Long-term review of Oppo K13 Turbo Pro: A gamer's true delight?

New Delhi [India], September 20 (ANI): While we are in a world where there's a brand named 'Nothing', what they are all trying to achieve is to offer 'something' different. That something is not easy to achieve, as most of the offerings look gimmicky and, frankly speaking, quite similar.

This is where Oppo got my attention, as the K13 Turbo Pro made its 'something' unapologetically clear: gaming. Not just through a solid chipset and software configurations, but with something physical. They launched India's first-ever smartphone with a dedicated cooling fan, so here's my take on the device after spending a considerable amount of time using it as one of my primary drivers.

The Oppo K13 Turbo Pro comes with a geometric back panel and an exposed fan vent. Yes, you read that right. There's a cooling fan that sits comfortably on the back side of the phone, with a vent on the right corner. I find it quite refreshing as it speaks directly to its core audience: gamers.

Despite tucking in a massive 7000mAh battery and a cooling fan, the phone is surprisingly lightweight. That's not all; you also get an IPX6/8/9 rating to ensure its durability. I even tried to put this phone under a running tap with full pressure, and to my delight, nothing happened.

There's a flat 6.8-inch AMOLED display offering a resolution of 1.5K along with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate which, in my opinion, is pretty standard in today's world. I wished the display were brighter, as I was struggling to see the screen with complete clarity under direct sunlight, but I have no complaints when it comes to its colour accuracy and how seamless it was. I also had no problem while binge-watching or playing games.

It comes with the solid support of a powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chipset that's capable of not just promising a solid performance, but delivering on it. I tried playing the usual culprits like BGMI and Genshin Impact and experienced stable frame rates along with manageable warmth.

Mind you, the difference is nothing earth-shattering, but you'll notice how effectively it is managing the heat during long gaming sessions. I'm not a fan of all those benchmark tests anyway, so I focused on how well it keeps the phone's temperature in check. The results are impressive. And this is where I think that the cooling fan is more of a 'quality of life' feature than a raw performance booster, and I am glad that there's a brand that dared to do something different from others who are happy with the tag of doing 'Nothing' to boost the gaming performance of a device.

Apart from a cooling fan, the massive 7000mAh battery size is its second-largest strength. No matter how I treat this phone, the Oppo K13 Turbo Pro offers a great battery life. Plus, there's an 80W fast charger that comes with the phone, so no more battery anxiety. Imagine you can play for hours without getting worried about the battery. Well, it's possible now with the Oppo K13 Turbo Pro.

I tried this multiple times, and every time, the phone's battery was back up from 0% to 100% in just under an hour. That's not all; you also get to enjoy bypass charging, which sends power directly to the phone. This results in a reduction of 5-8°C, extending battery life during gaming or streaming. Good job, Oppo!

The camera is where I felt the Oppo K13 Turbo Pro shows its singular focus. The rear dual-camera setup has a 50MP main sensor and a 2MP auxiliary camera. It's functional but far from being called class-leading. You can get sharp and vibrant photos under good daylight, but otherwise, the results are a bit oversaturated, and the portrait mode is decent.

There is no ultrawide lens, meaning the low-light performance doesn't break any new ground at all. I would suggest treating the camera on this phone as a serviceable tool that can handle all your casual social media needs. So, yes, it's not for you if you are into creative photography.

Only two years of guaranteed OS updates also leaves a sour taste, as I was hoping to get at least four years of software support. So, yes, look elsewhere if you are seeking long-term software support.

In the end:

Why did Oppo launch this phone? For gaming and this one checks all the boxes. After all, the Oppo K13 Turbo Pro isn't trying to be an iPhone or a Pixel. It's a niche product for a niche audience. It's for those who live and breathe titles like BGMI, Genshin Impact, and Wuthering Waves. You get a solid display, great battery life, and a top-tier performance with revolutionary thermal management. So, yes, with a starting price of INR 37,999, the Oppo K13 Turbo Pro should be on your checklist for sure. Indeed, this is not for camera lovers or someone who seeks prolonged software updates, but the Oppo K13 Turbo Pro is a bold, specialized device for sure.

My rating: 4/5

(The author is an expert in the fields of Consumer Technology, Auto and Lifestyle. Views are personal.)

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