Look behind you Apple... here’s Oppo!
For form, function and innovation, this phone is in a league of its own
It has been a busy year for phone-makers and reviewers, with a slew of new phones on the market. There are now more and better budget phones available than ever, and Apple, Google and Samsung all have excellent new ‘flagship’ phones – their top-tier models.
While Huawei is notably – and disappointingly – absent from the list, it does seem as if another Asian manufacturer might be making inroads, as the new Oppo Find X5 Pro flagship makes its Irish debut.
The X5 Pro arrived on my desk in a surprisingly large box emblazoned with the Oppo and Hasselblad logos which hints at a fascinating partnership.
From the Obamas to Neil Armstrong, these legendary Swedish cameras have captured many of
TALL BUT WELL BALANCED IT’S WONDERFUL TO HOLD
STYLISH LOOKS LEAVE OTHER PHONES IN THE DUST
history’s most iconic images, so its logo on a phone does not go unnoticed. In the box there is also a charging cable, SIM-pin and a very welcome plug-in USB charger, which most makers have stopped supplying as basic equipment.
This is a tall phone, with a 6.7” screen, but – incredibly well balanced, even for single-handed use – it feels wonderful in the hand.
The premium casing is crafted from ceramic with a streamlined curve that helps light dance like an optical illusion on the rear case. I’d recommend using a robust case for safety of course, which is a shame because this is such a beautiful looking phone.
As well as looking good, it’s also durable and is IP68 water-and-dust resistant. Powering up the phone brings the impressive AMOLED QHD+ screen to life. The 120Hz display has a pixel density of 525PPI and its superior brightness capability means the display, whatever the conditions, performs brilliantly. That screen and the top-tier Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 chip help this phone whiz through any task you could want to do on a mobile.
The smoothness of scrolling, brightness and clarity of the screen, and raw processing power make the X5 Pro truly a joy to use.
There’s an in-screen fingerprint sensor and you can enrol multiple fingers. So, you could unlock with your thumb or forefinger and enrol a spouse or child who might need access to your phone. There’s also face recognition for unlocking, and clever security options, such as ensuring that eyes must be open to unlock. There are three cameras on the back, a 50MP main, a 50MP ultra-wide and 13MP telephoto. On the front there’s a 32MP with a good fixed-focus field of view of 90°.
Camera modes are comprehensive and include panoramic, portrait and night modes, and even a text-scanner function. There’s a nice long exposure feature, with specific settings for capturing vehicles, clouds or light paintings. Video modes are also excellent, and there’s a dualview video, where front and back cameras are recorded and stitched together in one shot. It’s a really fun and useful feature, ideal for the children’s matches or family events, and the rear camera can be zoomed independently of the front camera.
Overall photo and video quality is second to none, and there is 4K video recording. Colours are rich, night-mode works really well and the assortment of special effects aren’t just gimmicks, producing lovely, memorable shots with just the right dash of arty mystique.
The only let-down on the camera front is perhaps with the 2x telephoto zoom. However, overall camera performance is superb, enhanced by the easy-to-use software, which is a theme throughout the phone’s features.
Battery life is excellent and, given the 80 watt charging, you can plug it in for 15 minutes and get nearly a 50% top-up. You can also charge wirelessly, and it has reverse charging so you can top-up another phone or your wireless earbuds while you’re out and about.
Call quality is excellent too, and the quality of the speakers is so good you can almost achieve a conference-style speaker effect.
The Oppo Find X5 Pro measures up really well against the best that Apple and Samsung have to offer in both performance and functionality. However, its elegant, stylish looks leave most other phones in the dust.