OPPO just officially unveiled the Find X9 Ultra, and after spending some time with it, one thing is abundantly clear – the line between “smartphone” and “DSLR” has officially evaporated.
The design of the phone speaks volumes the moment you pick it up, as it is clearly designed to mirror the classic, timeless look of a Hasselblad camera. Complete with a vegan leather back and an aesthetic that honors professional craftsmanship, what is most impressive is that despite the powerhouse of glass inside, it isn’t bulky at all.
To keep the profile sleek, OPPO engineered a groundbreaking Quintuple Prism Reflection Periscope Structure. By bouncing light through five reflections, they managed to shrink the camera module’s length by 30% while still delivering true 10x optical zoom. It feels substantial in the hand but slides into a pocket without the usual “camera array” struggle.
There’s also a gorgeous 6.82-inch 144Hz QHD+ AMOLED panel that anchors the front. This display manages to hit a staggering 3,600 nits of peak HDR brightness, which makes it incredibly easy to see and edit your shots even in direct sunlight. The screen also uses an upgraded luminescent material and a dedicated Display P3 Pro chip to ensure colors remain accurate while you work.
With its latest flagship, OPPO has once again outdone itself when it comes to photography. It is so incredibly easy to take a beautiful, professional-style photo that you almost feel like you’re cheating. The New-Generation Hasselblad Master Mode bypasses the aggressive, artificial tone mapping found on most smartphones. This results in a distinct polish where images are ultra-detailed and natural, free from the over-processed look that usually gives away a mobile shot.
However, the experience isn’t without its quirks. While stationary subjects, portrait photos and landscapes, look breathtaking, fast-moving shots are problematic and often come out blurry. We are really hoping an upcoming software update will fix this, as the hardware is clearly capable of greatness. It would be a shame for such a powerful creative toolkit to be held back by what must be software issues.
For those who demand even more control than the standard device, OPPO is introducing the Find X9 Ultra Hasselblad Earth Explorer Kit. This ecosystem of accessories includes the Explorer Case, which features a two-stage shutter button and a dial for smooth zoom control, effectively delivering the tactile feel of a traditional camera.
For extra reach, the kit’s 300mm Explorer Teleconverter mounts directly to the 3x telephoto lens to provide a 13x optical zoom, allowing photographers to achieve breathtakingly sharp results at 30x and beyond. Ultimately, this kit really extends the X9 Ultra’s capabilities into a full-on DSLR.
Beyond the lens, the phone feels like it was built to last. It features OPPO’s Armor Shield architecture and carries IP66, IP68, and IP69 certifications, meaning it can survive extreme environments and even water exposure. Ultimately, you can take this out into the field with total peace of mind.
The performance is exactly what you would expect from a top-tier flagship. Under the hood, it runs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 Mobile Platform, ensuring everything from 8K video recording to complex AI tasks stays smooth. It is powered by a massive 7,050mAh Silicon-Carbon battery, paired with 100W SUPERVOOC wired charging and 50W AIRVOOC wireless charging to keep you shooting all day.
The new ColorOS 16 brings a level of intelligence to Android that matches the hardware. Features like AI Mind Space allow you to capture anything on your screen with a simple three-finger swipe or Snap Key press and turn it into an organized memory.
My personal favorite touch for business is the AI Bill Manager, which instantly logs digital payments and physical receipts into clear spending insights. And for those traveling abroad, the AI Menu Translation is very useful providing visual references and ingredient details for foreign dishes.
Conclusion
Year after year, OPPO continues to impress us with their incredible flagships that offer stellar photography chops. Case in point – we raved about the OPPO Find X9 Pro, calling it “the king of camera phones” and the Find X9 Ultra does not disappoint.
The new OPPO Find X9 Ultra is a serious creative tool that just happens to be a phone. It will be available in a choice of Tundra Umber (the sophisticated, dark-toned, leather-like finish), which channels the original Hasselblad aesthetics, and a bold Canyon Orange option, which is engineered from resilient aircraft-grade fiber.
As a welcome bonus, customers will receive a complimentary three-month subscription to Google AI Pro, which includes 5TB of cloud storage to house all those high-resolution Hasselblad shots.
Fortunately, the OPPO Find X9 Ultra will be released globally, which is not always the case with all of OPPO’s phones. We’ll update this story once we have pricing.