From just the "Selfie Expert" to a powerhouse AI smartphone

By John Russell Yao

I consider myself a techy person, even if I’m on the older side of the Millennial spectrum, and I’m always on the lookout for devices that promise to deliver a blend of the latest technology, design, and real-world performance. Somehow, out of sheer luck, I got my hands on OPPO’s newest flagship device, the OPPO Find X8. 

The OPPO Find X8 caught my attention on paper with its impressive specs, beautiful display, and unique AI features that set it apart from other flagship phones. I was also curious about how OPPO has improved over the years, with my last OPPO unit being the F1s almost a decade ago, known as the “selfie expert”. Now, having spent some time with this device, here’s my take on what makes the Oppo Find X8 a standout in today’s crowded smartphone market.

Design and Build

The review unit I received was the Space Black variant with the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.   It is also available in different colors (Star Grey, Shell Pink)  with a 16GB and 512GB storage variant as well. From the moment I picked up the OPPO Find X8, the first thing that struck me was its design. The frame structure is very similar to the iPhone, albeit a bit thinner. The front and back are both Gorilla Glass 7i, which adds to its premium feel. The camera bump on the back is a single circle with a prominent “H” Hasselblad logo in the center. The ring is quite large, occupying more than a quarter of the space, and is well protected by the included phone case.  Given the big bump, I had high hopes for the camera performance of this unit (more on that later). The power and volume buttons are on the right side, while the Alert Slider on the left allows easy switching between modes from standard to vibrate to mute.

Display: A Visual Delight

One of the most impressive features of the OPPO Find X8 is its 6.59-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 10-bit color depth. The colors are rich, blacks are deep, and the display itself is sharp with a resolution of 2760 x 1256 pixels (460 ppi). With its very narrow bezels, the OPPO Find X8 has an impressive 94.3% screen-to-body ratio and has been an absolute joy to use. Brightness levels are high enough (touted at 4500nits peak brightness) for easy outdoor visibility, and the HDR10+ support enhances media consumption with improved contrast and vibrancy. My little caveat with watching HDR video content, specifically on Netflix, is that the processing tends to make videos darker due to the higher contrast, even when cranking up the brightness, which can cause a loss of detail in shadows. Apart from that, the colors are punchy and well-balanced.

Performance: A Powerhouse Flagship

The OPPO Find X8 is powered by the Mediatek Dimensity 9400 chipset, the flagship chipset of Mediatek as of this writing. While doing a bit of research, I was surprised to learn that this particular chipset stands toe-to-toe with the more famous Snapdragon 8 Elite series of mobile processors in benchmarks, sometimes even besting it! During my daily driving this unit, whether it’s multitasking between apps, gaming, or handling resource-heavy tasks, this phone handled everything with ease. The 12GB of RAM ensures no lag or stuttering, even when I have multiple apps open.

Gaming on the Find X8 is a pleasure thanks to the Immortalis-G925 GPU. While not really an avid Android gamer, I tested titles like Mobile Legends (using my wife’s account) and Genshin Impact (using my daughter’s account) at MAX settings without any frame drops or overheating issues. The phone’s cooling system has done a commendable job in maintaining optimal performance, which is a big plus for long gaming sessions.

Camera: Top Notch Quality, and Then Some More!

This is where I spent a chunk of my testing with this review. As expected, the Oppo Find X8 brings its A-game in the camera department, thanks to its Hasselblad-Calibrated 50MP main sensor, 50MP ultrawide lens, and 50MP telephoto sensor. The camera system delivers sharp, detailed photos with excellent color accuracy. Even in low-light conditions, the results are more than usable, with managed noise albeit with a bit stronger contrast. Oppo's new computational photography algorithms shine through, ensuring that your photos look good straight out of the camera.

One feature that I particularly enjoyed was the AI Telescope Zoom, which offers up to 3x optical zoom and 120x digital zoom. This is perfect for snapping photos of distant subjects without losing too much detail. The OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) also ensures that photos remain sharp, even when you're on the move.

Take a look at the photos below to check the camera quality. All of these were taken with the default settings straight out of the phone:

Daytime shots:

Nighttime shots:

Video recording is equally impressive, offering up to 4K recording at 60fps on both rear and front cameras, which is a great addition for content creators. Personally, I still find 4K recording not a requirement, and I usually shoot at 1080p, but it’s nice to see that it’s there when needed. As per testing, it performs well and plays flawlessly.

The 32MP selfie camera is no slouch either, and I would dare say that this is one of the best selfie cameras out there. Details are very well-retained, with the colors and exposure well-balanced. There are portrait-enhancing filters that works well both on images and videos, but for the sake of my review, I opted to focus on detail retainment. Kudos to OPPO for still being the “Selfie Expert”!

OPPO AI: More Than Just Better Photos

Almost all major phone brands have launched their version of AI baked into their OSes, and OPPO has upped the ante with their OPPO AI. Aside from their AI Telephoto Zoom, the Oppo Find X8 has post-processing AI features with their AI Photo Remaster suite including AI Clarity Enhancer, AI Reflection Remover, AI Unblur, and AI Eraser, all of which are mostly self-explanatory. It also has the AI Reimage which takes regular photos and converts them into different fun and creative formats.

OPPO AI also has some interesting tools for productivity within their AI Toolbox kit including AI Writer, which helps content creators and writers style their writings; AI Reply, which helps in replying in DMs, and AI Summary, which makes long and complicated articles easier to read. It also has a built-in text translator for foreign language text, which is very helpful for travelers for reading important texts like manuals.

Software: ColorOS 15 at Its Best

Running on ColorOS 15, the OPPO Find X8 offers a smooth and feature-rich Android experience. The UI is intuitive, clean, and customizable. I appreciate the added features like the Smart Sidebar, which lets me access my favorite apps quickly, and the Game Mode, which optimizes performance while reducing distractions during gaming. ColorOS also comes with a suite of privacy features that ensure my data is secure, including a built-in app lock, privacy dashboard, and more. Oppo has invested heavily in making ColorOS not just visually appealing but functional and secure.

Out of the box, the ColorOS has some bloatware installed together with a “Hot Apps” folder. It is nothing new for some Android-based phones to have bloatware that can be removed manually. I understand it helps drive down the price of products with these “sponsorships”, although I still find it a bit annoying when I see them bundled with the OS.

Battery Life: Endurance to Keep Up

The OPPO Find X8 has a large 5630mAh battery, which has been more than capable of lasting me through a full day of usage. Whether it's social media browsing, occasional gaming, or a few hours of media streaming, I’ve consistently gotten around 8-9 hours of screen time before needing to recharge. And when it’s time to charge, the 80W SuperVOOC charging ensures that I’m back up and running in no time, with a full charge in approximately 60 minutes from the drained state. OPPO has nailed the fast-charging experience here, and it’s hard to go back to slower charging speeds once you’ve experienced this level of convenience.

What Could Be Better?

While I’m overall impressed with the OPPO Find X8, there are a couple of areas where it could improve. One is the HDR Video Playback Processing, which can be a bit too strong on the contrast which drowns out a lot of details in the shadows and black areas of scenes. The price point of P54,999 may also be a consideration for some, but with the specs and features on offer, I believe it’s worth the investment if you’re looking for a premium experience.

Final Thoughts

After spending almost a week with the OPPO Find X8, I can confidently say that it’s a phone that offers a combination of beauty, power, and innovation. Whether you’re a gamer, a content creator, or someone who just appreciates top-tier performance, this device has something for everyone. The flagship chipset, stunning display, powerful cameras, and fast charging make it a solid choice for anyone looking to upgrade their smartphone experience. If you’re looking for a phone that balances performance and design in an elegant package, the OPPO Find X8 deserves serious consideration.