Shortly after its global announcement earlier this month, the OPPO A3s has (quietly) found its way to the Philippine market with a budget price tag that makes it the most affordable notched phone available locally.

Previously, the Vivo Y81 was the Philippines’ cheapest notched phone from a big-name brand at P9,999 ($188). 

The OPPO A3s can now be purchased in the country for P6,990, or roughly $131, for 2GB RAM and 16GB of expandable memory. Considering the phone occupies the same price bracket as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450-based OPPO A71 (2018), we reckon the latter should get cheaper in the coming days, if it isn’t already. Red and dark purple (!) are the colors you can choose from for the A3s.

Our favorite OPPO A3s color variant

Interestingly, it’s more wallet-friendly here than in India, where it sells for ₹10,990 (P8,538 or $160). For the price, expect a device that looks and feels similar to the glossy and classy-looking OPPO F7.

You’re also getting a 6.2-inch screen with a taller 19:9 aspect ratio, as well as Snapdragon 450 internals and a chunkier 4,230mAh battery that will last more than a day. Out of the box, the OPPO A3s boots Android 8.1 Oreo with the company’s own custom interface layered on top.

SEE ALSO: OPPO F7 Youth gaming review: High-end gaming for less

The phone’s rear-facing setup is another major selling point — it comes with 13- and 2-megapixel cameras that can take portrait-style pictures with a shallow depth of field. The 8-megapixel selfie camera is housed in the notch at the top of the screen.

OPPO A3s specs

• 6.2-inch LCD display with notch, 1,520 x 720 resolution (19:9), 88.8 percent screen-to-body ratio
• Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor
• Adreno 506 GPU
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB expandable storage
• 13-megapixel (f/2.2 aperture) + 2-megapixel (f/2.4 aperture) rear cameras
• 8-megapixel front camera (f/2.2 aperture)
• 4,230mAh battery
• 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, USB OTG, 3.5mm audio jack, microUSB 2.0 port
• Android 8.1 Oreo-based ColorOS 5.1

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Ramon Lopez

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Reviews editor: Ramon "Monch" Lopez has 16 years of professional experience creating and editing content for print and digital publications such as Yahoo. He headed the gadgets-merchandising division of one of the Philippines’ largest retail operators somewhere in between.