OPPO's new budget A80 phone goes hard on durability

A 360º "damage-proof" armour body helps protect the phone from bangs and knocks.

Oppo A80 in black on a stack of black and white books

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Sometimes buying a cheap phone means taking a risk. The cheaper build quality means that the screen scratches more easily, and there's not a huge amount of support should you accidentally drop the phone.

OPPO's new A80 is hoping to change that. OPPO has added cushioning materials around key internal components, a twice-reinforced Panda Glass screen and also created an anti-drop shield case to help protect the phone (though it's an added extra).

The A80 comes with the paperwork to back it up. It has SGS Drop-Resistance Certification (Standard) and Military Standard Shock resistance certification.

All of this doesn't come at the expense of design. The A80 measures just 7.68 mm thick, and weighs just 186 grams.

OPPO A80 5G review: Drop it like it’s hot
The OPPO A80 is a budget phone with a design that disguises its durability, though there are other sacrifices to consider.

The 6.67-inch display supports a 120 Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. A 5,100 mAh battery that supports 45W SUPERVOOC flash charging means you can be fully charged from flat in just 74 minutes.

The A80 is powered by the 6nm MediaTek Dimensity 6300 5G mobile platform, and has 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage on board. You can also use some of that storage to boost RAM to 16GB using the phone's RAM expansion function.

On the camera front, there's a 50MP AI dual camera setup on the back and an 8MP selfie camera. OPPO has also bundled in AI functionality, which is a first for the entry-level A series, though I'd be cautious about getting too excited for that.

Pricing and availability

The OPPO A80 is available now in Starry Black and Moonlight Purple colours with an RRP of $369. You can pick it up from JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, Big W, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys, or direct from OPPO's online store.