Chinese manufacturer Oppo launched in Europe last week three new smartphones of the Find X3 family. Over the last few days we have tested the flagship model, the Find X3 Pro, which is a candidate for the role of direct competitor of the iPhone 12 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. It is an interesting device, equipped with advanced features and with an unusual rear design that sets it apart from the competition of the same range.
Design e display
The aspect on which Oppo has focused its marketing narrative is the quality of the screen, capable – according to the company – of faithfully reproducing more than a billion colors. The human eye cannot distinguish so many shades and the “billion” is a nice round number that works in ads and commercials, but the quality of the Find X3 Pro’s 6.7 “AMOLED display is immediately evident from the very first. power on. The colors are realistic, vivid but not excessive, while the brightness (reaches a peak of 1300 Nits in certain areas) is remarkable even under sunlight. The 120Hz refresh rate guarantees fluidity even at the maximum QHD + resolution (which must be selected in the settings, and consumes a little more battery).
What struck us more than the screen, however, was immediately the handling of the device. Despite the technical equipment and the presence of a 4500mAh battery, Find X3 Pro is lighter than almost all the peers of the competition: it weighs only 193g. You can feel the difference, especially in your pocket, but also when using it with one hand. An excellent weight distribution also contributes to the general ergonomics of the device and above all the satin finish of the rear body of the blue version we tested.
Too bad only for the – useless – curvature of the display, which could be done without (judgment, we remember, purely subjective). Instead, the rear curvature of the body has been promoted, which has attracted some criticism on social media. The hump effect, with the body that seamlessly incorporates the photographic sector, is an unusual design solution that is original and elegant. It works much better live than in the official photos, where the effect seems more pronounced due to the strange play of light.
The cameras
As befits a flagship smartphone of 2021, Oppo Find X3 Pro produces excellent quality shots, thanks to a respectable photographic sector. The main cameras are both 50MP (one wide angle and one ultra-wide angle) and mount the same Sony IMX 766 sensor. Excellent choice, which makes the transition from one shooting mode to another smooth and eliminates the qualitative differences between the photos taken. with the primary and secondary sensor, both in photo mode and when recording video. Very good colors, with a yield enhanced above all by the quality of the device screen, and the details of the photos, generally very sharp and well calibrated. The third camera is a 13 Megapixel 2X optical telephoto lens, which adequately completes the equipment and makes the Find X3 Pro a versatile and complete photographic smartphone.
The fourth camera inevitably attracted more attention than the others, because it is a microscope with a magnification of up to sixty times. Now: it is clear that this is an advanced toy, producing low resolution photos, but it is a very fun toy. In this article you will see some images taken with the microscope mode, which is activated from the camera options. The 60X lens reveals unusual details of everyday objects and produces shots that, albeit of low quality, will make you collect a few more likes and a couple of amazed comments on Instagram.
Did we need a microscope on a smartphone? No, I would say no, and it would seem that smartphone manufacturers no longer know what to invent to differentiate their devices in the mare magnum of the smartphone offer of this 2021. However, the presence of this microscopic camera does not take away space for the two main sensors high quality and 2X optical zoom. And so the toy is welcome, which we may soon forget but which can always come in handy to amaze friends one evening in the brewery, when we can return.
Performance, battery, software
There are at least three other important aspects that have struck us positively during this test of the Oppo Find X3 Pro. The first are the technical characteristics: the smartphone mounts a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888, and there is little to say except that it is a splinter . The phone is fast, always responds well even under stress, practically never misses a beat. We already knew the qualities of the 888, and here we see them confirmed in all respects.
The second is the battery life, which reaches a day and a half without problems. But even more than the duration, it should be noted the presence of two ultra-fast charging modes, namely the SuperVOOC via cable with 65W charger (included in the package, it is so powerful that you can even recharge a laptop) and wireless AirVOOC charging. . The battery, with the first mode, goes from 0 to 100% in about 35 minutes. In short, you can forget about charging your phone during the night, because you just have to charge it in the morning while having breakfast before going out (or before sitting at your desk to work remotely). With wireless charging, if you use the special 30W Oppo base, the battery goes from 0 to 100% in 80 minutes.
Third and last aspect is the software equipment. ColorOS, Oppo’s Android interface, was notoriously the weak point of previous models from the Chinese manufacturer. Inconsistent, sometimes slow, with a slightly dated style. Starting from version 11, ColorOs has made a clear leap forward, both from the point of view of graphics and for the integration of new software and for the customization of the main apps, such as the camera. There is still something to improve, such as the consistency of notifications, sometimes a bit complex to manage, but overall the improvement compared to the first Oppo models that arrived in Europe in 2018 is visible and concrete.
Conclusions
After a week of use we would like to say that Oppo Find X3 Pro has all the credentials to aspire to the podium of the best Android smartphones of this first half of 2021. The Chinese company still has a lot of work to do to establish the brand and make themselves known, but devices like this (and as already and Renault 4) are respectable business cards. Find X3 Pro costs € 1149, and it is clear that the price is not affordable for everyone. However, it is perfectly in line with the technical equipment, especially if you compare the device with competitors of the same range.
It must also be said that, as it already was for Huawei, Oppo does not aspire to exaggerated sales numbers for this model. Find X3 Pro is a true flagship in the literal sense of the term. He is the champion who for the next few months will have the task of showing the European public, still little used to the brand, what Oppo is able to do. From this point of view, Find X3 Pro is a well-designed smartphone.
If you are looking for a new high-end Android smartphone, and your budget allows it, our advice is to take the Find X3 Pro seriously.
