Oppo Find X7 Ultra review

Finest Costs At present: Oppo Discover X7 Extremely

The Discover X7 Extremely is Oppo’s top-of-the-line flagship smartphone for 2024, standing out with a beastly digital camera system and a hanging design. It launched in early January however it’s at present solely on sale in China, and for the time being, plainly’s the place it’s destined to remain. Oppo is the mum or dad firm of OnePlus, and if a OnePlus 12 Extremely had been to exist, it will most likely look similar to this.

With such a stacked spec sheet, you may think about importing this telephone. Be warned, although, that doing so comes with some frustrations. There are many system parts which might be untranslated and there are some settings to tweak to get Google providers enabled.

That stated, I used to be very excited to see if it’d be well worth the trouble. It’s the primary telephone to return with twin periscope telephoto lenses, and by all accounts, it ought to give camera-focused flagships just like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely and Vivo X100 Professional a run for his or her cash. After residing with the Discover X7 Extremely in my pocket for per week, right here’s what I realized.

Design & Construct

• Stunning two-tone end
• Curved edges back and front
• IP68 licensed

The Oppo Discover X7 Extremely has a singular two-tone end, and I completely love the way in which it seems to be. I used to be despatched the Ocean Blue possibility for testing, which has navy blue vegan leather-based masking the decrease portion of the rear, and a contrasting high-gloss white end on the highest.

The digital camera module and the body are available in a shiny metallic silver end, it’s very elegant and a bit nautical. It’s the proper telephone to whip out on the Yacht membership, not that I’ve ever been wherever close to a type of.

In the event you desire one thing extra delicate, there’s additionally a Tailor-made Black colourway, which shifts all the things to a monochromatic black and darkish gray tone. Or, there’s Sepia Brown, which is actually the identical because the Ocean Blue possibility, however the leather-effect materials is brown.

There’s no denying that the digital camera bump is verging on ridiculous, however personally, I feel it seems to be fairly cool. The sting of the large round digital camera housing additionally serves as a snug place to relaxation your forefinger when utilizing the telephone one-handed.

It’s fairly a big telephone and it’s not particularly mild both, weighing 221g. Regardless of its measurement, although, it’s very snug to carry, because of a curved edge show and matching curves on the rear panel. The result’s a telephone that feels slimmer than it truly is.

Luke Baker

With a vegan leather-based rear, the telephone could be very grippy and immune to fingerprint smudges. So, in case you’re courageous sufficient, you possibly can fortunately use it with out a case. Nevertheless, you don’t have to, as there’s a matte navy blue TPU case included within the field. It’s nothing too particular, however it protects the telephone nicely and appears so much higher than the clear ones that you simply normally see.

There’s a three-position alert slider on the left-hand facet, very like the one on the OnePlus 12. This lets you shortly swap between silent, noisy and VIP modes. The latter disables the digital camera and microphone to make sure privateness, which isn’t one thing I’ve ever felt that I wanted, however could possibly be helpful for individuals who do one thing extra secretive than writing about telephones all day.

Luke Baker

The haptic suggestions is spectacular, and it seems like there’s a real mechanical clunk once you hit the digital camera shutter, for instance. It’s nice for typing, too, feeling exact and highly effective, however I needed to tweak some settings to get it enabled on the keyboard, because it was off by default.

The telephone has an IP68 ranking for mud and water resistance, so you possibly can confidently apply it to journeys to the seaside, or for sea-faring adventures. The closest I bought was some rain showers, although.

Display & Audio system

• 6.82-inch AMOLED show
• Quad HD+ decision
• 120Hz adaptive refresh price
• Twin stereo audio system

The show has an ample 1440×3168 decision and a dynamic refresh price that may enhance as much as 120Hz. It’s a spacious display screen and it’s very sharp and vibrant.

One of many standout options is its brightness output, which is claimed to ship as much as 4500 nits at peak. In regular use, you received’t be coming shut to those eye-melting brightness ranges, however it means that you could relaxation assured that this show will compete with even probably the most intense summer season daylight. 

Luke Baker

As talked about, the Oppo Discover X7 Extremely has a curved-edge show, which I’m not at all times the most important fan of, however it works nicely right here. For starters, the curve appears tighter than it’s on different telephones, so the areas that you simply truly contact are primarily flat. You form of get one of the best of each worlds, because it seems like a flat show for probably the most half, however the telephone feels slimmer in your hand and gesture controls really feel clean because of the rounded edges.

HDR content material seems to be improbable on this show, with the deep inky blacks that OLED panels are recognized for, contrasting with dazzling highlights. I ought to notice, nevertheless, that Netflix refused to play in HDR attributable to DRM certification points, which isn’t ideally suited, and hopefully is one thing that will get addressed in future updates. YouTube HDR content material labored nice, at the least.

The show helps Dolby Imaginative and prescient, however with Netflix not enjoying ball, you may wrestle to seek out Dolby Imaginative and prescient content material to look at. Alternatively, you possibly can file movies in Dolby Imaginative and prescient utilizing the native digital camera app, so there’s nonetheless some utility right here.

Luke Baker

There are many customisation choices within the OS in case you’d prefer to tweak the way in which colors are displayed. You get three most important profiles, Pure, Professional and Vivid, and every one has its personal color wheel that permits you to shift the color temperature and tint. There’s additionally the choice to make use of the telephone’s media processing engine to sharpen low-resolution photographs, and even convert SDR content material to HDR.

In the event you undergo from eye pressure you’ll be happy to know that the Oppo Discover X7 Extremely boasts a 2160Hz PWM dimming price, making certain low flicker in any respect brightness ranges. There are additionally low blue mild choices accessible within the OS, as you’ll discover with most units as of late.

Luke Baker

The telephone has twin stereo audio system they usually’re fairly succesful. There’s extra bass than you’ll discover on most telephones, and nice readability, too. They’ll get very loud, however they do begin to distort at most quantity.

Total, I used to be very impressed with the audio system, however one factor bothered me; in case you’re holding the telephone horizontally, it’s nearly unimaginable to not muffle one of many audio system, attributable to their positioning. At the least they at all times sound their finest when held vertically.

Specs & Efficiency

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
• 12/16GB RAM
• 256/512GB storage

The Oppo Discover X7 Extremely runs on Qualcomm’s strongest SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. We’ve already witnessed this chip’s blazing-fast efficiency in handsets just like the OnePlus 12 and Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, so it’s not too shocking to see it performing nicely right here, too.

My check unit got here with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, however the telephone can also be accessible with 12GB RAM and 256GB of storage. In any case, it has loads of reminiscence for multitasking, and it may be nearly expanded in case you really feel you want extra.

Luke Baker

In use, the telephone feels speedy and responsive in all conditions, animations are clean and apps open in a flash. You may run nearly any sport within the Play Retailer at most settings, and the telephone stays moderately cool within the course of. 

There’s a built-in sport overlay which supplies you entry to the standard goodies like efficiency modes, notification blocking and community optimisation. It’s extra feature-packed than you’ll discover on most telephones, however not fairly on the extent of gaming-focused handsets just like the RedMagic 9 Professional. Effectively, so far as I can inform, some parts in these menus are displayed in Chinese language, so it is likely to be extra succesful than I realise.

Luke Baker

I observed the telephone begin to warmth up after a prolonged Genshin Influence session with “Gaming mode” energetic, however it by no means turned uncomfortable to carry, and the efficiency stayed rock stable all through.

You may see all our regular benchmark assessments under in comparison with key rivals. Word that GFXBench wouldn’t go over 60fps regardless of the telephone being able to greater framerates.

Oppo Discover X7 Extremely Benchmarks

Cameras

• 50Mp 1-inch most important sensor
• 50Mp ultrawide
• 50Mp twin periscope zooms
• 32Mp selfie digital camera with autofocus

It’s clear from the outset that this telephone is essentially about digital camera efficiency, with such a large digital camera array on the rear, it nearly seems to be extra like a digital camera than a telephone.

Fortunately, this design is justified, because the digital camera system right here may simply be probably the most able to any smartphone in the marketplace proper now.

Luke Baker

There are 4 cameras on the again. The principle digital camera has Sony’s second-generation 1-inch sensor, which ought to give it a bonus over the 1-inch sensor within the Oppo Discover X6 Professional and Xiaomi 13 Extremely. It’s a stacked sensor, which ought to imply that it’s extra delicate to mild, whereas additionally drawing much less energy in use.

This meaty most important sensor is joined by an ultrawide digital camera and twin periscope zooms, one with a 2x focal size and one other with a 6x. The entire rear cameras are 50Mp and have colors and picture processing that carefully match, so it doesn’t look jarring once you swap between cameras whereas capturing video, for instance.

The selfie digital camera has a 32Mp decision and comes with autofocus, which remains to be one thing of a rarity. Now that each the Galaxy S24 Extremely and Pixel 8 Professional have adopted it, although, I’ve a sense it’ll change into extra frequent. It primarily implies that your selfie snaps are at all times sharp and detailed, regardless of in case you’re up shut, or at arm’s size for a gaggle shot.

The outcomes from this totally stacked digital camera lineup are fantastic. The big most important sensor permits for wonderful low-light seize and might create some pretty pure bokeh with no need to faux it in portrait mode. To be fully sincere, I didn’t discover an enormous generational distinction in comparison with the 1-inch snapper of the Vivo X90 Professional, however that already carried out extremely nicely, so it’s no dangerous factor.

The opposite standout lens is the 3x periscope zoom, which has one of many largest sensors that I’ve seen on a smartphone telephoto digital camera, at 1/1.56-inch. When mixed with the compression of the longer focal size, it permits for a really shallow depth of subject, and you may snap images that appear to be they got here from a DSLR fairly than a smartphone.

The ultrawide is a bit more run-of-the-mill, however it’s nonetheless very helpful, and the excessive decision ensures that there’s loads of element. The identical will be stated for the 6x telephoto, however it’s adequate to commerce blows with the 5x zoom of the Samsung Galaxy S24 Extremely, and that’s no imply feat.

Luke Baker

The picture processing, which was tuned in collaboration with Hasselblad, makes for some very practical color rendition, and there’s much less exaggeration and oversaturation than you’ll discover with some competing manufacturers. Pictures come out trying sharp and detailed, even with transferring topics and in dim lighting. Dynamic vary is spectacular, too, and relying in your capturing mode, you possibly can seize ProXDR pictures that may show in HDR within the gallery.

The portrait mode could be very dependable, and I even managed to get good outcomes with fast-moving animals, although as regular, it really works finest with individuals. There are some very nice-looking filters to accompany the impact, and I used to be frequently stunned at how nicely the telephone managed to isolate stray strands of hair.

At night time, the massive sensors of the principle digital camera and the 3x will let you scale back the publicity time and keep away from movement blur, however with night time mode activated, you possibly can obtain wonderful pictures with the entire lenses. There have been some situations the place night time mode was ready to pick particulars that I may barely see with my very own eyes, what extra may you ask for?

Luke Baker

In relation to capturing movies, all cameras assist as much as 4K/60fps. I used to be just a little stunned to see an absence of 8K recording, however in equity, I by no means use it when it’s there. The stabilisation is stable and the microphones sound good, as long as there’s not an excessive amount of wind hitting them. 

Battery Life & Charging

• 5000mAh battery
• 100W wired quick charging
• 50W wi-fi charging

The Oppo Discover X7 Extremely has a 5000mAh battery, which is about typical for a contemporary flagship telephone.

It helps as much as 100W wired charging and this extremely speedy charger is included within the field. You too can cost the telephone wirelessly at as much as 50W, however you’ll want a really particular charger to attain these speeds.

In my expertise, the battery life was good, if unremarkable. It noticed me by a median day’s use with ease, and if I used to be doing one thing just a little extra battery-intensive like capturing a lot of images and movies or gaming, then it’d nonetheless make it to the tip of the day, nearly.

Luke Baker

Nonetheless, that’s all you actually need, and when you may have such speedy charging capabilities, it turns into much less of a priority. The included charger will zap the telephone from fully lifeless to 50% charged in simply over 10 minutes, whereas a full cost takes lower than half an hour.

I simply so occurred to have Oppo’s AirVooc 50W wi-fi charger readily available, too, and I selected to cost with that more often than not. It’s extremely handy, you simply stick the telephone on the stand when you’re at your desk and it’ll cost tremendous quick.

In reality, it’s sooner than a number of flagships will cost with a cable inserted.

Luke Baker

Software program & Apps

• ColorOS 14
• Based mostly on Android 14
• Designed for the Chinese language market

Up to now, the Oppo Discover X7 Extremely has impressed on all fronts, however it’s with the software program that issues get just a little sophisticated. This telephone has solely been formally launched in China, and that implies that the software program isn’t very Westernised. 

To start with, it doesn’t include Google Cell Companies enabled, and you need to sideload the Play Retailer to get entry to your regular app library. It’s not a tough course of, however it does imply that issues aren’t fairly assured to work as you’d anticipate.

Luke Baker

I didn’t run into any large points throughout my testing, however there have been just a few unusual issues like I wouldn’t at all times get my Gmail notifications. Nevertheless, this might simply be associated to Oppo’s overly-enthusiastic battery optimisation measures. You could go into the settings menu and disable optimisation for all your necessary apps if you wish to get notifications in a well timed method.

If you first boot up the telephone, you’ll be greeted with a number of bloatware, and aside from TikTok, it’s just about all geared toward Chinese language clients. So that you most likely received’t have the ability to use any of it. Fortunately, it’s straightforward to uninstall the lot, however it’s a little bit of a tedious course of to undergo on such a high-end telephone.

In the event you chosen English in the course of the setup course of, a lot of the OS might be in English, however I regularly discovered areas and options that hadn’t been translated. For instance, the AI assistant, Breeno, is all in Chinese language, and there’s no option to swap it to English or swap it to Google Assistant. Numerous the search performance seems in Chinese language, too.

Luke Baker

In any other case, ColorOS has some good options, and possibly a lot extra that I can’t entry because of the language barrier. There’s a lot of customisation, and it’s fast and simple to navigate. These small frustrations add up, although, and for most individuals, it received’t be well worth the trouble.

Worth & Availability

The Oppo Discover X7 Extremely is just accessible in China, the place it retails for CNY 5,999. Nevertheless, it’s also possible to discover it accessible for import by websites like Wonda Cell, Giztop and AliExpress. Pricing varies, however you possibly can anticipate to pay round £800/$1000 for an imported mannequin.

Oppo has not introduced any plans to convey the Discover X7 Extremely to different areas, however I’d like to see that change. The Discover X6 Professional by no means bought a world launch, both, so likelihood is trying slim for the time being.

Because it’s not accessible within the UK, you received’t discover any contract choices, so one of the best various is to discover a good SIM-only deal. Nevertheless, you’ll seemingly have a greater total expertise with a tool that has been formally launched in Europe. 

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is one other top-tier photographic performer, however it’ll price you extra, beginning at £1,249/$1299. The Pixel 8 Pro can also be wonderful within the digital camera division, however you received’t get fairly the identical processing efficiency if that issues. That telephone carries an MSRP of £999/$999, and might usually be discovered discounted.

In any other case, see our chart of one of the best smartphones and finest digital camera telephones for extra choices.

Do you have to purchase the Oppo Discover X7 Extremely?

The Oppo Discover X7 Extremely is an absolute beast of a smartphone.

It impresses in nearly all areas, with a beautiful design, speedy efficiency, a shocking show and a few of the most succesful cameras that you simply’ll discover in a smartphone at this time. I genuinely suppose it could possibly be among the best telephones of the yr, however there’s an issue.

Because the telephone isn’t more likely to launch internationally, the one option to get one within the UK, US or Europe is to import. This implies you’re caught with software program that’s not optimised for Western clients, and the quirks and untranslated options are certain to trigger irritation – to not point out sideloading Google Companies.

As a lot as I really like this telephone, in the end, it was a reduction once I popped my SIM again right into a telephone with higher localisation. That stated, in case you’re a little bit of a tinkerer, you possibly can undoubtedly stay with this as your most important system.

There’s even a case to be made for utilizing it as a substitute for a compact digital camera, as a result of the images are actually that spectacular. For me personally, although, I’ll simply be holding my fingers crossed for a worldwide launch.

Specs

• ColorOS 14, based mostly on Android 14
• 6.82in, 3168×1440, AMOLED, 120Hz, curved show
• In-display fingerprint sensor
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
• 12GB / 16GB RAM
• 256GB / 512GB storage
• Cameras:
  • 50Mp, f/1.8 most important digital camera (1-inch)
  • 50Mp f/2.0 ultra-wide
  • 50Mp f/2.6 3x telephoto
  • 50Mp f/4.3 6x telephoto
  • 32Mp front-facing digital camera with autofocus
• As much as 4K @ 60fps rear video
• Stereo audio system
• Twin-SIM
• Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), 802.11a/b/g/n/
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 5000mAh battery
• 100W wired charging
• 50W wi-fi charging
• 164.3 x 76.2 x 9.5 mm
• IP68 licensed
• 221g
• Colors: Tailor-made Black, Ocean Blue, Sepia Brown