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The OPPO Find X3 Neo launched last month as part of the Find X3 series launch, acting as an affordable alternative to the Oppo Find X3 Pro.

The big difference with this phone vs last year’s Find X2 Neo is the shift from the ageing mid-range 5G Snapdragon 765G to the Snapdragon 865, which featured on flagships last year (including the £1k+ Find X2 Pro). This offers a significant performance improvement, and I think it helps justify the price, with the Find X2 Neo using a mid-range chipset, it just felt overpriced.

I would have preferred to see the Snapdragon 870 used, but sadly Oppo has used this on the Find X3 which isn’t being launched in the UK.

Phone & Camera Specification

OPPO Find X3 Neo OPPO Find X3 Pro 
Display6.55 inch OLED
2400×1080 pixels
90Hz Refresh Rate
180Hz Touch Sampling
500 nits (800 sunlight)
HDR10+
Pixels Density: 402 PPI
6.7 inch AMOLED LTPO
1 Billion colour display
3216×1440 pixels
120Hz Dynamic Refresh
240Hz Touch Sampling
500 nits (800 sunlight)
HDR10+ Certified
Pixels Density: 525 PPI
ChipsetQualcomm Snapdragon 865Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Camera (rear)50MP Sony IMX 766 Sensor
f/1.8 OIS 1/1.56″ sensor size
All Pixel Omni-directional PDAF

16MP Ultra Wide f/2.2

13MP Telephoto f/2.4
5x Hybrid Zoom, 20x Digital Zoom

2MP Macro f/2.4

Video up to 4K 60fps
50MP Sony IMX 766 Sensor
f/1.8 OIS 1/1.56″ sensor size
All Pixel Omni-directional PDAF

50MP Ultra Wide
Sony IMX 766 Sensor
f/2.2
All Pixel Omni-directional PDAF

13MP Telephoto
f/2.4
5x Hybrid Zoom, 20x Digital Zoom

3MP Microlens
f/3.0 fixed focus

Video up to 4K 60fps
Camera (front)32-megapixel Selfie camera
Video up to 1080p 30fps
32-megapixel Selfie camera 
RAM12GB LPDDR4 RAM12GB LPDDR5 RAM
Storage 256GB UFS 3.0 Storage256GB UFS 3.1 Storage
ConnectivityDual-SIM
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.2
NFC
Dual-SIM + eSIM
Wi-Fi 6 (2×2 160)
Bluetooth 5.2
USB 3.1 (USB 3.1 data cable required)
NFC

Battery4,500mAh
65W SuperVOOC 2.0 (65W)
4,500mAh
65W SuperVOOC 2.0 (65W)
30W Wireless Charging
OSColorOS 11.1 on Android 11ColorOS 11.2 on Android 11
AudioDolby Atmos (Mono)Dolby Atmos with Stereo Sound
IP RatingNoIP68
Size/Weight159.9 x 72.5 x 7.99mm / 184g163.6 x 74 x 8.26mm / 193g
ColoursGalactic SilverGloss Black
Starlight BlackBlue
RRP£699.99£1,099.00

Camera Samples

So far, I have been impressed with the camera; the photos are consistent and generally all good. The AI mode doesn’t mess with the colours too badly, unlike some brands.

While the ultrawide performs well, I wish it had the 50MP Sony IMX 766 similar to the two models above it and the two OnePlus models.

The 2MP macro is mostly useless, it can take some fun close-up shots, such as the shot of the barnacles that of grown on the side of a pier, but zooming into the shot shows off the lack of detail from 2MP.

Night mode is good, on par with OnePlus or Xiaomi, but not as good as Huawei.

Zoom Samples

Low Light Samples

Macro Samples

General Photo Samples

Price & Alternative Options

The OPPO Find X3 Neo has an official RRP of £699.99

This makes it more expensive than the none-Pro OnePlus 9 and dangerously close to the Xiaomi Mi 11. Both of these phones would make a superb alternative choice, and I am not going to suggest the Find X3 Neo is better.

However, it is worth seriously considering. The SD865 may not be as fast as the Snapdragon 888, but you will get a much better battery life out of it while still having phenomenal performance.

This then also benefits from a decent telephoto lens and half-decent ultra-wide. I personally prefer the overall camera performance of this to the Mi 11, and it competes well with the more expensive OnePlus 9.

You also get 12GB RAM and 256GB storage as standard, the extra storage is definitely a bonus for me.

OPPO Find X3 Neo discounts and the best contract deals

I do feel £699.99 is a touch too expensive, though. However, over on Amazon.Es, the phone is available for €727.09 but then with a discount taking it down to €636.56 or around £560.

At a sub-£600 price this becomes a much better alternative to the OnePlus 9 and the price gap is to big to even bother comparing to the Mi 11.

Alternatively, OPPO has always been good with contract deals. You can pick up a 100GB 5G Vodafone plan for £936 all in via Car Phone Warehouse (£39 PCM or £9.83 PCM for the contract – the RRP of the phone). Or a 54GB deal for £865 all in (£36pcm equivalent or £6.9 contract – RRP).

Overall

My main issue, so far, with the OPPO Find X3 Neo, is that it is not the standard Find X3, and that OPPO appears to have no plans to launch it in the UK. The none-pro Oppo Find X3 looks almost perfect for what I want from a phone.

However, with that option off the table for UK buyers, I think the Find X3 Neo is my favourite phone so far this year. It offers superb all-round performance in an attractive package, a better battery than SD888 phones, and it doesn’t cost a fortune (and it’s a bit of a bargain depending on deals).

Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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One Comment

  1. Got the Oppo find X3 a week ago, I had a Huawei P20 pro. So for I love the photo’s as they are not over sharpened or Ai has not changed colour to much. The only thing I think Oppo need to do to improve their cameras is look at Huawei with effects they have like light painting and great night photos. Still getting used to how Oppo systems works but i have to say i would not change because i love the photographs i have taken with it. Well done Oppo you have a new fan.

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