OPPO Ace 2: A fast-charging Snapdragon 865 flagship for under $600 (Update)

Update, April 15 2020 (1:45AM ET): Oppo launched the Ace 2 earlier this week, delivering a fast charging flagship phone for just under ~$600. Between 65W wired charging and 40W wireless charging, you should be topped up in no time.

Now, OPPO has told Android Authority that there are no plans to launch the device outside China. That’s a little disappointing, as it’s one of the cheaper Snapdragon 865 phones.

Fortunately, the company has also confirmed that the phone’s charging technology will come to other products and markets in the future. So who knows, we might see the next OPPO, OnePlus, or Realme flagship touting this tech.

Original article, April 13 2020 (8:27AM ET): The OPPO Reno Ace was one of 2019’s standout phones, delivering almost everything you could want from an affordable flagship phone. Now, the firm has decided to drop the ‘Reno’ and launch the OPPO Ace 2.

Oppo’s latest device packs the Snapdragon 865 processor, LPDDR5 RAM, UFS 3.0 storage, and dual-mode 5G connectivity, as you’d expect from a 2020 flagship. The company is also delivering a 90Hz FHD+ OLED panel with 180Hz touch response rate — in line with the high refresh rate trend we’ve seen in the past year or so.

Much like the Reno Ace, OPPO Find X2 Pro, and realme X50 Pro, the new smartphone sports 65W wired charging. If it’s anything like the Reno Ace, then you can expect the 4,000mAh battery to fully charge in 35 minutes.

Read: Thought 65W charging was fast? This brand says ‘hold my beer’

That isn’t the only way you can top up the phone, as the firm’s AirVOOC wireless charging solution delivers 40W charging speeds — tied with the HUAWEI P40 Pro Plus. OPPO says this wireless charger should deliver a full charge in 56 minutes. Chinese users will need to splash out 249 yuan (~$35) for this accessory though, but you can get up to 10W speeds via third-party Qi chargers.

The OPPO Ace 2 also differs 10W reverse wireless charging, so you can top up your true wireless earbuds or a friend’s phone.

The new phone also sports a quad rear camera setup, featuring a 48MP main camera, 8MP ultra-wide snapper (119 degrees), and a pair of 2MP portrait sensors. Don’t expect telephoto zoom capabilities here then. Meanwhile, selfies and video calls are handled by a 16MP camera inside a punch-hole cutout.

Other notable Ace 2 features include an in-display fingerprint sensor, Breeno assistant, better haptic feedback, stereo speakers, and ColorOS 7.1 atop Android 10. Don’t expect a 3.5mm port though.

The OPPO Ace 2 will start at 3,999 yuan (~$567) for the 8GB/128GB model, 4,399 yuan (~$624) for the 8GB/256GB variant, and 4,599 yuan (~$652) for the 12GB/256GB option. We’ve asked OPPO about wider availability and will update the article accordingly.