OPPO A54 and A74 blitzes low-cost 5G market – $399 and $449

OPPO A54 and A74

The new OPPO A54 and A74 have set new standards for the low-cost 5G handset market, throwing in Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, plenty of ram and storage, large fast charge batteries, and OPPOs legendary camera expertise.

OPPO’s A54 and A74 have turned the <$399 segment on its head. Yesterday, we finished an analysis of the Australian smartphone market, breaking it down into the best phones $100 price brackets. Damn – these new devices (not reviewed yet) will force a rethink as OPPO makes 5G now the same price as 4G!

OPPO A54 and A74 5G details

OPPO A54 (CPH2197)
OPPO A74 (CPH2195)
 WebsitePPO A54OPPO A74
Price$399
Harvey Norman (Fluid Black), Optus (Fluid Black)
JB Hi-Fi
Woolworths Mobile, Officeworks The Good Guys
$449
JB Hi-Fi
Officeworks   
ProcessorQualcomm SD480 5Gsame
Screen6.5” 2400×1080, 20:9 LTPS-LCD
90Hz
100% DCI-P3
480nits typical brightness
1500:1 contrast
same
RAM/Storage4/64/microSD to 256GB6/128GB/microSD to 256GB
Camera rear48+8+2+2MP Video 1080p@30fpssame
Camera front16MPsame
CommsWi-Fi AC
BT 5.1
NFC
GPS
same
SIMDual – retail version
Single – carrier version
VoLTE
VoWi-Fi
same
LTE 4G1, 2, 3, 4,5,7, 8,12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66same
5GAll current sub-6GHz with CA supportsame
Sound3.5mm jack
mono speaker and mic
SBC, AAC, aptX/HD and LDAC
same
Battery5000mAh
USB-C 2.0 5V/2A/10W
5000mAh
9V/2A/18W fast charge
OtherScreen protector
TPU bumper case
Charger and cable 3.5mm headphones
same
Android11 and ColorOS 11
Fingerprint and Face ID
same
Size162.9 x 74.7 x 8.4mm x 190g
Fluid Black
Fantastic Purple
same
Fluid Black
Space Silver
OPPO A54 and A74
OPPO A74 space silver

So, the A74’s extra $50 is for more memory and faster charge – money well spent. PS – it is not unusual to make two models with the same internals –Motorola G10 and G30 are almost twins too.

GadgetGuy’s take

Damn you, OPPO A54 and A74 – you upset the 5G value equation! Congrats for doing so! A quick look means that in the $300-399 bracket, previously dominated by the OPPO A91 4G, the choice now is OPPO A53. Same in the $400-499 bracket – the A74 is lower cost and better specified than the class leaders realme 7 128GB ($499), the Moto G 5G Plus ($499). And it may be a good time to take advantage of the OPPO trade-in program – adds great value to its phones.