The Oppo Find X9 Pro’s excellent – but I still wouldn’t buy it
26.3.2026
Translation: Natalie McKay
Pictures: Lorenz Keller
Officially, Oppo’s no longer present in Switzerland and other countries. That’s a shame, because the manufacturer’s still producing top-notch smartphones. There’s just one drawback.
The curtain fell in the autumn of 2023. Oppo Switzerland laid off all its staff and stopped selling smartphones. It was also facing problems in other countries, including a ban on sales in Germany due to patent disputes.
While our neighbours have officially been able to buy Oppo devices again since the start of the year, the Chinese manufacturer hasn’t returned to Switzerland yet. Imported devices are available (including in our shop), and these work without any issues. Nowadays, anyone who buys an Oppo’s consciously choosing a niche device. Are there good reasons to go for it regardless? That’s what I wanted to find out by testing the Find X9 Pro.
Design, feel, screen: premium and bright
It makes an excellent first impression. I picked up the test device in the colour Titanium Charcoal, which is much lighter and more brown than its name suggests. The colour looks very elegant and premium.
This impression’s confirmed during testing. The Find X9 Pro’s beautifully made – on a par with top-of-the-line devices from Samsung and Apple. The smartphone feels good in my hand. But coming in at 226 grammes, it’s not light.
The 6.78-inch AMOLED screen’s eye-catching with its vibrant colours and sharp resolution. What’s more, the screen lights up brightly. The manufacturer reports 800 nits during normal use, 1,800 nits at full brightness, and 3,600 nits as the maximum value. The Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra has a brightness of 2,600 nits, while the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max offers 3,000 nits.
The display doesn’t only look great, it also remains easy to read at all times. I’ve often used the device outdoors when the weather was nice. Even in direct sunlight, I can still see all the details on the screen when I’m taking photos.
Features and system: weaknesses eliminated
Oppo still includes a charger in the box – a real rarity among smartphone manufacturers these days. And not just any charger, but a whopping 80-watt beast. Now that’s impressive! But that’s not all: the phone’s protected by a perfectly fitted screen protector. There’s even a plastic case in the box. It might not look very high quality, but it’s ultra-thin, and matches the colour of the smartphone.
Oppo’s always focused on offering a full range of accessories. But previously, the manufacturer opted for a simple clear case – the new, attractive case that complements the device’s design is a clear upgrade.
Update on 26 March: depending on the origin of the imported devices, the charger and case may not be included.
The developers have also dialled the ColorOS operating system up a notch. A few years ago, it was often too cluttered, in an effort to stand out from the competition. A good idea was often accompanied by several unnecessary features that made the system harder to use or slowed it down.
Oppo’s pared it back greatly since then. ColorOS 16 has a distinct visual style, but the differences from Google’s stock Android are minimal. The interface runs smoothly, is easy to navigate and user-friendly. But evidently, the manufacturer couldn’t resist throwing in a few extra features. For example, the Fluid Cloud, clearly inspired by the iPhone’s Dynamic Island. Apps running in the background, such as the stopwatch or music streaming, appear in a bar at the top of the screen. When I tap on it, a small widget opens where I can control all the important functions.
Photos and videos: software takes a backseat
One of Oppo’s greatest strengths has always been its camera system. The technical specifications of the Find X9 Pro are also impressive. In addition to the 50-megapixel main camera, the device features a 50-megapixel sensor with a wide-angle lens and a 200-megapixel sensor with periscope zoom and 3x optical zoom. The selfie camera also boasts a resolution of 50 megapixels.
But how does that translate in everyday life? For the photo comparison, I used the Google Pixel 10 Pro, which I consider to be one of the best camera phones on the market. In this review, I’m deliberately focusing on difficult lighting conditions, as this is where differences in camera quality are more obvious.
Backlighting: The Find X9 Pro brightens the photo far less than the Google Pixel. The contrast between the dark branches and the bright sky’s more pronounced, but fewer details are visible. It’s a matter of personal preference: Oppo’s photo appears more natural, while Google’s looks better.
Wide-angle backlighting: Here I take a photo with a wide-angle lens while facing the sun. This is another case where the Google device makes the image far brighter, causing many details around the sun to be lost. Oppo’s result looks more balanced.
10x zoom: the photos aren’t usually as different as they are in this comparison. At first glance, both look good: the image by the Pixel’s far brighter, and the colours are much more yellow-toned. The photo taken with the Find X9 Pro has higher contrast. If I zoom in further, Google’s glossy facade begins to crumble. A lot of detail gets lost due to heavy software processing. Oppo has the edge here.
Selfie: Google’s flattering me. Thanks to the sensor’s lower resolution, the software smooths out my face – and gives me an even tan. Oppo’s brutally realistic: every pore on my forehead and every bit of stubble’s visible when I zoom in. It’s also striking how the Pixel makes the sky look much bluer than it is in reality. The result from the Pixel’s Instagram-ready, while the one from Oppo looks more realistic and detailed.
Video: When it comes to sound quality, the difference is clear: the Oppo captures speech more clearly and distinctly, while Google’s phone makes it sound muffled and filtered. The video shot with the selfie camera on the Find X9 Pro appears steadier, with my face showing greater contrast, though the background’s slightly overexposed. The Pixel 10 Pro continuously adjusts the image, my face appears smoothed, and the background’s clearly visible. But with the main camera and wide-angle lens, the Google model does a better job of balancing out the strong contrast and differences in brightness.
This test demonstrates that the Find X9 Pro can hold its own against the best smartphone cameras on the market. The software’s less heavy-handed when making edits, so the images look really natural. With a little post-processing, I can get the results I’m looking for, say, if I want to post photos on social media.
Battery and processor: one delivers top performance, the other’s just okay
The Find X9 Pro houses a 7,700 mAh battery. Thanks to the new silicon-carbon technology, this obscenely large capacity fits into a small space. At 8.3 millimetres, the smartphone’s no thicker than its competitors.
This battery delivers record-breaking runtime. In the PCMark Work 3.0 Battery Life test, I measure 28 hours at half brightness. That’s the highest score we’ve recorded in our tests so far. In everyday use, the battery life’s impressive. Even for a heavy user like me, the Oppo easily lasts two days. I can charge the device at 80 watts using a cable and at 50 watts wirelessly. But I need chargers that support Oppo’s fast charging standard.
While Oppo’s in a league of its own when it comes to the camera, display and battery, the same can’t be said for the processor at first glance. Instead of the latest Snapdragon chip, like on many competing models, it uses the MediaTek Dimensity 9500. That’s paired with 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage for data.
The benchmarks show that other top models from Samsung, Realme and OnePlus offer better processor and graphics performance. But we’re talking minor differences here. And Google’s proof that even a device which – on paper – boasts significantly less performance can still sell well in this price range.
In daily use, I didn’t notice the weaker performance. The Oppo runs smoothly, and the AI photo editing works without any lag. More important in my book is that Oppo will provide five more Android updates. Upgrades up to Android 21 will be available for the Find X9 Pro, with the manufacturer guaranteeing security updates for another year after that. That’s fine, but Google and Samsung offer support for even longer.
An unusual device with undeniable qualities
The Find X5 Pro was the last Oppo device I thoroughly put to the test. It was a part of my daily life for six months in 2022. The X9 Pro brought back a lot of fond memories: the great camera, the high build quality and the long-lasting battery. I was pleasantly surprised to find the Chinese manufacturer’s ditched the bloated operating system.
Is that enough to make me consider Oppo again when I buy my next smartphone? Not for me personally. If I’m shelling out more than 1,000 francs or euros for a device, I want full support from the manufacturer, including customer service and repairs. Not just today, but tomorrow and in the years to come. There’s no denying that the Find X9 Pro’s an excellent smartphone, but it isn’t so much better than its competitors that it can shed its niche status. So Oppo’s flagship remains an insider’s tip for fans of the brand.
In a nutshell
High quality at a high price
The Find X9 Pro’s an impressive smartphone across the board, with a camera system that’s up there with the best on the market. The battery charges ultra-fast at 50 to 80 watts and easily lasts two days. The screen’s sharp and bright, completing the overall look of a truly premium device.
But this technology comes at a price. Oppo’s flagship model is expensive. This is also due to the fact that the brand’s no longer present in some markets, such as Switzerland, and that Europe’s no longer a priority in the company’s strategic considerations.
Pro
- Four excellent cameras
- Long battery life
- Comes with many accessories
- Bright screen
Contra
- Expensive
- Processor isn’t quite top-tier
Lorenz Keller
Senior Editor
Lorenz.Keller@digitecgalaxus.chGadgets are my passion - whether you need them for the home office, for the household, for sport and pleasure or for the smart home. Or, of course, for the big hobby next to the family, namely fishing.
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