OPPO Find X5 Pro review: is this the one you want?
OPPO is back with the annual renewal of its Find X series of smartphones. The Find X5 Pro launched in Australia in April and builds on the momentum of the Find X3 Pro.
7NEWS reviews the Find X5 Pro. OPPO has provided us with a device for testing purposes, but this has not affected our opinion of the product.
Our reviews always remain independent of the manufacturer; the first time they see the study is when you read it. Could you keep reading to find out what we think?
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How do I get it, and what does it cost?
OPPO Find X5 Pro is now available for $1,799 in Ceramic white and glaze black.
Retailers include Vodafone, Telstra, Optus, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys, Wireless1, Woolworths Mobile, Catch, Kogan, TeleChoice, Amazon, Mobileciti, Bing Lee, and Australia Post.
Who is it good for?
If you’ve been eyeing a phone upgrade but aren’t sure which one to buy, you’re in for a treat. Flagship or premium smartphones have reached a point where it’s hard to get that decision wrong.
It just comes down to what you want your phone to do well. OPPO Find X5 Pro has firmly anchored its purpose in smartphone photography with several AI smarts, including an in-house developed imaging chip (much like Apple and Google already offer).
How does it work?
OPPO’s Find X5 Pro is perhaps the most beautifully designed smartphone today. While all smartphones in this price range have a full-screen display that usually spills over the edge, it’s all about what’s on the back.
The Glaze Black version I tested, coated in a tough ceramic material, is stunning…if it doesn’t have fingerprints. Since it is a mirrored finish, there will be streaks if you use the Pro without a case. Thankfully, OPPO is nice enough to include a rather premium-looking purple case in the box, a fast charger (hello!), and a charging cable.
Check out the Ceramic White version if you’re game enough not to put a case on the Find X5 Pro and don’t want to wipe fingerprints off constantly.
Back on the front, there’s a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with the selfie camera in the top left corner. It may just be me, but I wish OPPO had centered this to give more symmetry, like Google’s Pixel 6 and Samsung’s Galaxy S22 range.
It’s a very good display from OPPO with a sharp, responsive display that shows off deep blacks and vibrant colors. The fingerprint sensor is behind the screen and is fast and reliable.
The photography chops are where OPPO is making huge strides with three lenses on the back (50MP main, 50MP ultra-wide angle, and 13MP telephoto). Against the Galaxy S22 Ultra and the Pixel 6 Pro, the Find X5 Pro does well, especially in well-lit scenarios for both the main and ultra-wide cameras.
When it comes to night photography, there are some improvements here, too – with OPPO’s darling being able to brighten up the scene dramatically. Almost too much where it looks a bit fake for my taste. But you can dig that.
There’s more detail at night than Google’s excellent Pixel 6 Pro, but OPPO can’t match what Apple is bringing to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. But I’d say the Find X5 Pro is one of the best cameras on an Android smartphone right now.
The weakness in the camera department is the telephoto lens, where only 2x optical zoom is available compared to what can be achieved with, say, the Galaxy S22 Ultra (10x zoom). But again, this comes down to what you want from your smartphone and whether zooming in on things in the distance is a decision.
Regarding the video, OPPO Find X5 Pro can record at 4K 60 fps with fairly good stabilization. It gets even better if you drop the resolution down a few pins.
The Find X5 Pro runs on the latest Android 12 with ColorOS. It offers some extra customizations not included with stock Android and some nice ‘Always On’ display options. You will also have no problems when it comes to the responsiveness of the software.
The battery is also very good, and I have not had any issues with the phone lasting all day. When I needed a charge, the rather crazy 80W fast charger would charge me about 50 percent in 12 minutes. By the way, that charger is included in the box — which can’t be said of most other manufacturers in the flagship space.
In comparison, iPhone 13 Pro Max charges at 20W, Pixel 6 Pro at 23W, and Galaxy S22 Ultra at 45W. It’s not a close race at all.
What we think
Last year’s Find X3 Pro was one of our favorite phones from 2021, and OPPO has built on this with plenty of improvements across the board, including mobile photography.
Simply put, the Find X5 Pro is one of the best Android phones of the year and ticks all the boxes you could want in a smartphone, from a pretty nice design, a fantastic display, responsive software, extremely fast charging, and great cameras.
There’s not much to distinguish, except for the lack of real zoom capabilities – and that’s not important to me personally. That would be the only reason to look at something else like Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra.
But if you’re not too fond of shooting remotely, the Find X5 Pro is one of the best phones I’ve tested.