Oppo F1s vs Samsung Galaxy S7 Review: The battle of a flagship monster and a mid-range fighter

If 2016 was the year of smartphones, then we really witnessed some of the best devices. We might run out of fingers to count how many smartphones wooed us this year. Brands like Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Apple, Xiaomi, LeEco and many others kept us busy throughout the year and we look forward to more in 2017.

As this year comes to a close, we are going to take do a quick review comparison of two of the most popular phones of 2016 (not the only ones of course). Samsung Galaxy S7 remained the company's 2016 flagship due to the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, while Oppo connected with consumers very well this year with series of launches.

Let's pick Oppo's latest release, the upgraded Oppo F1s for a comparison with Samsung Galaxy S7. The price difference between the two devices is vast, but it certainly makes sense for shoppers to consider all the possible options.

You can pick up Samsung Galaxy S7 for about Rs. 43,000 or even lesser from sites like Flipkart, while the Oppo F1s sells for Rs. 18,990. It might be worth mentioning that we have reviewed the Oppo F1s 4GB RAM as well as 3GB RAM variant in the past, but the Samsung Galaxy S7 puts the device into a whole new perspective. Let's begin.

Design

Design preference is usually subjective and we would go with Samsung on this one. Firstly, the device is compact, fits easily in the hand, and not to mention the classy look it gives away. The glass on both sides and metal chassis gives it a premium touch, but also becomes the reason for worry as it is prone to break quite easily.

Oppo F1s on the other hand is more durable compared to the Galaxy S7. It is not slippery unlike its rival in this comparison, and not too big to handle if you are comfortable with the trend of big screen phones these days. Oppo F1s has a full metal body with a shimmery matte finish at the back. Overall, the F1s is also a good-looking phone for those who do not have the patience to handle with care.

There you have it, for classy, delicate look go for the Galaxy S7, but the F1s gives durability and a good design. If you are concerned of the phone getting wet in the rain, then Galaxy S7's dust and waterproof resistance will come in handy.

Display

As we have already noted earlier, the F1s display measures 5.5 inches diagonally with 720p HD resolution, which is disappointing considering the price tag. But for an average user, you won't feel the lack of detail unless you are watching a movie on the phone. Samsung Galaxy S7, however, has no room for disappointment with its 5.1-inch Quad HD Super AMOLED resolution. The colours are more vibrant and detailed as compared to the F1s, which is quite expected given the massive jump from 720p to 2K resolution. But to get that level of detail, there is a price you must pay, which is twice as much.

Camera

This is a very important area for Oppo as well as Samsung. After reviewing both the phones for the same amount of time, we must say the Galaxy S7 meets the expectations, in fact exceeds them at times, but Oppo F1s wasn't a disappointment at all. We have snapped some samples using both phones under the same conditions and we will let you be the judge.

Shot on Samsung Galaxy S7 [SLIDESHOW]

Shot on Oppo F1s [SLIDESHOW]

As you can see, the Galaxy S7 images come out to be more vibrant and colourful, but the F1s manages to capture details even in low light. Under perfect lighting conditions, there is a tough battle between both phones.

If you are a selfie addict, then the F1s is really a better choice as the front camera captures more detail and balances the colours pretty well. The details are in fact lost in the Galaxy S7's front camera, while the F1s fills that gap. If you are into selfies, the F1s should be your choice given its price, but if you are more into landscape, scenery photography then the Galaxy S7 wins the bet at a higher price.

Performance

There are no losers here. Whether you are an average user or an avid gamer, we found both phones to perform extremely well under pressure. Although we did witness some heating after playing long-session games on the Galaxy S7, it is something you can negotiate for the enthralling experience it delivers. The screen resolution of both phones gives the Galaxy S7 an edge in gaming.

But if you are a regular user, who likes to watch some movies occasionally and use the phone for mostly calls, messages, video conferences and stuff like that then saving a few bucks and settling for the F1s won't disappoint you.

Fingerprint scanner

In a surprising revelation, Oppo F1s came out as a winner by a fraction of a millisecond. The Galaxy S7 and Oppo F1s were configured with the fingerprint scanner lock and when tested, the F1s unlocked and landed at the home screen faster than the Galaxy S7.

While the difference of time in which both phones unlock is barely noticeable, the whole point of this comparison is to see where both phones stand. After multiple tests, we declare the F1s a winner for its superfast fingerprint scanning.

Battery

We wished Oppo F1s had the VOOC charging feature to gain an edge over the Galaxy S7, because we were truly impressed by the feature when we reviewed Oppo F1 Plus. Nevertheless the F1s gets the job done just like the Galaxy S7, which is slightly faster in terms of charging time.

As for the battery life, both phones have power saving modes to save the day. Without it, you can easily get up to 10 hours of average use with 4G LTE, calls, messages and browsing. Turn on the power saving mode and you can get a few more hours added to the runtime, which is a real life saver during travels.

Conclusion

There isn't really a winner or a loser here. Both phones are great and if you are looking at the price tags then you know where your loyalty must lie. If you can settle for certain setbacks like a low-res display and decent rear camera, then F1s can make a great savings deal. For those who like to flash the brand and use the phone for gaming and photography, go for the Galaxy S7. In our view, it is rather safe to wait for the Galaxy S8 as the current model is months old. Oppo F1s, on the other hand, is a fresh one and doesn't let you down at all.