Vivo already launched the V5s selfie smartphone in India last month and OPPO will be joining the competition with its F3 smartphone on May 4. As the competition in the smartphone market is intense, smartphone makers are opting for unique selling points to attract consumers. OPPO and Vivo are using consumers' love for selfies as the area of battlefield.
OPPO and Vivo recently launched their F3 Plus and V5 Plus smartphones in India, but that's not the end of it. OPPO had announced that it will launch the smaller version of the F3 Plus smartphone in May and it will be doing so on Thursday, which will bring a serious competition to Vivo's V5s smartphone.
Read: OPPO F3 final roundup
While OPPO hasn't confirmed the complete specs and the price of its F3, which we expect to learn at the event on Thursday, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the phone. Based on that, we will be comparing the F3 with its closest rival V5s to help consumers make the choice.
Update: OPPO has launched the F3 smartphone for Rs. 19,990. The comparison below is based on the specs revealed by OPPO.
Design
Vivo V5s and OPPO F3 look almost identical, with their unibody shells, rounded corners and even their size and weight. Both phones have 5.5-inch IPS displays with 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass, while the F3 packs a Full HD screen and the V5s has a 720p resolution. The speaker, microUSB slot, power/lock button, volume controls and the physical home button are all similarly placed.
Design-wise, both phones excel in offering a premium look and feel to consumers, so we do not have a loser in this front.
Camera
The most important aspect of both phones is the camera, especially the front one. Vivo V5s packs a quite capable 20MP selfie camera with Moonlight flash, Face Beauty 6.0 and Full HD recording. OPPO seems to have an edge here with the F3's dual camera setup. The F3 smartphone has a 16MP Beautify 4.0 lens for normal selfies and an 8MP 120-degree wide-angle lens for group selfies. The dual camera setup on the front is clearly a winning point for OPPO.
Tick-tock! Tick-tock! Tick-tock!
— OPPO Mobile India (@oppomobileindia) May 2, 2017
The #SelfieExpert is coming on the 4th of May. Just 2 days left! #OPPOF3 pic.twitter.com/JzfYjaRPHW
On the rear, both phones have 13MP cameras with LED flash, which deliver equally good photos.
Performance
Once again, there's going to be a tie here. Both phones are powered by the same octa-core MediaTek MT6750 processors, paired with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage. While Vivo offers a hybrid microSD card slot, OPPO F3 comes with separate dual SIM card slots and a dedicated microSD card slot.
The clock's ticking as we approach the 4th of May, when #OPPOF3- the new #SelfieExpert is set to arrive. 3 more days & it'll be here. pic.twitter.com/Ki5VHbzSWr
— OPPO Mobile India (@oppomobileindia) May 1, 2017
Battery
Vivo V5s comes with a 3000mAh battery, which we have heard is quite exceptional. As for OPPO F3, there's a 3200mAh battery, which easily lasts a full day without on a single charge with average use. It looks like both phones have a solid battery to keep busy users going without needing a charge mid-day, so let's call it a tie.
Add-ons
There's nothing unique that each phone has to offer. Both phones have a fingerprint scanner integrated within the home button, 4G VoLTE support among other standard connectivity options. Both phones also run Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box, but have their own custom UI on top.
Pricing and availability
Vivo V5s is priced at Rs. 18,990 and it will be available May 6 onwards. The handset comes in a special Matte Black colour in addition to the gold hue. OPPO F3 will be available May 12 onwards at a competitive price of Rs. 19,990. There are two colour options, gold and rose gold, but there's also a Black edition. The availability of the Black OPPO F3 is still unknown.
Updated on May 4, 2017: The article has been updated to include the confirmed specs of the OPPO F3 as it was launched at an event in Mumbai on May 4.
