Oppo Find X5 Pro: Goodbye gimmicks, hello solid phone

There was a time when Huawei was seen as the great challenger to Samsung's dominance in the android market. But then came the dispute with the US that saw it lose access to Google Mobile Services, and although Huawei is still making smartphones, it is no longer quite such a threat.

In its place have come a new round of challengers: Xiaomi, OnePlus, ZTE and Oppo. The latter has certainly had some interesting devices. From the Oppo Find X3 Pro with a microscope camera to the foldable Find N, Oppo has been putting out new devices and grabbing attention.

The Find X5 Pro is the latest addition to that line-up. But instead of trying to reinvent the wheel, the company has refined some of the better features from the Find X3 Pro and ditched the ones that weren’t really all that necessary. Goodbye gimmicks, hello solid phone.

It starts with a 6.7 inch display, which sounds massive but isn’t as unwieldy as you might think, even if you have smaller hands. The display itself is as high quality as its predecessor, with a variable refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz that can be customised for split screen tasks, and HDR support so you get some great visuals.

Camerawise, the Find X5 Pro has a 50 megapixel main camera, a 50 megapixel ultrawide camera and a 13 megapixel zoom telephoto lens. On the front you get a 32 megapixel selfie camera. There are enough modes on both the front and rear cameras to cover most eventualities, with a dedicated night mode from both, long exposures, dual view video, time lapse and panorama among those on offer.

Oppo has decided against including a super zoom lens or a microscope option, plumping instead for the much more usable 2 x zoom. While the microscope and the powerful zooms were an interesting feature, they probably aren’t top of the list when investing in a smartphone. While I’m sad to no longer be able to take close-up photos of fibres and leaves, it’s not a dealbreaker on the Find X5, which delivers good quality photographs in its own right.

The camera is housed in a raised “bump” that is angled and provides you with the perfect spot to rest your finger while you take a photograph. No more fingers over lenses, or smudges to deal with, at least not on the lenses. The device’s premium look to it comes from its glossy ceramic casing that is unfortunately a bit of a fingerprint magnet too. It’s fairly sturdy, with an IP68 rating and Gorilla Glass Victus on the front to try to protect it from bumps and scrapes. But if there is one bit of advice I would have for prospective owners of the Find X5 Pro, it is this: Put a case on it. For your own sanity, and for the health of your bank balance, invest in a good case and don’t take it out until you do. Sure, you’ll be hiding that nice ceramic, glossy back, but if you don’t, you risk smashing it to smithereens.

On the plus side, a case will also hide the block of text that Oppo has chosen to put on the back – branding, company information and safety markings – in a surprisingly visible manner.

Battery life is good, lasting well over a day and almost stretching to two at times, depending on use. Either way, you’ll easily get a day out of the phone without having to tie yourself to a battery pack or wall charger.

Good

Overall, the quality of the Find X5 Pro is excellent, from its display to the camera to the performance. It is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, and can handle everyday tasks without breaking a sweat.

Not so good

If you are a fan of camera gimmicks, the Find X5 Pro is light on this front. Instead it focuses on delivering a decent performance in low light, which it more or less delivers on.

The rest

The phone comes with fast charging – 80 watt wired and 50 watt wireless charging – so you can power up and be on your way in a matter of minutes.

Verdict

HHHH An admirable follow-up to the Find X3 Pro, even if it doesn’t make some of the big leaps of its predecessor.