I tried a new Android handset that takes some of the BEST zoomed photos I’ve seen on a phone – the battery is huge too
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THERE'S another new Android phone on the block looking to catch people's eyes - and I got to try it before the general public.
Oppo may not be the first name you think of when it comes to Android but in recent years it's given rivals like Samsung a run for their money.
The company's flagship handsets have been absent from the UK market for almost three years now but with the Find X8 Pro it's back.
With beasty batteries, impressive cameras and sleek designs, there is a lot to like about Oppo's phones.
I've spent the past week putting the Oppo Find X8 Pro through its paces.
And here's how I got on with it.
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Oppo Find X8 Pro: Look and feel
I've never been a fan of big, imposing cameras but given this is a quad set-up - and the images are really good - I can let it slide.
And for what it's worth, Oppo has packed the lenses into a circular form which gives it a sleek touch.
The front and back is made of quad-curved glass, with an aluminium frame - the back is subtly textured in a way that makes it comfortable to hold.
There are two colours available, Pearl White - which I'm testing - and Space Black.
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The display is a 6.78-inch AMOLED and it's super bright, technically speaking one of the brightest you'll find at 4500 nits.
Oppo Find X8 Pro: Performance and features
The Find X8 Pro is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9400 which kept up to pace when playing games and when navigating between different apps.
This also helps power the new AI features.
Love or hate AI, Oppo has no plans to charge for them unlike rivals like Samsung who are still mulling over whether they should be a paid extra for Galaxy devices.
Many AI tricks are for photos but there is also things like AI Speak to read out pages for you and AI Summary that picks out key information from a page.
The Oppo Find X8 Pro takes some of the most beautiful shots I've seen on a smartphone - and it's super easy to use as well
It runs on ColorOS 15, based off of the latest Android 15 software.
As part of ColorOS, the Find X8 Pro has its own version of Apple’s Dynamic Island which puts media and other elements into a pill shape at the top of your screen.
There is some bloatware like Temu pre-loaded onto the Find X8 Pro which I'm really not a fan of.
While I usually prefer a pure Android experience, ColorOS 15 is actually quite a nice take on the operating system.
Oppo has committed to providing updates until 2030, which isn't the longest around as our box below shows.
Aside from AI, Oppo is trying to bridge the gap between various smartphones, particularly iPhone, with a new sharing feature.
The Find X8 Pro can share in a similar way to AirDrop, except the iPhone on the end has to have an app called O+ Connect installed to receive them.
It made sharing files a little quicker than usual but still not a scratch on the ease of AirDrop proper.
Who offers free updates longest?
The longer you receive updates, the longer you can safely continue using your smartphone - with the latest features thrown in too for free.
Samsung
Since the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung said it would provide at least seven generations of OS updates and seven years of security updates.
OnePlus
At the launch of the OnePlus 12, OnePlus committed to at least four years of Android updates and five years of security updates.
Xiaomi
Xiaomi offers four years off Android updates and five years security updates.
Google
For the Pixel 9 series, Google said that devices would receive at least seven years of support.
Oppo Find X8 Pro: Battery
The Oppo Find X8 Pro has a pretty big battery on paper at 5,910 mAh.
By comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 4685 mAh and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is 5000 mAh.
However, what matters is how the phone consumes all that juice and whether it's made to last.
The battery is another big plus with plenty of juice to keep you going
The good news is I've been able to easily get a good day and a half of general usage out of it, doing various things like browsing, messaging, watching videos and using the camera.
It can charge with a 80W wired charger but this doesn't come in the box so I've not been able to see the maximum speed possible.
Oppo Find X8 Pro: Camera
The camera is where the Find X8 Pro, well, finds, its true strength.
In terms of the megapixels it doesn't match the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 200, but at 50-megapixels this quad camera setup really delivers some glorious shots.
The zoom can go incredibly far without losing quality, thanks to AI which kicks in when you go beyond 60x.
I managed to take clear close-up shots of buildings from one side of the River Thames to the other, capturing finer details of things like the rows of windows.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the results when zooming at night were not as good - I tried on the glittering Eiffel Tower in Paris and it became one big blur.
But zoomed out, and the historic moment looked absolutely stunning, capturing a very natural shot, even with some hazy cloud above visible.
I also tested the camera out at the O2 during a concert for The Corrs where both photos and videos looked brilliant zoomed in, despite fast movement. However, I did feel like the AI enhancements softened some shots a bit too much.
Among the AI features is a reflection removal tool which didn't really make much difference.
Using the new Quick button - which takes inspiration from the iPhone 16's Camera Control - made taking pics even easier, just gliding my finger from side-to-side to zoom.
Oppo Find X8 Pro: Conclusion
The Oppo Find X8 Pro takes some of the most beautiful shots I've seen on a smartphone - and it's super easy to use as well.
It's almost enough to overlook the hench lens zone on the back.
I can say the same for the operating system too, which is one of the best looking versions of Android I've seen - if only it wasn't let down by bloatware.
The battery is another big plus with plenty of juice to keep you going.
But some of the AI tools need improving, like reflection removal.
At £1049 the handset doesn't come cheap but it's less than the Galaxy S24 Ultra's launch price.
Rating: 4.5/5
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All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.
Always do your own research before making any purchase.
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