OPPO F35 Pro 5G review: A good looking phone with excellent endurance, but its price needs a closer look | HT Verified (HT Tech)

The rest of the experience is a mixed bag, in a good way. I like the modern design from the front, the cameras produce natural looking photos, and ColorOS feels genuinely smooth. The rear design isn’t for me, the display could be brighter outdoors, and the processor has its limits when you push it with demanding games.

At around ₹46,000, the F35 Pro is not trying to be the fastest phone you can buy. It is trying to be a dependable daily driver, and after using it as my primary phone, I can see the appeal.

The rear is where my enthusiasm drops a little. The camera plateau isn’t to my liking, and the design looks more budget oriented than the front. This is entirely subjective, though, because some of my friends loved it while others shared my reservations. I prefer the simpler, stealthier rear design just like the OPPO Reno 16 5G.

Read my full review of Oppo Reno 16 5G

The build quality is decent, although the phone doesn’t feel particularly special in hand. It weighs around 210g and is 8.4mm thick, so you will notice the weight, but it isn’t uncomfortable to carry. What makes it stand out is its durability. You get IP66, IP68, IP69 and IP69K protection against dust and water, along with AGC DT-Star D+ protective glass on the display. These are impressive features for a phone in this segment, although they don’t make it indestructible.

I used the F35 Pro without a case or screen protector during testing. I regularly throw review phones into my backpack alongside keys, earphones, a mint tin and other random items. After several days of this treatment, I couldn’t find any scratches on the display or noticeable scuffs on the body. That’s reassuring, even if it isn’t a substitute for proper durability testing.

My only complaint is brightness, OPPO claims typical brightness of up to 800 nits and high brightness mode of up to 1,800 nits, but I still found the screen difficult to read under direct sunlight. Indoors, it is a different story. The colours look vibrant, text is sharp, and scrolling feels fluid. Just don’t assume that the high refresh rate means demanding games will run at the same frame rate.

In everyday use, the phone feels super snappy. Apps launch quickly, multitasking is smooth, and I didn’t find myself waiting around for routine tasks. I’ve included the benchmark results below for those who want to see how the hardware performs in synthetic tests.

Oppo F35 Pro: Benchmark results

The limitations become apparent when you move to demanding games such as Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero and Wuthering Waves. This isn’t the phone I’d recommend if those games are a major part of your routine. Call of Duty: Mobile, on the other hand, runs very well. I reached Legendary rank playing on this phone, and I could push the game’s frame rate settings to the maximum available in its menus. More importantly, my regular matches remained smooth, without the stuttering I was concerned about.

The stress test did show CPU throttling under sustained synthetic load, so I wouldn’t claim the processor never slows down. However, that result didn’t translate into a noticeable problem during my regular Call of Duty sessions. The F35 Pro is a dependable phone for everyday use and lighter gaming, but it isn’t a gaming phone in disguise.

Software is another strong point. The phone runs ColorOS 16.5, and I found the interface smooth, with quick app launches and consistent animations. There is preinstalled bloatware, but much of it can be uninstalled. That’s manageable for people comfortable cleaning up a new phone, though less experienced buyers may find the initial setup a little cluttered.

OPPO also advertises six year smoothness protection. This is a promise around long term performance, not the same thing as six years of Android upgrades, so buyers should keep that distinction in mind.

OPPO’s camera processing has often impressed me, and the F35 Pro follows that approach. The hardware specifications aren’t extraordinary, but the computational photography helps produce natural looking images, which is exactly what I prefer. Colours remain fairly consistent when switching between the main and ultra wide cameras, making it easier to capture different perspectives without getting noticeably different colour tones.

The selfie camera is also good, particularly for group photos, thanks to its wide field of view. It gives you more flexibility without having to stretch your arm awkwardly or squeeze everyone together.

Video is more of a mixed bag. I recorded 4K footage at 30fps for around 10 minutes, and the phone handled the session without excessive heating. However, the resulting video looked a little flat, with some details appearing overly smoothed. Good lighting makes a noticeable difference, so this isn’t a phone I’d choose primarily for shooting video in difficult conditions.

Night photography is decent, and the main camera captures a good amount of detail. I would have liked night mode to do a better job with colours, though, as some scenes could look more convincing.

I used the phone as my daily driver and played Call of Duty: Mobile every day, yet I could comfortably get more than a day out of a full charge. My PCMark battery test also delivered a strong result, as shown in the benchmark table above.

Charging is quick considering the battery’s size. I went from 7% to 100% in around 66 minutes, which is a good result for an 8,000mAh battery. You won’t need to charge this phone every night, and even with regular gaming, I wasn’t constantly hunting for a charger.

The compromises are clear, though. The display could be brighter outdoors, the rear design won’t appeal to everyone, and the Dimensity 7360 MAX isn’t built for demanding gaming. The base variant’s 6GB RAM is also worth considering at this price.

If performance is your priority, the OnePlus Nord 6 is another option to consider. It packs a much more powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 processor and a 9,000mAh battery. Its listed price has changed recently, so check the current offer before comparing it with the OPPO. The F35 Pro makes more sense if you value its camera experience, durability and everyday usability over high end gaming performance.

Final Verdict: HT Verified Recommended (Scores Above 7.5 Qualify)

Overall score: 8/10

Disclaimer: At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with the latest trends and products. The review unit was provided by Xiaomi for a period of one month for the purpose of this review and will be returned to the brand after the review period. Our review and opinions are based on our experience with the product during this testing period.