Oppo Find X9 Ultra review
Competition
The Oppo Find X9 Ultra steps onto the global stage with a fitting Ultra price of €1,699. It's a tad pricier than the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Honor Magic8 Pro, but undercuts the vivo X300 Ultra, which is asking €1,999 for the only available 16GB/1TB version, and if you are quick enough, you get some free stuff in some markets, including a tablet.
On paper and in practice, the Find X9 Ultra has all that it takes to be the best Ultra this year. It successfully rivals the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, Galaxy S26 Ultra, and the Honor Magic8 Pro in pretty much every aspect. In fact, it has the longest battery life of the bunch and comparable charging and display.
The vivo X300 Ultra, which we haven't reviewed yet, is the wild card here. It might bring a better camera experience, but it also has a higher price tag. Or it might fail to impress in our lab tests. It's too early to tell, but it's certainly a cameraphone to keep an eye on.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra • Xiaomi 17 Ultra • Honor Magic8 Pro
If the camera quality is what you value the most, then the shortlist is not long - you will have to decide between the Find X9 Ultra, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, and the vivo X300 Ultra. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses as well as post-processing characteristics. One could argue that the X9 Ultra has the upper hand when it comes to zoom, since it has a dedicated 10x telephoto camera, but others might prefer the Xiaomi 17 Ultra's approach with the variable optical zoom. And then you have the vivo's highly-regarded processing, lively colors and exceptional ultrawide camera. If the previous generations and the X300 Pro are of any indication.
vivo X300 Ultra • Oppo Find X9 Pro
There's no definitive answer to which is the best camera phone right now, but if you are spending that much on the latest flagship phone, you should probably hold off a little longer until we have our final verdict on the vivo X300 Ultra and make a more informed decision.
And for those of you looking for a more balanced approach without breaking the bank, but still with a strong emphasis on the camera, consider the Oppo Find X9 Pro. It gets really close to the X9 Ultra while asking a much lower price. It has slightly better battery life, too.
Verdict
In isolation, the Oppo Find X9 Ultra is an excellent piece of tech, albeit pricier than other Ultras. It's not just a great cameraphone, it's a great all-rounder, too. It has an extra-long battery life, fast charging, a great display, although the full 144Hz is rarely utilized, and offers a nice, customizable software experience, which will get about five major upgrades in the future.
However, if video quality is on top of your priority list, that may not be the Find X9 Ultra's forte. Videos are soft-ish across the board, or at least they are not on an "ultra" level.
It's too early to say whether it's the best camera-centric phone in the first half of the year, but it's definitely up there with the best, and honestly, that should be enough. Still, we suggest waiting for all Ultras to hit the market before digging deep into your pockets. But among the big three cameraphones, the gaps are so small that it will probably boil down to preferences regarding design, software, your favorite focal lengths and features more than anything else.
Pros
- IP66/IP68/IP69 rating, comfortable and sturdy design (Tundra Umber version).
- Bright and feature-packed display.
- The camera Quick Button may be useful for some photos, Snap Key is another nice bonus.
- Class-leading battery life, solid fast charging capabilities.
- Supremely capable camera system for stills, day and night - excellent main camera, great zoom action from both telephotos, surprisingly good ultrawide.
- Feature-packed software eligible for 5 years of upgrades.
- Several cool, optional camera-centric accessories available at launch.
Cons
- 144Hz screen refresh rate is almost never utilized.
- GPU stability during prolonged loads leaves more to be desired.
- Videos are a bit soft across the board.
- Pricey at launch.
