OPPO Find X8 Ultra evaluate: Better than the very best

OPPO is crushing it in 2025; the debut of the Find X8 and X8 Pro allowed the model to construct first rate momentum going into the yr, and the Find N5 showcased simply what’s attainable with foldables. OPPO is constructing on that with the introduction of the Find X8 Ultra, its finest cellphone but. Last yr’s Find X7 Ultra was one among my favourite telephones, and it was solely bested by Vivo’s X100 Ultra when it got here to pictures and movies, so I used to be eager on looking at what OPPO is doing this yr.

The Find X8 Ultra has a brand new design that is in keeping with the usual X8 and X8 Pro, and whereas the general aesthetic does not fairly stand out fairly as a lot as earlier years, it is nice to carry and use. Thankfully, the cellphone retains the quartet of 50MP cameras on the again, and also you get a 1-inch primary sensor that takes excellent pictures and movies.

There are the standard upgrades in different areas, and I like that the cellphone has a 6100mAh battery; it lasts longer than simply about each different system I examined in 2025, and is on par with the Vivo X200 Pro on this regard. While there’s clearly rather a lot to love, the Find X8 Ultra has the identical foibles as its predecessor; the cellphone is proscribed to China as of writing, and there are not any plans to carry it to world markets.

OPPO Find X8 Ultra: Pricing and availability

OPPO unveiled the Find X8 Ultra at a launch occasion in Xi’An, China, on April 10. I used to be invited to attend the occasion, however I wasn’t in a position to go as a consequence of a visa rejection (which is extremely annoying). Anyway, the system is now accessible in China, the place it’s offered in three storage configurations: the bottom 12GB/256GB mannequin prices ¥6,499 CNY ($891), the 16GB/512GB version is ¥6,999 CNY ($959), and the 16GB/1TB mannequin is ¥7,999 CNY ($1,096).

The 1TB mannequin is the one one which will get satellite tv for pc messaging, and as I’m utilizing the 16GB/512GB version of the system, I wasn’t in a position to check the function. The Find X8 Ultra was joined by the Find X8s+ and Find X8s, with each gadgets providing incremental updates to the Find X8 and X8 Pro.

Annoyingly, the Find X8 Ultra will not be accessible exterior China, and in a press release to Android Central, OPPO stated: “The Find X8 Ultra is deliberate for launch solely in mainland China. However, lots of the applied sciences featured on this system can be integrated into future OPPO merchandise, which can be accessible in additional areas.”

OPPO Find X8 Ultra: Design

OPPO at all times delivered standout designs with Find X fashions, however it’s taking a conservative method this time round. The Find X8 Ultra has the same aesthetic because the X8 and X8 Pro, and it misses out on a few of the design aptitude of earlier generations. The Find X7 Ultra was one of many best-looking telephones of 2024 because of a beautiful dual-tone leather-based and glass design, and the Find X6 Pro additionally had a particular design.

While the X8 Ultra misses out on a few of that flamboyance, it has the identical nice construct high quality. Most telephones now use flat sides — ostensibly to ship larger batteries and elevated longevity — and the X8 Ultra is not any totally different. Thankfully, the perimeters are beveled, and that makes holding and utilizing the system that rather more snug. Coming in at 226g, it has an excellent heft and does not really feel unwieldy within the least, and OPPO did an excellent job with the burden distribution.

Notably, it’s thinner than the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, however you do not discover it that a lot due to the sheer measurement of the digicam island on the again. Like earlier years, the outsized digicam dominates consideration on the again, and the quartet of lenses are organized symmetrically. I bought the white mannequin, and it has a matte texture that is good to carry — all whereas minimizing smudges.

The cellphone is clearly constructed to final; I did not use it with a case, and after two weeks of testing and several other tumbles, there isn’t any seen harm or scratches in any respect. You additionally get IP68 and IP69 ingress safety, and I did not see any points utilizing the system in a sauna.

OPPO additionally switched to an ultrasonic module this time, and it’s unbelievable; it’s quick to authenticate and does not have any points even in case you use the sensor with moist fingers. The location is right — in contrast to earlier years — so I used to be in a position to make use of my thumb to unlock the system with none trouble.

A notable addition is a devoted button on the proper that serves as a shutter button. Pressing it twice launches the digicam, and also you get to shoot with a single press, with a slide alongside the button to regulate the zoom degree. The button sits flush with the mid-frame, and whereas it’s a first rate sufficient addition, I did not use it fairly as a lot — similar to Camera Control on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Another new inclusion is the Shortcut Button, with the alert slider making its option to a multifunction button. The function is an identical to the Action Button on an iPhone, and it permits you to toggle DND, launch the flashlight, take notes, memos, and so forth. The menu to configure the button can be an identical to iOS, and a few originality on this space would have been higher.

OPPO Find X8 Ultra: Display

I’m not going to speak in regards to the panel an excessive amount of, as there is not a lot that is new. The Find X8 Ultra makes use of a similar-sized 6.82-inch AMOLED as earlier years, and it has a QHD+ decision of 3168 x 1440 and 120Hz dynamic refresh that goes all the way down to 1Hz. The primary distinction is that the panel is totally flat, and it has uniform bezels of 1.4mm on all sides.

The panel has standout colours and distinction ranges, and I had no issues on this regard. It will get vivid in outside use, and solely the Pixel 9 Pro XL outmatched the system in total brightness. Stereo sound is loud and detailed, and gaming is pleasant on the system. With 2160Hz PWM dimming as commonplace, it is simple on the eyes too.

ColorOS has first rate customizability in terms of always-on types, and also you get an honest set of decisions in tailoring the system to your tastes. While the general brightness is decrease at 2500 nits, the cellphone will get brighter in real-world use, and that is what you really want.

OPPO Find X8 Ultra: Hardware

While the common Find X8 Pro used the Dimensity 9400, the Find X8 Ultra goes again to Qualcomm silicon. There is not any distinction in day by day use between the 2, however the X8 Ultra tends to get hotter. This is not simply restricted to the X8 Ultra — all telephones I used powered by Qualcomm silicon this yr had points with overheating.

That stated, the Find X8 Ultra is among the quickest telephones you should purchase right this moment. I did not see any slowdowns in any respect, and even demanding video games ran with out breaking a sweat. Having used over a dozen gadgets powered by this silicon, it is clear to me that there is greater than sufficient headroom; now we simply want console-quality video games to check the caliber of the {hardware}.

As I’m utilizing the Chinese version of the cellphone, I bumped into points with connectivity typically. Calls tended to be glitchy (these on the opposite finish could not hear me), and OPPO has hard-coded DNS as commonplace, so in case you use a customized DNS, you may want to enter the settings and use a static IP and manually change your DNS server.

Other than that, there are not any points. The vibration motor is among the many finest on Android, delivering granular suggestions when navigating the interface and utilizing the keyboard. While it does not have Bluetooth 6.0 just like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, that is about the one limitation I can consider, and it has probably the greatest {hardware} packages of any system in 2025.

OPPO Find X8 Ultra: Battery life

One of the most important modifications this yr is the introduction of silicon-carbide batteries, and the X8 Ultra makes use of the tech to good impact. The cellphone has a a lot larger 6100mAh battery, and it lasts a day and a half comfortably. In two weeks of heavy use, I did not must cost the cellphone earlier than the tip of the night time, and most of the time, I simply needed to cost the cellphone as soon as a day and a half.

There is not any purpose to fret in regards to the battery, and aggressive reminiscence administration with Chinese ColorOS 15 makes the system final slightly longer. Charging it takes simply over 44 minutes because of 100W tech, and as an added bonus, it goes as much as 50W over USB PD, so that you needn’t use the bundled charger on a regular basis.

OPPO Find X8 Ultra: Cameras

OPPO is aware of tips on how to ship a powerful digicam bundle, and the Find X8 Ultra is among the finest telephones I’ve used this yr. It has a 1-inch 50MP Sony LYT-900 sensor (the identical as final yr), 50MP Samsung JN5 wide-angle, 50MP Sony LYT-700 tele lens with 3x zoom, and a secondary tele 50MP that makes use of the Sony LYT-600 imaging module going as much as 6x. There’s a 32MP digicam on the entrance with autofocus.

The caliber of the imaging modules alone makes the Find X8 Ultra an actual powerhouse, and the model is leveraging Hasselblad’s tuning to eke out magnificent pictures. The interface itself is unchanged, and you’ll simply entry the taking pictures modes and lenses by way of the viewfinder or the devoted button on the proper.

The system excels at taking movies, with all 4 cameras on the again in a position to shoot Dolby Vision footage at 4K60. That is an enormous deal in and of itself, however what’s notably nice this yr is that the system shoots Dolby Vision footage even when the ultra-steady stabilization mode is enabled.

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Daylight pictures have faultless element and coloration vibrancy, and there is not something to criticize on this space. It’s nice that the X8 Ultra retains the 1-inch sensor; it permits the system to take higher pictures than simply about some other cellphone right this moment. I did not see any issues in low-light situations, with the cellphone persistently delivering vibrant pictures with no seen noise.

But it is the auxiliary lenses which can be actually noteworthy; you get 4 nice cameras on the again of this cellphone, and the inclusion of two tele lenses makes issues that rather more fascinating. The potential to get detailed pictures at 6x and past is great, and I bought satisfactory pictures at as much as 20x.

Basically, the Find X8 Ultra has probably the greatest digicam packages I used till now. It does a greater job than the Find X8 Pro, Xiaomi 15 Ultra, Galaxy S25 Ultra, and Pixel 9 Pro XL, and holds its personal towards the Vivo X100 Ultra and X200 Pro. The solely challenge with the digicam is that the system is not launching globally, limiting its potential. While the model says it should use these applied sciences in different merchandise, it will have been nice to see the Find X8 Ultra exterior China.

OPPO Find X8 Ultra: Software

The Find X8 Ultra is offered solely in China, so it is utilizing the Chinese model of the ColorOS pores and skin based mostly on Android 15. It is visually much like the worldwide mannequin, however features a ton of extras, together with an area digital assistant dubbed Breeno. It is simply as fluid in common use, and the interface seems to be trendy and has a cohesive design. That stated, it finally ends up trying like iOS because of the modifications launched this yr.

My greatest challenge with the software program is the sheer quantity of bloatware that is pre-installed; it is positively greater than what’s bundled with the worldwide variations. Thankfully, a lot of the utilities may be uninstalled. There are the standard points with push notifications and aggressive reminiscence administration, and it makes utilizing the Find X8 Ultra slightly annoying.

Continuing with the record of annoyances, ColorOS 15 has the worst DND of any Android cellphone; it golf equipment calls and messages right into a single class, so there isn’t any option to mute message notifications and never get calls. This is clearly arrange by somebody who does not make or obtain any calls, as a result of in common use, it simply does not make any sense.

Usually, I’ll must do no less than some tweaking to get Google Mobile Services put in on a cellphone working a Chinese construct, however that wasn’t the case on this system. The Play Store APK is included, and it may be simply put in, after which you may log in to your Google account and set up the whole lot else.

Coming to updates, the Find X8 Ultra will get 5 years of Android updates together with six years of safety updates, and that’s in keeping with most Chinese gadgets. Honor is delivering seven years of Android updates to the Magic 7 Pro, however that system continues to be an outlier — no less than within the context of Chinese producers.

OPPO Find X8 Ultra: The alternate options

I actually just like the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, and the system has a standout digicam bundle together with an important design and all the opposite extras. The better part is that the cellphone is offered exterior China — it’s now on sale in India and the U.Okay. I choose the colour steadiness of the Find X8 Ultra over the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, however there isn’t any arguing that Xiaomi has the higher software program bundle because it comes with the Play Store and all related Google providers out of the field.

I’m curious about seeing what Vivo does with the X200 Ultra, as a result of which will simply be the one system that may do higher than the Find X8 Ultra; the system is slated to launch in May, so we do not have to attend too lengthy to see what it delivers.

OPPO Find X8 Ultra: Should you purchase it?

You can purchase this if:

• You want the very best digicam bundle
• You need a cellphone that takes gorgeous portrait pictures
• You want versatile cameras that shoot nice movies
• You need a battery that lasts a day and a half
• You want all of the extras

You should not purchase this if:

• You want a cellphone with the Play Store pre-installed
• You want the identical variety of software program updates as your Pixel

The solely detrimental with the Find X8 Ultra has to do with the software program; the Chinese model of ColorOS has too many inconsistencies to be usable exterior the nation — notably if you wish to use Google providers. That’s why it is annoying that the system will not be debuting in world markets; OPPO has to do higher on this space, and launch its finest merchandise to a wider viewers.

Other than that, there is not something to fault with the system. It has an important AMOLED panel, the very best {hardware} at the moment accessible, standout battery life with the very best charging tech within the business, and the very best cameras. The primary 1-inch digicam continues to be a delight to make use of in 2025, and the auxiliary lenses are among the many better of any cellphone I used this yr.

The Find X8 Ultra does a unbelievable job with movies as properly, and I completely loved utilizing the cellphone. That stated, I nonetheless would not suggest it until you have used a tool with a Chinese interface up to now. If you do not thoughts the trouble of shopping for it by way of a reseller and lacking out on after-sales service, then I’d recommend getting the cellphone solely due to the cameras.