Oppo N1 has an interesting camera and OS options

So, all the hype is over, and the nearly infamous dark horse in the OEM race, Oppo, has revealed the new N1.

With hints of the G1 and the Nexus One, it was a 're-look at innovation'.  But what is it really?


It's a new phone that Oppo has just released; and there's 2 really interesting bits to pay attention to:  a rotating lens piece for the camera and it's OS choice.



So first, let's see what kind of specs are inside this new device


  • 5.9" @ 1920x1080 IPS
  • 1.7GHz x4 (Snapdragon 600) w/ 2GB RAM
  • 16/32GB storage
  • 13MP (with a f/2.0)
  • Rear touch panel
  • 4.2.2
  • 3610mAh
  • ~$570US (available internationally around December)


Now, let's look at the camera.  A rotating mount piece that reminds me of the old Notion Ink Adam where the assembly for the camera can swivel around on the frame of the device to act as the back and front camera(s).

Neat, but instantly you're wondering about durability for moving parts, and they've assured us it's been stress tested for 100,000 uses.  Still, I'm hesitant.  You can see it in action below.  I'm looking forward to being able to hold my phone flat and point the camera straight out ... like a reverse projector!


The camera is very capable with the wide aperture of f/2.0, so hopefully this means some nice low light capabilities.

As for the OS.  What was announced for China was their own UI version, Color.  However, +Steve Kondik of the newly formed +CyanogenMod Inc. was on hand to announce that a special edition will come with CM pre-installed.  (Other versions will have to flash CM - but they're making the stock recovery easy to use to do so).

Pre-installed will be nice for those who want it, but aren't sure how to flash a CM ROM.  This is also the first hardware partner that has stepped forward with CM to offer something like this.  I wonder if this means that it might start being more widely available outside of China.

What else does it have going for it?  Well, 2 little bits really.

First is the O-Touch.  The back of the device has a touch sensitivity to let you scroll, or long press in the camera app to take a photo.

The other is the O-Click accessory.  Essentially a key fob you keep with you and use to find your phone, should you misplace it.  Using BLE it should have a range of about 50m.




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