OPPO Find X5 Pro Review: It’s Just About The Best At Everything
May 27, 2022Performance: Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, 12GB RAM
Main Display: 6.7-inch WQHD (3216×1440)
Weight: 218g
Storage: 256GB
Battery: 5,000 mAh
Features: 4K, 1080p
Rear Camera: 50 MP Wide, 50MP Ultra-Wide, 13MP Telephoto
Front Camera: 32MP, 1080 Video recording
Rating: 9/10
Price: RM4,999
OPPO has produced some absolute stunners this year, ranging from mid range offerings like the Reno Z to our current review model; the X5 Pro. Not to be confused with the regular X5, the Pro is far superior thanks to a blend of good looks and lightning quick internals. There’s a lot to say about this phone, so let’s get into it.
What’s It Like
Firstly, its design is nothing short of breathtaking. Now, I don’t usually dwell much on a phone’s appearance because there’s very little to write home about. But this isn’t the case with the Find X5 Pro. It looks very different from the rest of the competition. It’s a tall and slender device that feels substantial in the hand.
At the front is a 6.7-inch, curved display that wraps around the edges as it meets the metal frame. They meet with such precision that the contact point seems non-existent, mimicking the loop of a single material. The polished metal frame feels just as smooth to the touch as the display itself, which adds to the aforementioned perceived “continuation”.
That said, it looks fairly similar to that of rival models. But when you turn the phone on its rear, you’ll notice that the X5 Pro is far removed from anything else on the market. Apparently, the design is inspired by space but to be more precise, the moon landing area.
It is a sight to behold because of how gradual and elegantly the case curves upwards to form the rear camera array. As it tapers off, the curve is obtuse, which creates a gentle, rounded arc devoid of sharp edges. It’s this level of subtlety that reminds us of OPPO’s meticulous attention to detail.
This scratch-resistant, nanometer microcrystalline ceramic back requires 168 hours to build. OPPO says that it has to undergo 45 different processes to create the visible curve, which includes polishing with diamond knives and diamond liquid. And to top it off, CNC cold carving tech is used to create the light and shadow effect that’s seen around the camera bump.
It’s a unique look that will definitely draw a lot of attention. However, due to its positioning on the far left corner, the protrusion makes the phone wobble when used on a flat surface. The effect will be less dramatic if you’re using a phone case, but it too won’t be able to completely eliminate the problem.
The phone comes in White and Black, but the former allows the X5 Pro to “pop” more whereas the latter offers a more subdued overall look. OPPO says that the phone has a IP68 rating of being splashproof, waterproof and dust proof. In addition to this, the ceramic rear panel and Gorilla Glass Vitus front screen should make the entire phone more durable than its predecessors.
Speaking of the display, it’s a 6.7-inch, WQHD+ resolution unit with a 120Hz refresh rate. Since it’s an LTPO screen, the phone can vary the refresh rate between 1 to 120Hz depending on the task at hand. This is done to optimize the output to suit everything from streaming content, playing games or reading e-books or articles.
It’s a very bright and vivid display that makes everything from mundane pictures to watching YouTube videos feel extremely eye-catching. It offers 1300 nits of brightness, which is more than enough for just about any scenes, including sunny afternoons. The display is able to make minute changes to make the entire viewing experience as enjoyable as possible.
Through the use of the O1 Ultra Vision engine, the X5 Pro is able to upscale 720p or 1080p footage and upscale them to 2160p to match the phone’s resolution. This, combined with support for HDR10 and HDR10+ allow content to appear sharper, with deeper blacks and better overall color quality.
That said, the tech can’t work miracles, which results in either a hit or miss. It does make footage noticeably better at times, but for others, the “upscaling” can be attributed to the placebo effect. But it’s nice to know that the phone is doing all it can to ensure that you are getting the best video quality that’s possible at any given time.
Performance
As for power, the X5 Pro gets the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which is the same chip used to power the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, S22+ and S22 phones. It’s the latest and greatest chip that’s currently available on the market. Compared to its predecessor, the X5 Pro has 30% better GPU performance and 25% more power efficient.
In the real world, this means that the phone flies through most tasks without breaking a sweat. The lightning quick responses are also due in part to the 12GB RAM. This memory ceiling limit is high enough that most users will never reach.
And as such, you could open a multitude of Chrome tabs then play a graphically intensive game or stream content while using another app on the second portion of screen, but it won’t get bogged down. It’s a testament to how far technology has advanced that a mobile processor can do this much, yet have a lot more left to give.
OPPO has incorporated a sophisticated cooling solution to help keep temperatures in check even during intensive CPU loads. There’s a large vapor chamber that covers both the chipset and battery (it’s 75% larger than previous generation), a 3D graphene film covering the motherboard and charging coil as well as a graphite film that covers the screen and display IC.
Then there’s Game Mode. It’s a feature built into ColorOS that ensures that the phone prioritizes resources for a gaming session rather than other apps or functions. This helps to ensure that you have a smooth gaming session, devoid of frame drops or other issues. AI frame Rate Stabilizer helps identify game processes that require more resources to help improve performance.
Cameras
The stars of the show have to be the rear camera array. The X5 Pro gets a 50MP wide and 50MP ultra wide Sony sensors (IMX 766) as well as a 13MP telephoto unit. Unlike conventional phones, their lenses are made from actual glass rather than plastic. OPPO claims that his glass-plastic system helps reduce chromatic aberration by 77%.
This hardware combination works with the MariSilicon X imaging NPU to produce stunning results. Pictures that are captured look sharp, retain great detail and have an overall natural hue. While using the phone, you’ll notice that it’s thinking for you as it makes minor adjustments where necessary to achieve the best results possible.
It can compensate for just about any scenario, which includes direct sunlight or near pitch black environments. The end result is a photo with the right amount of exposure and contrast. But that isn’t all, the AI system is able to clean up a picture further to ensure that the right details are visible. But the best part is that it doesn’t try to overcompensate by boosting the contrast and saturation.
This is a common issue with many AI reliant phones, which is why I’m thankful that it isn’t the case for the X5 Pro. There’s a natural look to each picture, which helps capture the essence of the entire experience. The same is true for night time photography, image quality is only second to that of the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.
The phone’s cameras are able to use what little light that’s available to capture a well exposed picture. It’s astonishing how little the X5 Pro asks for to deliver usable results. The combination of AI technology and competent hardware make taking pictures with the phone an absolute joy.
When it comes to taking pictures, most phones meet you halfway, but the X5 Pro goes the full nine yards. Steady hands or proper foot placement can be ignored completely. Just point the camera at what you want to capture, select the focus point, then click the shutter button. The end result is a sharp, detailed and well balanced picture that appears to have been taken by a professional.
The front 32MP camera is quite good at taking selfies. Portrait shots are quite balanced and you can add various bokeh or other filters to change to alter the look of a photo. It also tries to retain your natural skin tone, but it’s either a hit or miss at times. That said, its capabilities pale in comparison to that of the dual rear 50MP sensors.
Video quality with the rear cameras is nothing short of amazing. Not only is the quality as sharp and precise as the pictures that are taken, but the footage is very smooth. This can be attributed to the 5-axis optical image stabilization.
It works with the background software to ensure that the subject remains in focus regardless of how steady you’re holding the phone. That said, the technology isn’t idiot proof. If you move the phone around erratically, the hardware may not be able to compensate for said movements.
Battery
OPPO has given the X5 Pro a dual-cell battery with a capacity of 5,000mAh. On average you should end the day with about 20% charge left, but that depends entirely on your usage. For heavier workloads, you just might make it to the end of the day or require a quick charge by late evening.
The good thing is that the phone supports 80W fast charging with the ability to regain 50% of its capacity in just 12 minutes. There’s also support for 50W wireless charging but to achieve the highest charging speed requires you to use the new 50W superVOOC wireless charger.
Should You Buy One?
The OPPO X5 Pro is a great phone for anyone with deep enough pockets. It looks cool and has the hardware to challenge any other flagship on the market. It faces stiff competition from the Samsung S22 Ultra. Choosing between them depends entirely on preference.
And if you find both to be pricey, then you’ll be better off with the Reno 7 Pro. At half the price, it can accomplish 75% of what this phone can do. In any case, visit an OPPO store and test the X5 Pro for yourself, then you’ll understand why it has won us over.
