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5G Smartphone Price Decreases Causing Increase in Demand
As 5G smartphone prices are coming down rapidly, volume estimates are up. At the end of 2020, Realme offered the lowest price on a 5G smartphone with a retail price of around $150 in China. Heading into 2021, the range of 5G smartphones continues to broaden, and with Qualcomm launching 5G on its Snapdragon 400 series, retail prices of 5G capable smartphones should fall further, offset by IC shortages, which could cause prices to be more resilient than it might otherwise be. The launch of the 5G capable iPhone 12 for $799 established a benchmark for the very high-end of the mid-range. Had Apple launched at $699 – where the iPhone 11 had the year before – it would likely have forced more compression in Android pricing, but the $100 buffer has given Android rivals some space to play a broader game with their portfolios.
In Europe, the proportion of premium devices sold remains more or less constant. However, the market for mid-range smartphones has grown and is expected to continue expanding. The OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G (12GB RAM with 256GB storage) is priced at $970 (GBP £699 here in the UK), but available from some channels and elsewhere in Europe for around $780. The Nokia 8.3 5G (6GB RAM with 64GB storage) is officially priced at $690, but available for around $475. The Realme X50 Pro 5G (12GB RAM with 256GB storage) is officially priced at $970, but widely available for around $600. The OPPO and Nokia smartphones are relatively recent launches – both using the excellent Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G platform, with integrated Snapdragon X52 5G modem. This configuration supports theoretical peak download speeds up to 3.7Gbps, and upload speeds up to 1.6Gbps. The Realme smartphone has been available for almost a year and is based on the previous flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 mobile platform, featuring a discrete Snapdragon X55 5G modem. It supports peak download speeds up to 7.2Gbps, and upload speeds up to 3Gbps. While both modems support mmWave and Sub-6GHz, the devices used in this comparison only feature Sub-6GHz; mmWave spectrum is not yet available in the UK and most of Europe.
The standout product of the three is the OPPO. It has a beautiful, graduated sky blue back made of textured glass that feels almost sandblasted. This blends smoothly into its shiny metal frame that, in turn, blends well into the curved glass of the display. The back is eye-catching and resists smudging from fingerprints. The cameras are contained in a distinctly designed array at the top left of the back. This is an on-trend position consistent with many products being launched in early 2021.
Figure 1: Nokia 8.3 5G, OPPO Reno 4, Realme X50 Pro 5G
As 5G smartphone prices are coming down rapidly, volume estimates are up. At the end of 2020, Realme offered the lowest price on a 5G smartphone with a retail price of around $150 in China. Heading into 2021, the range of 5G smartphones continues to broaden, and with Qualcomm launching 5G on its Snapdragon 400 series, retail prices of 5G capable smartphones should fall further, offset by IC shortages, which could cause prices to be more resilient than it might otherwise be. The launch of the 5G capable iPhone 12 for $799 established a benchmark for the very high-end of the mid-range. Had Apple launched at $699 – where the iPhone 11 had the year before – it would likely have forced more compression in Android pricing, but the $100 buffer has given Android rivals some space to play a broader game with their portfolios.
In Europe, the proportion of premium devices sold remains more or less constant. However, the market for mid-range smartphones has grown and is expected to continue expanding. The OPPO Reno 4 Pro 5G (12GB RAM with 256GB storage) is priced at $970 (GBP £699 here in the UK), but available from some channels and elsewhere in Europe for around $780. The Nokia 8.3 5G (6GB RAM with 64GB storage) is officially priced at $690, but available for around $475. The Realme X50 Pro 5G (12GB RAM with 256GB storage) is officially priced at $970, but widely available for around $600. The OPPO and Nokia smartphones are relatively recent launches – both using the excellent Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G platform, with integrated Snapdragon X52 5G modem. This configuration supports theoretical peak download speeds up to 3.7Gbps, and upload speeds up to 1.6Gbps. The Realme smartphone has been available for almost a year and is based on the previous flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 mobile platform, featuring a discrete Snapdragon X55 5G modem. It supports peak download speeds up to 7.2Gbps, and upload speeds up to 3Gbps. While both modems support mmWave and Sub-6GHz, the devices used in this comparison only feature Sub-6GHz; mmWave spectrum is not yet available in the UK and most of Europe.
The standout product of the three is the OPPO. It has a beautiful, graduated sky blue back made of textured glass that feels almost sandblasted. This blends smoothly into its shiny metal frame that, in turn, blends well into the curved glass of the display. The back is eye-catching and resists smudging from fingerprints. The cameras are contained in a distinctly designed array at the top left of the back. This is an on-trend position consistent with many products being launched in early 2021.
Figure 1: Nokia 8.3 5G, OPPO Reno 4, Realme X50 Pro 5G
The Nokia is also good-looking. It too is a graduated blue but of a darker shade and made from shiny glass. While attractive, it is prone to showing fingerprints. It is also slippery and apt to slide-off even moderately sloping surfaces. The Nokia has a stainless-steel chassis that blends well with the back, but the display is not quite as seamlessly fitted to the sides as OPPO has managed. Close inspection shows a black, radiused frame sandwiched between the display glass and the sides of the Nokia. It is not obtrusive in any way but less slick than the OPPO. The camera system on the Nokia is a circular array in the top center of the back panel. This is reminiscent of the position that Huawei has used on its Mate series and a few other products. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it but could be regarded as off-trend relative to newer products, but it is distinctive.
The Realme, as with several aspects of these three products, sits somewhere in the middle, though in this case closer to the Nokia. Its back is also of glass with a matt finish, but it is somehow more prone to gathering fingerprints than the OPPO.
The OPPO and Realme both offer under-display fingerprint sensors (FPS) with simple facial recognition offered as well. The under-screen FPS works well on both phones. The Nokia’s FPS is integrated into the power button on the right-hand side, which also acts as the screen wake, lock button. The FPS works okay, though can sometimes be a little hesitant with unlocking. This also means a left-handed person will likely need to use their index finger to unlock the device. On the Nokia, the FPS button is a volume rocker. On the left-hand edge of the phone is a button whose sole purpose is to invoke the Google Assistant. This function can be disabled in Settings, but the button cannot be reassigned. Both the OPPO and Realme have the power/lock/wake button in the same place as the Nokia, but the volume rocker on the left-hand edge of the phone. None of these phones have any IPX rating, usually one of the first casualties of cost cutting.
Placed side-by-side, the Nokia is noticeably bigger than the other phones and features a 6.81-inch IPS LCD display, although, with the lowest screen-to-body ratio, its slightly bigger bezels don’t help. The Realme is the most compact thanks to its 6.44-inch AMOLED display, however it is quite heavy at 205g, but still over 20g lighter than the hefty Nokia. By comparison, the OPPO is startlingly light at just 172g, but it still packs a 6.55-inch AMOLED display. Part of the weight difference is in the battery. Looked at in isolation, the Nokia’s display is quite good. It’s big, bright and, at 1080p, offers good levels of detail. The viewing angles, though, are noticeably compromised and the backlight levels seem a little patchy. Nothing dramatic, but around the punch hole for the front camera, there is a slight shadow. Where the display on the Nokia is deficient though is the refresh rate. At 60Hz it is noticeably less smooth when scrolling compared to either of the other two, both of which offer 90Hz refresh rates on their AMOLED displays.
For the camera, the OPPO and Nokia are compared. The Nokia 8.3 has a 64MP main camera with an f/1.9 aperture, a 1/1.72-inch sensor, 0.8µm pixel size, and phase detection autofocus (PDAF). Its ultrawide camera is an auto-focusing 12MP sensor, with f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree field-of-view (fov), with a 1/2.43-inch sensor, 1.4µm pixel size. It also sports a 2MP macro lens and a 2 MP depth sensor. The camera array is co-branded with ZEISS. Its front camera is a single 24 MP, f/2.0 aperture, 1/2.8-inch sensor, 0.9µm pixel size in a punch hole. The Oppo has a 48MP main camera module with an f/1.7 aperture, with a 26mm focal length, 1/2.0-inch, 0.8µm pixel size, PDAF, and laser AF with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). A 13 MP, f/2.4 aperture, 52mm telephoto with a 1/3.4-inch sensor, 1.0µm pixel size, PDAF, 2x optical zoom. Its ultrawide camera has identical paper specs to the Nokia. Its selfie camera is a single 32 MP 1/2.8-inch sensor, with a slightly smaller f/2.4 aperture and 0.8µm pixels.
The Nokia’s 4500mAh battery is the largest of the three. The OPPO’s is the smallest at 4000mAh – which helps it achieve its slim profile and light weight. However, we were caught out a few times almost draining the battery in a day and this with relatively modest use. Nokia claims to offer fast charging, but it offers a relatively puny 18W charging capability, but we have confidence the Nokia will last a day, so may have a less urgent need for rapid charging. None offer wireless charging.
The Realme, as with several aspects of these three products, sits somewhere in the middle, though in this case closer to the Nokia. Its back is also of glass with a matt finish, but it is somehow more prone to gathering fingerprints than the OPPO.
The OPPO and Realme both offer under-display fingerprint sensors (FPS) with simple facial recognition offered as well. The under-screen FPS works well on both phones. The Nokia’s FPS is integrated into the power button on the right-hand side, which also acts as the screen wake, lock button. The FPS works okay, though can sometimes be a little hesitant with unlocking. This also means a left-handed person will likely need to use their index finger to unlock the device. On the Nokia, the FPS button is a volume rocker. On the left-hand edge of the phone is a button whose sole purpose is to invoke the Google Assistant. This function can be disabled in Settings, but the button cannot be reassigned. Both the OPPO and Realme have the power/lock/wake button in the same place as the Nokia, but the volume rocker on the left-hand edge of the phone. None of these phones have any IPX rating, usually one of the first casualties of cost cutting.
Placed side-by-side, the Nokia is noticeably bigger than the other phones and features a 6.81-inch IPS LCD display, although, with the lowest screen-to-body ratio, its slightly bigger bezels don’t help. The Realme is the most compact thanks to its 6.44-inch AMOLED display, however it is quite heavy at 205g, but still over 20g lighter than the hefty Nokia. By comparison, the OPPO is startlingly light at just 172g, but it still packs a 6.55-inch AMOLED display. Part of the weight difference is in the battery. Looked at in isolation, the Nokia’s display is quite good. It’s big, bright and, at 1080p, offers good levels of detail. The viewing angles, though, are noticeably compromised and the backlight levels seem a little patchy. Nothing dramatic, but around the punch hole for the front camera, there is a slight shadow. Where the display on the Nokia is deficient though is the refresh rate. At 60Hz it is noticeably less smooth when scrolling compared to either of the other two, both of which offer 90Hz refresh rates on their AMOLED displays.
For the camera, the OPPO and Nokia are compared. The Nokia 8.3 has a 64MP main camera with an f/1.9 aperture, a 1/1.72-inch sensor, 0.8µm pixel size, and phase detection autofocus (PDAF). Its ultrawide camera is an auto-focusing 12MP sensor, with f/2.2 aperture, 120-degree field-of-view (fov), with a 1/2.43-inch sensor, 1.4µm pixel size. It also sports a 2MP macro lens and a 2 MP depth sensor. The camera array is co-branded with ZEISS. Its front camera is a single 24 MP, f/2.0 aperture, 1/2.8-inch sensor, 0.9µm pixel size in a punch hole. The Oppo has a 48MP main camera module with an f/1.7 aperture, with a 26mm focal length, 1/2.0-inch, 0.8µm pixel size, PDAF, and laser AF with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). A 13 MP, f/2.4 aperture, 52mm telephoto with a 1/3.4-inch sensor, 1.0µm pixel size, PDAF, 2x optical zoom. Its ultrawide camera has identical paper specs to the Nokia. Its selfie camera is a single 32 MP 1/2.8-inch sensor, with a slightly smaller f/2.4 aperture and 0.8µm pixels.
The Nokia’s 4500mAh battery is the largest of the three. The OPPO’s is the smallest at 4000mAh – which helps it achieve its slim profile and light weight. However, we were caught out a few times almost draining the battery in a day and this with relatively modest use. Nokia claims to offer fast charging, but it offers a relatively puny 18W charging capability, but we have confidence the Nokia will last a day, so may have a less urgent need for rapid charging. None offer wireless charging.