This is the brand-new OPPO Find X9 Pro. How did OPPO manage to achieve results that rival and even surpass the Ultra, within such a restrained camera module? How much of an improvement can the debut of the Dimensity 9500, paired with the new Architecture, bring to the experience? And how will the new ColorOS 16 improve upon the highly acclaimed version 15? Let’s give you the answers right away with hands-on photos and tests.
Design and Screen
Among the three color options, we got the ‘Light Red’ for the Pro model and the ‘Titanium’ for the standard model. The back cover isn’t your typical frosted glass; it uses a ‘fused sand’ process that gives off a metallic sheen. This nano-level polishing perfectly balances aesthetic consistency with a fine, skin-friendly texture. The deco, encased in high-gloss metal, can’t hide the sense of refinement brought by the precision cold-carving process. The balanced weight distribution of the pro model and the micro-curved transition of the metal mid-frame make the in-hand feel surpass the average for its class.
A more direct visual shock comes when the screen lights up. The black bezels of this 6.78-inch 1.5K screen are a terrifyingly slim 1.15 millimeters. As a breath of fresh air in the world of smartphone design, what score would you give the Find X9 series? Since we’re on the topic of the screen, we also ran some simple tests for you. This time, both sizes are completely flat screens. The Find X9 has a PPI of 460, while the Pro has a PPI of 450.
In our tests, the maximum manual full-screen brightness for both phones is over 800 nits, with a peak brightness of 1900 nits. This performance, whether from a physical standpoint or in horizontal comparison, is quite impressive. And for those who need eye protection, this generation is also very considerate. Not only can it achieve a brightness as low as 1 nit, but it also ensures brightness and color consistency in low-light conditions. It can be said to be one of the few eye-care technologies that also focuses on display quality.
Performance & Gaming tests
We’ve previously analyzed the architecture and theoretical performance of the Dimensity 9500, which powers the entire Find X9 series. To put it simply, it’s a product of a steady CPU upgrade from the Dimensity 9400 and a significant focus on developing the GPU. The L3 cache is generous, and the ray tracing performance takes off. Calling it the Dimensity 9500 X3D doesn’t seem wrong either. We’ve listed the other specs in a table for your reference.
I’m sure you, like us, are more curious about the real-world performance of the Find X9 series. So let’s get straight to the tests. First is Geekbench 6. The X9 Pro scored 3440 in single-core and broke 10,000 in multi-core. The standard Find X9 scored 3360 in single-core and 9738 in multi-core. Next is 3DMark Solar Bay Light. The X9 Pro achieved a staggering score of 3277, and the smaller X9 got 3190.
Alright, let’s move on to the gaming tests. Playing a ranked match of Honor of Kings at the highest frame rate and ultimate graphics. Of course, the frame rate is as steady as a rock. The X9 Pro kept its power consumption at 3.34W, while the X9 used only 2.3W. The front and back temperatures of the X9 Pro were very close, around 35.4 degrees Celsius, outperforming the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, which is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 and is slightly larger. The temperature and power consumption of the smaller X9 are also surprisingly good: 33.5 degrees on the front, 32.7 degrees on the back.
Running around the map in Genshin Impact at the highest settings, it also easily maxed out the frame rate. The X9 Pro’s power consumption was 3.91W, with a maximum front temperature of 41.4 degrees Celsius. The X9’s power consumption was 3.83W, with a maximum temperature of only 38.9 degrees. In comparison, the Snapdragon-powered Xiaomi 17 Pro Max’s power consumption is clearly a notch below. Fortunately, its temperature control is decent.
Now, for the notoriously demanding test scene, Honkai: Star Rail. Due to our relatively strict testing standards, no contender could maintain a full frame rate in the map-running test at max settings. Among all the devices, the one with the best data was actually the standard X9. An average frame rate of 53.5 fps and an average power consumption of 5.89W. Combined with the high maximum front temperature of 48.8 degrees, you can see it gets more aggressive in high-pressure scenarios. The larger X9 Pro, on the other hand, is a bit more conservative.
An average frame rate of 50.7 fps comes in exchange for power consumption as low as 5.58W, and the temperature isn’t too high either, around 46.4 degrees Celsius. It can be said that it sacrifices a little bit of frame rate, but it’s significantly better for the user experience and battery life.
In comparison, the neighboring Xiaomi 17 Pro Max with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 has an average frame rate of 48.2 fps and power consumption of 7.39W. The front of the phone reached a high of 50.5 degrees Celsius.
Battery
This time, the entire Find X9 series is equipped with 80W wired charging and 50W wireless charging. In our test, the X9 Pro charged to 19% in 10 minutes, 33% in 20 minutes, and took 1 hour and 17 minutes to fully charge while in use. A complete charge took 1 hour and 28 minutes. The X9 charged to 21% in 10 minutes, 37% in 20 minutes, took 1 hour and 4 minutes to fully charge while in use, and a complete charge took 1 hour and 19 minutes.
And these are with huge batteries of 7025mAh and 7500mAh, respectively. After our battery life loop test, the Find X9 lasted for 11 hours and 42 minutes, ranking among the top on our list, far surpassing many larger models. The Pro version achieved a staggering battery life of 12 hours and 38 minutes. It currently ranks third on our battery life leaderboard. It seems a lot of effort went into optimizing the battery life, which deserves praise.
Camera
Alright, let’s first go over the camera setup this time. First, for the telephoto, it debuts Samsung’s latest HP5. 200 million pixels are housed on a 1/1.56-inch sensor. Combined with the effective 70mm floating lens group and an F/2.1 ultra-large aperture, the Find X9 Pro theoretically has the largest light intake among telephoto lenses in current large-model flagships. It also beefs up the macro capabilities. Even after cropping, the image quality is still better than the previous generation’s native 6x focal length. And that’s not all. Being able to capture 200-megapixel images is just the beginning.
OPPO also used its own LUMO engine to introduce the first 200-megapixel multi-frame fusion algorithm, completing primary image data processing and making clear even clearer.
The new Sony LYT-828 sensor supports instantaneous triple exposure. While greatly upgrading the dynamic range, it also captures multi-functional frames to ensure stable fusion. This both improves image quality and enhances imaging performance in various complex scenes. The smaller Find X9 doesn’t disappoint in the camera department either.
The main camera is upgraded to the LYT-808, paired with a large F/1.6 aperture, which increases the light intake in the 23mm field of view by 50%. The 73mm periscope telephoto is even more generous. It uses a 1/1.95-inch LYT-600 sensor and an F/2.6 inverted periscope lens group.
While noise control is excellent, the light intake has surged by 81% compared to the previous generation. It’s not an exaggeration to say this camera setup is the strongest among standard models currently available. Besides the main imaging lenses, the Find X9 series also brings some unique imaging tools that competitors don’t have.
The highly acclaimed single-pixel native dual ISO from the Ultra is not only present across the entire series, but it has been further enhanced to work in synergy with the global multi-spectral sensor. It also covers different scenarios like Live Photos and videos, making color reproduction more accurate and universal. No matter when or where, when you open the camera and look back at the photos, the colors are faithfully restored.
The new zoom flash covers the focal lengths needed for portraits, and its higher peak brightness allows for different lighting adjustments from wide-angle to telephoto. It not only illuminates your beauty but also sets the right atmosphere in various environments. Alright, that’s it for the spec analysis. Next up is a showcase of sample photos from various real-world scenarios. The main improvement, the 200-megapixel telephoto, is our primary focus.
We also took many photos with the 200MP camera. They are rich in detail and vivid in presentation. The notion that 200 megapixels are useless is debunked by these photos. What’s more, the 200MP camera, enhanced by the LUMO engine, further boosts the image’s dynamic range and resolution. The OPPO Find X9 Pro makes 200 megapixels not just useful, but easy to use.
At this point, I guess some viewers will ask, ‘A single photo is 40-50MB. Who in their right mind shoots in 200MP every day?’ So, rather than the maximum pixel count, we think a more practical feature is its automatic resolution adjustment. When you check the info of the photos in your phone’s gallery, you’ll find they are all uniformly 12.5 megapixels. This simplistic approach, to some extent, wastes the sensor’s resolution. But the X9 Pro is very smart. It can automatically switch between three modes—12.5MP, 25MP, and 50MP—based on the lighting conditions.
When there’s enough light to saturate every pixel, choosing a high-pixel mode to retain more information is very reasonable. But in low-light scenes, ensuring light intake becomes the top priority. In this case, it should switch to the lower-pixel 4-in-1 or 9-in-1 binning. In practice, in most bright weather conditions, the X9 Pro is the one that’s relatively clearer. And in low-light scenes, although both are 12.5 megapixels. the larger sensor and aperture make the Find X9 Pro’s images often more natural and clean. I thought the improvements in clarity would end here.
Unexpectedly, the Find X9 series also upgraded Live Photo. Yes, that legendary Live Photo that was already a champion in the last generation. OPPO has increased its Live Photo resolution to 4K. While other brands are still figuring out dynamic HDR and 2.7K resolution, OPPO has taken another step forward by using 4K Open Gate.
Hey, when we talk about OPPO’s camera flagships, how can we ignore Hasselblad? First to receive a huge upgrade is the XPAN mode. This unique wide-aspect-ratio imaging mode often produces amazing results in photo creation. The unique color style and retro shooting experience, originating from Hasselblad, have won the hearts of many enthusiasts.
This time, the revamped XPAN interface and five new film styles take the shooting experience to the next level. The imaging animation when you press the shutter button instantly enhances the emotional value of the moment. With the help of the LUMO engine, XPAN can also output 25-megapixel photos full of detail. At the same time, you can also use it to shoot Live Photos, instantly giving your memories a cinematic feel. Perhaps no matter how much we say, it’s not as good as experiencing it for yourself.
PRO mode has also been upgraded this time. The straight-out-of-camera image tone from Master mode in auto is already very high quality. But for players with more creative ideas, 16-bit RAW Max and JPEG Max were made for you. One leaves plenty of room for post-processing, while the other balances image quality and file size. These photos were all taken using PRO mode. What do you think? Not bad, right? In the past, people would occasionally complain about OPPO’s neglect of video recording, but this time, the X9 Pro’s performance is definitely a thoughtful creation that listened to everyone’s feedback.
Phones that support 4K 120fps recording are not common even now, but what if I told you it can shoot 4K 120fps in HDR? What’s even more exaggerated is that the Find X9 Pro has also developed Master Tone 4K 120fps 10-bit video recording. The LOG-based high-quality encoding and dynamic range mean professional video creation on a smartphone is no longer just Apple’s privilege.
The newly added non-linear zoom curve allows even non-professional users to perceive the progress in video recording. The smooth transitions between lenses make the zooming experience rival that of the iPhone. This might be even more strongly felt by Android users.
Software – ColorOS 16
The reputation of ColorOS 15 is surely witnessed by all. To upgrade from that, ColorOS 16 had better bring something new to the table. In terms of the most intuitive UI design, OPPO has managed to maintain its own style while drawing inspiration from Apple’s advanced features. The new ‘light field design’ gives natural elements a traceable logic, moving away from being purely flat. Icons everywhere are made more three-dimensional and detailed through simulated lighting on their colors.
The traditional blue-background-white-icon in the control center has been upgraded to a more intuitive white-background-color-icon design. The glass-morphic widgets and buttons on the lock screen, home screen, etc., exude taste and sophistication. A new Live Depth lock screen has been added, allowing the unlocking process to showcase personality.
This time, ColorOS 16’s animations have rebuilt the animations for all scenarios based on the previous generation. The curves are comfortable and responsive, all following the intuitive logic of ‘from whence it came, it shall return’. And it’s not just for the home screen and system apps; this time, the silky smooth animations even extend to third-party apps. As adaptations progress, this system will surely become smoother with use.
And for those users who can’t escape or let go of the Apple ecosystem, check out OPPO’s special interconnectivity service. Users who carry both an iPhone and an OPPO phone can use the OPPO Find X9 to answer calls from their iPhone. This means features like call blocking and the Breeno assistant answering calls can also be used. Remotely controlling a phone from a Mac is nothing new, but being able to open five phone apps simultaneously seems to be something even Apple’s own system can’t do.
As for accessories like AirPods and Apple Watch, ColorOS 16 has also been adapted to provide a near-native experience. Apple users no longer have to worry about feeling out of place when switching to Android.
Based on AI capabilities, the Photos app has also received many upgrades. Putting aside the more intuitive interface and more beautiful layout. AI Portrait Fill Light not only salvages shots but also saves you money on photo editing subscriptions. AI smart image search can quickly take you to the photo you want, saving you the step of searching. AI Live Slow-motion lets Live Photos replay in a cinematic style. Outside of the Photos app, the Breeno assistant’s interface has also been refreshed. The light effects flowing along the screen and the layout of the buttons below do look advanced. Of course, you may have already noticed.
This time, the Find X9 series has completely retained the ‘Flash Memo’ button from the X8 Ultra. The purpose is to welcome a more capable and user-friendly Breeno assistant on more models. On ColorOS 16, Breeno can not only summarize videos and organize collections, but it can also remember your personal information and preferences through past conversations to generate your unique ‘Impression Profile’. Making future responses and actions understand you better. As a major highlight of this ColorOS upgrade, the application of AI on the phone can be said to be richer and more proactive.
Final Verdict
Okay, looking at the whole picture, I wonder what you all think. Is the upgrade of the Find X9 series significant enough, and is its performance impressive? A 200MP telephoto, 4K 120fps HDR video recording, a 7500mAh large battery, extremely narrow screen bezels, a large-size motor, and NFC. With such outstanding camera capabilities, to create a design that doesn’t interfere with daily grip while also packing in a balanced configuration that considers other performance aspects. It can be said that the Find X9 Pro is here to steal business from the Ultra next door.
And the smaller Find X9, building on the good reputation of its predecessor, has made up for many shortcomings. Such as a large battery, a high-pixel telephoto, an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, and so on. Not blindly following the smaller size, but pursuing a balanced experience that includes the in-hand feel. With the support of the more user-friendly ColorOS 16, the Find X9 will likely sell better than last year’s sales legend, the X8 standard version.
