This review is a long time in the making, and it comes from an unusual place: a Frenchman in Chicago, who had never touched an OPPO smartphone in his life, being selected as one of twenty OPPO Product Ambassadors worldwide to receive and evaluate the Find X5. Not the Pro variant. The standard Find X5, with its Snapdragon 888 platform, its MariSilicon X imaging NPU, and its Hasselblad-tuned cameras. Three weeks of daily use, two weeks of rain, snow, and wind, and a deep dive into ColorOS for the first time. This is what I found.
How This Started
I saw a tweet from OPPO announcing its first Product Ambassador Program and decided on a whim to apply. I was not expecting much: major brands typically select YouTubers, bloggers, and large-scale content creators. So when the email confirming my selection arrived, it was a genuine surprise. Twenty ambassadors worldwide, representing different countries and cultures, each getting a device from the Find X5 lineup and sharing their experience with the community. My device: the standard Find X5, not the Pro variant I had been eyeing.
That is worth being transparent about from the start. No Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. No five-axis optical image stabilization. No f/1.7 aperture. The Snapdragon 888 platform instead has two-axis OIS and f/1.8 on the main camera. I was still thrilled. I had never used an OPPO device in any form, aside from their home cinema products from years ago in Europe. This was going to be a first in every sense: a new brand, a new UI, a new camera system, a new ecosystem. The only honest question I started with was whether the Find X5 is worth its price. I will answer that at the end.
The Device: Specs and Context
The OPPO Find X5 carries the Snapdragon 888, 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM with virtual RAM expansion, 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, a 6.55-inch AMOLED 10-bit LTPS display, a 4800mAh dual-cell battery with 80W SUPERVOOC wired charging and 30W AIRVOOC wireless charging, and the MariSilicon X imaging NPU developed in-house by OPPO. The camera system consists of a 50MP Sony IMX766 main sensor, a 50MP ultrawide with a 7P lens construction at 110 degrees, and a 13MP telephoto.
On paper, this is a 2021 flagship-tier device shipping in 2022 with an Android 12 software layer and an imaging NPU that is genuinely new to the market. The question is whether those components add up to something worth the 999 euros it costs in Europe.
ColorOS: The Biggest Unknown, Now Partially Known
I came to ColorOS from a very specific background: years of AOSP and Pixel experience, time with OxygenOS up to version 11, and a long stint with MIUI before I eventually got fed up with its direction. My tolerance for heavy OEM customization is not zero, but my preference has always been toward clean, fast, and predictable Android. ColorOS 12.1 on Android 12 is none of those things exactly, but it is more interesting and less offensive than I expected.
First boot delivered Android 12 out of the box with ColorOS 12.1 and a day-one OTA including the February security patch. That is a reasonable starting point.
The launcher is fast, responsive, and genuinely flexible. It supports widget placement, icon shape customization, wallpaper-based color theme adjustment, and layout configuration for home screens. OPPO has implemented their own wallpaper color-extraction theming system rather than Google’s Material You, which produces a different visual result but works with similar logic. The result is clean enough that, with some configuration work, the device starts to look and feel closer to a stock Android experience than the default setup suggests.
But ColorOS brings an enormous amount of bundled software. OPPO Share, Omoji, a custom gallery, a custom video player, a custom clock application, a custom files manager, O Relax, App Cloner, App Enhancement, App Services, the Phone Manager security center, and a parallel OPPO/OPlus framework sitting on top of the Android framework to make all of it function together. Many of these cannot be uninstalled, only disabled. Many are not available on the Google Play Store, which sits outside Android’s published guidelines. The first impression is of a China firmware variant with Google services bolted on, even though the unit I received is explicitly marked as an EU variant.
I want to be clear: I went in with no bias, and I gave it my genuine best. Some of it surprised me positively. Some of it still puzzles me.
The positive surprises: O-Haptics, which OPPO does not talk about enough, delivers punchy, well-tuned vibration feedback synchronized with notifications and system sounds, with fine-grained intensity control. The Smart Sidebar is a well-implemented floating shortcut system that I can see becoming genuinely useful with daily habits. The PC Connect client for both Mac and Windows is fast, easy, and works well for screen mirroring and clipboard sharing between phone and desktop. The floating and flexible window implementations are smooth and do not suffer from the stuttering I have seen in other OEM implementations of the same feature.
The friction points: notification handling is the biggest one. I manage multiple email accounts and receive high volumes of mail. The notification shade groups mail by inbox, which is good, and allows expanding individual notifications, which is also good. But tapping a grouped notification when it is collapsed does not take you to the inbox: it requires you to unfold, select an individual notification, navigate into the app, and then back out to reach the inbox view. That is one more step than it should be, and it adds up across a full day of use.
The US region selection, which I used given my location in Chicago, further restricts the experience. Omoji, Themes, and several customization options are disabled to comply with local regulations. The result is a phone that is less customizable than the European variant would be, which is frustrating when you are trying to evaluate the full breadth of the platform.
Regarding privacy, OPPO states that user data stays on regional servers, uses non-plaintext transmission over a proprietary protocol, and, for EU users, is stored in Germany in compliance with GDPR. ColorOS 12 incorporates Android 12’s privacy dashboard, per-app microphone and camera permissions, the green dot indicator for active sensor usage, and an anti-peeping feature that detects whether the registered owner is looking at the screen and hides notifications accordingly. The privacy notice visible on the device is dated November 2020, which is an oversight that should be updated. The underlying implementation appears sound.
Virtual RAM deserves a brief mention because OPPO markets it prominently. The feature uses UFS 3.1 storage as paged memory for less-active apps, extending the effective available RAM from 8GB to up to 13GB. With UFS 3.1’s read speeds, this works without noticeable slowdown when switching apps. It is still a workaround for not offering a 12GB variant, but it works in practice and I did not experience meaningful degradation in multitasking performance.
Software update commitment is three years of major OS upgrades and four years of security patches, which is competitive with Samsung’s current policy and ahead of most Android OEMs. Whether OPPO delivers on that commitment over time remains to be seen.
Connectivity: Strong Where It Counts
The Find X5 supports Wi-Fi 6 with 2×80 MHz channel bonding, reaching a theoretical maximum of 2.4 Gbps. On my gigabit home connection, I measured 1.4 Gbps download over Wi-Fi, which beats the 1.2 Gbps ceiling most competing devices hit due to their single 80 MHz or 2×40 MHz configuration. That is a real-world advantage for anyone with a fast home network.
Dual SIM, dual IMEI, and eSIM are all present. The eSIM is a welcome addition, and I expect it disables the physical SIM 2 slot when active, as is standard. Given that OPPO is not officially available in the United States, the EU variant I received has limited carrier compatibility here: T-Mobile works for basic LTE, but VoLTE, VoWiFi, RCS, and carrier aggregation configurations are not guaranteed on a non-certified device. This is not a criticism of the product, simply the reality of using a regional variant outside its intended market.
Screen casting is comprehensive: Miracast, Chromecast, and wired USB-C to HDMI all function. The PC Connect client for desktop mirroring is fast and requires minimal setup. The one exception is DRM-protected content: streaming apps including Prime Video and Netflix, refused to play through the USB-C to HDMI connection, which is a content protection issue on the app side rather than a hardware fault, but is worth noting for users who want to use the device as a portable media player connected to a display.
The Camera System: Potential, Limitations, and the MariSilicon Question
This is where the review gets complicated, and I want to be honest about the conditions I had. Two weeks of snow, rain, cold wind in Chicago. No vibrant night scenes, no parties, no clear skies for moon shots, no opportunities for the kind of shooting that would stress-test the MariSilicon X under ideal conditions. What I have is two weeks of daily shooting in difficult conditions with the device most of us actually use: out of the pocket, point, shoot, done.
MariSilicon X: What It Is and What It Is Not (Yet)
The MariSilicon X is OPPO’s in-house imaging NPU, positioned as the central differentiator of the Find X5 series. It combines an NPU core, an ISP, and an 8.5GB/s DDR memory subsystem, delivering 18 TOPS of AI computing at 11.6 TOPS per watt. OPPO claims the MariSilicon processes 20-bit dynamic range, compared to the 18-bit output of the Snapdragon 888’s ISP, and delivers 4K Ultra Night Video, Ultra HDR capture, and real-time RAW processing. The marketing material also claims 20x the denoise speed of the X3 Pro’s ISP.
Here is my honest question: the Snapdragon 888 already includes three 18-bit ISPs with Scalar, Tensor, and Vector processing units, 26 TOPS of AI compute, 0.1 lux video capability, 4K HDR video, and AI-based autofocus and autoexposure. So what, precisely, is the MariSilicon adding that the Snapdragon ISP was not already delivering? The 2-bit dynamic range extension from 18 to 20 bits matters in theory for extreme highlight and shadow recovery. The dedicated denoise pipeline matters for low-light video. But for the 90 percent of shooting that happens in reasonable light with a point-and-shoot workflow, the incremental benefit is not yet clearly visible in output.
I want to contextualize this: it is entirely normal for new silicon to underperform its theoretical ceiling at launch. Google’s Tensor took months to reach its potential through software updates. Xiaomi’s Surge C1 ISP chip underwent multiple update cycles before its full impact was visible in the output quality. The MariSilicon X is new, the Find X5 has received one firmware update at time of writing, and my testing conditions were not favorable for the modes it most benefits from. A reassessment in September 2022, after several OTA updates, would likely show meaningful improvement. That is not a criticism: it is simply an honest acknowledgment of where the technology is in its deployment cycle.
The Camera Hardware: A Structural Issue
I have specific questions about the Find X5’s camera hardware choices that I cannot fully resolve, and I think buyers deserve to hear them.
Why is the primary camera a 6P lens construction when the ultrawide uses a superior 7P lens? Why is the ultrawide field of view only 110 degrees, below the standard 120 degrees on comparable devices? Why does the telephoto deliver only a 5P lens construction with no x4 optical zoom, while competing flagships routinely offer periscope zoom at 3x or 5x optical? Why only two-axis optical image stabilization on the main camera when the Pro variant offers five-axis? And, for anyone coming from the Find X3 series, where is the microscope lens?
These are not trivial questions. The ultrawide camera, paradoxically, produces the best results of the three because its 7P lens construction outperforms the main camera’s 6P optics in sharpness and color accuracy across the frame. This means the device’s weakest optical construction is on its primary shooter, which should be its strongest. If OPPO had used a 7P f/1.7 construction on the main camera, the Sony IMX 766 sensor’s full potential would have been accessible. As it stands, the IMX 766 is being bottlenecked by the optics in front of it.
Camera App and Modes
The camera application includes the expected modes: Night, Video, Pro, Photo (with AI, HDR, and 50MP sub-modes), Portrait, Panorama, Movie, Slow Motion, Time Lapse, Long Exposure, Dual Video, Text Scanner, and Hasselblad XPAN.
The XPAN mode is a visual homage to the Hasselblad XPan panoramic film camera, offering either color or black-and-white output in a widescreen, cinematic crop. It is currently limited to the 42mm-45mm focal-length equivalent and does not include the 30mm wide option. For photography enthusiasts familiar with the XPan, this is a thoughtful implementation of a beloved aesthetic, even without a dedicated black-and-white sensor. For the general user, it is a distinctive shooting mode that produces genuinely different-looking images and is worth exploring.
What the camera application lacks compared to competitors is a broader range of creative video options. Xiaomi’s camera app on comparable devices offers 8K video, multiple long-exposure modes for light painting, and cinematic video effects including magic zoom, time freeze, and parallel worlds. Google’s camera pipeline remains ahead on computational photography for skin rendering, portrait processing, and night photography. The Find X5’s camera app covers the essentials well but does not yet compete with either company’s feature depth.
Real-World Output
Shooting with the approach that represents how most people actually use their phone camera, out of the pocket, point, shoot, upload to Instagram, or send to the family group chat, the Find X5 produces good results. Colors are accurate and pleasant, consistent with the color science tuning from the OnePlus 9 Pro partnership with Hasselblad, meaning natural tones without the oversaturation common in competing OEM cameras. The main camera handles daylight and indoor scenes competently. The ultrawide is a genuine highlight, delivering sharpness and color consistency that outperforms many flagship ultrawide cameras.
The honest comparison: shooting the same scenes with the OnePlus 9 Pro, the Pixel 6 Pro, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro, or the Snapdragon Insiders Phone produces comparable or better results in most conditions I tested. This is not a failure of the Find X5: it is an acknowledgment that its cameras are excellent, and that the Find X5’s imaging system, at this point in its software maturity, sits in the same tier rather than above it.
Night photography, moon shots, and 4K Ultra Night Video remain on my testing checklist, pending weather conditions and appropriate opportunities. Those are the modes where the MariSilicon X has the most to prove, and I will update this review when conditions allow.
Battery: The Best Part of This Device
The battery system is the Find X5’s strongest suit, and I say that without reservation.
The 4800mAh dual-cell design, split across two 2340/2400mAh cells, supports 80W SUPERVOOC wired charging, 30W AIRVOOC wireless charging, and 10W reverse wireless charging. The 80W implementation delivers zero to 50 percent charge in approximately 15 minutes. Critically, the dual-cell architecture means the 80W peak is actually 40W per cell, which dramatically reduces heat generation compared to single-cell fast charging. In practice, the device does not get meaningfully warm during charging, which is the correct outcome and matters for long-term battery health.
My wireless charging setup at home uses a 55W wireless charger. The Find X5 charged flawlessly with it. The charging compatibility situation, which I was initially concerned about given the proprietary VOOC ecosystem, turned out to be well-handled: the device supports standard PD3.0 on both wired and wireless fronts, meaning existing chargers from other devices in my setup work correctly.
Under real daily use with three Gmail accounts, two Exchange accounts, active photography, YouTube streaming, casual gaming, and a compromised network situation due to using an EU device in the US, the Find X5 handled a full day without difficulty. That is with ColorOS’s aggressive background management enabled, specifically the granular Foreground Activity, Background Activity, and Auto Launch controls that allow per-app restriction of background processing. These controls make a significant difference to daily battery life and are among ColorOS’s most practical features.
Super Power Saving Mode is available as an emergency fallback, converting the device to a feature phone with three selectable apps alongside the dialer, clock, and messaging. It is the kind of feature most users will never touch and will be glad exists when they need it.
Build Quality and Hardware Feel
The physical device is well-built. The finish is premium, the materials are solid, and the assembly quality is consistent with a flagship-tier product. My specific observation: the Find X5 is lighter than I expected and lighter than the devices I have been using daily over the past year. Coming from 6.7-inch and 6.78-inch flagships, the 6.55-inch size and sub-200-gram weight create a noticeably different feel in the hand. Not uncomfortable, genuinely pleasant even, but an adjustment period is needed.
The flat screen is a point I want to note for OPPO: the market has largely shifted back toward flat displays after the curved-screen era, and the Find X5’s flat panel is the right choice. A marginally thinner chassis would make the device feel even more premium.
No SD card slot and no headphone jack. I do not personally care about either: 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage is adequate for my usage, and I use Snapdragon Sound-compatible wireless audio. But buyers who need external storage or wired audio should be aware.
The Verdict: Honest, Not Generous
The OPPO Find X5 is a good device. It is not a great one at launch, and the distinction matters at its price point.
The battery system is excellent. The build quality is flagship-tier. The ultrawide camera outperforms its class. ColorOS is more capable and more surprising than I expected, even if the notification handling and the inability to fully uninstall bundled applications create real friction. The Wi-Fi 6 implementation is best-in-class. The charging ecosystem is one of the best in the industry.
The weaknesses are real. The main camera is bottlenecked by its 6P lens construction, even though the sensor beneath it deserves better optics. The telephoto offers no compelling advantage over competing flagships. The MariSilicon X imaging NPU is new, promising, and not yet operating at full efficiency: it needs software maturation time, which every new piece of silicon requires, but which is a legitimate concern when paying flagship prices today. The camera application lacks creative depth compared to Xiaomi and Google. And ColorOS, despite being better than feared, still carries the weight of a parallel app ecosystem that has no good reason to exist outside the Play Store.
On pricing: in Europe, the Find X5 retails at 999 euros. At that price, I would expect 12GB of RAM as standard rather than virtual RAM expansion from 8GB, a better optical construction on the primary camera, stronger telephoto performance, and either a B&W sensor for the XPAN mode or an x4 optical zoom option. At 749 to 799 euros, the device’s value proposition becomes genuinely compelling. At 999 euros, it is competing directly with devices that have solved problems the Find X5 is still working on.
The best way to frame the Find X5 is this: it is a strong 2021 flagship with an interesting 2022 imaging chip, selling in 2022 at 2022 prices. The MariSilicon X is the reason to watch this product over the coming months rather than just at launch. If OPPO’s software team does for MariSilicon in six months what they were unable to deliver at day one, the Find X5 will age better than its launch review scores suggest. That is a real possibility, and it is worth monitoring.
For now: good device, interesting technology, price sensitivity required. And this is coming from someone who had never held an OPPO smartphone before, which means every observation here is genuinely free of the rose-tinted glasses of prior brand loyalty. No nostalgia, no fanbase allegiance. Just the phone, in daily use, in Chicago, for three weeks.
More testing is coming, specifically for night photography, moon shots, 4K Ultra Night Video, and long-exposure light painting. Updates will follow.
Review conducted as part of the OPPO Product Ambassador Program. The device was provided by OPPO at no cost. The opinions expressed are entirely my own. Testing period: approximately three weeks in Chicago, April 2022. Firmware version: ColorOS 12.1 on Android 12, February 2022 security patch.