Oppo marks its strong return to Belgium with the Find X8 Pro, a premium smartphone that rivals the best thanks to its cutting-edge performance, its innovative Hasselblad photo module and exceptional battery life. The only downside: software that can still be improved.
That it has become complicated to stand out in the smartphone market, a sector which is worth 400 billion dollars annually (Apple generating 50% of this turnover, followed by Samsung with 16%). Although the numbers vary among analysts, it is estimated that around 1.5 billion phones will have been sold worldwide by the end of this year, which represents a small increase. A huge market, therefore, but whose growth is stagnating somewhat. It is therefore difficult to exist when your name is neither Apple nor Samsung, two historic behemoths of consumer electronics. And yet…
Oppo returns to the big leagues with the Find X8 Pro
Behind Apple (USA) and Samsung (South Korea), we know that there is the Chinese armada, largely led by Xiaomi, well established in Belgium, moreover. The others are currently content with crumbs in Europe, but are trying to reverse the trend. This is the case for Oppo, which has had two complicated years in Europe (with patent disputes), but which is once again showing itself to be very ambitious.
I want as proof: the Find X8 Pro has just been released in Belgium. A honor because since 2022 and the Find X5 Pro, our region was no longer entitled to high-end smartphones from the Oppo brand, whose global success is very largely linked to Asia. The Find X8 Pro is a resolutely premium device, with a technical sheet in line with its ambitions (to match the best) and its price (1.149€). There is of course a MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chip engraved in 3nm, which rivals the Snapdragon 8 Elite; as well as 512 GB of storage and 16 GB of RAM. Enough to ensure the best power without ruining the battery too much. And a gorgeous 6.78″ screen, of course. But there are options that make it truly “high-end.”
What makes it different?
Oppo was inspired by the iPhone to offer a bouton photoon the edge. Not particularly well positioned in my opinion (my right index finger does not naturally fall on it when I hold the phone to take a photo), this capacitive touch button still allows you to launch the camera, focus, trigger and even zoom by dragging the index finger. A nice little option, which gives a very photophone au Find X8 Pro.
And Quite exclusive photo module. The camera system called Hasselblad Master includes four high-quality 50 MP cameras, including two telephoto lenses, offering quite rare versatility. The fact of having two periscopic telephoto lenses (x3 and x6 without loss of quality) is a first, and on paper it allows you to zoom a little or a lot, with the best possible result each time. In fact, all these lenses deliver very good quality shots, we are at the same level – sometimes above – as the best of the year, namely the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL.
There is also the look. My test copy, with its matte black back (so-called “frosted” texture), has the advantage of retaining fewer fingerprints than the many glossy models on the market. And then, there is the imposing module with 4 photo sensors and the H from Hasselblad, a renowned (software) partner: with its notched rim, it makes a little nod to the design of the cameras, while remaining quite discreet (limited protuberance). The front is a beautiful, slightly rounded screen with very thin borders (1.9mm). It is therefore very neat, very premium, without being very original (the “marbled” white version is more so). Small detail borrowed from cousin OnePlus: there is a alert slider on the left edge, therefore a switch which allows you to put the device in silent or vibrate mode very quickly.
Next comes the software. Oppo and OnePlus do what they can with it artificial intelligence, obligatory box in any self-respecting technological device (and which costs more than €1,000), but we are far from what Google offers with its Gemini integrated into the Pixel 9. There is the AI Studio application which allows you to some fun with portraits in a limited way (you have to earn “credits” by connecting), and some fairly practical photo editing options (we now find this almost normal), but that’s it.
The other AI tools, rather promising on paper (writing assistance, summary of the text displayed on the screen), are integrated into the interface, but still not available in French. That being said, you can take advantage of Gemini, Google’s AI, in the American giant’s suite of pre-installed applications (as long as you have a subscription to unlock all the features). As for ColorOS 15, it is moving in the right direction, with the possibility of having two different actions if you slide your finger from the top of the screen to the bottom (notification if you touch the left part, shortcuts if you do so right). Very useful on a daily basis (thanks Xiaomi for the idea!). I also like the area around the front camera: another subtlety borrowed from the iPhone, it displays the Spotify song currently playing, in particular.
Fans of large batteries and fast charging will be half satisfied: we are talking about a silicon-carbon battery of 5910 mAh (instead of 5,000 for most competitors) and fast charging at 80W, but it will be necessary Obtain charger separately. That said, autonomy is exceptionalwell beyond a full day of use. Oppo has optimized its software well and the latest MediaTek chip is indeed very efficient.
Conclusions
Excellent smartphone for photography, with very good battery life, the Oppo Find X8 Pro is one of the best devices of the year. The only downside is the software: certain integrated AI tools are not yet available in French, which makes them partly obsolete; while Color15, a very well-made customizable overlay, comes with around ten pre-installed applications (eg: Temu), a bulky home web browser and a disturbing parallel application store (very Chinese in its interface). Gold at 1.149€we have the right to demand impeccable software. The Find X8 Pro is above all a technological showcase, a standard-bearer which aims to restore the image of Oppo in our regions. And this bet has largely succeeded. Does he have his place in the big leagues? Yes, especially thanks to its high-performance photo part, its finish and its autonomy. But his small failings risk depriving him of commercial success…
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