O+ Compact Pro Review: Average in Most Ways

These days, competition in the mid-range segment is fiercer than ever. With phone manufacturers coming out with some great devices left and right.

As such O+ has decided to send out its own in the form of the Compact Pro. It sports a 5.5-inch display, and is powered by an Octa-Core Processor, 2GB of RAM, and runs on Android Marshmallow out of the box.

But can this phone stand up against its rivals? Does it have what it takes to be one of the best in this segment? Let’s find out in this full review.

A Unique Take on Presentation

The O+ Compact Pro has a very unique… well I wouldn’t really call it box, but more of a drawer style packaging. To open it, you have the slide the compartment sideways, and then open the lid.

Inside, you’ll find the usual accessories: Charger, In-Ear Headphones with Extra Tips, and a Data Cable. At this price. It also comes with a free JBL Headphone, which do actually sound decent, but the sound signature is too bright for my ears.

Perhaps the Best Looking Device from O+, But Still Feels Flimsy

The O+ Compact Pro’s design slightly reminds me of the LG Nexus 5, especially when looking at the curved top section. Mainly made of plastic, it doesn’t feel that premium in the hand. It’s got some weight to it though, so it doesn’t feel cheap or hollow too.

Oddly, the phone sticks to a flat display, unlike most other devices in this segment that uses 2.5D curved glass. Not that it’s bad, but a little more zing to the look would’ve been nice.

You’ll find the 13MP main camera at the back, along with dual LED flash, some branding, and single speaker which is again, in an awkward position. Removing the cover gives you access to the SIM and,  MicroSD card slots.

You’ll find the power button and volume rocker on the right side. And though wobbly, they do complement the overall style.

Up top is the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

At the bottom is a standard MicroUSB Port.

Eye Candy Display

The Compact Pro comes with a bright and vivid 5.5-inch Full HD display. It’s probably the best i’ve seen in an O+ smartphone. Colors just pop out, and any form of media looks great.

An Average Daily Driver

• 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6753 Octa-Core Processor
• 2GB of RAM, 16 GB of Internal Storage Expandable up to 64GB via MicroSD Card
• 5.5-inch Full HD Display with Scratch Resistance
• 13MP BSI Rear Camera, Dual LED Flash
• 5MP BSI Front Camera, Wide Angle Lens
• LTE, Dual SIM, 700MHz band support
• Android 6.0 Marshmallow
• 3045mAh Battery

While the Compact Pro performed well for daily tasks, I did run into some issues such as the slow installation of apps, and there was one instance wherein the screen froze while downloading an app. Hopefully, these are just software issues that can be resolved via updates.

Can you game on this device? Certainly. Casual games like DJ Max Technika Q and even Mobile Legends should work just fine. But don’t expect stellar performance especially for heavy games like Asphalt 8 without setting it to medium, or even low graphics.

2GB of RAM is also questionable at this price range, since most competitors are already using 3GB, and even 4GB.

Underwhelming Camera

The Compact Pro’s 13MP rear shooter is average at best. Color accuracy and sharpness could use some work, and the amount of detail captured just isn’t up to par. It only gets worse at night as shots came out grainy and slightly blurry.

The 5MP front camera isn’t any better either. Day shots could pass, but night shots looked overly processed, resulting to loss of detail.

The default Camera App doesn’t really bring a lot of modes for you to play with, so you may want to consider downloading a 3rd party app to compensate.

Can Icons Get any Bigger?

The O+ Compact Pro runs on Android Marshmallow out of the box, with a few changes to the icons on top. They do look nice, but are too big for my taste. Fortunately, there’s no bloatware to complain about, and most of the other elements are kept at stock, which should result to better overall performance.

Just Bring a Powerbank, OK?

The 3,045mAh battery held out for 7 hours in our test. So while the Compact Pro could hold out until the end of a regular day shift, you’ll probably end up having to recharge it with your powerbank on your way home. Of course, that’s putting heavy use aside.

Verdict

The O+ Compact Pro uses a simple design language, and is certainly capable as a daily driver, as it was able to handle basic tasks such as Web Browsing, Social Media, Music, and Video with ease, except for the few glitches that I ran into. It has a good display, runs on almost stock Android, and is also capable for casual gaming.

On the downside, gaming performance is underwhelming, build quality isn’t so great, the camera is only average at best (contrary to being marketed as “Photographers’ Choice”), and the underwhelming battery means you’ll have to bring a powerbank with you at almost all times. Then there’s the Php11,395 price tag, which is a pretty high for what the Compact Pro can bring to the plate.

Even with the Free JBL Headset and and a+ packaging, I’m reluctant to recommend this phone, especially when a lot of the other choices out there can basically give better value for the money.

The Good

• Design
• Display
• General Performance
• Stock Android
• Packaging

The Not So Good

• Build Quality
• Camera
• Gaming Performance
• Speaker Placement
• Battery Life
• Price

Emman Tortoza

Website

Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.