OPPO Find X3 Pro buyer's guide: Everything you need to know

The OPPO Find X3 Pro is the Chinese OEM’s flagship phone for 2021, and its first Snapdragon 888 phone. This marked a major step in its quest to conquer the premium market, and it had big ambitions for this device.

Oppo’s phone delivers a ton of premium features, although it’s not an improvement in every single area. Nevertheless, the phone is available for global markets rather than being restricted to just China.

Scroll down to find out everything we know about the OPPO Find X3 Pro, from specs and price to availability and more. We’ll also be updating the article as new information surfaces.

OPPO Find X3 Pro: At a glance

The OPPO Find X3 Pro is the latest conventional flagship phone from OPPO and is part of the premium Find series. OPPO resurrected the Find series in 2018 with the Find X, which featured an innovative pop-up camera solution. It then skipped a year and released the Find X2 Pro in 2020, packing a polished camera system, 120Hz QHD+ OLED screen, water resistance, and 65W fast charging tech.

In many ways, the Find X3 Pro picks up where the Find X2 Pro left off, bringing the aforementioned features. But we’re also getting a few additions like a crazy microscope camera and wireless charging (30W).

The Find X series also stands out for its design credentials and 2021’s device is certainly a looker thanks to a unique unibody glass design that took 2,000 attempts to get right.

Is the Find X3 Pro worth buying?

Oppo’s Find series is an out-and-out premium flagship range for those who don’t mind spending top dollar to get a feature-packed experience. At £1,099 or €1,149, the Find X3 Pro is basically slotting in between the Galaxy S21 Plus and the Galaxy S21 Ultra. So it’s definitely not an affordable flagship experience.

Our thoughts: OPPO Find X3 Pro review — Form versus function

As you’d expect for the price, you’re getting plenty of flagship stylings. That includes a top-notch screen on paper, IP68 water/dust resistance, a slick glass design, and a mostly cutting-edge camera system. So we see upgrades or sideways moves across the board for the most part.

In other words, those who want a premium alternative to Samsung and Apple’s high-end phones in 2021 should consider the Find X3 Pro. But those who bought the Find X2 Pro should still be good for now owing to the similar features.

OPPO Find X3 Pro specs

What are the OPPO Find X3 Pro features?

OPPO is focusing on several features with the Find X3 Pro, and the first is the QHD+ 120Hz OLED display. OPPO said it got an A+ rating from testing firm DisplayMate, although it seems like every high-profile flagship phone is receiving that rating these days.

The firm is also boasting of a “full-path color management system” for 10-bit video and photos. In plain English, that means the phone supports 10-bit video and photos for everything from capturing and editing to viewing said media on the screen.

Oppo’s color efforts are also focused on accessibility, as the Find X3 Pro comes with a color blindness tool to identify a user’s color perception and present the ideal solution. In fact, it’s touting over 760 color correction solutions.

The Find X3 Pro ups the ante when it comes to the rear cameras too, delivering a 50MP IMX766 sensor for both the main and ultrawide cameras. Much like HUAWEI, OPPO is touting a free-form lens for the latter camera that comes at the expense of the field of view (110 degrees).

A bigger compromise is that we’ve got a 3x telephoto camera instead of 2020’s 5x periscope shooter. So expect zoom quality at medium-to-long range to see a noticeable dip, although short-range zoom quality should be good.

Ever wanted to take microscope-style shots? Well, that’s where the 3MP micro-lens comes in. Yes, OPPO added what is for all intents and purposes a microscope to the back of the Find X3 Pro. But more on that in a bit.

What’s up with that micro-lens?

We’ve seen macro cameras and telephoto macro cameras, but a micro-lens? Well, OPPO stepped up itss close-up photography game with a 3MP f/3.0 micro-lens. This is able to take extremely close shots of various subjects, outputting the equivalent of 25x to 60x digital zoom. For a better idea of what to expect from this camera, check out the gallery below.

Android Authority reviewer Rob Triggs says results can be “surprisingly good” but cautions that you actually have to press the phone camera almost right up against the subject to take a snap, making for a bit of a finicky experience. He adds that this camera also doesn’t play nicely with hand judder. In any event, the micro-lens also supports FHD video recording as well.

How good are the cameras?

Rob felt that OPPO delivered two great cameras in the 50MP main and 50MP ultrawide shooters. He noted that the two cameras deliver “excellent images” in favorable conditions with exceptional colors. Furthermore, he said both cameras had the same level of detail and color consistency. These shooters weren’t perfect though, citing HDR effects that could be too strong and inconsistent results in low-light conditions.

More on cameras: The best camera phones you can get in 2021

OPPO is touting a 13MP 2x telephoto camera this time, and it’s a downgrade from the 13MP 5x periscope lens seen in 2020. Rob called this new camera “third-rate” compared to rival cameras, saying colors looked washed-out. He also felt that detail held up well until 5x, but that over-sharpening ruined images once you zoom past this point.

What about battery life?

You’re getting a 4,500mAh battery if you opt for the Find X3 Pro, delivering a mild but still welcome upgrade over the Find X2 Pro’s 4,210mAh capacity. Rob said he “easily” got through a full day of browsing the web and taking photos. He added that he got six hours of screen-on time and that you should get “well into the second day” without charging.

Speaking of charging, the Find X3 Pro comes with 65W wired charging, matching its predecessor and other BBK phones. Despite the bigger battery, you’re still going from zero to 100% in a promised time of 35 minutes, although Rob saw charging times as low as 31 minutes.

That said, fast charging does not work with any third-party chargers. Using anything except a SuperVOOC charger you’ll see rates of just 10W when wired. If you do misplace your wired charger, the Find X3 Pro also supports wireless charging at 30W (with a proprietary AirVOOC charger), as well as reverse wireless charging for headphones and other accessories.

Is it a brisk performer?

Oppo’s latest flagship packs the Snapdragon 888 chipset and 12GB of RAM, so you should be able to play heavyweight 3D games and more just fine a few years down the line.

Oddly enough, benchmarking showed that the phone was behind the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy S21 series, and closer to the Snapdragon 865 series at times. But enabling performance mode yielded more favorable results.

There’s nothing to worry about in terms of real-world results though. Our reviewer said apps opened and launched quickly, and noted that multitasking was smooth as well.

Phone software and updates

Oppo’s Android skin is called ColorOS, and the Find X3 Pro is getting ColorOS 11.2. This update brings a customizable dark mode and always-on display, and FlexDrop floating windows for multitasking. Otherwise, the skin sits atop Android 11, as you’d expect.

In May 2021, OPPO promised that the Find X3 series would receive three years of Android updates. That means two Android upgrades (Android 12 and Android 13) and an extra year of security patches. The company said it would like to up that promise to four years, but is still determining if that is feasible. For the sake of clarity, this update policy only applies to the Find X3 series, at least for now.

More reading: Android 12 developer preview hands-on — Lots of little changes

The Find X2 Pro received the stable Android 12 update from December 2021. Hopefully, Android 13 comes pretty quickly as well.

Find X3 Pro vs Find X2 Pro: What’s new?

The OPPO Find X3 Pro differs from the Find X2 Pro in a few ways. Check out the fields below for all the differences.

• Design: OPPO is offering a unique unibody glass design for its latest phone, available in Gloss Black, White, and Matte Blue color options. Meanwhile, the Find X2 Pro is available with a Ceramic or Vegan Leather/Pleather back. And the latter option is also available in a great Orange colorway, seen above.
• Cameras: The biggest upgrade in the camera field applies to the zoom-related camera, as OPPO drops the Find X2 Pro’s 5x periscope lens in favor of a 2x sensor. The company has also added a 3MP micro-lens to the new phone, making it a quad-camera setup as opposed to the Find X2 Pro’s triple camera system.
• Battery: The Find X3 Pro gains a modest battery capacity upgrade over the 2020 flagship, going from 4,260mAh to 4,500mAh.
• Wireless charging: We get wireless charging in the Find X3 Pro, which was missing entirely from the X2 Pro. Expect 30W charging here, although this speed requires a proprietary AirVOOC charger.

Competition and alternatives

Looking for something like the OPPO Find X3 Pro but not sure if you actually want the Find X3 Pro itself? You can check these alternatives out below.

• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra ($1200): Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy S22 Ultra is out now and it’s a generation ahead of the Find X3 Pro in terms of horsepower. You’re getting a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 or Exynos 2200 SoC, a QHD+ 120Hz OLED screen, a 108MP main camera, and extras like water/dust resistance, and wireless charging. It also has several advantages over the Find X3 Pro, such as a 3x telephoto camera, 10x periscope zoom lens, and a bigger battery (5,000mAh). It even comes with an S Pen and integrated slot. But you do lose out on faster wired/wireless charging by opting for this phone.
• Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra ($749): The Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra scratches a similar itch as the OPPO Find X3 Pro, bringing a QHD+ 120Hz OLED screen, Snapdragon 888 SoC, water resistance, and fast wireless charging. Xiaomi’s Ultra phone also sports a 5,000mAh battery, 67W wired charging, and one of the best camera systems on the market today. It even has a secondary screen on the back so you can take selfies with the rear shooters.
• OnePlus 9 Pro ($969): The OnePlus 9 Pro has a lot of the same features as the Find X3 Pro, including an SD888, fast wired and wireless charging, a large battery, an IP68 rating, and a terrific 120Hz display. However, the 9 Pro does not have the microscope camera and features a wholly different design aesthetic. Still, the 9 Pro is a lot easier to get in the US than the Find X3 Pro. It’s also worth noting that the OnePlus 10 Pro launched in China in January, but there’s no word on a global launch date.

What about other Find X3 series phones?

This isn’t the only OPPO Find X3 series phone on offer, as the company also launched the Find X3 Neo and Find X3 Lite. The former is the middle child in the series, offering a number of downgrades over the Pro.

The Find X3 Neo sees a drop to a 6.55-inch FHD+ 90Hz OLED screen, Snapdragon 865 chipset, no IP rating, and no wireless charging. Other downgrades include a 2MP macro lens in lieu of the micro-camera and a 16MP ultra-wide shooter instead of a 50MP lens. You’re still getting a 50MP main camera, 13MP telephoto camera, 65W charging, and a 4,500mAh battery.

OPPO also has the Find X3 Lite, which is essentially the Reno 5 5G that was launched in China back in January 2021. It sees a drop to a 6.43-inch FHD+ 90Hz OLED panel, Snapdragon 765G SoC, no IP rating, and no wireless charging. Other specs include a quad rear camera setup (64MP+8MP+2MP+2MP), a 4,300mAh battery, and 65W charging. In other words, it’s the least capable phone in the family.

Where to buy the Find X3 Pro?

Oppo’s Pro flagship is available in Europe and the UK, and you can check out pricing below.

Europe

• OPPO Find X3 Pro (12GB/256GB): €1,149
• OPPO Find X3 Neo (12GB/256GB): €749
• OPPO Find X3 Lite (8GB/128GB): €449

UK

• OPPO Find X3 Pro (12GB/256GB): £1,099
• OPPO Find X3 Neo (12GB/256GB): £699
• OPPO Find X3 Lite (8GB/128GB): £379

The OPPO Find X3 Pro is actually a little cheaper in Europe than 2020’s phone, albeit by €50. The £1,099 UK price tag is identical to the Find X2 Pro’s launch price in the market though.

Either way, it’s clear that you’ll be paying top dollar for this phone, but it’s actually a little cheaper than the Galaxy S21 Ultra and more expensive than the Galaxy S21 Plus.

It’s worth noting that we’ve already seen several rumors and leaks regarding the OPPO Find X4 series. So you might want to hold off on buying the X3 Pro just yet.

Top OPPO Find X3 Pro questions and answers

Q: Does the Find X3 Pro have a charger in the box?
A: Yes, you’re getting a 65W charger with the phone.

Q: Does the phone support wireless charging?
A: Yes, it supports 30W wireless charging.

Q: Does it offer a microSD slot?
A: No, it unfortunately has fixed storage only.

Q: What color options are available for the Find X3 Pro?
A: The phone is available in Gloss Black, Matte Blue, and White.

Q: Does it have a headphone port?
A: Unfortunately not.

Q: Is the phone available in the US?
A: It isn’t available in the US, so you’ll need to import this.

Help others out

That’s all you need to know about the OPPO Find X3 Pro! We’ll be updating this article with more information as soon as we get it.