Display

The Oppo F1 features a 5.0-inch IPS LCD with a resolution of 1280 x 720, equating to a pixel density of 293 PPI. This is a fairly standard display for a budget device, and while I would have liked to see 1080p displays start to filter down to this price point, the accompanying tech in devices like the F1 isn't ready.

The sharpness of the F1's display is acceptable, though it's no different to any other budget device I've used. Text is visible and photos look okay, which is pretty much all you can ask for at this price point. As this is an IPS display, viewing angles are decent, but don't expect it to compete with high-end displays or AMOLEDs as pretty much every LCD on smartphones these days uses IPS technology.

The F1's display can go reasonably bright, which offsets some of the reflectivity issues of the white bezel, but it falls behind its main competitor in the Moto G 2015. It also falls behind in contrast due to more backlight bleed, leading to poor black levels. Again, I don't expect a high-end display at a $200 price point, though it's a little disappointing that the F1 can't live up to the Moto G here.

Color accuracy from the F1's LCD is poor. The entire panel is tinted well into the blue end of the spectrum, which causes all sorts of accuracy issues, including blues that are, in general, well off. And it's not just the stats that highlight the issues with this display: visually the panel looks washed out while viewing anything with high contrast or bursts of color.

There is one setting available to users that allows you to change the color profile, but it's more designed to 'protect your eyes' than correct the display. Turning on Eye Protection mode to low or high gives the display a significant red tint, and choosing medium brings the color temperature in to 6200K. This is more yellow than it should be, although it's much closer to an accurate value than the default settings.

However, I wouldn't recommend leaving the Eye Protection mode on as it has a negative impact on brightness, and color accuracy is only marginally improved. Most users also won't appreciate a yellow tone to the display.