Oppo Find X7 Ultra is a Gorgeous Phone that Gives the Full Package

Oppo has introduced the OPPO Find X7 Ultra, a new flagship phone with two periscope cameras, a global first. While periscope cameras are already fairly prevalent in some of the top phones, having two of them in a single rear-camera array is novel due to the components and lens stacking required to get them to operate while keeping telephoto camera modules from protruding too far out of a phone’s back.

Oppo’s HyperTone Camera System (more on that later) promises rapid shooting, flexible optical zooming, AI advancements, and a “pro-grade” Master Mode option as part of the brand’s collaboration with camera experts Hasselblad.

It’s only available in China right now, but loyal Oppo fans may simply import one if the amazing camera and sleek design entice them. And with these specifications, it’s a definite possibility. Oppo has packed everything into this gadget, making it truly deserving of the Ultra name.

I’d like to see this phone become more widely available, but it appears that it will remain in China, as Oppo has not revealed plans to introduce it to international markets. This means that if you purchase one, you will have to go through some hoops to gain access to Google’s Play Store, and you will be left with some untranslated software aspects.

I wanted to see if it was worth the bother, as well as how it compared to camera-focused flagships that have arrived in Europe, like the Vivo X100 Pro. So, after using it as my main device for nearly a week, here’s what I discovered.

Oppo Find X7 Ultra Key Feature

The Find X6 Pro’s camera technology was already cutting-edge, but extra reach is never a bad thing, and the X7 Ultra’s second telephoto camera offers 6x zoom while maintaining a 50MP sensor. But it’s not only about reach; this camera is also good for closeups, and an upgrade to that effect has made its way into the 3x periscope as well – Oppo defines the minimum focusing distance as 35cm and 25cm.

The primary camera was already a 1″ sensor, so there isn’t much to improve there, however, Xiaomi is already working on a second-generation Ultra with an adjustable aperture on its one-inch main camera, whereas the Find’s aperture is fixed at f/1.8. The ultrawide is a bit of a sidestep, as the latest model reduces sensor size while increasing coverage. Naturally, we’ll go deeper into the camera setup later in the review.

We mentioned the chipset upgrade, and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is in charge – as opposed to the ‘vanilla’ X7, which gets the big-core-only Dimensity 9300 (also found in the Vivo X100 and X100 Pro). Memory configurations begin with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and increase to twice the storage and 16GB of RAM – nothing too insane. Oppo’s approach to battery capacity is similarly limited; the X7 Ultra remains at 5,000mAh, even though a handful of its relatives have received additional mAhs this year. No change might also be a good thing, such as the 100W charging capability.

OPPO FIND X7 ULTRA UNBOXING

The Find X7 Ultra comes in a standard-sized package with a few accessories inside, as much as you could reasonably anticipate from a mainstream model in 2024. For starters, the package includes not just a cable (USB-A-to-C), but also an adaptor. It’s rated at 100W, but there’s an asterisk: you’ll need a 220V outlet to max it out; if you just have 110V, you’ll receive 80W.

A case is also included, which is about as cheap-looking as the phone itself is luxury. We’d only use it in extreme circumstances when nothing else would suffice to defend the Find. Even if you try to keep the phone more inconspicuous, the camera bump is impossible to hide.

CAMERAS 

The Oppo Find X7 Ultra has some serious camera hardware, as seen by its massive camera bump adorned with bold Hasselblad branding.

Around the back, there are four 50MP sensors. The main sensor is the new Sony LYT-900, a stacked 1-inch sensor. This means it is more sensitive to light than its predecessor, consumes less battery, and remains one of the biggest sensors found in any smartphone. The aperture is f/1.8, and the focal length is equivalent to 23mm.

The huge main sensor is accompanied by an f/2.0 14mm ultrawide, an f/2.6 65mm zoom, and an f/4.3 135mm telephoto. The other sensors are quite modest, but the 65mm (3x) is still fairly large at 1/1.56-inch. The punch-hole selfie camera boasts a 32MP resolution, an f/2.4 aperture, and autofocus.

These cameras can produce amazing photographs, and each lens’ color rendition is very consistent. The main camera is remarkably similar to that of the Vivo X100 Pro and the Find X6 Pro.

So this generational shift is modest. In principle, enhanced light sensitivity should allow for faster shutter speeds in low-light situations, but in practice, the difference is unlikely to be noticeable.

The 3x telephoto lens was impressive to me. It boasts one of the largest sensors of any periscope camera, and the results are excellent. The extended focal length provides natural compression, while the wide aperture and huge sensor generate authentic bokeh. In some lighting situations, images from this camera might easily be mistaken for those taken with a professional mirrorless camera rather than a smartphone.

The ultrawide and 6x have less “wow factor,” but they are still quite capable and valuable focal lengths to have in your arsenal. Oppo’s superb picture processing, developed in partnership with Hasselblad, guarantees that you receive natural, lifelike colors and excellent dynamic range across the board.

The selfie camera is also solid. I was quite thrilled to see autofocus, as it is still uncommon on premium devices, though the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Pixel 8 Pro are aiming to change this. In practice, this means that your selfies will always be sharp, whether you’re alone or with others. You also have three zoom settings to pick from in the camera app, which might be useful if you’re attempting to fit the entire team into the frame.

The portrait mode works well with both humans and animals, and I was amazed by how accurately it cuts around wisps of hair. It will still make mistakes from time to time, but it is one of the better portrait settings, and it will also perform reasonably well with fast-moving subjects.

At night, the large main sensor and 3x are the best options because they can reduce motion blur with their larger sensors. However, with night mode enabled, all lenses perform admirably, with plenty of detail and minimal noise.

All cameras can capture video at up to 4K 60fps, but there is no 8K option. The video stabilization works well, and the mics sound fantastic.

The main camera software is fairly photo-centric, and it lacked a few video capabilities that I’ve come to expect on camera-focused flagships, such as the ability to link a Bluetooth microphone. Still, the movies look amazing, and most users will not be looking for these advanced features.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

I believe the Oppo Find X7 Ultra is one of the most visually appealing smartphones ever created. Of course, style is subjective, and it will not appeal to everyone, but I adore the design of this phone.

I was sent the Ocean Blue colorway for testing, which features a navy vegan leather covering on the lower section of the phone and a high-gloss white finish on the top. In the center, there is a large circular camera array finished in metallic silver. It’s a pretty nautical style that reminds me of a high-end yacht. With a moniker like Ocean Blue, Oppo was most likely aiming for exactly this.

Sepia Brown is a similar colorway, but it replaces the Navy leather-effect area with a brown one, which looks as impressive. The Tailored Black option, on the other hand, is a little less showy. On that variant, everything, including the camera array, is black or dark grey. Very professional, but a little less thrilling.

It’s a large phone, weighing roughly 221 grams, yet it’s comfortable to carry. The phone’s front and back have curved edges, which make it appear smaller than it is. Resting my forefinger on the edge of the huge camera bump also helped me keep it in place.

On the left-hand side, there is an alert slider similar to the one on the OnePlus 12, which allows you to swiftly switch to silent mode when necessary. It has three positions, the first of which is termed VIP mode, which turns off the phone’s cameras and microphone. This could be useful if you are a secret agent.

The phone has an IP68 designation for dust and water protection, which is about as high as it gets. So you may enjoy taking photos at the beach without fear of ruining them. The Oppo Find X7 Ultra features a 1440×3168 high-resolution display. It’s also one of the brightest panels available, with a maximum brightness of 4500 nits. In typical use, it won’t come close, but it’s bright enough to compete with sunshine, even if you’re hiking through the Sahara.

It has curved edges, yet the curve is tighter than most. The great majority of the time, it feels nearly like a flat display, and only when you use gesture navigation to pull from the edges can you truly interact with the curve. I think this is a good compromise because it still makes the phone look and feel thinner, but it also means I have fewer inadvertent encounters with the curved areas of the display.

The panel supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+; unfortunately, Netflix refused to play in HDR on my test device since it had the necessary DRM certification. However, you can record videos in Dolby Vision using the native camera app, so it is still useful.

In applications where HDR works as intended, like YouTube, the view is spectacular. The OLED panel provides the incredible contrast we’ve come to expect, and the highlights can be so bright that you practically grimace. It’s quite stunning.

There is a lot of flexibility when it comes to changing the colour rendition. The OS has three settings to choose from – Natural, Pro, and Vivid – and allows you to adjust the temperature and hue of each using a color wheel. There are further eye-care solutions available, as well as an image sharpening and SDR to HDR conversion to improve the appearance of lower-quality sources.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

The Oppo Find X7 Ultra was released with Android 14 preinstalled, supplemented by a layer of ColorOS, also at version 14.

Oppo’s update strategy for the Find X7 Ultra includes four major OS updates and five years of security patches, which is identical to the program for the Find X6 Pro.

The Find is unique in that it is on the Chinese software branch, which means it comes preinstalled with a distinct set of apps, as well as certain China-specific behavior in a few areas such as permission management and Google app support. For what it’s worth, we were able to uninstall almost all of the Chinese apps, as well as several of the global in-house apps, creating a more cosmopolitan appearance.

However, the granular method in which Find X7 Ultra handles permissions, always asking you for this or that exact one, will remain – which might be a good or bad thing depending on your perspective. A Chinese-language dialog window may appear on occasion. You cannot ignore the lack of Google Location history.

A number of the AI services advertised by Oppo, such as the Breeno smart assistant and its several incarnations, are similarly of limited use to Western users, at least with our limited understanding of the Chinese language (which is nearly non-existent).

The frequent encounters with the VIP mode, which is triggered by boosting the alert slider to the topmost level, may have been unique to this reviewer. That happened more than time by accident, leaving him GPS-less in the middle of a trek – not a dealbreaker in and of itself, but an annoyance that cannot be adjusted in settings because there is no setting menu for the slider’s behavior.

The point is that if you gray-import the Find X7 Ultra, you may have to learn to live with its software, but it will not always be a seamless process.

Buy it if...

• One of the most impressive camera systems to date.
• Unique luxury design.
• Charging is faster than major competitors.

Don't buy it if…

• Official availability is limited to China, and software reflects this.
• Battery life is little behind the curve.
• The ultrawide camera is somewhat of a downgrade.

FULL SPECIFICATION