Last month, Oppo released a gadget accessory called the Oppo Bubble, which I feel is trying to kill the selfie camera. The Oppo Bubble is a magnetic selfie display that serves as both an imaging accessory and a fashionable lifestyle gadget. It is also referred to as an “electronic badge” thanks to the customizable display, which also allows you to “rear” a digital pet, much like a Tamagotchi.
The device is like an oversized AirTag or a shrunken hockey puck. The Oppo Bubble [CH] measures a mere 7 mm thick and weighs just 27.5 g, and features a circular 1.73-inch AMOLED touchscreen display. It is all screen, btw, completely devoid of buttons. There is a USB port for charging the built-in 550 mAh lithium-ion battery. The battery provides over 10 hours of continuous display time for static content.
It can magnetically attach to the back of a phone using the supplied adhesive magnetic plate for phones without a built-in magnetic attachment system. It comes with a protective silicone case with a charm, allowing you to carry it separately. And that is not a vanity feature.
The device can also serve as a remote for imaging from up to 10 meters (32.8 feet) away. As a remote, it offers shutter release, focal length switching, and timer control. The latter seems like an odd feature since you are already using it as a shutter button for remote control.
Anyhoo, the star use is as a second screen when taking selfies with the rear cameras, which are often far superior in image quality compared to the front-facing camera. You can also now livestream with confidence using the rear camera, now that you can see yourself. No more situations where the beauty filter glitches and drops, scaring away all the testosterone-filled male viewers without you noticing.
The display lets you frame your shot using its 1.73-inch AMOLED panel with a 466 × 466-pixel resolution and 266 ppi pixel density. The display offers up to 600 nits of brightness. It connects to supported devices via Bluetooth 5.2. It also has Wi-Fi support, but only on the 2.4 GHz band.
The device also features 4 GB of onboard storage, and it is IP54-rated for dust and water resistance. It is also a lifestyle accessory, supporting custom static images, Live Photos, and short video slideshows. That’s not all. The Theme Store (yes, it has that, too) includes a dedicated “collectibles” section.
At 499 yuan a pop [CH], the Oppo Bubble Magnetic Selfie Display sounds like a fun accessory to have. But at that price point, it ain’t exactly an impulse-buy gadget. Plus, it only works with select Oppo smartphones, such as the Reno 14 through 16 series and the Find X8–9 series running ColorOS 16.
Images: Oppo [CH].