Optus X Play: Plans | Pricing | Specs

Matt Sayer

Last updated: Sep 8, 2020

The 3G-only Optus X Play provides basic smartphone functionality at a budget price point.

4 inches

Display size

4GB

Internal storage

2 MP

Rear camera

1,500 mAh

Battery size

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Display

Display Size

4 inches

Pixels per inch (PPI)

233 ppi

Camera

Rear camera megapixels

2MP

Rear camera aperture size

N/A

Video recording

1080p

Front camera megapixels

0.3MP

Front camera aperture size

N/A

Physical Dimensions

Dimensions

121.3mm x 64.4mm x 9.7mm

Weight

110g

Connectivity

NFC

Wi-Fi

802.11 b/g/n

Network category speed

N/A

Power, storage and battery

Processor

MT6580M

RAM

512MB

Operating system

Android 6

Internal storage

4GB

External storage support

Up to 32GB

Battery capacity

1,500mAh

Device features

Headphone jack

Yes

Fingerprint sensor

Water resistance rating

N/A

Wireless charging

Launch price (RRP)	$59
Launch date	2017-09

Matt Sayer

Matt Sayer is a technology writer and editorial engineer for Finder, combining industry expertise with data-driven solutions to help people make better decisions. His extensive portfolio spans investigative reporting on the roll-out of 5G, statistical analysis on the legacy of E3 and guides for popular products like mobile phones and smart speakers. Matt has a Bachelor of Computer Science from RMIT University and is passionate about finding ways that technology can better our lives.

Where to buy

What's in this guide?

Design
Camera
Performance
Battery
Pricing and availability
Specifications

The Optus X Play foregoes fancy features and cutting-edge power in favour of a simple, stripped-back design that delivers basic smartphone functionality at an attractive price point. This makes it well-suited to first-time phone users and those who only need a device for making and receiving calls and texts.

Design

A basic but functional design that serves its purpose.
No 4G connectivity means Internet speeds are on the slow side.

The Optus X Play features a basic design very much in keeping with its budget price tag. A 4-inch touch screen with a resolution of 800 x 480 sits atop three physical buttons used for navigating the Android interface. It's Android 6.0, also known as "Marshmallow", which brings with it features like better battery management, the ability to set security permissions on a per-app basis and context-based suggestions that aim to provide better advice, depending on what tasks you're engaged in.
Optus also positions the X Play as something of an on-the-go entertainment device. There's a built-in FM radio plus a 3.5mm audio jack for connecting a pair of wired headphones. Bluetooth 4.0 support means you can sync up a wireless headset too, if you'd prefer. However, should you want to groove out to your own tunes, you'll probably want to purchase a microSD card: the Optus X Play only comes with 4GB of internal storage, of which just 1.1GB is actually available for user files. Just be mindful that it only accepts microSD cards of 32GB or less.
It's also important to mention that the Optus X Play is strictly a 3G-only handset. For making and receiving calls and texts, this isn't really an issue, but if you want to browse the Internet either on the phone directly or by tethering it to another device, you'll be stuck with significantly slower speeds than you'd get with a 4G connection.

Camera

2MP camera is sufficient for very basic photography, though not much more.

You're never going to get outstanding photos from a budget smartphone, but if all you need is a basic camera for recording pertinent information or for snapping pics you only plan on viewing on the phone itself, the Optus X Play will suffice. Its rear camera features a 2MP sensor with flash capabilities, while its front-facing camera uses a decidedly less-powerful VGA sensor.
Video capture is more impressive, with the ability to record at 1080p and 30fps. Just bear in mind that you won't be able to watch those videos at full quality on the phone itself due to its lower-resolution screen.

Performance

Low-power hardware should handle basic tasks, albeit at its own pace.
512MB of RAM does not lend itself well to smooth multi-tasking.

With such a low price tag, it's no surprise that the Optus X Play lacks the power of most modern smartphones. At first glance, its quad-core 1.3GHz processor might sound relatively impressive, but when paired with just 512MB of RAM, it's very much at the low end of smartphone technology.
In practice, this is likely to lead to sluggish responsiveness in more complex apps and especially in games. If you only plan on using the Optus X Play for calls, texts and other simple tasks, this might be perfectly fine, but if you go in expecting snappy menus and smooth multi-tasking, you're probably going to end up disappointed.

Battery

Up to eight hours of talk time or up to 530 hours on standby, according to Optus.

The Optus X Play is quite a small phone compared to your average modern handset, and this limits the amount of space available for its battery. 1,500mAh is what you get, and that's a marked step down from the 2,500mAh or more you see even in many budget smartphones these days. The flip side of this is the fact that the Optus X Play's low-power hardware doesn't need as much juice to function, enabling it to truck on even when rivals with batteries twice the size have kicked the can.
Optus claims the X Play is good for up to eight hours of talk time or up to 27 hours of audio playback off a single charge. Solid numbers, but what's even more impressive is the X Play's purported standby time: up to 530 hours. For infrequent phone users or those looking for an emergency handset, that kind of longevity is dead handy.

Pricing and availability

Price: RRP $59
Where to buy: Catch | Amazon | Big W

Specifications

Display

Display Size

4 inches

Pixels per inch (PPI)

233 ppi

Camera

Rear camera megapixels

2MP

Rear camera aperture size

N/A

Video recording

1080p

Front camera megapixels

0.3MP

Front camera aperture size

N/A

Physical Dimensions

Dimensions

121.3mm x 64.4mm x 9.7mm

Weight

110g

Connectivity

NFC

Wi-Fi

802.11 b/g/n

Network category speed

N/A

Power, storage and battery

Processor

MT6580M

RAM

512MB

Operating system

Android 6

Internal storage

4GB

External storage support

Up to 32GB

Battery capacity

1,500mAh

Device features

Headphone jack

Yes

Fingerprint sensor

Water resistance rating

N/A

Wireless charging

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Optus X Play: Plans | Pricing | Specs