To write this review I used for a long time this Oppo device, about forty days. So I thank the company first of all for giving me the opportunity to write a slightly more accurate and in-depth review, giving me the material time to stress the device to perfection. In fact, on average, to review a smartphone you always have a maximum of ten days and it is difficult to give an overview of real and continuous use.
Unboxing
Let's start from the rectangular package with important dimensions considering the race to compactness of the competitors, inside we find the convenient clip for the Nano SIM housing, a transparent silicone cover (a bit more solid than usual), a 5V / 2A 10W charger - 10V / 6.5A which with its fast charge reaches 65W, a type C cable and earphones; not obvious given that more and more tech companies are abandoning the accessory.
Various canned goods are on average eco friendly, even if I have perhaps noticed an excessive use of plastics.
Design
Let's start with a term: iridescent; yes: its back cover certainly does not go unnoticed, the pastel shades change nuance and nuance under the rays of the sun and for me it was immediately a blast from the past. In fact, I remember my brother's first mobile phone twenty-three years ago, the Nokia 6110. In the last 20 years, in fact, I have rarely seen such a backcover on the shelves. An interesting stylistic choice.
The infinity display immediately catches the eye with its curved edges and with the front camera that is positioned at the top left where honestly it never bothers. In the upper part of the display, under the panel, there are also sensors and capsules calibrated to perfection.
Returning to the back, the camera compartment is well balanced with four lenses and a double flash.
This Find X3 Neo is a rather balanced smartphone, weighing only 184 g, with dimensions of 159.9 x 72.5 x 7.99 mm.
Moving on to a single analysis of the machine body, however, we can see how the sides of the Smartphone are clean, except for the presence of the volume rocker on the left and the on / off button positioned along the right profile.
The lower profile of the Find X3 Neo has the slot for the Nano-Sims (double sim, but no memory expansion), the microphone and the USB-C 3.1 connector with dedicated output for charging and data and video exchange and the audio speaker, that we remember being stereo.
On the upper profile, however, only the ambient microphone is placed.
Hardware and Technical Sheet
The definition of Top of the Range is certainly varied: there are always many canons to be respected to be able to fall into this category, but I would say that this Find X3 Neo is definitely at ease with this "burden" to carry. Although the CPU is a slightly older model, we always talk about one of the most performing Qualcomm processors ever: the 865 Octa-Core model supported by 12 GB of RAM and Adreno 650 GPU.
To complete this hardware equipment we find 256 GB of internal memory type UFS 3.1, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC chip. Excellent fingerprint recognition speed, with reader located under the display and really good stereo sound. The only flaw: the lack of the audio jack.
| Operating system | Android 11 - with ColorOS 11.2 customization |
| Dimensions: | 159.9 x 72.5 x 7.99 mm with a weight of 184 g |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 |
| Frequency and Cores | Cores Kryo 585: 1 @ 2.84 GHz + 3 @ 2.42 GHz + 4 @ 1.80 GHz |
| But by the full GPU acceleration tech | Adreno 650 |
| RAM | 12 GB |
| Memory | 256 GB UFS 3.1 not expandable |
| Display | 6.55 ″ OLED with 90 Hz Refresh Rate. Resolution 1080 x 2400 and 525 ppi |
| Cameras | 50 Mp @ F1.8 + 13 Mp @ F2.4 + 16 Mp @ F2.2 + 2 Mp @ F2.4 |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Wi-Fi | WiFi 6 – 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax |
| GPS | A-GPS / GLONASS / BeiDou / Galileo |
| Battery | Li-Po to 4500 mAh |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor, Fingerprint Sensor under the Display, Compass, Gyroscope |
Display
The panel of this OPPO Find X3 Neo is a 6.55-inch diagonal Full HD + made with AMOLED technology. The color rendering is, as per AMOLED tradition, excellent as well as the contrast; the screen, slightly curved at the sides, is HDR10 + certified and has a Refresh Rate of 90 Hz. It also reaches a peak of 1100 nits of brightness, ensuring excellent viewing angles even in direct sunlight.
I find the 90Hz refresh more than adequate for almost any use of the Find X3 Neo. In my tests I did not feel the need to shout to the world that a 120 Hz standard is an absolute must on any smartphone: so much so that even those that can ensure 120 frames per second have recently opted to use adaptive Refresh Rates in order not to affect on battery life.
A little subdued, perhaps, the automatic brightness sensor - not very reactive in finding the right setting, especially in the evening - and in general the management of the colors of the display with low brightness: there is a vice to veer towards dark and unnatural shades if it is screen is dimly lit, but nothing striking.
Software
The beating heart at the base of the Smartphone is the ColorOS in version 11.2, based on Android 11 and on all its functions and customizations.
Precisely in terms of customizations, the customization interface is beautiful that allows you to see in real time the changes made to the home page if you choose a new background or icon design.
Present the fully customizable Always-On Display, as well as the Quick Sidebar for connections and the ability to view apps in windows or mini icons.
The software customizations do not end there, because they also include the Relax app - which plays relaxing sounds to promote concentration and rest - and the Assistant for the Games which allows you to push the performance of the device to the maximum, record the screen and deactivate incoming notifications to focus only on the match.
Like all OPPOs, however, this Find X3 Neo also suffers from some bizarre problems. One above all is the inconsistency in the way notifications are handled. The warnings are unfortunately not notified wherever you expect: it happens sometimes that the AOD notifies a message, this also appears in the status bar but not as an icon badge or on the lock screen. And in this particular case it is impossible to read a preview of the notification without necessarily having to directly open the application concerned.
Software problems that ColorOS has been carrying around for some time and that have never been completely solved. We hope for the next Software update.
Side note, but not too much, some critical issues with the coupling of the Bloetooth. I have a pair of Sony WH-1000XM3s and I was able to pair on the 3rd try as Android Auto Wireless didn't always work on the first try; but once paired the devices always worked with no connection skips or I / O delays.
Battery
Having a Full HD + display and a relatively large 4500mAh battery means you can easily get through a full day of use with the Neo. Oppo's battery optimization is notoriously very aggressive - this means that many applications are "killed" in the Background to save RAM and improve energy expenditure - and this opens the door to all non-power users who do a moderate use of the phone and who will be pleasantly surprised by the possibility of having to avoid recharging even for 48 hours straight.
I have often arrived at the end of the day with more than 40% of remaining autonomy.
The other positive side of this battery is that it offers a Super VOOC 2.0 charging system, which allows you to take advantage of Ultra-Fast Charging.
Thanks to the 65 W recharge in just 15 minutes you reach 50% of the battery charge, which is fully charged in about 30 minutes.
Unfortunately, the Wireless charging is missing, but the possibility of giving a boost to the battery in just about 10 minutes does not make you miss it too much.
Performance and Gaming
When Oppo announced the Find X3 series we were all a little disappointed to see that the Neo would not have the same Top Processor as its Pro brother, but that of last year's Find X2 Pro (and therefore Snapdragon 865). Technically, an outdated processor is never a source of attraction but, in practice, it is still so snappy and performing that most users would not notice the difference, especially if 12 GB of RAM comes in handy.
Playing from Smartphone with Oppo Find X3 Neo is a show. Not a frame late, even in really energy-intensive and heavy games like Call of Duty Mobile and Asphalt 9 can be. The "Game Space" function dedicated to playful customizations is also of great help because it allows you to have quick access to the brightness screen, turn off incoming notifications, and show real-time CPU and GPU usage.
Camera
The photographic sector of the Find X3 Neo does not add anything new or revolutionary to what the market already offers, but implements the best quality of the sensors currently available and amalgamates them with proprietary OPPO software.
The main camera is a Sony IMX766 with 50 MP and F1.8 focal aperture which can be done even with less bright scenes. Optically stabilized, with an autofocus always on the piece and never a dancer.
The rear equipment is completed by a 16 MP wide-angle lens - unfortunately without autofocus, and you can hear - with a 123 ° viewing angle, a telephoto lens with a classic 3x zoom and a 2 MP Macro, now filling on all oriental-style smartphones.
Unchanged compared to past models, the 32 MP Front Camera inserted in a Punch Hole on the left side of the screen and which has a focal aperture F2.4 that manages to perform well even in video calls or for more sporadic Selfies.
Everything is embellished with an AI that puts its own without exaggerating, and with one of the most complete night modes in circulation on Smartphones in this category.
Not bad also the video sector that allows recordings at a maximum resolution of 4K at 60 FPS, even if to enjoy the electronic stabilization to the fullest you have to be content with compromising as can be 30 FPS or FHD resolution.
Below is a gallery with photos taken around (the site for hosting issues compresses the images a little, if you need the "full res" write me via email)
Wide - Normal - Zoom - 100x Digital Zoom
Price and Conclusions
While not mounting a Snapdragon 888, the current gold standard for all devices who want to boast the Top Range title, it manages to flex its muscles in all areas: from gaming to the photographic sector, passing through the always fast and reactive GPS navigation.
Slightly heats up when put under excessive stress but nothing to scream scandal (currently there are devices that heat much more with much less pressure on them, such as the Galaxy Z Flip 3), it has a battery that lasts two days with a medium / conservative use and makes qualitatively satisfying photos.
It has a retail price of € 799 in Italy but it is already around € 599 on stores like Amazon. At this price it is a device that there is, because the competition is fierce and, honestly said, for € 799 I would turn to other shores.
But, and I repeat, this Oppo Find X3 Neo is a smartphone that overall I liked a lot. It manages to be competitive in all its functions and offers the right technology at the right price (€ 599 of course).
(Currently in promotion on Amazon [the following is an affiliate link])
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