Oppo, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer, is on a roll. The Shenzhen-based company started the year with a concept rollable phone that made headlines all over the internet, then overtook Huawei as China’s top phone brand (thanks in part to the US government), and now it has a new flagship phone that’s highly polished and can do a new camera trick no other phone can do.
I’ve been using the Find X3 Pro for a couple of weeks and it’s as well-made as any other gadget I’ve used.
The original Oppo Find X, which was announced in 2018, was a strange, experimental phone that was unlike anything else on the market at the time. It had a camera system that was concealed behind the phone’s shell when it wasn’t in use, giving it the appearance of a single piece with no protrusions or indentations (at least when the camera was hidden).The Find X3 Pro is a lot more traditional, but it retains some of the original’s seamless design aesthetic. This is due to the back glass plate on the Find X3 Pro, which is a single piece of glass that protects the camera system. A camera module distinct from the back plate is found in more than 99 percent of smartphones on the market. A single piece of glass covering would be unremarkable if the camera module did not protrude from the phone’s back; however, the Find X3 Pro, like all contemporary smartphones, has a very powerful camera system that necessitates additional heft. As a result, the camera protrudes as well, but the glass plate is still obscured by this mild curvature.
In pictures, it appears strange, even nasty in press renders, but in person, this strange curvy vibe grew on me. It reflects light in a unique pattern that contrasts with the rest of the glass back. When he’s shape-shifting, he feels like the liquid metal T-1000 Terminator.
Overall performance and software
I want the Oppo software skin on top of Android 11 on the Find X3 Pro. ColorOS is a software with a lot of customization options that runs smoothly even when loaded with apps.
With stereo speakers and a bright display, the phone is also a joy to use as a gaming or movie machine. This phone is a top performer in general.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and 12GB of RAM power the Find X3 Pro, so these are top-of-the-line components. The phone also allows wireless charging and is water resistant to IP68 standards. And, unlike Samsung and Apple, it includes a charging brick, a 65W quick charger that can charge the phone’s big 4,500 mAh battery from 0 to 50% in under 15 minutes.
The 4,500 mAh battery would only power the device for about 12-13 hours of use due to the high refresh rate and pixel density of the screen, which is adequate but not exceptional battery life.
