The Oppo Find X5 Pro is a new flagship Android handset specced and priced to compete with the very best from Samsung, Google, OnePlus and, of course, Apple. Chinese brand Oppo doesn’t have the same level of recognition as those behemoths but since arriving in the UK it has been keen to establish itself as a player at the higher end of the market. With that in mind, the Find X5 Pro gets a big, glossy screen with a high refresh rate, a brace of high-resolution cameras, a tie-up with legendary camera brand Hasselblad, plus a top-end chip set, lighting-fast charging and a four-figure price tag. But is it good enough to compete with the big names in the mobile market and justify its £1,049 price? The Find X5 Pro uses the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset as other 2022 flagship handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, OnePlus 10 Pro, and Xiaomi 12 Pro. As you’d expect from the latest top-end kit, it is well up to the task of handling whatever you ask of it. Apps open and switch without hesitation and even intensive applications such as video editing or gaming are handled with ease. There’s only one specification on offer, with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. Like most top-end phones nowadays, there’s no option to expand this with a microSD card. The Find X5 Pro does, however, allow you to temporarily expand the phone’s RAM if you’ve enough spare storage. Between the user and all that hardware is Oppo’s ColorOS UI. It’s a fairly simple and attractive Android skin that doesn’t feel overbearing but does allow some nice personalisation touches such as choosing the shape and style of app icons and some nice always-on screen options. Oppo says the Find X5 Pro will get three years of Android updates and four years of security patches. At 163.7 x 73.9 x 8.5mm, the Find X5 Pro has a full-on flagship form but fits easily into the hand thanks to the smooth curve that transitions from the Gorilla Glass Victus on the front to the ceramic back. That ceramic finish looks and feels fantastic with a cool, smooth texture that isn’t too slippery. The only drawback is that the shiny coating is an absolute fingerprint magnet and you’ll find yourself constantly wiping it to keep it looking its best. The look is also slightly spoiled by the various bits of branding and compliance text that runs its length. Unlike other top end phones where the camera module sits proud with a sharply defined edge, the Oppo’s case flows smooth around the various sensors and flashes, creating a continuous slick feel and allowing your fingers to rest comfortably just beneath the cameras. Buttons and ports are limited to a power switch on the right hand side and volume controls on the left, with a USB-C port and speaker on the bottom of the case. Like most new high-end handsets, there’s no headphone jack. There is, however, IP68 water and dust proofing to protect the phone from the elements. The Find X5 Pro features a 6.7-inch quad HD AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate and 10-bit colour depth, plus a punchhole selfie camera in the top-left corner. As you’d expect everything looks pin sharp and pops with vibrant colours but the phone also features image sharpening and video colour enhancing tools if you want a further boost. There’s also the option to crank up the impressive brightness further when watching HDR videos but that’ll chew through your battery. The dynamic 120Hz refresh rate means it adapts constantly to the task on-screen and ensures scrolling is silky smooth but if you’re worried about battery life you can cap the refresh rate at a more mainstream 60Hz. The X5 Pro’s case proudly displays the Hasselblad logo as well as Oppo’s own “powered by MariSilicon” branding, emphasising the focus Oppo has put on the Find X5 Pro’s cameras. That said, there are actually fewer cameras than on its previous X3 Pro, but those that remain are generally excellent. The main unit is a 50MP/f1.7 with five-axis optical stabilisation, backed up by a 50MP/f2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens and a 13MP/f2.4 telephoto shooter. Results from the first two cameras are hugely impressive across the board, with both handling everything from high-contrast landscapes to unpredictable group shots well, with sharp, accurate images full of colour and life. Low-light shooting is equally impressive via the Find X5 Pro’s night mode which makes best use of the quality sensor and smart processing. Fast-moving subjects, be they cars racing round a track or children racing round a park are easy to capture sharply thanks to the image stabilisation and the smart and ultra-quick MariSilicon processing software, which also helps enhance low-light or high-contrast pictures and video. The tie-up with Hasselblad largely amounts to the camera interface, which features the brand’s trademark orange hue on controls and its famous shutter sound. You also get a special XPan mode that recreates the quirky format and finish of the Hasselblad XPan film camera from the 1990s. Among the Oppo’s extras are a long-exposure mode which includes options for capturing water/clouds, moving vehicles or light painting. It’s remarkably simple to use and produces some impressive results that require nothing more than a steady hand from the operator. There are also the now common “pro” settings that allow you to set shutter speed, ISO, white balance and more, an ultra hi-res setting and AI scene enhancement which will make suggestions to make the most of your subject. On the front, the 32MP selfie camera produces reliably good results and features a smart feature to switch between regular and ultra-wide angle depending on whether you’re taking an individual or group shot. Video recording goes up to 4k 60fps but drop it down to Full HD and you’ll be able to take advantage of some impressive advanced stabilisation settings and, as with still images, the Find X5 Pro’s video output is impressively clear and bright. The camera’s biggest downside is its 2X zoom. There’s nothing wrong with the functionality but when rivals are offering 5x and even 10x optical zoom it feels a step behind and while the software helps to an extent, using digital zoom too far results in sub-par images. Inside the Pro’s sealed case is a massive 5,000mAh battery that, Oppo says, should last you a full day of heavy use. We found it easily coped with a regular day’s web browsing and social media scrolling with a little YouTube viewing thrown in for good measure. It also packs a massive 80W charger that can add 50% in just 12 minutes, meaning that even if you forget to charge it overnight, a few minutes’ blast first thing in the morning will give you enough juice to see you through. Wireless charging is also supported at an astonishing 50W - far more than rival handsets. The Oppo Find X5 Pro has all the hallmarks of a true flagship handset. The chipset is powerful enough to handle the toughest of tasks and the camera returns reliably excellent results in all conditions. The screen is sharp and bright with buttery-smooth operation and the battery and charging are class-leading . It also looks and feels like a premium smartphone but with that comes a premium price to match more well-known brands.
