
So I brought these two phones to France for a little test. They both boast the BIGGEST aperture in the camera phone market which is an f/1.7. This means they can both take low-light photos well.
If you don’t have time to read the full review, here is my short answer:
Short answer: Samsung S7 Edge is a better overall phone and camera. the Oppo R9s has better value for money if you don’t take pictures all the time.
Samsung S7 Edge 32GB price: S$916.00
OPPO R9s 63GB price: S$679.00
I just googled these prices today 26/01/2017. These are the prices on Lazada
After spending time with both of them, I found myself using the Samsung as my everyday phone. Mainly because it has a more responsive camera that does not need “processing time” to save HDR photos and i take HDR photos all the time. My Samsung is all cracked now because I dropped it so many times. I’m glad it didn’t crack over the cameras! The cracks also mean that it is no longer waterproof, just like the Oppo.
I’ve also use all three Samsung 7 series phones – namely the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge and the now recalled Note7. They all have consistent camera quality and I love that I can swim with them. The exploding note7 is my favorite because it just looks way cooler. It is symmetrical, slick and had a stylus I didn’t know I needed. (I use the stylus to scribble on my Instagram stories.) I no longer use the note7 because it explodes.
Outdoor Overcast Photo Test

Both photos were shot with HDR mode on. It was a gloomy winter day in Paris, not great for photos but I think the Samsung salvaged the situation better with brighter shadows
The Samsung also shoots HDR photos faster than the Oppo. The Samsung was instantaneously while the Oppo has a 2 seconds processing time after pressing the shutter with HDR on. Gets a little annoying.
Here’s a photo of them at 100% res. Zoomed in for the details

I slightly enlarge the Samsung image to match scale because the Oppo shoots at a higher resolution 4608 x 3456 compared to Samsung’s 4032 x 3024. The Samsung also shoots at a wider angle, which means objects would be smaller on the Samsung – as in the same objects would take up less pixels on the Samsung than on the Oppo.
Indoor Dim Lighting Photo Test

The Samsung field of view is so wide we can see the 2nd chandelier in the room! There is also more visible details in the blacks and whites on the Samsung






Bright Outdoor Landscape Photo Test







Low Light test
Time to test their 1.7 apertures!

Oppo is sharper here!


Selfie test


HD video test
I shot this at neonlights last year. I held both phone on top of each other in one hand. I have shaky hands and both cameras compensated for it with great image stabilization. Obvious difference would be the wider field of view on the Samsung.
4K video test
Why not push it ALL THE WAY! 4k mobile video show down!
Ah, the Oppo couldn’t take the 4k-ness. It went off sync. But who really needs to shoot 4k on mobile anyway. I know I dont.
Conclusion
Get the Samsung if you have the money. If not the Oppo will do the job too.. unless you are one of those weird people who use the NFC function because the Oppo does not have NFC.
I clearly love using the Samsung a lot more. Look at how many times I dropped it in France. I’m lucky the glass didn’t crack where it mattered. There is a crack over my front camera though. So my selfies are starting to look a little blurry at the bottom.
