Oppo Find X9 Ultra review
Design and hardware
The Oppo Find X9 Ultra adopts a new look but retains the huge circular camera bump on the back. Oppo retires the glass back design and replaces it with a combination of vegan leather and aluminum. It's not a dual-tone design, but the metal strip that goes across the bottom half of the device gives it a distinct look and feel.
The Find X9 Ultra is also more blocky this time around with a flat side frame and flat front and back panels.
Even though it's a bulky and hefty phone, tipping the scale at 236 grams and measuring 9.1mm in thickness (8.65mm for the Canyon Orange version), it feels surprisingly light, yet sturdy in hand. The vegan leather finish on the back helps with the grip.
The device is offered in two colors - Tundra Umber and Canyon Orange. We are in possession of the former. According to Oppo's official specs, the Canyon Orange is just a tad slimmer than the Tundra Umber variant. That's somewhat expected given that the Canyon Orange paint job features a fiber-reinforced plastic back and not vegan leather and metal.
The Find X9 Ultra is touted as exceptionally durable, too. The device carries IP66, IP68, and IP69 certifications against water and dust. Oppo also claims it's now more resistant to drops thanks to the company's so-called Armor Shield architecture. The front panel is protected by a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 sheet.
Oppo Find X9 Ultra
Going around the sides, we find more than one extra button. In addition to the volume rocker and the power button on the right, Oppo included an orange accent Quick Button. The Quick Button can be customized, but it's primarily used to quickly launch the camera, while a double press takes a picture. It's a pressure-sensitive button that also supports swiping. You can, for example, adjust the focal length by swiping.
Quick Button
There's another Action-like button on the left side called Snap Key (also known as Plus Key on OnePlus phones), which is customizable and can act as a shortcut to certain apps or features.
Snap Key
The SIM card tray is located at the bottom, right next to the USB-C port. It can hold up to two physical SIM cards, but if you use eSIM, only one can remain active. There's also the IR blaster located on the top side of the frame.
We had zero issues with the ultrasonic fingerprint reader, and pretty much all buttons around the frame are conveniently placed.
All in all, we are fans of the design. The Tundra Umber variant stands out quite a bit with its camera-centric look - it also feels sturdy and provides a nice grip.
