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If you live in Europe, Australasia, or Asia, you’ve probably come across a few Oppo smartphones.
While Oppo might not be as much of a household name as Samsung, it’s actually one of the top five global smartphone brands (on market share) on a regular basis, and most of its phones now launch in the UK and across Europe and Asia.
Over the last few years we’ve seen improvements in its hardware and more competitive devices across the board, with constant reworkings and improvements to its Android software skin ColorOS – now one of our favourite versions of Android.
Oppo’s latest 5G flagship line is the Find X5, which launched in early 2022 and includes the Find X5 Pro and Find X5 Lite. Note that the company skipped the Find X4, so the Find X3 series are actually 2021’s models – and thanks to price drops many of them are still solid buys. The Find X6 series is expected early in 2023.
The company’s Reno line doesn’t launch reliably in the UK and Europe, but some Reno options are still around – and in fact the current Reno 8 series has launched globally. Then there are the company’s budget offerings within the Oppo A series, along with its Find N foldables – although so far only the Find N2 Flip is available outside of China.
Best Oppo phones 2023
1. Oppo Find N2 Flip – Best Oppo Phone
Pros
- Sturdy, gapless hinge design
- Excellent main camera
- Big cover display
- Good battery
Cons
- No water-resistance
- No wireless charging
- Unreliable Bluetooth
The Oppo Find N2 Flip is the only Oppo foldable you can buy outside China, and it offers direct competition to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Oppo is helped by the fact that its price is extremely competitive – especially in the UK – but don’t mistake this for the cheap and cheerful option. It still packs a flagship processor, better build quality than Samsung’s offering, and the same main camera you’ll find in the likes of the OnePlus 11.
You’ll have to live without wireless charging or water-proofing, and accept the risk that as a foldable it might not last as long as a traditional phone. But if you can live with those compromises, this really is flipping fantastic.
2. Oppo Find X5 Pro – Best Flagship
Pros
- Beautiful, unique design
- Powerful camera
- Brilliant display
Cons
- Big and heavy
- No periscope lens
- Expensive
The Find X5 Pro is Oppo’s all-singing, all-dancing flagship device from spring 2022, and a year on it’s still an excellent phone.
Yes, it’s expensive, there’s no denying that. But you get the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, and 80W wired charging together with 50W wireless.
The main and ultrawide cameras both pack the same 50Mp sensor, and offer almost exactly the same quality shots, with punchy colours, oodles of detail, and great dynamic range. There’s ‘only’ a 2x zoom camera – no periscopic lens here, sadly – but results are impressive here too.
It’s a big, heavy phone – thanks in part to the ceramic rear – and the design takes some getting used to, but this is an excellent all-rounder that delivers in every area.
The only real reason not to buy it is that we think its successor, the Find X6 Pro, is probably right around the corner.
3. Oppo Find N – Best Book Foldable
Pros
- Incredible folding hardware
- Strong triple camera
- Surprisingly affordable
Cons
- No IP rating
- Only available in China
The Oppo Find N is one of the absolute best foldables around – which makes it such a shame that, for now at least, it’s only available in China, as is its follow-up the Find N2 – which we haven’t yet had the chance to test ourselves.
Still, we have tested the first Find N, and if you’re brave enough to import the phone then you’ll find a phenomenal bit of kit. This has one of the sturdiest foldable designs around (though unlike Samsung’s latest, there’s no waterproofing) along with flagship specs – including a very capable triple rear camera.
4. Oppo Find X5 – Best Affordable Flagship
Pros
- Great cameras
- Unusual design
- Strong performance
Cons
- No IP rating
- Not the latest processor
The Oppo Find X5 only loses out on a few of the most elite touches found on the Find X5 Pro. It still retains a premium design, a superb display, and an almost-identical camera setup.
Really all you miss out on are the ceramic body, the IP rating, and the latest chip – with last year’s (still excellent) Snapdragon 888 powering the phone instead.
Most importantly, it undercuts plenty of flagship rivals, delivering great value for money right now.
5. Oppo Find X3 Pro – Best Former Flagship
Pros
- Striking design
- Beautiful screen
- Novel microlens camera
Cons
- Big and bulky
- Now 1+ years old
The Find X3 Pro was Oppo’s top flagship in 2021, and it’s still an excellent option.
You get a Snapdragon 888 chipset, 12GB RAM and 256GB storage, and 65W wired charging together with 30W wireless.
Like the Find X5 Pro, the main and ultrawide cameras both use the same 50Mp sensor, and offer almost exactly the same quality shots, with punchy colours, oodles of detail, and great dynamic range. You also get the 2x zoom camera, along with one novelty the newer phone lacks: a microlens camera, capable of taking super-closeup shots.
Those cameras are capable of outputting images in 10-bit colour, and in fact the phone supports true 10-bit storage and encryption too, right through to the 10-bit, 120Hz, WQHD+ display.
6. Oppo Reno 8
Pros
- Stunning colour-changing finish
- Two-day battery life
- Speedy charging
- Capable performance
Cons
- Mixed camera set-up
- No variable refresh rate
The Reno 8 is an impressive mid-range phone. It has a stunning design, capable performance, a user-friendly OS, speedy charging and an extremely durable battery life. The main camera is also largely impressive – though the other lenses aren’t anything to shout about.
Whilst there are some notable downgrades from the Pro variant of this phone (below) – notably the processor, the refresh rate, the camera software and the IP rating – the Reno 8’s price tag is much better situated in the mid-range market. It’s a true gem, and a worthy rival to other phones from OnePlus and Google.
7. Oppo Reno 8 Pro
Pros
- Glossy and refined design
- Speedy charging
- Powerful performance for the price
- Decent main camera, even in low light
Cons
- So-so secondary cameras
The Oppo Reno 8 Pro offers near flagship-level performance, a sleek design and speedy charging, making it a tempting choice. The main 50Mp camera performs extremely well, but it is a pity that the secondary cameras don’t match that standard.
In addition, the short security update promise mean that customers will be less likely to hold onto this device for years to come, and there is fierce competition from rivals when it comes to price. Regardless, Oppo has once again delivered a reliable mid-ranger.
8. Oppo Find X5 Lite
Pros
- Fast 65W charging
- Great battery life
Cons
- Mixed cameras
- Only 90Hz
- Android 11
Battery and charging are the Find X5 Lite’s biggest strengths. With a 4500mAh cell the phone can comfortably last a couple days of use, and the 65W wired charging means you can top it back up to full in a little over half an hour.
The main camera and selfie shooter are both good, but the other rear lenses disappoint a little. More damningly, despite launching in 2022 the phone ships with the older Android 11, meaning it’s already a year behind on software.
Still, this is one of the best mid-range phones in Oppo’s line-up, and has plenty to offer for those who can’t afford the flagships.
9. Oppo A54 5G
Pros
- Affordable
- 5G support
- Decent camera
Cons
- Slow charging
- Poor performance
The Oppo A54 5G is a competitively priced budget 5G phone that’s a great choice if you want the latest connectivity tech but don’t have a lot to spend – though it does come with compromises within that.
First, the good stuff. The 90Hz LCD display, excellent battery life, and unexpectedly strong camera make this a reliable option despite the price.
As for the bad? You’ll have to put up with slow charging – just 10W – and a sub-par chipset, which leaves the A54 stuttering and freezing every now and then.
While this isn’t the only 5G phone that costs this little, it’s one of the stronger options out there.
10. Oppo Find X3 Lite
Pros
- Refined design
- Fast charging
- 5G
Cons
- Middling camera
- Now 1+ years old
The Oppo Find X3 Lite is a step up from the previous generation, there’s no denying it. The design improvements may be small, but overall they deliver a much more refined aesthetic and feel.
Factor in the Snapdragon 765G chipset (with 5G support), a 90Hz display, and 65W fast charging and you have a phone that delivers a decent amount for the price.
That said, the mid-range space is extremely competitive and the specs here – especially the camera – don’t always hold up against rivals from other manufacturers; you can get more for less elsewhere.
Nonetheless, that doesn’t take away from the fact that this is still a solid phone, and one to consider if you want a device that strikes an even balance between good features and reasonable pricing.
Buying advice for an Oppo phone
Are Oppo phones good?
For the most part, yes. Like any company, Oppo has its hits and misses, but on the whole the quality of its devices is excellent – especially its flagships, like the Find X5 Pro. Its cheaper phones are solid, but tend to be a little more expensive than rivals with similar specs.
The company is best known for its impressive camera and display tech, along with seriously fast charging, so if those are your priorities then you should definitely consider an Oppo handset.
What software do Oppo phones run?
Every Oppo smartphone runs Android, with the company’s custom ColorOS skin on top. This is one of our preferred Android skins, with a great balance between customisability and ease-of-use.
Do Oppo phones run Google?
Yes. You may have heard about Huawei, another Chinese phone company, which now has to sell phones without Google software thanks to a US trade embargo. But Oppo has no such embargo or restrictions, and there’s no reason to think it will.
What are the best Oppo alternatives?
Oppo’s major rival is probably Xiaomi, the other giant Chinese phone company currently enjoying success in the global market. Xiaomi phones often offer a similar set of specs to Oppo’s, and sometimes at cheaper prices, though we much prefer Oppo’s software.
Oppo is also a part of a tech conglomerate called BBK, and the company owns other phone manufacturers. In fact, both Realme and OnePlus share R&D with Oppo, and run similar software, so if you like the idea of an Oppo phone then you should definitely consider those too. Vivo is also a part of BBK, but has its own R&D facilities, so its phones are a little more unique.
Why don’t Oppo phones come out in the US?
Oppo phones don’t go on sale in the US or Canada, but that’s not because of any ban on them. Instead, Oppo simply doesn’t choose to sell smartphones in the US – it’s a challenging market, and one currently dominated by Apple and Samsung, which makes it hard for even huge foreign companies to break in.
Oppo’s sister company OnePlus does sell phones in North America though, so you should look to try a OnePlus phone if you really can’t find anything from Oppo.