The OPPO A18 is splash-proof, shiny and super cheap

OPPO is looking to go brighter on a budget with the new A18.

Announced for the Australian market earlier this week, the Android-powered smartphone features a 6.56-inch "Sunlight" LCD screen with HD+ resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate.

According to OPPO, this display can hold up in brighter conditions by going as high as 720 nits while in a dedicated High Brightness mode. That's not exactly going to compete on luminescence with the Samsung Galaxy S24 but it's still a handy and a practical perk for those at the lower-end of the market. For comparison, the Motorola G14 caps out at around 400 nits.

The aesthetics are a big part of the draw here, with the OPPO A18 available in both Glowing Blue and Glowing Black. The device is also IPX4 rated for water resistance and armed with a rear-mounted dual-lens camera system that combines an 8MP main lens with a 2MP bokeh one. A 5MP selfie camera rounds out this setup on the front.

Under the hood, the handset runs on a MediaTek G85 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 5000mAh battery. Regarding on-board storage, only a single 128GB model is available, but it does support expansion via a MicroSD slot.

According to OPPO Australia managing director Michael Tran, the new device represents a valuable addition to the brand's A-series roster.

In Australia, the OPPO A18 will be available outright from this week through the OPPO Online Store, JB Hi-Fi, Big W, Harvey Norman's online store and Bing Lee's online store at a recommended retail price of $219.

At the time of writing, the device won't be available on a postpaid plan. However, it can be paired with any of the SIM-only plans seen in the widget below.