Oppo Find X3 Pro review

The competition

The Find X3 Pro seems like a meaningful upgrade over the X2 Pro, even if it doesn't look as major as some might have hoped. We can see a point there - after all, the 6.7" AMOLED is great, but the old one wasn't shabby either. The jump to the next-gen Snapdragon is great, but it doesn't bring breath-taking performance benefits.

But, the camera, on the other hand, has seen a lot of improvements, including new high-end sensors and this unique 3MP microscope snapper. The larger battery and the fast wireless charging complete the list of the major upgrades.

Oppo will be selling the Find X3 Pro globally with an international warranty not unlike Apple's. Purchasing it won't be as easy as opening, say, Amazon, and clicking Buy, as not all countries will have a regional seller. But we do hope Oppo will be able to expand its market reach even more with the Find X3 Pro. And while we are on the topic of availability, for now, only the Find X3 Pro will be available outside China, and you won't see the other Find X3 options as alternatives in this section.

So, the first phone that comes to mind as a viable alternative to this €1150 Find X3 Pro is the €750 Xiaomi Mi 11, which we reviewed just recently. The Mi 11 matches the screen and the chipset of the Oppo, as well as the speaker quality, the battery capacity, and the charging speed. It runs on MIUI, which is a lot more popular and gets regular updates for years. But there is no zoom camera on the Mi 11, no micro snapper, and no official water-protection. It makes up for those deficiencies with a price tag that's some €400 cheaper than the Find X3 Pro, and we can easily forgive the missing zoom in and zoom out cameras.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra costs as much as the Find X3 Pro, and while it has a similar screen, chipset, and speakers, it impresses with zooming capabilities. The Ultra features a 3x and a 10x telephoto camera, both with OIS. Its 40MP selfies camera with PDAF and 4K capturing is superior, too. Finally, the Galaxy has much better battery life, and unless you need the microscopic camera, the Ultra might be your better choice.

Huawei P40 Pro costs only €640, and it is quite the treat if you can live without Google services and stereo speakers. The water-resistant P40 Pro packs a great 1200p 90Hz AMOLED, a powerful Kirin 990 5G chip. Still, its camera prowess is what makes it such an attractive offer - all four snappers - the 50MP main, the 40MP ultrawide, the 12MP 5x tele, and the 32MP AF selfie excel in photo and video quality. Zooming across these cameras while shooting video is quite smooth, too.

Finally, we want to mention the upcoming vivo X60 Pro+, which might be a niche smartphone, but what a phone it is. The X60 Pro+ is expected to cost the same as the Oppo on the international markets, and it will match its screen, processor, main camera, and battery specs. But the vivo will offer a more versatile imaging setup by accompanying the 50MP primary with a 48MP ultrawide shooter with a second-generation gimbal stabilization and two zoom cameras - 32MP 2x portrait one and 8MP 5x OIS telephoto. That's something we'd like to try for sure.

Finally, the OnePlus 9 series announcement is just around the corner, and the Pro model should be a close match to the Find X3 Pro. The OnePlus phones enjoy a wider availability, they run the fan-favorite Oxygen OS, and they are usually more reasonably priced, so they may be worth looking into.

Xiaomi Mi 11 • Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G • Huawei P40 Pro • vivo X60 Pro+

The verdict

We liked the Oppo Find X3 Pro and the time we spent together. It has a marvelous screen and design, powerful hardware, and a multi-camera setup that delivers on every promise. The fast battery charging is something many will appreciate, too.

The Find X3 Pro is not without competition; in fact, it's an all-out war. And while the Find X3 Pro delivers on its promises, it's not a perfect phone either. The Mi 11 is cheaper, the Galaxy - heavier but better spec'd, the P40 Pro - quite attractive but Google-less, while the vivo X60 Pro+ and the OnePlus 9 are yet to hit the shelves.

But that's the great thing about the market and the rich competition - you are free to buy the phone that suits you best.

Pros

• Remarkable 1440p OLED HDR10+ display with 120Hz refresh.
• Exquisite, water-resistant design.
• Fast wired and wireless charging.
• Loud stereo speakers, equally balanced.
• Flagship-grade performance, 5G.
• Outstanding photo and video quality, day and night.
• Intriguing one of a kind microscope camera, gimmick or not.
• Fluid ColorOS on top of Android 11, rich customization options.

Cons

• Battery life could have been better.
• The telephoto camera needs OIS.
• The selfie camera is long overdue for an upgrade.
• Limited market availability.