THe n1 Oppo tries to bottle the N1 magic in a smaller package

While most of the Chinese brands in the country have been fighting on price, Oppo has been treading a distinctly different path, focusing instead on high-end features, often accompanied by a relatively high price tag. The N1 Mini is another example of this approach. But does it offer enough bang for the price it charges?


oppo n1 mini
Tech Specs

size | 148.4 x 72.2 x 9.2 mm

Weight | 150 grams

memory | 16GB, microsD

Os | android Os v4.3

screen size | 5.0-inch, capacitive

Battery | li-Ion 2,140 mah

Talktime/standby | -/

Gprs/3G/BT/Wifi | yes/yes/yes/yes

camera | 13.0-megapixel

Others | color Os 1.4, rotating camera
Looks stylish...again
Oppo has been forging a reputation for itself as a manufacturer of phones that have a premium look and feel. The N1 was a prime example of this - some found it to be a bit large and bulky, but we loved its solid feel and the use of premium materials. The N1 Mini, as its name indicates, is a smaller version of the flagship. The ‘smaller’ however is only in comparative terms, for seen on its own, the N1 Mini is hardly a small phone. It is almost half a foot long and tips the scales at a very healthy 150 grammes. The front is dominated by a 5.0-inch display (the N1 had a 5.9 inch one, remember?), and unlike most of the other devices in the market, the upper and lower parts of the device are slightly curved in a convex shape, making it stand out from the routine rectangular shapes we see in other phones. But what is really likely to mark it out as different is the rotating camera on top of the display, which can turn on its hinge to act as both a front facing as well as a rear camera, depending on your inclination. There are three touch buttons beneath the display for Menu, Back and Home. In a slightly unusual arrangement, the left side of the phone houses the power/display key, while the right has the volume rocker, which takes some getting used to. The top is bare, while the base houses the micro USB slot and the 3.5 mm audio jack. The SIM card tray is right next to the volume rocker. The back is plain and made of smooth plastic, and there are metal accents on the side and on the rotating camera. All in all, the phone once again feels a bit large to hold, but has a good feel to it, once one gets used to the power and volume key arrangement. It hardly looks like a ‘mini’ edition, though.

Innovative camera, but routine hardware 
The most striking feature of the N1 Mini is without doubt the 13.0-megapixel rotating camera, which as in the N1, turns in a very good performance, in terms of colour and detail. However, the other specifications of the device are more routine than exceptional. The 5.0-inch display looks good in terms of brightness and colour but is actually a 720p one, and powering the device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, backed up by 2GB RAM. Memory stands at 16GB and is non-expandable. Connectivity options include 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, and also with the device is the remote that lets you click selfies from a distance. The phone runs an older version of Android (4.3), although you would be hardpressed to spot it as it runs below Oppo’s own ColorOS skin. In terms of performance, the N1 Mini walks the middle path. It is not going to set benchmarks on fire but handled most games and high-end applications without much trouble. The camera is the highlight of the device, taking some very sharp images and shooting decent video. We would have preferred better sound quality though, both in general and on call (something we experienced on the N1 too). The remote is a handy addition for those who like to control the camera from a distance, but honestly, we think it becomes another thing to carry, and therefore, to lose - we are not too convinced by the value it delivers.

Conclusion 
it is a solid performer with a very innovative camera, but all said and done, one cannot help but feel that  the Oppo N1 Mini is a bit of an expensive proposition, especially in a market that is getting used to devices that offer high-end specs at relatively lower prices. There will be people who will point out that the Nexus 5 comes with a better processor, albeit with an inferior camera, at a slightly higher price, while another Chinese manufacturer, Gionee, offers its flagship Elife E7 at an almost similar price with a superior 16.0-megapixel camera and far superior hardware (Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor). Gionee in fact also offers the Elife E7 Mini, with a twist around camera similar to that seen on the N1 Mini, and with an octa core processor  And then there is the Lumia 830 which sports a PureView camera and a very solid finish and costs only slightly more. All of which makes the Oppo N1 Mini seem a slightly overpriced proposition. It is a good device, yes, and we love the build and the camera especially, but honestly, for that kind of price, we expected a lot more.