Oppo equips the A94 5G with four camera sensors on the back. The 48 MP main sensor together with the 2 MP depth sensor produces detailed close-ups with natural-looking colors. In addition, the camera handles different brightness levels well in panoramic scenes. Under low-light conditions, objects in the picture are still easy to recognize, but colors look too dark, and moderate graininess is visible.
The A94 5G doesn't have an optical zoom, and zooming in on subjects through software results in a muddy texture. However, the image outcome is better when zooming in at close ranges than with the 2 MP macro sensor that is also available. Wide-angle pictures are taken with an 8 MP sensor, which produces vivid colors but washed out details. A Pro mode allows manual adjustment of image parameters.
The front-facing camera takes 16 MP pictures and shows many details. Brightness differences in the picture are also balanced well here. Besides an enhancement mode, various color filters can be applied to the picture, but a professional mode is not available here.
Videos are recorded with a similar quality as our test photos. An electronic image stabilizer compensates for camera shake, and the image can be adjusted using color filters and enhancement modes. An expert mode isn't available here either, but the resolution can be set between 720p, 1080p, and 4K at 30 fps in each case.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Close-upPanorama photoUltra wide-angleZoom (5x)Low-light
Our test picture with the ColorChecker Passport shows that the Oppo A94 5G's camera captures colors too brightly. Although the test chart is captured in rich detail, a contrast weakness is visible in the lower corners.
Accessories and warranty - Protective case included in the box
The Oppo A94 5G comes with a USB power adapter and a compatible USB-C cable, a SIM needle, a wired stereo headset, and a protective silicone case.
Furthermore, the manufacturer offers a 24-month warranty for the 5G smartphone.
Input devices and handling - Reliable fingerprint scanner
The versatile keyboard app GBoard is available for text input. It automatically switches to an undocked mode in landscape orientation, but this can be changed in the settings menu. The touchscreen responds very quickly to touches, and drag-and-drop gestures can also be executed smoothly.
The optical in-screen fingerprint sensor responds well to stored fingerprints, and face recognition also worked reliably in our test.
Display - AMOLED with optional DC dimming
The screen of the A94 5G consists of a 6.43-inch AMOLED panel and offers a resolution of 2400x1080 pixels. The maximum brightness is 586 cd/m² on average and reaches up to 764 cd/m² in the APL50 test. When the brightness sensor is disabled, only up to 421 cd/m² is possible. Furthermore, the lowest adjustable brightness level is 1.9 cd/m². With these rates, the Oppo smartphone places itself in the middle of our test field.
PWM is used for brightness control below 42%. Here, the frequencies between 0% and 9% go from 59.67 Hz to 215.5 Hz, and between 9% and 42% from 235.8 Hz to 250 Hz. Beyond that, DC dimming is used, and we only detect the refresh rate of 60 Hz. A "flicker-free display mode" can be enabled in the settings menu, which also uses DC dimming for regulation at low brightness levels.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 96 %
Center on Battery: 577 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 1.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.9% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.25
| Oppo A94 5G AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.43 | Realme 7 5G IPS, 2400x1080, 6.50 | Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.55 | Nokia X20 IPS, 2400x1080, 6.67 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G IPS, 2340x1080, 6.53 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -25% | -1% | -59% | -27% | |
| Brightness middle | 577 | 490 -15% | 863 50% | 646 12% | 572 -1% |
| Brightness | 586 | 455 -22% | 860 47% | 617 5% | 540 -8% |
| Brightness Distribution | 96 | 84 -12% | 93 -3% | 89 -7% | 90 -6% |
| Black Level * | 0.69 | 0.7 | 0.42 | ||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.7 | 4.01 -49% | 3.2 -19% | 5.71 -111% | 4.1 -52% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 7 | 8.1 -16% | 5.2 26% | 8.9 -27% | 11.2 -60% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 1.9 | 2.6 -37% | 3.9 -105% | 6.2 -226% | 2.5 -32% |
| Gamma | 2.25 98% | 2.23 99% | 2.33 94% | 2.122 104% | 2.24 98% |
| CCT | 6617 98% | 6828 95% | 7299 89% | 8256 79% | 6525 100% |
| Contrast | 710 | 923 | 1362 |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 250 Hz | ≤ 42 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 250 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 42 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 250 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17933 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
As is typical for OLEDs, the contrast ratio and black level are excellent. The CalMAN analysis also shows that colors are reproduced in a particularly balanced way when the white balance is set to "warmer".
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 11 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 10 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.8 ms). | ||
The display brightness of the Oppo A94 5G is high enough to display screen content legibly even in direct sunlight.
The AMOLED panel of the A94 5G is very viewing-angle stable. This allows viewing content even from flat angles without it becoming distorted or displayed with incorrect colors. The system always runs smoothly in everyday use and doesn't exhibit any micro stutters or the like.
Performance - On par with the competition
The MediaTek Dimensity 800U built into the Oppo A94 5G achieves results in the benchmarks that are on par with our test field. The SoC even scores slightly above average in graphics-heavy tests, but it's consistently outperformed by the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G.
| PCMark for Android - Work 3.0 (sort by value) | |
| Oppo A94 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 800U (7087 - 7587, n=2) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4761 - 21385, n=211, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Oppo A94 5G | |
| Realme 7 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 800U (31 - 31, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=184, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Oppo A94 5G | |
| Realme 7 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 800U (33 - 35, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=184, last 2 years) | |
| Antutu v9 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Oppo A94 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 800U () | |
| Average of class Smartphone (102602 - 1650926, n=153, last 2 years) | |
The A94 5G also shows good results in the browser benchmarks, but it also has to place itself behind the Nokia X20 alongside the Mi 11 Lite 5G. In everyday use, websites scroll smoothly, and media content is made available quickly.
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G (Chrome90) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (last 2 years) | |
| Nokia X20 (Chrome 90) | |
| Oppo A94 5G (Chrome 90) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G (Chrome 88.0.4324.93) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 800U (51.4 - 83.5, n=3) | |
| Realme 7 5G (Chrome 86) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (39 - 304, n=122, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G (Chrome90) | |
| Nokia X20 (Chrome 90) | |
| Oppo A94 5G (Chrome 90) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 800U (45 - 58, n=3) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G (Chrome 88.0.4324.93) | |
| Realme 7 5G (Chrome 86) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=210, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G (Chrome90) | |
| Oppo A94 5G (Chrome 90) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G (Chrome 88.0.4324.93) | |
| Nokia X20 (Chrome 90) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 800U (9999 - 18123, n=3) | |
| Realme 7 5G (Chrome 86) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Realme 7 5G (Chrome 86) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 800U (3013 - 4695, n=3) | |
| Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G (Chrome 88.0.4324.93) | |
| Oppo A94 5G (Chrome 90) | |
| Nokia X20 (Chrome 90) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G (Chrome90) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=172, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
According to the spec sheet, Oppo has installed a 128 GB UFS 2.0 storage drive in the A94 5G. The read and write speeds achieved in the storage benchmark lie in the middle of our test field and point to the use of UFS 2.1 storage.
| Oppo A94 5G | Realme 7 5G | Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G | Nokia X20 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G | Average 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -37% | 28% | -14% | 8% | -39% | 81% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 941 | 877 -7% | 949 1% | 489.3 -48% | 913 -3% | 530 ? -44% | 1505 ? 60% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 465.9 | 188.4 -60% | 710 52% | 462.7 -1% | 483.5 4% | 215 ? -54% | 1112 ? 139% |
| Random Read 4KB | 163.2 | 92.6 -43% | 207.9 27% | 165.4 1% | 171.1 5% | 129.6 ? -21% | 247 ? 51% |
| Random Write 4KB | 156.1 | 95.1 -39% | 206.9 33% | 144.6 -7% | 197 26% | 100.7 ? -35% | 271 ? 74% |
Games - Uninterrupted gaming with Game Space
The ARM Mali-G57 MP3 graphics unit in the Oppo A94 5G can run modern games smoothly. However, somewhat more demanding titles, such as the tested Asphalt 9: Legends, can lead to occasional stutters that make it necessary to reduce the graphics levels.
Oppo's app "Game Space" allows you to optimize the system with profiles tailored to games. For example, a performance mode is available, or push notifications are temporarily disabled.
Emissions - Only one speaker
Temperature
The Oppo A94 5G's surfaces heat up to a maximum of 34 °C (~93 °F) under load. According to the results of the Wild Life endurance stress tests, performance remains very stable here. Therefore, you don't have to expect restrictions due to excessively high temperatures.
| 3DMark | |
| Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G | |
| Nokia X20 | |
| Oppo A94 5G | |
| Wild Life Extreme Stress Test | |
| Oppo A94 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G | |
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 33.1 °C / 92 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.3 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The speaker in the A94 5G offers a relatively high volume and a sound spectrum with pronounced upper mids. This makes it possible to reproduce voice content well, for example, but headphones or external speakers should be preferred for music and media content. However, the audio jack (SNR: 58.06 dBFS) only leaves a mediocre impression.
Oppo A94 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (92.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.7% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 7% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 88% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 26% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 67% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (89.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.3% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 24% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 45% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 48% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life - More endurance than the competition
Energy consumption
The Oppo A94 5G shows the lowest maximum power consumption under load in our test field. The remaining power-consumption values are also low and make the Android smartphone a very economical device.
| Off / Standby |   0.02 / 0.27 Watt |
| Idle |  0.77 / 1.75 / 1.78 Watt |
| Load |
3.85 / 4.96 Watt |
    
| |
| Oppo A94 5G 4310 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G 4250 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G 5000 mAh | Average MediaTek Dimensity 800U | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -20% | -9% | 2% | -21% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.77 | 0.83 -8% | 0.68 12% | 0.787 ? -2% | 0.897 ? -16% |
| Idle Average * | 1.75 | 1.92 -10% | 2.16 -23% | 1.693 ? 3% | 1.452 ? 17% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.78 | 1.97 -11% | 2.2 -24% | 1.737 ? 2% | 1.629 ? 8% |
| Load Average * | 3.85 | 3.84 -0% | 3.63 6% | 3.41 ? 11% | 5.55 ? -44% |
| Load Maximum * | 4.96 | 8.6 -73% | 5.78 -17% | 5.1 ? -3% | 8.31 ? -68% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
In our real-world Wi-Fi test, the A94 5G achieves a runtime of just over 17 hours. Consequently, it makes good use of its 4,310 mAh battery and performs better than comparable devices with a larger battery capacity.
The Oppo smartphone is fully recharged after about an hour with the included 30-watt power adapter.
| Oppo A94 5G 4310 mAh | Realme 7 5G 5000 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G 4250 mAh | Nokia X20 4470 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 9T 5G 5000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | |||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 1026 | 1026 0% | 734 -28% | 879 -14% | 1133 10% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - The Oppo A94 5G provides good battery life
The Oppo A94 5G places itself exactly where it wants to be. It has a mid-range performance and is on par with other 5G smartphones priced around 400 Euros (~$487). The build quality is high, the camera quality is good, and the system runs smoothly. Furthermore, it's possible to use dual SIM with a microSD card at the same time.
With the A94 5G, Oppo introduces a device with good battery life to the range of 5G-capable mid-range smartphones.
Many competing devices offer similar performance, are also equipped with an AMOLED display, and have an appealing design. However, what still provides an advantage in the Oppo smartphone's slim build is the good endurance of the 4,000 mAh battery. The biggest rival in terms of features, the Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G, can't keep up in this regard at least. Smartphones like the realme 7 5G and the Redmi Note 9T 5G also offer a similar configuration.
Price and availability
If you're in the United States, it's currently hard to find the Oppo A94 5G smartphone, since you'll only find listings for the less powerful A94 model. You can keep tabs on online stores such as Amazon or newegg and wait for the device to pop up there. You can tell the difference between the regular A94 model and the official 5G model in their CPUs: The A94 comes with a MediaTek Helio P95, while the A94 5G is equipped with a MediaTek Dimensity 800U.
Oppo A94 5G
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08/31/2022 v7
Mike Wobker
Pricecompare
