Oppo F31 5G first impressions

Smartphones usually ask you to choose. Do you want a sleek style statement or a rugged slab that can take a beating? Oppo’s new F31 5G tries to rewrite that rule. Billed as the brand’s “Durable Champion”, it walks into the Indian market dressed like a fashion piece yet carries the kind of protection credentials you’d normally expect from an outdoor survival gadget.

Think slim jeans that can also double up as tactical gear. Intrigued? Here is our first impressions of the new Oppo F31 5G.

Oppo F31 5G build and design: Slim, sturdy, striking

At just 7.5mm thick and 185g, the Oppo F31 feels featherlight in hand, but don’t mistake lightness for fragility. Its AM04-grade aluminium alloy frame is colour-matched to its bold finishes, which include Cloud Green, Midnight Blue, and a flamboyant Bloom Red. The last one steals the show with a petal-inspired pattern etched into the rear panel.

Up top, a squircle camera island sits neatly with dual lenses and an LED flash, while the sides pack tactile buttons and surprisingly punchy dual stereo speakers. The bezels? A razor-thin 1.67mm, making the display look more premium than its competitive price.

Beneath all this lies IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance plus MIL-STD-810H certification. Translation? The Oppo F31 5G is a phone that will shrug off accidental drops, sudden spills, or even a monsoon downpour without breaking stride.

Oppo F31 5G display: Premium vibes without the price tag

Flip it over and the 6.57-inch AMOLED screen immediately makes its case. Its 120Hz refresh rate keeps scrolling buttery smooth, 10-bit colour brings vibrancy to every reel or game, and 1,400 nits of peak brightness means sunlight won’t wash it out. This is the kind of panel you’d expect from a pricier flagship, quietly slipping into a budget-friendly device.

Oppo F31 5G performance and software: Everyday muscle, extra cooling

Powering it all is MediaTek’s Dimensity 6300 chipset. It’s not the stuff of gaming folklore, but perfectly capable for the 9-to-5 grind and a few late-night Call of Duty rounds. Oppo has even squeezed in a vapour chamber cooling system to keep things steady when the action gets heavy, which is rare in this segment.

ALSO READ: Oppo F31 series launched in India, and it’s all about durability

On the software side, ColorOS 15 built on Android 15 brings Oppo’s signature mix of clean visuals and customisation. Two years of OS updates and three years of security patches mean you’re not buying into immediate obsolescence, though, granted, this isn’t Pixel-level support.

Oppo F31 5G cameras and battery: Early promises

The camera setup is straightforward. The phone houses a 50MP primary lens, a 2MP filler sensor, and a 16MP Sony selfie camera on the front. It won’t be rewriting mobile photography books, but Oppo is leaning on its AI Editor 2.0 to sweeten shots with quick edits and enhancements.

The real differentiator, though, is the battery. The phone has a 7,000mAh behemoth of a battery (the kind of capacity that makes power banks jealous), which is paired with 80W fast charging. There’s bypass charging for marathon gaming sessions and reverse wired charging to juice up your earbuds.

Oppo F31 5G first impressions

The Oppo F31 5G feels like a phone that decided to break the style-versus-strength binary. It’s slim, colourful, and premium-looking, yet packs survival-grade durability and a power setup designed to last through long days and late nights.

The Dimensity 6300 chipset and camera combo may not thrill spec chasers, but for everyday users, the F31 looks like a rare all-rounder; a lifestyle device that’s practical, tough, and surprisingly versatile. Still looking more other options? The OnePlus Nord CE5 has slightly better performance, while the Vivo V40e provides better camera performance. Which mid-ranger is your pick? Drop your preference in the comments!