The new flagship phone from the Chinese manufacturer, the Oppo Find X3 Pro, could not be less and, as we saw in our first impressions, in addition to offering specifications worthy of one of the best phones of the year, it includes a feature not seen before in a phone: an integrated microscopic camera.
I had the opportunity to try this mobile, and there is no doubt that it is one of the most potent contenders for the best phone of the year. Read on if you want to know more about this excellent and lousy device.
A design that breaks with the usual pattern
Although the device does not attract too much attention from the front, when we turn it, it is clear that it is very different from what we are used to seeing in the market. The camera module is completely encapsulated in its glass back as if a “veil covered it.”
It is a large phone with a 6.7-inch 3D AMOLED screen. However, it is very comfortable in hand since it only weighs 193 grams, a featherweight in the high-end segment. The device is IP68 certified, offering dust and water resistance.
The unit I tested had a gloss black mirror finish. It’s a very bright colour, but unfortunately, it’s very slippery, and it got much messier than I would have liked. In my opinion, the matte gray model is more functional.
The screen has a refresh rate of 120 Hz and technology of 1,000 million colours. The combination of all the technologies on this screen gave me one of the best visual experiences I’ve ever had with a phone. In my opinion, it lacked Gorilla Glass 6 protection (it has 5) to reach the same level as that of the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
A microscope camera
The Oppo Find X3 Pro has a 50-megapixel primary camera, a 50-megapixel 110-degree wide-angle, a 13-megapixel telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom, and the crown jewel: a 60x micro-lens that is equivalent to a homemade microscope.
Although it is ideal for the most curious, this last lens will not be put to great artistic use, but I will not deny that I had a lot of fun seeing everyday things like a leaf, a flower or the skin of the palm of my hand up close. Without a doubt, it is something very new, which adds many points to this phone; The only drawback is that, for the lens to detect any object, we are forced to place the phone on what we want to portray, something quite uncomfortable microscopically.
As for night photography, the results are perfect, quite realistic and with well-contained light sources. Portrait mode is extraordinarily high level, both in blurring and cropping, while the shutter responds very quickly.
The results with the wide angle are excellent, with no stretched sides as in other phones of a similar range and price; even the dynamic range is balanced. Colour reproduction is slightly saturated but very natural in almost all shots.
Finally, it must be said that the zoom is a bit fair with only 2x magnification, although we can always take a photo with 50x mode and crop it to obtain a reasonably high-quality image.
As I anticipated at the beginning of this review, there is no doubt that this is one of the best phones of 2021 and of all the ones I have tested to date. Although its price is not low (1,069 euros), it is an excellent option to consider since it perfectly fulfills practically all sections. In addition, it has a tiny camera, something that at the moment you will not find in any other phone on the market.
competition power
The Oppo Find X3 Pro has the best for this section, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage. As expected, the phone offers what it promises, and the user experience is impeccable, without delays or jerks, and it is also capable of performing in all situations. Of course, although you can open all the games and apps you want, I noticed that it heats up slightly with extensive use. It was not exaggerated, but it should be taken into account.
As for the battery, it has a 4,500 mAh battery with a 65-watt SuperVOOC fast charging system, and it also incorporates 30-watt wireless charging and 10-watt reverse charging. With the charger -included in the box-, the time for a full charge was 38 minutes.
With extensive use and the screen at 120 Hz, the device’s battery reached a performance of about 16 hours. With the net at 60 Hz, I managed to get through the whole day without a problem.
pros
innovative design
good autonomy
microscope camera
excellent display
IP68 certificationCons
It doesn't have connector audio.
The zoom is a bit short
It warms up slightly