Triple Threat #1: ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie vs OPPO F3 vs Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro Comparison

With the ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie fresh off of launch, the infamous archrivals of 2017 are ready for this newcomer. This is Triple Threat #1: ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie versus OPPO F3 versus Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro.

Before getting started, let me remind you that discussion is going to be light and is going to be divided into 8 categories – Accessories, Design, Display, ROM/UI, Performance, Camera, Audio, and Battery. Each category will either have one or all (tie) as winners, and the one with the highest points overall will be the first Triple Threat winner!

Without further ado, let’s start with Accessories.

Related articles:

• ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie Pro Review
• ASUS Zenfone AR Review

round 1 Accessories

Out of the box, it is only the Galaxy J7 Pro that doesn’t come with a TPU case. On the subject of headsets, the Zenfone 4 Selfie wins with the same in-ears included for Zenfone 3’s.

Addendum: The OPPO F3 comes with a pre-installed tempered glass screen protector. I’m sorry to have missed this detail again.

Winner: ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie

round 2 Design

Out of the three, it is the J7 Pro that stands out the most. With the least profile of the three, it’s the most pocket-friendly while being the heaviest. The F3 wins in the slim department. In terms of buttons, I prefer single-sided placements on the right side, as a result, the Zenfone 4 Selfie gets that check mark there. Flipping all three over side-by-side presents a variety backings.

Flipping all three over side-by-side presents a variety backings. The J7 Pro’s antenna lines seem to be the most unsightly with its unsure curvature and sporty accentuation. Even the camera design, despite being flush, is less appealing, especially when compared to the Zenfone 4 Selfie’s concentric circles around its rear camera.

The OPPO F3 may have won in terms of minimalistic elements, but the way they were presented just wasn’t enough to leave a lasting impression.

Winner: ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie

round 3 Display

Just in terms of detail, the Zenfone 4 Selfie was already knocked out. To the untrained eye, the difference between a 1080p and 720p display in this form factor is not easily discernible. Tech-wise, the J7 Pro comes out on top with its Super AMOLED display, providing the most accurate and vibrant colors while still being able to be calibrated.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

round 4 ROM/UI

ColorOS v3.0

The most unique is OPPO F3’s (ColorOS v3.0) by not having an app drawer, ala-iOS. It may be not as appealing, but having an extra space on the bottom row somewhat helps. Fluidity-wise, TouchWiz wins along with the most updated version of Android.

Samsung Experience

In settings too, the J7 Pro’s compact and easiest-to-read lists are better on the eyes along with a search and suggestions function. Also, I find its drop-down menu’s size the best balance between readability and function.

ZenUI 4.0

Even with the release of ZenUI 4.0, the fastest and best ASUS ROM to date doesn’t stand toe-to-toe against its common-priced foes.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

round 5 Performance

BENCHMARKS

In synthetic tests, the Zenfone 4 Selfie falls flat against the F3 and J7 Pro. This might be because of an immature ROM and lack of optimization for Nougat. Only time will tell if these scores would improve.

SPECIFICATIONS

On paper, the OPPO F3 stands on top. But, as per the benchmarks, the J7 Pro was able to break it into a tie. It’s possible that this is because ColorOS v3.0 is still in Marshmallow while the Samsung Experience in J7 Pro is on Nougat.

In terms of multitasking, the J7 Pro falls a bit short due to its 3GB RAM, but makes up for having the fastest octa-core SKU. Also, connectivity wise, the J7 Pro supports Wi-Fi ac and NFC. And three out of three has the capability to have 2 SIMs and a microSD concurrently, making them the most Pinoy-friendly in my book.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

round 6 Camera

UI

Speaking of UI, while all offer a good balance of quick-access options, I find the ZenUI 4.0’s refreshing and well-balanced UI provides the best UX (user experience) out of the three.

Reviewing camera specs, the outstanding difference there is is the lack of a front flash for the OPPO F3. I’ll kick things off with the rear camera.

Rear Camera

Under daylight, the Zenfone 4 Selfie produces the most vibrant image, and might I add, the coldest. Blue shadows are most prominent while still preserving the whites.

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And under moonlight, only the J7 Pro and OPPO F3 are competing head-to-head. Details are OPPO F3’s but exposure is the J7 Pro’s.

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All may be 1080p capable, but under the right circumstances, J7 Pro snags the first place.

Front Camera

Going to the front camera, which is the main highlight of the Zenfone 4 Selfie and OPPO F3, the J7 Pro beats them both handily with its 13MPx sensor.

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Also, the whites are preserved the most on the J7 Pro’s day shots. What it lacks for is a secondary wide angle lens in which the OPPO F3 is best at.

However, it isn’t sufficient to say that the J7 Pro’s tedious Wide Selfie mode loses against the competition.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

round 7 Audio

Before we get into the two subcategories, do note that I use Poweramp as the player and a pair of KZ ZS3’s as my IEM’s. I generally listen to rock, jazz, and progressive music.

Speakers

Talking about speakers, the ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie produces the one with the most room volume. In terms of clarity, the J7 Pro takes that slice of the cake. The OPPO F3 sits comfortably somewhere in between and has the best speaker placement for right-handed people like me.

Audio Supported

Despite the lack of a built-in DAC, my ZS3 performed similarly on all three. It was only the Zenfone 4 Selfie that didn’t have support for FLAC, which was nothing short of expected.

Between the three, I found it hard to choose one, so I’m leaving the Audio at a tie.

Winner: Tie

round 8 Battery

Going by our standard battery rating, these are what we got.

The J7 Pro has the highest battery capacity and best battery rating out of the three. No more questions asked – the J7 Pro gets this round.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro

Tallying the results..

Going by what we got so far, here are the final scores.

ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie: 3
OPPO F3: 1
Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro: 6

1st Place – Samsung Galaxy J7 Pro
2nd Place – ASUS Zenfone 4 Selfie
3rd Place – OPPO F3

I did not expect the J7 Pro to come out on top, nevertheless, props to Samsung nonetheless for making such a well-balanced smartphone despite the lack of a wide angle selfie camera. Sufficient to say, the Zenfone 4 Selfie did put up a good fight with its new features and ROM, however it wasn’t enough to trample Samsung’s 2017 mid-ranger.