OPPO has officially expanded its K-series portfolio in India with the launch of the new K14x, a device that underscores the brand’s continued focus on battery endurance and display performance in the budget segment. Arriving as the direct successor to last year’s K13x, the smartphone retains the MediaTek Dimensity 6300 chipset but introduces key upgrades designed to compete in a crowded entry-level market.
A Powerhouse Display and Battery
The standout feature of the newly announced K14x is undoubtedly its power system. The device is equipped with a substantial 6,500 mAh battery, a significant capacity that supports 45W wired fast charging. It also offers reverse charging capabilities, allowing the phone to power other accessories on the go.
On the front, the phone sports a 6.75-inch LCD panel. While the resolution remains at HD+, OPPO has pushed the refresh rate to 120Hz and increased peak brightness to 1,125 nits, ensuring better visibility in direct sunlight compared to previous generations. Under the hood, the Dimensity 6300 processor is paired with up to 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.2 storage, which remains expandable via a microSD card slot.
Modern Durability and Imaging
In terms of optics, the K14x carries a dual-camera setup on the rear, anchored by a 50MP main sensor and a 2MP depth lens for portrait effects. Video recording capabilities top out at 1080p at 60 frames per second. Curiously, the front-facing camera is a modest 5MP unit.
OPPO ships the device with ColorOS 15 out of the box. Practical features include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an IP64 rating for water and dust resistance. Connectivity options are robust for the price point, featuring 5G support, Bluetooth 5.4, and dual-band Wi-Fi. The handset is available in Icy Blue and Prism Violet, with pricing starting at roughly $165 (14,999 INR) for the base model.
Contextualizing the Shift: The Legacy of the OPPO A53
To understand the trajectory of OPPO’s affordable lineup, it is worth looking back at the OPPO A53 (model CPH2127), a device released in August 2020 that helped define the budget landscape of its time. While the new K14x pushes battery boundaries, the A53 was one of the first in its class to democratize high refresh rate displays.
The A53 featured a slightly smaller 6.5-inch IPS LCD with a 90Hz refresh rate—a premium feature at the time—though it shared the same 1600×720 resolution seen in many modern budget phones. It was powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 460 octa-core processor and the Adreno 610 GPU, running on Android 10. While its 5,000 mAh battery was impressive for 2020, its 18W charging speed highlights just how much faster power delivery has become with the K14x’s 45W standard.
Comparing Optical Priorities
Interestingly, a comparison of the camera specifications reveals shifting priorities in the budget sector. The older A53 utilized a triple camera array consisting of a 13MP main sensor, a 2MP macro lens, and a 2MP depth sensor. However, the A53 actually offered a superior selfie experience on paper, boasting a 16MP front camera with HDR support, significantly higher than the 5MP shooter found on the new K14x.
The A53 was constructed with a plastic back and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It included staples of the era such as a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and a triple card slot for dual SIMs and storage expansion up to 256GB. Available in Fairy White, Electric Black, and Fancy Blue, the A53 serves as a clear benchmark, showing how OPPO has traded higher-resolution selfie cameras for massive gains in battery capacity, screen brightness, and charging speeds in its modern releases.
