Hands-on review: OPPO Find X3 Pro

OPPO has been developing new products at an incredible rate, and each iteration seems to raise the bar even higher. It came as no surprise to me that Consumer NZ rated them so highly in 2020, adding that they set a standard for their competitors to strive for.  The Find X3 Pro has a juicy set of specs. After a week of playing with some of the features, they have hooked me.. again!

A few minutes after typing the preceding paragraph, my OPPO (well, mine at least until they prise it from my cold dead hands!) is up and running, with the only issue being me forgetting my OPPO password. Resetting it took a shorter time than for my memory to kick in and remind me where I'd left it.

Already I'm admiring the smooth feel, the sexy curves and the bezel-less screen. I've opted for face recognition, as I never get tired of going into my version of "Blue Steel," which my darling wife refers to as "Balsa Wood." I love the easy process with which we can now clone our phones as we move onto the next exciting iteration. Who else remembers the bad old days of panicked calls to vendors, ISPs and your techy mate from school? Oh, yes, that was me!

I've run into one …er.. issue with the phone.  I decided to see how it handles Netflix and kind of forgot I was supposed to be reviewing. The video quality is stunning, with incredible definition and good sound quality. Frankly, it's better than our admittedly ageing telly. I've just paused a frame in the movie I'm watching and Rachel Weisz looks almost three dimensional. Frankly, I'm dreading heading outside to take photographs. You may have to send out search parties.

Checking out the Ookla 5G coverage map, New Zealand is making progress, but the closest 5G coverage for me means a drive to Te Awamutu.  Checking with my provider, I see that a phone must first connect to 4G before it can connect to 5G, meaning the initial coverage is NSA or Non-Stand-Alone. In the meantime, while we patiently wait to see 5G's potential, we can make use of the stunning capabilities of the Find X3 Pro.

I have just started playing with the microscope setting on the camera, which takes a bit of practice but delivers superb results. The secret is to angle up slightly from the bottom. It will keep me amused for hours.

The "Text Scanner" mode works brilliantly with practice, requiring holding the phone steadily and at the right angle to capture the page of text.

I have been side-tracked again by playing with the video capabilities, choosing my favourite subject, me!  If a camera can make me look that good, you know it has to be of superlative quality. I have been exploring a video editing app called Soloop, and while I haven't yet figured how to duck my music overlays, I am impressed with how fast the Oppo Find X3 Pro rendered my edits. The 8 core processor, coupled with 128GB of RAM,  gives this device the computing power that will leave quite a few desktops and laptops languishing far behind.

I could easily have written a review just about the brains of this device, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G Mobile Platform. Qualcomm describes this as a new class of technology, transforming your device into "a professional-quality camera, intelligent personal assistant, and elite gaming rig—all connected with truly global 5G multi-gigabit speeds to deliver the premium experiences you deserve." I can't wait for 5G to be here properly so that we can fully utilise the capabilities of this exceptional new device.

Priced at $1899, the OPPO Find X3 Pro is competitively priced compared with other smartphone brands on the market. I must go. It's raining and I want to photograph a raindrop using the "microscope" function. I may be some time.

Quick stats:

• 1 Billion Colour Dual Primary Cameras
• 1 Billion Colour Display
• 10-bit Full-path Colour Engine
• Futuristic Curved Design
• 65W SuperVOOC Flash Charge
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 Mobile Platform
• 5G Ready