Oppo N3 - The Best Customer Care EVER!

Full Specifications: here
Model Tested: N5207 (Chinese Version)
Price: $680 (cheaper with O-Click on souq.com)
Provider: oppomart.com (TL/DR Tips does NOT a recommend this seller)


The Experience

The phone is a nicely built device, feels a little heavy, but classy! It is definitely not cheapish Samsung plastic. The screen looked great. The skyline dimming style notification is really classy. If I can get away with it, this is a really nice phone for a guy, but its size and weight make us doubtful of whether it will be enjoyable for the ladies.

Camera quality was definitely good. ColorOS software customizations are not the most familiar, but actually contain many options that can be considered clever.

My main frustration with Oppomart is that they sell a version that doesn't include the O-Click 2.0 accessory, which in our humble opinion is a main selling point! Instead they sell it separately for $30. And the phone is not cheaper.

The main issue to note with the Chinese version is that it doesn't include any Google-related software - the whole phone is anchored around Baidu instead! I only bought this version because I wanted the phone 2 weeks too early before its local release in Egypt.

The Brick

For an international user, I tried seeking a change from the temple oracles at XDA-Forums.com and the problem is, I couldn't change to an international firmware or to Cyanogenmod. The best I could do was having the phone with the stock ColorOS, rooted, with Google Apps, but WiFi died on me (a known glitch after rooting, was fixed later on XDA forums).

While trying to fix the issue, I super-bricked the phone. This is the furthest and worst I have ever done to any gadget - I never completely bricked anything to an extent I couldn't fix - but there is always a first time!

The Exceptional Customer Service Center

After seeking help on XDA Forums and official Oppo Forums to no end, I surrendered and thought I would try my luck with Oppo Egypt service center. I found their number online, called up got the address and went there to drop the phone in their lap.

I have to admit, this is the best customer service I have ever received, anywhere, for anything! For a phone model that is not released in Egypt, that was quite phenomenal.

Mostafa Abdul Ghany (in the photo, to the right) met me in the reception, took the phone, tried it, realized that I have caused some kind of crisis, the Chinese general manager of the place showed up in the reception with his translator, and told me that they will get the original firmware from China and try to fix the phone, but all data will be lost! I was lucky to have pulled out all important data with ADB, so I had no issue. Then he offered to give me a spare phone while they fix this one.

This is where they completely had me! I couldn't believe that kind of keen service being in Egypt, or even the Middle East!

Two days later, they called in to tell me to come and take my phone, which was fixed and ready, with Google Apps installed! For FREE! Pro bono!

If anything, I have to say that this all by itself is huge - many people I know have had lousy service from HTC agent (Jovi) and Samsung agent (Raya), and even Sony. I have no idea about iPhone service quality in Egypt, but at its best, it cannot beat this.