OPPO F35 Pro first impressions: built for endurance, durability, and selfies
OPPO has refreshed its mid-range F-series lineup in India, which focuses on durability, battery life, and selfie performance. We got our hands on the Pro model of the lineup, the OPPO F35 Pro, which carries tradition of the lineup forward while also introducing upgrades in performance, versatility in cameras, and more. Keep reading as we tell you our first impressions of the smartphone, which will be going on sale from October 11th.
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Design: Familiar looks, bigger battery, & new colours
The first thing I noticed after picking up the OPPO F35 Pro is its slightly taller form factor compared to its predecessor. This is primarily due to the larger 6.78-inch display, which pushes the phone’s height to 162.6mm, while its width stands at 77.6mm. In comparison, the OPPO F33 Pro measures 158.4 x 75.2mm in height and width and features a smaller 6.57-inch display.
While the OPPO F35 Pro is only marginally wider, its weight has increased to 210 grams from 194 grams. The handset doesn’t feel particularly heavy in hand, and I don’t mind the for the extra battery, which the F35 Pro brings on board. The handset packs an upgraded 8,000mAh battery, backed by 80W SuperVOOC wired charging.
As for the design, it remains largely unchanged, with the new colours being the main difference. The OPPO F35 Pro is available in Sunrise Orange, Wave Blue, and Twilight Brown. I have the Twilight Brown variant with me, and it certainly lives up to its name. The camera module has a glossy glass finish, with a subtle hint of orange along the bottom edge, creating an effect reminiscent of the sun setting.
Unlike the other colour variants, the Twilight Brown version doesn’t feature a pattern on the back panel. Instead, it has a matte finish and actually looks more black in person. The brown shade is more noticeable around the camera module. During my limited time with the device, I did notice it picking up a few fingerprint smudges, which were more visible on the camera module.
The edges are flat and easy to gripe. The right spine of the phone houses volume rocker and speaker grille, while the USB Type-C port for charging and data transfer is mounted on the bottom edge sandwich between the SIM-tray and a speaker grille.
Here’s what you get under the hood
As for the hardware, the OPPO F35 Pro boasts a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 1.5K resolution, up to 144Hz refresh rate, and 1,800 nits of peak brightness. The smartphone bears razor-thin bezels on all four sides, a centre punch-hole for the selfie camera, and an in-display fingerprint scanner for security. The brightness feels on the lower side, but the display seems capable of vibrant visuals and smooth animations. The handset maintains responsive touch even in wet conditions.
At the core of the OPPO F35 Pro is the 5G-capable MediaTek Dimensity 7360 Max SoC, paired with up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. While the standard Dimensity 7360, rather than the Max variant, has powered several mid-range smartphones, including the Vivo V70 FE and Vivo S2, it has proven reliable for everyday tasks. The OPPO F35 Pro should feel no different, and to ensure it doesn’t throttle a lot under intense load, there is a large 5000mm2 SuperCool VC System to keep its thermals in check.
Software-wise, the OPPO F35 comes pre-loaded with the latest ColorOS 17, based on Android 17. In terms of optics, the phone features a dual-rear camera setup comprising a 50MP primary sensor with OIS and an 8MP ultrawide lens. While it may not be the most versatile camera setup in the segment, it is good to see an ultrawide lens, which was missing on its predecessor.
OPPO has also upgraded the front camera to a 50MP sensor with a 100-degree FoV and 4K video recording support, allowing you to get consistent output across the front and rear cameras.
To keep the display running, the phone houses an 8,000mAh battery with 80W SuperVOOC wired charging support. OPPO claims that the smartphone delivers six years of battery durability, retaining over 80 percent of its original capacity even after up to 1,800 charge cycles. Additionally, the OPPO F35 Pro supports 5G++ connectivity and AI LinkBoost 4.0 for stable network performance even in challenging or weaker-signal environments.
We will be testing all that and more in the full OPPO F35 Pro review, so stay tuned for that.
Thoughts…
The OPPO F35 Pro is priced in India starting at Rs 45,999. This puts it up against the Motorola Edge 70 Pro+ and Redmi Turbo 5, which are more feature-packed and even powerful in some departments.
The OPPO F35 Pro stands out for its durability, large battery capacity, and capable front camera. If these aspects matter more to you than other features, the OPPO F35 Pro could be worth considering. However, if you already own the OPPO F33 Pro, there is little reason to upgrade, and you can comfortably wait for another F-series generation.
