Hello! I’m Yuan Hehe. Please follow me for more exciting content. OPPO Find X9 Ultra review

OPPO has always been quite aggressive in the field of imaging. The Find X8 Ultra was already a model with outstanding photography capabilities at the time, and with the Find X9 Ultra, this generation clearly aims to widen the gap even further. The overall configuration has been upgraded in almost every aspect, including a newer Snapdragon platform, a larger battery, and a redesigned exterior and screen.

But what truly draws attention is the camera itself. On paper, it pushes the entire focal length range forward, rather than just enhancing a single lens. In practical use, its advantages are more evident in its zoom capabilities. Stylistically, Hasselblad’s tuning remains, with film simulations and portrait effects continuing, and even offering greater versatility. Video capabilities have also been improved, supporting higher frame rates like 4K recording.

There’s also an accessory system, such as photography kits and telephoto conversion lenses, which can further expand the possibilities. However, these accessories are more for a select few with specific needs, and ordinary users may not necessarily use them. Aside from imaging, the phone’s daily performance is actually quite complete. The system is smooth, performance is relatively stable, and battery life is at a reassuring level.

OPPO Find X9 Ultra Review: Design

The Find X9 Ultra is noticeably more “unconventional” in appearance, not following the conservative approach of a typical flagship, but rather designed with a strong focus on imaging capabilities.

The camera body has a slightly metallic brown tone, and the back features two pieces of black vegan leather similar to camera grips, giving it a distinctly Hasselblad feel. Details also echo this design, such as the signature orange camera control buttons and a subtle orange accent around the lens module. This design is understated yet pleasing to the eye.

The other color, Canyon Orange, takes a completely different approach. It ditches the vegan leather and replaces it with a glass back panel with a subtle texture, resulting in a stronger visual impact. If you’re just looking for something unique, this one will be more eye-catching. But if you prefer the “professional” look of a camera lens, Tundra Brown is definitely more to your liking.

The lens module retains the large circular design of its predecessor, but with some changes in details. This time, a layer of curved hexagonal glass has been added to the circular base, making it look a bit more complex. Opinions on this design vary; I personally think it’s a bit deliberate, but it’s likely intended to echo the structure of a camera aperture and emphasize image quality.

The button design has also changed. It incorporates a combination of “action buttons” and camera control buttons, logically somewhat referencing Apple’s system. It’s indeed convenient to use; for example, double-tapping to quickly launch the camera, sliding to zoom, and pressing to take a picture are all quite intuitive. However, the degree of customization isn’t high; many expandable functions are not yet available, leaving some room for future development.

The basic buttons remain the standard volume and power buttons, requiring no learning curve. In actual use, the button logic is practical, but there’s room for improvement in terms of personalization.

It offers ample protection, supporting IP68 and IP69 ratings. Daily waterproofing and dustproofing are no problem, and it can even withstand high-temperature water jets; it’s the kind of product that doesn’t require excessive care.

OPPO Find X9 Ultra Review: Display Performance

The first impression of this screen isn’t actually its brightness or vibrancy, but rather the slightly different way the corners are handled. Its curvature is more “recessed” than other models in the same series, making it look closer to a right angle, but it’s not completely straight. Overall, it’s somewhere between a flat screen and a slightly curved one, somewhat similar to Samsung’s sleek style.

The benefits of this design are quite direct: it creates a more open visual experience. Compared to the Find X9 Pro, the screen is more fully covered, but the overall size of the phone hasn’t increased significantly, making it easy to carry in your pocket without adding any extra burden.

However, it doesn’t continue the extremely narrow bezel design of the Pro version. Although it’s still quite thin overall, if you’ve seen the Pro version, you’ll feel that it lacks that “extremely compact” look.

The refresh rate is 144Hz, and it’s adaptive. In actual use, the difference from 120Hz isn’t particularly noticeable; in most scenarios, it’s difficult to discern the difference. However, for those sensitive to frame rates or playing fast-paced games, this higher refresh rate does offer some advantages.

In other aspects, it’s basically at the standard flagship level. The color reproduction is quite natural, not overly vibrant, and the contrast is very stable. The brightness is sufficient outdoors, and it’s not too difficult to view content in strong light.

Another detail is the 2160Hz high-frequency PWM dimming, which will be more user-friendly for those who are sensitive to screen flicker. Overall, this screen doesn’t have any particularly radical features, but it’s well-balanced in all aspects and very comfortable to use.

OPPO Find X9 Ultra Review: Camera Performance

The first impression of the Find X9 Ultra is that it’s more like a “camera that can make phone calls.” Its image upgrade isn’t just about enhancing a single lens, but rather pushing the entire system up a notch. Compared to the already impressive Find X8 Ultra, there are noticeable improvements at almost every focal length.

The rear camera features a total of four lenses. The main camera uses a large-size, high-pixel sensor, coupled with a wide aperture, emphasizing light intake and resolution. The ultra-wide-angle lens is also not just there for show; with a larger sensor size, edge image quality and low-light performance are more stable. The first telephoto lens uses a 3x periscope design and a very large sensor, which is actually uncommon in similar products.

But what truly sets it apart is the second telephoto lens. This generation brings back the 10x optical zoom, and it’s not just a simple replication of the previous design; it’s a completely new design that prioritizes light intake. Compared to the old telephoto lenses that focused on distant shots but resulted in darker images, this lens offers a significant advantage in image brightness and detail retention, making it much more practical to use.

The selfie function has also been upgraded, with the pixel count increased to 50 megapixels and autofocus added, resulting in more stable overall image quality. While it’s not the main focus of this phone, it certainly doesn’t hold it back.

In actual shooting experience, the strength of this system lies in its “stability”. Regardless of the focal length used, the image maintains a relatively consistent style and sharpness under different lighting conditions. Especially in terms of zoom, from the commonly used focal length to more distant distances, the details are seamlessly connected without any obvious gaps.

The default image style leans towards vibrant colors and high contrast, making it visually appealing. If you want a more camera-like feel, you can switch to Hasselblad’s Master mode. This mode reduces HDR and sharpening, resulting in a more natural output that is better suited for post-processing.

This generation also adds some stylistic features, such as film simulation, which allows you to adjust the color temperature and style, offering great flexibility. There’s also a Soft Light feature, which essentially simulates the effect of a soft-focus filter, making highlights softer and the image more atmospheric. This style is quite interesting for night scenes or portraits.

The video capabilities have also been significantly improved. All lenses support Dolby Vision and Log format recording, and the main camera and 3x telephoto lens can shoot 4K 120fps. Combined with real-time LUT preview and the ability to directly apply color grading styles, it will be more convenient for those with video creation needs, eliminating the need to rely entirely on post-production.

OPPO Find X9 Ultra Review: Performance

In terms of performance, there aren’t many surprises. The Find X9 Ultra uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite platform, which is among the top tier in the current Android lineup. Interestingly, the global version only offers a 12GB RAM + 512GB storage combination, which is actually lower than the RAM of some other models in the same series.

This trade-off is somewhat surprising, but in actual use, it doesn’t have a significant impact. Daily operations are basically “responsive to touch,” and multitasking is also crisp, without any noticeable lag. ColorOS itself is also well-tuned in terms of smoothness, with smooth animations and transitions that don’t feel stiff.

The gaming performance was as expected. I played several demanding games on high settings consecutively, and the frame rate remained stable throughout without any noticeable drops. The phone did get a little warm, but it was within an acceptable range and didn’t affect grip. Compared to some models that only briefly boost performance, it prioritizes stable output, which is even more important during extended gaming sessions.

If you’re not playing games, it can handle more productivity-oriented scenarios as well. I tried editing a few high-bitrate 4K videos, and the processing was generally smooth, with no noticeable lag or waiting. This experience is actually close to that of a lightweight creative device.

The speakers are a small plus. Compared to the previous generation, the sound is more transparent, the high frequencies are clearer, and there’s no noticeable distortion even at high volumes. This improvement is definitely noticeable when watching videos or playing games.

OPPO Find X9 Ultra Review: Battery Performance

The Find X9 Ultra’s battery design is somewhat counterintuitive. It uses a 7050mAh battery, which is quite large by today’s standards, but compared to the more impressive 7500mAh batteries in the same series, it seems a bit conservative. Considering the overall structure of the device, it’s highly likely that space was allocated to the more aggressive imaging module.

However, in actual use, the battery performs quite reliably. Under normal use, it can last for about a day and a half, so there’s no need to deliberately conserve power. While it can’t easily last two days on a single charge like the Pro version, it’s still a fairly reliable level for a flagship phone.

Battery life is still highly dependent on usage habits. Taking photos and videos consumes significantly more power, especially during extended use of the imaging system, where the battery drains much faster. Add to that heavy gaming, which is inherently power-hungry, and these factors are to be expected.

The charging speed doesn’t disappoint. It supports up to 100W wired fast charging, and with the official charger, the charging efficiency is very high, bringing the battery to a safe level in about half an hour. However, it’s worth noting that the package only includes a data cable, not a charging adapter, so using a third-party charger will result in slower charging.

Wireless charging also supports fast charging. When paired with its own AirVOOC charger, it can achieve a relatively high wireless charging power, which is indeed convenient for daily use. However, these kinds of accessories are not cheap.

Should you buy the OPPO Find X9 Ultra?

If you have high requirements for photography and video recording, this phone is actually quite easy to judge. Its imaging capabilities are indeed outstanding, especially in terms of multi-focal length and video, offering a more comprehensive overall performance. For those who frequently take photos or even have some creative needs, it will provide more flexibility and convenience.

However, if you consider it as your primary daily phone, it doesn’t have any obvious weaknesses. The system is smooth, the performance is stable, the battery life and charging are within a reassuring range, and the design itself is also highly recognizable, making for a fairly complete overall experience.

Therefore, this phone is more suitable for two types of people: those who are specifically looking for imaging capabilities, and those who don’t want to compromise on any aspect and want a device that is as “all-around” as possible. It may not be the cheapest option, but within this price range, it is definitely the type that you can use with peace of mind.

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