21 Nov 2024 is the global launch of the OPPO Find X8 Pro. As a contributing editor to NXT Magazine, I received the unit two weeks before the announcement so I have a good time trying the phone. After OPPO launched the Find X5 series, OPPO stopped released Find X series globally for two years, causing a gap in their product line-up. During that gap years, they had a midrange Reno series and the foldable series but their flagships were absent. I actually loved the Find X2 Pro when I reviewed in 2020 and was top of my to-buy smartphone list for the year, though it was very pricey then. Comparatively, the Find X8 Pro’s retail price of S$1649 limited-time launch price of S$1499 is much lower than the Find X2 Pro, yet its features are way more.
From the moment the phone is removed from the box, your hands will feel a difference. The OPPO Find X8 Pro feels smooth and comfortable to hold due to its quad-curve front and back panels that flow into the matt aluminium frame. The fingerprint-resistant frosted texture catches the light with a subtle shimmer. Not only does the body feel good, it is also built to last, thanks to OPPO Armour Shield construction with reinforced glass and hardy aluminium alloy to provide shock absorption as well as extensive IP68 and IP69 ratings.
The 6.78-inch 120 Hz AMOLED display offers 4500 nits peak brightness and supports 2160Hz PWM dimming and adaptive tone for eye comfort, which are the norms for a flagship device. The display supports Dolby Vision, ProXDR, HDR10, HDR10+ and Hybrid Log Gamma HDR.
Quad Camera System
But the most exciting feature for the Find X8 Pro must be the camera. The new Hasselblad Master Camera System is made up of four 50MP cameras including two telephoto cameras, seamlessly covering 15mm to 135mm and even reaching 300mm through the in-sensor zoom technology. The maximum digital zoom is 120X 2700mm.
The camera sensor is only one part of the story. The image processing engine that OPPO equips in the Find X8 Pro is responsible for the final quality that you see in the phone gallery app. The HyperTone Image Engine combines up to mine RAW frames into a single image through computational photography to achieve clarity, dynamic range, and reduced noise.
The AI Telescope Zoom technology activates at 10X zoom and beyond to analyse the image and supplement natural detail loss with AI. The only hint of the final image appearing AI-processed is the unbelievable detail that turns out.
Honestly, the 120X zoom image is the best that I have seen on any smartphone camera. Thanks to computational AI, the phone is able to somehow figure out the details and then generate a smooth and clean image.
If you don’t push the zoom too extreme, the mid-zoom is already very impressive and definitely looks more authentic. Just check out this collage as I attempt to zoom into the water droplet.
And here is the uncropped shot at approximately 70X zoom (1599mm according to EXIF).
In addition to the imaging hardware and the AI power, the camera system makes shooting very fast and seamless shot-to-shot thanks to Lightning Snap and Off-Peak Computing which processes images later instead of immediately after each shot. This takes a bit getting used to, because we have the tendency to check the images for quality immediately after each shot. When I did that, the image actually did not look optimal. However, you have to trust OPPO to analyse the image and then process it over a few seconds after the shot. I am impressed at how the engine corrects overexposed highlights and turns them into great shots. It also removes noise and grain, improves contrast and tonality.
Just like the latest iPhone 16 Pro, the Find X8 Pro has a camera shutter control button called “Quick Button”. With it, you can adjust zoom by sliding your finger, and press to snap or hold for burst shots. The pressure sensitivity can be adjusted. Admittedly, I do not really use this function as much because the position is not as ergonomic and you need to exert a bit of force which might cause a shake. But I like the slide-to-zoom feature as I can better control the zoom compared to on-screen slider.
Besides the ability to capture general scenes in great detail and colour accuracy, the Find X8 Pro offers film filters and soft lighting portraits to simulate analogue effects. When shooting in Portrait mode, you can also re-adjust the aperture to change the background blur level, though it is not possible to change focus point. The Portrait mode works well when shooting primary subjects but the depth-of-field effect is not convincing when using it to shoot general scenery where there is no distinct subject-background separation.
UI and AI
The OPPO Find X8 Pro is one of the first globally available smartphones to run on MediaTek Dimensity 9400 flagship processor. Its high performance makes the phone running on the latest ColorOS 15 feel very smooth. The new OS has undergone redesign to improve overall look-and-feel where users can customise layouts and effects on the UI transitions. Personalise the phone with different fonts, colours, wallpapers, animations. I love the ability to choose the speed of animation (usually available only in Developer’s Mode), to split or combine the pull-down quick settings and notification drawer. I also love that it has an Infrared Blaster so I can program and control my home appliances.
The phone is also infused with AI assistant recommendations that have improved productivity. On the OPPO Photos app, you can easily cut out the subject of a photo, separate it from the background, and save as a new image with a transparent background layer. That literally saves me time to clean up the background. I actually import photos from other sources into the phone just to make use of this tool.
The AI Eraser has become a standard feature on many smartphones, but the OPPO Find X8 Pro processes the AI Eraser faster than other smartphones. It also can unblur images and appears to be rather effective. While some processing features may be a hit-and-miss depending on the source, I find that the features work most of the time.
Another feature that I love using on the phone is the AI Recording Summary. Unlike audio recorders that transcribe word-for-word (like Google Pixel Recorder), the OPPO Find X8 Pro summarises the recording. You can even ask the AI Assistant to elaborate the summary. That is a definite time saver.
Similarly, the Find X8 Pro can also summarise webpages. When browsing a web page, slide out the Smart Sidebar to display recommended smart functions, AI Summary or AI Speak. And with just a few taps, it generates a bullet point summary and even allows you to save it to the Notes app. And of course, the pre-installed Documents app supports AI by summarising or translating documents.
Verdict
What makes a great smartphone? It must be comfortable to hold, slim and compact enough to use and carry around, durable to withstand abuses. It must have a smooth and speedy processor to execute tasks without delay, improve productivity like AI Assistant on summarising and translating voice recordings, webpages and documents. Its camera can capture any subject from ultra-wide to the super zoom, from low light to fast action, with accurate details and image processing that achieves impressive visuals. The display must be adaptive to games, movies and late night reading, its battery life is able to handle the heavy use without charging too frequently during the day, and can achieve super fast charging when needed so that I can carry on the rest of the day without worry. Finally, the price must be reasonable.
The OPPO Find X8 Pro has achieved most, if not all of the above. After my two-week review, I feel that it elevates my smartphone experience to another level, offering stable and speedy UI performance, outstanding camera versatility, impressive image quality, and productive AI functions.
The OPPO Find X8 Pro retails in Singapore at S$1649, with a launch special of S$1499. The OPPO Find X8 (non-Pro) retails at S$1349 with a launch offer of S$1249. With a purchase of the OPPO Find X8 Series, get free gifts worth S$600, like the complimentary OPPO X MAISON KITSUNE Phone Case (while stocks last), OPPO Enco Air4, 2-Year Screen Damage Protection, and 2-Year Global Warranty, until 31 December 2024.
Availability
The OPPO Find X8 in Star Grey and Space Black, and the OPPO Find X8 Pro in Pearl White and Space Black) are available from M1, Singtel, Starhub, OPPO Concept Stores, the official OPPO website, OPPO Online Flagship Stores on iShopChangi, KrisShop, Lazada, Shopee, TikTok, and Zalora, major consumer electronic stores, and all other authorised retailers. The OPPO Find X8 in Shell Pink is only available at OPPO Concept Stores, the official OPPO website, and across all partner online channels.
