Oppo Find X2 Pro review: Premium in every sense

Those seeking the biggest and most sophisticated Android smartphones will find no end of options, from the usual suspects - the likes of Samsung and Google - to the surprise packages often released by OnePlus.

Much like fellow Chinese manufacturer OnePlus, Oppo has traditionally either aimed to crack the mid-market or attract the price-conscious. The Find X2 Pro, however, is as overtly premium as they come, rivalling the likes of the Samsung S20 Ultra, and the solid (albeit underwhelming) Google Pixel 4 XL. With ordinarily outstanding Huawei devices all but neutered for the time being, meanwhile, Oppo will be hoping to capitalise with its latest mega-sized and 5G-ready flagship.

Oppo Find X2 Pro review: Design

We were supplied with the black iteration of the Oppo Find X2 Pro, laser-cut from high-density ceramic, although the device is also available in a snazzy, orange vegan leather variety. Despite a classy Galaxy-esque dual curved-edge panel, the Find X2 Pro fails to dazzle against the likes of the Product RED Apple iPhone 11.

The device features a front-facing camera hidden in the top-left corner of the display, alongside three lenses organised in a column on the rear. Volume buttons feature on the left-side of the device, with a power button opposite. There’s sadly no room for a 3.5mm headphone jack, with just one USB-C port fitted on the base. The design can be interpreted as minimalist, in essence, but verges on overly-simplistic and exudes more of a traditional and understated ‘business’ feel than most handsets.

That said, this device feels as premium to hold as it does to look at, packing a real punch thanks in part to being among the heaviest smartphones out there at 217g. This is alongside being among the largest, with the 6.7in goliath exceeded only by the 6.9in Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. Even the 6.8in Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ is a shade more compact. This translates to a level of impracticality that may be difficult for many users to get past, particularly women and those without large pockets.

Oppo Find X2 Pro review: Display

With a sharp 1,440 x 3168 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate, the Oppo Find X2 Pro’s whopping 6.7in OLED display is as easy on the eye as it is razor-sharp. At 519ppi, its resolution is also as crisp as you’d expect for an expansive high-end device, marginally sharper than most competing flagships.

However, while the panel dazzles at first glance, testing leaves a little to be desired. With a brightness of 476cd/m2, the Oppo Find X2 Pro is bright, albeit leagues away from the Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, which registered 715cd/m2, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max, which has a 758cd/m2 brightness. Both devices, meanwhile, boast 96.2% and 97.9% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut respectively, with the Find X2 Pro by way of comparison measuring 93.2%.

Although these differences are modest, colours do appear washed out unless you kick the display into ‘vivid’ mode. Video playback, however, is otherwise exquisite, in part due to the 120Hz refresh rate and Oppo’s O1 Ultra Vision Engine, which serves as an on/off toggle that gives videos an HDR makeover. We were impressed to find this actually makes a difference to video quality and vibrancy, allowing for smoother frame rates as well as deeper blacks.

Users can otherwise take advantage of an array of toggles to adjust the display, from automatic brightness to a dark mode that can be scheduled based on the time of day. This comes alongside a slider to adjust the warmth of your display, and an AI-powered Natural Tone Display trigger that automates tone based on your surroundings. Beyond the ‘vivid’ display mode, which we’d recommend, users can activate ‘gentle’ and ‘cinematic’ modes.

Oppo Find X2 Pro review: Hardware and performance

The Oppo Find X2 Pro’s 7nm octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 mobile CPU is as high-end a chip as they come, combining with 12GB RAM and 512GB of drive capacity to form a top-of-the-range configuration.

Our Geekbench 5 testing reflected this, with the Snapdragon 865 chip holding its own against the Samsung Exynos 990 and Apple A13 Bionic chips, widely considered among the best mobile CPUs available. With a single-threaded score of 908, the Oppo marginally underperformed against the Galaxy’s S20 Ultra, which scored 948, although both trail behind the iPhone 11 Pro Max’s nigh-unbeatable score of 1332. A staggering multi-threaded result of 3326, however, conquers both, with S20 Ultra scoring 2869 and the iPhone 11 Pro Max registering 3157.

A battery life of 18hrs 16mins, meanwhile, falls marginally short of comparable flagships, with the Galaxy Note 10+, for example, lasting 19hrs 56mins, The X2 Pro still sits in a category above the disappointing 15hrs 7mins of the Google Pixel 4 XL, though. Indeed, it’s a solid result, with the operating system also providing an array of battery-saving settings to finetune power usage, as well as a ‘high performance’ toggle for more heavy-duty tasks.

Oppo Find X2 Pro review: Camera

The vertical three-lens camera configuration fitted into the Find X2 Pro is about as sharp as any available, chiefly comprising a primary wide-angle 48MP lens and ultrawide 48MP lens. These work together with a 13MP periscope telephoto lens to provide 10x hybrid zoom or up to x60 digital zoom. This is in addition to a 32MP front-facing camera embedded into the top-left corner of the display.

While it’s an impressive array, the Find X2 Pro doesn’t quite reach the sophistication of four-lens configurations fitted into Samsung and Huawei handsets renowned for providing industry-leading mobile photography. Regardless, the device can produce a set of brilliant photographs, taking advantage of software-based additions such as HDR and AI-based colour dazzle, which overlays image adjustments in real-time to create perfect shots.

Users can also shoot rear video in up to 4K resolution at 60fps, meanwhile, or capture 1080p footage at 30fps using the front-facing camera. There are several ‘pro’ settings that can be accessed to meticulously adjust the lenses as well as additional software support for shooting including Live HDR, an ultra-steady mode and a ‘focus’ toggle to isolate subjects.

Oppo Find X2 Pro review: Software and features

The Find X2 Pro’s ColorOS 7.1 is based on the Android 10 operating system and presents the same clean and simplistic interface we’ve come to expect, adding plenty in terms of additional features too.

Beyond the O1 Ultra Vision Engine and Natural Tone Display setting exclusive to the Find X2 Pro, there are a handful of superficial additions such as Galaxy-style screen light effects that line the edges of the display when receiving a phone call or a notification, as well as an always-on setting with a fully customisable clock. Additional options, such as enhanced screenshot and screen recording, as well as full-screen gesture options, round out the experience.

While there are plenty of features, Oppo frustratingly doesn’t grant UK users access to the Theme Store, through which you can download countless themes and fonts. It’s also a real shame the device doesn’t support wireless charging in any capacity. While it’s not essential, this is a feature that’s becoming more and more of a fixture in modern devices.

Oppo Find X2 Pro review: Verdict

The Oppo Find X2 Pro has plenty to offer for those seeking a premium 5G-ready device, and may be one of the surprise winners of 2020. Its hardware is on par with Apple and Samsung flagships, while a 120Hz refresh rate renders the display a pleasure to use, despite failing to hit the highest notes in terms of colour accuracy and brightness.

There aren’t any major shortcomings, so to speak, rather several areas in which Oppo’s flagship device doesn’t quite blow us away. Similarly, for a phone so expensive, it’s a shame the Find X2 Pro doesn’t support wireless charging.

Taking everything into account, the Find X2 Pro is an impressive device, but its sheer size means it can also be impractical. For those undeterred by that, it’s certainly one of the best 5G-ready units currently available.

The Oppo Find X2 Pro is available for £59 per month with an upfront cost of £29 on the Vodafone network

Oppo Find X2 Pro specifications