ZB ZB
Live now
Start time
Playing for
End time
Listen live
Listen to NAME OF STATION
Up next
Listen live on
ZB

FINALLY, SOMETHING NEW (1)

Author
glennzb,
Publish Date
Wed, 26 Sep 2018, 1:09PM

FINALLY, SOMETHING NEW (1)

Author
glennzb,
Publish Date
Wed, 26 Sep 2018, 1:09PM

The peak phone debate rages on.

 

How good can these devices get anyway? They make them faster. Bigger. Smaller. But these days they're all pretty much the same.

 

Which certainly makes you question why anyone in their right mind would pay $2800 for one?

 

Well wouldn't you just know it... there's another new phone in town.

 

But this time, it's actually different...

 

 

I've been reading about the OPPO Find X for a while now - it's been available in other countries but I wasn't sure if it was coming to New Zealand. I really wanted it to, because I simply couldn't believe what I was reading about it and I had a desperate urge to find out if it was all true.

 

Although OPPO hasn't been selling phones in this country for very long, it's actually a successful and established brand in many markets around the world. Until now, the only OPPO handsets we've seen here have been more entry-level and mid-range devices. Nevertheless, I've been consistently impressed by their bang for back, especially in terms of camera performance. I'd never taken a selfie I liked till I took one with an OPPO phone.

 

The Find X is OPPO's flagship device and they're pretty proud of it. They should be - it's perhaps the most unique phone I've ever used.

 

You see, it has a pop-up camera.

 

 

This is such a revolutionary concept, it's actually kind of hard to describe exactly what I mean.

 

Let's start with how the Find X looks, straight out of the box; it's a stunner. Available in Bordeaux Red and Glacier Blue, the gradient effect on the class-covered rear casing is so subtle, it's almost breath-taking. This is not some gaudy, mirror-like blast of pink or sky-blue... it's elegant, soft, shimmering highlighted edges that hint how classy this phone really is.

 

Turn it over and you'll discover the Find X is pretty much all screen - well, 93.8% to be precise. No physical buttons, no fingerprint sensor and only the tiniest ear speaker right at the very top edge. Oh and that's right... no camera to be seen.

 

The display curves sensuously around the sides, reminiscent of a high end Samsung device. OPPO calls this its Panoramic Arc Screen and it looks and feels superb.

 

So where are the cameras?

 

Just wait.

 

Unusually, both top and bottom edges of the Find X are concave, not round. The bottom edge is where you'll find the main speaker and the charging port which, unlike the other mid-range and entry level OPPOs I've reviewed in the past, thankfully is USB Type-C. This accommodates the SuperVOOC charging cable, OPPO's own fast charging system. 

 

If you thought VOOC charging was quick, try 0-100 in just 35 minutes - that's what SuperVOOC is capable of. When I tested it, it took 42 minutes because I couldn't help myself checking the screen every few minutes to see the battery percentage tick up before my eyes. It really is that quick. Alas, no wireless charging option, although the OPPO team tell me they've been researching wireless for years. They claim until they can make it work as speedily as their miraculous SuperVOOC, they'll stick with the wall charger.

 

No headphone jack by the way - face facts people, these days it's more likely to be bluetooth or Type-C connector earbuds like the ones included in the box. 

 

There's one other oddity on the bottom of the Find X; the sim tray. Too ugly to blemish the slim, smooth edges of the phone and you can't bung it on the top because...

 

Yes, alright. That camera.

 

OPPO's "Stealth" 3D cameras are lying in wait, inside the phone and pop up instantly when required. The engineering behind this is so precise, the seam is practically invisible. The mechanism makes a slight noise when the cameras emerge, but it's really only noticeable in an absolutely silent room. The rear dual-camera setup sports 20MP and 16MP lenses while the selfie camera is an impressive (as always) 25MP. Once again, OPPO really delivers with its camera performance, packing a powerful A.I. punch which works mostly behind the scenes to produce consistently high quality shots, inside and out, in just about all lighting conditions.

 

That A.I. performance comes courtesy of a very high-spec Snapdragon 845 processor, paired up with a PC level 8GB of RAM. That kind of processing power makes this one of the fastest phones on the market and my user experience has been silky smooth, whether gaming, multi-tasking, filming or streaming. There's also a very healthy 256GB of internal storage, which is a genuinely high-end number.

 

The Find X's big brain means faultless 3D abilities, including facial recognition. There's no fingerprint sensor but OPPO claims their face unlock is so accurate, it's 20 times more secure than a fingerprint. I can confirm it works very well, even with my weird face. It also works in both landscape and profile which is a bonus for those of us who mount their phones sideways in their car cradles. Oh, if you thought the camera having to pop up to unlock your phone might slow things down, it doesn't. It's just really cool.

 

It's not just a gimmick either - there are genuine advantages to keeping your camera tucked away inside your phone when you're not using it; it's a great way to keep your lenses scratch, dust and fingerprint-free.

 

The obvious concern is reliability. How long can mechanical moving parts like these last? OPPO has an answer for that. They've tested these things rigorously and assure me the cameras can whiz up and down at least 300 000 times, no worries. That's about 8 years worth if you unlock your phone 100 times a day.

 

That's probably enough.

 

I've certainly yet to experience any hiccups with the slider mechanism, other than when I forget it's there and accidentally hold my finger over it. Obviously, the Find X is so clever, it doesn't try to fight my fat finger and waits till the coast is clear.

 

Some things can't be designed away though. While a transparent case is included with the phone, it goes without saying it doesn't fit over the top of the device to allow for the camera slider to do its thing. While OPPO says it's all been drop tested, glass covered phones can only withstand so much rough treatment. So I guess, don't treat it roughly?

 

While ColorOS is not my favourite Android-based operating system, I do like how stripped back it is and somehow, because of the sheer speed of the Find X's impressive processing power, I didn't find navigating around the phone as cumbersome as I have on some of OPPO's lower spec devices.

 

The OPPO Find X is selling for $1499. This is an interesting price point because I think that's probably about what it's worth in terms of features and performance. The questions is, can OPPO convince users to give it a go over other more well-known brands in this price bracket. Certainly, if you want a truly unique piece of hardware, Find X is the one.

 

Did I mention the limited edition Lamborghini version? Even more unique with more storage and a body constructed of carbon fibre, all bundled with some pretty swanky wireless ear buds. More unique means more expensive of course - but $2399 doesn't make OPPO's Lamborghini Find X the most expensive phone on the market. Not even close.

 

 

Click here for more information on the OPPO Find X

 

Click here for more information on the OPPO Find X Lamborghini Edition

Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you