Oppo Find 5 and the early leap to 1080p phone screens

The Oppo Find 5 arrived in early 2013 with a feature that sounded futuristic on a handset: a 5-inch 1920 × 1080 screen. That Full HD panel produced 443 pixels per inch, giving the phone unusually crisp text, icons and video compared with the 720p displays common on Android flagships. It also set a slim design standard at 6.9 mm, making the Find 5 feel more like a polished slab than a typical 2013 mobile.

For Australian buyers, the handset was a curiosity rather than a mainstream release. Its Australian footprint was far smaller than Samsung’s or HTC’s, so early owners often found it through parallel imports, overseas sellers or friends travelling abroad. Prices were quoted in Australian dollars, with 10% GST added by most Australian retailers, and imported support could be patchy. Understanding that context matters when judging why such an advanced display remained a niche talking point.

Full HD reaches the five-inch Android phone

Before Full HD became normal, screen resolution was one of the clearest ways to separate premium Android phones from cheaper models. A 1280 × 720 panel offered 720p video and acceptable sharpness, but the Find 5 doubled the vertical pixel count to 1080p. On its compact 5-inch display, that translated into fine text, cleaner app menus and a noticeably denser image when viewed close up.

The timing gave the Find 5 particular importance. It was unveiled around CES in January 2013 and went on sale soon afterward, ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S4’s April release. Other high-resolution Android phones were arriving too, including the Xperia Z, HTC One and Vivo XPlay, so calling it the sole first 1080p handset would be misleading. Its achievement was presenting the feature as part of a complete, premium device rather than an experimental specification.

The IPS LCD technology also balanced sharpness with familiar colour reproduction and wide viewing angles. It could not match the deep blacks of a good AMOLED screen, and brightness could fade in strong sunlight, but its natural palette suited photography, maps and web pages. For an Australian checking a map at Bondi Beach or reading on a bright afternoon in Melbourne, the Find 5’s resolution was only half the story; panel quality still shaped everyday usability.

Qualcomm power and a remarkably thin body

The Find 5 was powered by a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 with four CPU cores and Adreno 320 graphics. It paired that processor with 2GB of RAM, which felt generous in 2013 and helped with app switching, browser tabs and gaming. Android 4.1.2 delivered a smooth foundation, while the 16GB of internal storage was enough for a typical selection of applications, photographs and offline media.

Storage was fixed, however, because there was no microSD slot. Owners who filled their media library with lossless music or Full HD clips could not expand it. The sealed 2300mAh battery offered respectable endurance, though it also could not be swapped. Those compromises made the Find 5 cleaner and thinner than many rivals, and they remain important reminders that headline specifications alone do not determine a phone’s usefulness.

The physical design helps explain the handset’s lasting reputation. Its 6.9mm profile and 162g weight felt remarkably light, while the metal frame and smooth rear panel gave it a premium appearance. Launch records and period buying discussions collected in the New Mobile Arrivals archive show how unusual that combination looked when 8mm-plus bodies and removable batteries were common.

Camera, ColorOS and the extras that stood apart

A 13-megapixel rear camera with autofocus, HDR and 1080p video made the Find 5 competitive with the best phone cameras of its generation. The 5-megapixel front camera was useful for video calls and self-portraits. The camera app included familiar shooting modes and a quick-access layout, although low-light results and autofocus speed trailed some dedicated rivals. For everyday snaps in good daylight, the phone’s output was more than capable.

Oppo layered ColorOS over Android 4.1.2, adding gesture shortcuts, a custom lock screen, expandable notification panels and several local software choices. The interface could feel busy, yet it gave users more control over the home screen than stock Android offered. The standard global Find 5 was a single-SIM handset, which disappointed some Australians accustomed to carrying separate work and personal numbers.

An infrared blaster was another unusual extra. It could operate compatible televisions and set-top boxes, turning the handset into a basic universal remote. That feature later became fashionable again on flagship phones. Together with a headset jack, micro-USB charging and solid stereo sound, it made the Find 5 feel considered rather than stripped down, even though later software support was limited.

What the launch meant in India and Australia

In India, the Find 5 launched at ₹39,990, placing it directly among premium Android flagships and reinforcing Oppo’s effort to build a high-end identity. Its international price was around US$649. For an Australian buyer importing one, exchange rates, freight, insurance and 10% GST could turn an attractive overseas specification into a four-figure local bill. Grey imports were normal in parts of the technology market, but the term also implied limited recourse when something went wrong.

Network compatibility required particular care. Australian buyers could encounter Telstra, Optus or Vodafone SIM cards, and early LTE services used frequencies that varied by carrier and region. Checking 900MHz on Optus and 1800MHz on Telstra against the exact imported variant was safer than assuming that every overseas Snapdragon 600 phone worked everywhere. Local warranty support was another major difference from models sold through established Australian channels, while the supplied overseas charger might require a Type I plug adapter for standard 230V mains.

Its closest launch-era rivals make those trade-offs easier to see:

Feature	Oppo Find 5	Samsung Galaxy S4	HTC One X
Release timing	January to February 2013	April 2013	March 2013 in Australia
Display	5-inch IPS LCD, 1920 × 1080, 443ppi	5-inch Super AMOLED, 1920 × 1080, 441ppi	4.7-inch IPS LCD, 1280 × 720, 312ppi
Processor	Snapdragon 600, quad-core, 1.7GHz	Exynos 5410 or Snapdragon 600 depending on market	Tegra 3 or Snapdragon S4 depending on variant
Memory	2GB RAM, 16GB storage	2GB RAM, 16GB to 64GB storage	1GB or 2GB RAM, 16GB or 32GB storage
Cameras	13MP rear, 5MP front	13MP rear, 2MP front	4MP rear, VGA front
Battery	2300mAh, non-removable	2600mAh, removable	2100mAh, non-removable
Thickness	6.9mm	7.9mm	9.5mm
Main appeal	Sharp screen and slim design	Wide availability and flexible storage	Official Australian options and metal build
Key limitation	Import support and fixed storage	Less compact design	Lower screen resolution

Find and inspect an original Find 5

Australian eBay listings, Cash Converters outlets and specialist vintage dealers in Sydney or Melbourne are possible places to begin a search, although stock is intermittent. Collector forums and old Android enthusiast groups can also surface handsets that have not been advertised publicly. Many original units still come through the grey-import market, so seller location, return rights and battery history deserve close attention.

Ask for the IMEI, clear photographs and a short video showing the screen responding to touch. Check for dead pixels, camera-focus problems, a swollen battery, charging faults and signs of moisture. The original cable and charger are preferable, but replacements can be sourced locally. Australian slang may be informal, yet a seller’s assurance that it is ‘she’ll be right’ is no substitute for those checks; water damage and ageing batteries can create expensive surprises.

For more background on early Android hardware, browse the site’s mobile gadget guides before making a listing comparison. Choose a Find 5 with verified IMEI details, tested functions and a realistic Australian landed cost, then secure the handset before its battery and original accessories become harder to find.