Oppo Find X9 Ultra Review: The Ultimate Phone?

Best Prices Today: Oppo Find X9 Ultra

For the first time, Oppo’s top-tier flagship smartphone has been released globally without a delayed launch compared to the Chinese market.

While global availability still means select markets, the Find X9 Ultra is ready to compete with major players like Samsung, Google, and Apple.

Priced at £1,449, it’s on par with competitors like the Galaxy S26 Ultra for similar storage. Boasting an extraordinary array of cameras developed with Hasselblad, it aims to be the ultimate photography phone.

It doesn’t fall short in other areas either, featuring a large battery, fast charging, a superb screen, and an eye-catching design, among other attributes.

I’ve spent the past two months testing it to assess if it’s the top phone of 2026.

Design & Build

The Find X9 Ultra’s design is my favorite this year, and perhaps for several years, particularly in the Tundra Umber model—it’s stunning, especially when held.

In a market flooded with similar-looking phones, its distinctive design is refreshing. There’s no mistaking it for an iPhone 17 Pro Max or similar devices.

The aluminum frame is both sleek and durable, but the vegan leather stands out as the main attraction. It looks fantastic, especially with its two-section design, and feels premium to the touch. The phone draws inspiration from a classic Hasselblad camera, evident in the design, including a new orange button on the side and a matching ring around the camera module.

For my money, the Find X9 Ultra takes the crown

If you’re interested, there’s also an Orange Canyon colorway, which seems to be a nod to the iPhone’s design choices.

This variant features a fibreglass back, and while the sand dune effect is subtle, it lacks the premium feel of the Tundra Umber model. Still, if you prefer a bold, bright design, this is an option.

The phone is also slightly thinner and lighter due to the rear cover material. However, it remains a large and hefty device, which is expected given the high-end Ultra specifications, such as advanced camera and battery technology. Despite its size, the weight is well-balanced.

Compared to more mundane and similar competitors, the Find X9 Ultra claims the design crown, especially in Tundra Umber.

Screen & Speakers

The Find X9 Ultra’s display is slightly smaller than competitors like the Xiaomi 17 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro Max, yet it remains substantial, aligning with its Ultra status. If you’re seeking a device for one-handed use, this might not be it.

With my large hands, this phone’s display proved easy and enjoyable to use, offering top-notch quality. It might not be the leader in any one specific area—like bezel thickness or brightness—but it excels overall.

With remarkable clarity, vibrant colors, and smooth performance, it delivers everything you’d expect from a premium phone. Additional features, such as eye care and video color boost, add to its appeal for those who like to customize their experience.

The in-screen fingerprint scanner is among the best I’ve encountered, featuring a pleasing ripple animation.

Oppo takes a unique approach to audio compared to other brands. It features stereo speakers, but one isn’t entirely dependent on the earpiece used for calls. Sound also emits from holes in the metal frame on top, similar to the bottom.

Overall, the audio is impressive: crisp, clear, rich, and loud without needing full volume.

Specs & Performance

The performance of this top-tier phone is exceptionally smooth, thanks to its flagship Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

In the UK, it is available in a single model with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, though other markets might offer additional configurations.

In everyday use, I found the device to be responsive and fast. However, it can experience some heating issues, particularly when using the camera extensively.

Though it hasn’t caused noticeable slowdowns, benchmark tests reveal some differences compared to rivals, particularly in 3DMark stability.

Oppo Find X9 Ultra benchmarks

Cameras

The cameras are undoubtedly the main reason to purchase the Find X9 Ultra. While it’s excellent in other areas, Oppo is showcasing its top phone photography capabilities against brands like Vivo, Samsung, and Xiaomi.

Even if the X9 Ultra isn’t your choice, it’s designed to boost confidence in purchasing more affordable devices within the range.

This phone features five cameras in total, with four on the back, more than any key competitor in 2026. While more cameras don’t automatically mean better quality, after two months, I believe the Find X9 Ultra is the best camera phone of the year.

It offers an impressive 550Mp total across these cameras (with a fifth rear camera serving as a color sensor), including two 200Mp Hasselblad cameras, and the only 10x periscope telephoto camera with a 50Mp sensor available on any phone.

In short, it’s a joy to shoot with

There’s a lot of impressive tech involved, but rather than focusing on specs, let’s talk about the X9 Ultra as a camera phone. It may not be perfect, but it’s very close.

Using it is a pleasure, and I’m confident that each camera will deliver outstanding results nearly every time, even if I choose to disable the automatic macro mode (which uses the ultrawide lens for close-ups).

The cameras provide consistent color accuracy and abundant detail. The main 200Mp camera excels in low light, offering astonishing dynamic range with minimal noise. People might assume the photos were taken with a DSLR.

The camera samples largely speak for themselves (they’re unedited). The X9 Ultra manages to capture the mood and atmosphere of the scene. It’s particularly suited for street photography, but versatile enough for various situations.

There are numerous modes to explore, such as Master Mode, which eliminates AI processing, Hasselblad Hi-Res for shooting in 50- or 200Mp, and X-Pan for panoramic shots with Hasselblad filters.

The X9 Ultra is also one of the best Android phones I’ve used for video. It can record up to 8K/30fps, with all cameras reaching 4K/60fps. Advanced features, like shooting in O-Log2 to preserve more detail, are available.

For my money, it’s the best camera phone ever made, but there’s still room for improvement.

The main concern is the Quick Button, the orange touch-sensitive button on the side, which isn’t positioned low enough for comfort. I’d prefer a dedicated shutter button like those on Sony Xperia phones. Also, my finger often appears in photos, requiring later cropping.

While I haven’t tested the Earth Explorer Kit, I’ve seen it in person and it appears to be an intriguing option for enthusiasts. It includes a camera grip with a physical shutter button, a detachable 300mm zoom lens, and a built-in battery to keep the X9 Ultra charged.

Consideration is warranted, but at £499, it’s not for the faint-hearted.

Battery Life & Charging

The Find X9 Ultra continues to amaze when it comes to battery life and charging, starting with a substantial 7050mAh battery. Comparatively, it’s over 1000mAh larger than the Xiaomi 17 Ultra, and 2000mAh more than the Galaxy S26 Ultra.

Thanks to Silicon Carbon (SiC) technology, the Find X9 Pro boasts an even larger 7500mAh battery. Nonetheless, the Find X9 Ultra offers solid battery life, diminishing any concerns about longevity when using this phone.

It just seems to keep going like some kind of Terminator, or like my border collie

Proving this point further, it endured a remarkable 25 hours and 36 minutes in the PCMark battery benchmark, one of the best results we’ve recorded.

It’s a positive sign when I struggle to deplete the phone’s battery for charging tests. Even with minimal charge and maximum screen brightness, it continues to run like a Terminator, or my Border Collie.

When I finally drained the battery to 0%, I observed how quickly it recharged. Like many phones today, it doesn’t include an adapter, but the Find X9 Ultra supports up to 100W wired charging.

It reached 21% in 15 minutes and 42% in 30 minutes, which is impressive given the battery size. Additionally, it supports fast 50W wireless charging, although it’s another 2026 phone without Qi2 magnets built-in, which is unfortunate.

Overall, the Find X9 Ultra’s battery performance is robust.

Software, Apps & AI

The Find X9 Ultra operates on Oppo’s software, ColourOS. Although I’m not overly familiar with it, transitioning from the Xiaomi 17 Ultra was seamless, as it’s quite similar to HyperOS 3.

Chinese user interfaces have evolved to become cleaner and more user-friendly than a few years ago, blending core Android elements with features borrowed from the iPhone—like Dynamic Island, which provides information and controls around the selfie camera.

However, they still come preloaded with a lot of bloatware, including apps like TikTok, Booking.com, and Amazon Shopping. While some might be useful (I kept Spotify), most can be easily removed.

Oppo also includes its apps, which often duplicate Google’s. In my view, they’re unnecessary, but you might find some useful. Personally, I enjoy using the IR Remote to control my TV with my phone.

Customizing ColorOS took longer than usual to achieve a setup I liked, but that’s a one-time task. There are features I appreciate and others I don’t, although your preferences might differ.

While I like grouping the app drawer by icon colors, the predominantly gray notifications make it hard for me to process the information.

Various AI features are available, with Mind Space being the primary one, accessible via the Snap Key (a physical button on the left side of the phone, which can be assigned different functions). You can hold the Snap Key to record a voice message, press to save on-screen content, or double-tap to open Mind Space.

While Mind Space doesn’t suit my needs, it might be beneficial to others. Overall, the AI features are relatively light, aside from typical assistance in text, translation, and more.

With a phone of this price range, you’d expect decent software support, and the Find X9 Ultra delivers with five years of OS updates and six years of security. Though slightly behind Samsung and Google, you might want to upgrade by then anyway.

Price & Availability

As a true ultra-level phone, the Find X9 Ultra comes with a hefty price tag of £1,449, and this is the only model available (in the UK) with 12GB RAM and 512GB storage.

It’s a purchase for those serious about their phone, as there are now foldable phones that cost less, not to mention some excellent mid-range phones at roughly half the price.

Key competitors’ Ultra phones are cheaper, with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra priced at £1,299 and the Galaxy S26 Ultra at £1,279. However, Samsung’s model offers 256GB storage, while the 512GB model matches Oppo’s price.

While it’s not a bad deal, if you’re not an enthusiast, you might consider other models in the X9 series. The highly praised Find X9 Pro is £1,099, and the standard Find X9 is £899.

Both models are available now from the official store (with free gifts at the time of writing), and Amazon UK also stocks the phone. As usual, it’s not available in the US.

Take a look at our list of the best phones for our current top 10 recommendations, as well as the best camera phones available.

Should you buy the Oppo Find X9 Ultra?

In my opinion, the Oppo Find X9 Ultra is the best camera phone of the year.

In fact, it’s so impressive that I consider it the overall best phone of 2026, with its stunning design, remarkable hardware, and outstanding performance.

However, these accolades don’t automatically mean you should buy it. It’s an expensive phone that is large and heavy, and those factors alone will rule it out for many people.

As mentioned earlier, there are cheaper and smaller Find X9 models that might be a better fit for you.

This phone is for those willing to invest in the best of the best, without brand loyalty. While you might need to look elsewhere for Qi2 magnetic charging or the privacy display of the Galaxy S26 Ultra, the Find X9 Ultra covers the essential features in impressive style.

The main drawback is that Oppo’s ColourOS may not suit everyone’s taste, and the phone offers shorter software support compared to Samsung and Google.

But if you’re searching for the ultimate Ultra phone, I believe you’ve found it.

Specs

• ColorOS 16, based on Android 16
• 6.82-inch, 1440 x 3168, LTPO AMOLED, 144Hz
• Ultrasonic fingerprint sensor
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
• 12GB RAM
• 512GB storage
• Cameras:
• 200Mp main sensor
• 50Mp ultrawide
• 200Mp 3x telephoto
• 50Mp 10x telephoto
• 50Mp selfie camera
• Up to 4K @ 120fps rear video
• Stereo speakers
• Dual Nano-SIM + eSIM
• Wi-Fi 7
• Bluetooth 6.0
• 7050mAh Silicon-Carbon battery
• 100W wired charging
• 50W wireless charging
• Reverse wired and wireless charging
• 163.16 × 76.97 × 9.10mm
• IP68/69 certified
• 236g (240g for orange)
• Colours: Tundra Umber, Canyon Orange