Oppo continues its growth path in the global market. Also, this year presents a complete range of products that match the economic needs, and not only, of practically every user. The Chinese manufacturer‘s proposal’s flagship family is once again the one called Find X, now in its third expression. This year, it comprises three solutions: Find X3 Pro, Find X3 Neo, and Oppo Find X3 Lite.
For a few days, I have been using the cheapest of the three as my main smartphone. In the presence of a price list perhaps a little too high, I can tell you that it offers everything you need for a complete and satisfying user experience in all situations.
Design
As noted in last year’s review, Find X2 Lite was probably the least attractive (aesthetically speaking) of the three 2020 proposals. 12 months later, the situation has definitely improved, at least for my personal taste. Find X3 Lite is a product with much more character. Not so much in the shapes’ fantasy, but after all, it is a smartphone, and I have never seen round or hexagonal smartphones, as in the workmanship and colors. The opaque blue that I am using these days certainly does not go unnoticed, and precisely because of the rough finish that characterizes it also offers an excellent grip.
In general, however, we are talking about a smartphone with excellent ergonomics, which grips very well and is quite light and thin. In fact, we are talking about 7.9 mm thick and 172 grams in weight, almost unthinkable data in a market in which approaching and exceeding the 200-gram wall is no longer so strange, on the contrary. The only flaw is to be found in the sensor’s position for fingerprint recognition, in my view, placed a little too low and difficult to reach without moving your hands from the optimal grip.
The back cover is made of polycarbonate, as well as the frame is painted with a glossy effect. Despite the not exactly premium material, the feeling is still that of having in your hands a well-made solution assembled with the right attention to detail. I also really like the glossy section that contains the 4 cameras, also in contrast with the rest of the body and certainly characterizing.
As anticipated, even the frame is in plastic material. On it, there are the USB-C 2.0, the always appreciated audio jack, the physical keys for switching on and adjusting the volume, the trolley for the insertion of a double SIM card in NANO format, and the system speaker, unfortunately only mono but still characterized by a discrete volume and sufficient quality. Obviously, a stereo solution would have been appreciated. It would have raised the listening experience level a lot, but we have to make do with that.
In general, however, we are talking about a smartphone with excellent ergonomics, which grips very well and is quite light and thin. In fact, we are talking about 7.9 mm thick and 172 grams in weight, almost unthinkable data in a market in which approaching and exceeding the 200-gram wall is no longer so strange, on the contrary. The only flaw is to be found in the sensor’s position for fingerprint recognition, in my view, placed a little too low and difficult to reach without moving your hands from the optimal grip.
The back cover is made of polycarbonate, as well as the frame is painted with a glossy effect. Despite the not exactly premium material, the feeling is still that of having in your hands a well-made solution assembled with the right attention to detail. I also really like the glossy section that contains the 4 cameras, also in contrast with the rest of the body and certainly characterizing.
As anticipated, even the frame is in plastic material. On it, there are the USB-C 2.0, the always appreciated audio jack, the physical keys for switching on and adjusting the volume, the trolley for the insertion of a double SIM card in NANO format, and the system speaker, unfortunately only mono but still characterized by a discrete volume and sufficient quality. Obviously, a stereo solution would have been appreciated. It would have raised the listening experience level a lot, but we have to make do with that.
Display
If you were to ask me which update I most appreciated in the transition from Find X2 Lite to Oppo Find X3 Lite, I would have no doubt answering that it is the display. There is nothing transcendental in the panel of the new X3 lite, we are talking about a 6.4-inch AMOLED and FullHD + resolution, but compared to last year, the refresh rate has changed, passing from 60 to 90Hz with a sampling frequency of the touch. Equal to 180 Hz. Okay, it’s not a revolution, but the difference in the animations’ fluidity and the management of compatible apps is evident and makes interaction with the smartphone much more enjoyable. Compared to last year, we also lose the drop notch in favor of a more discreet hole.
However, apart from the refresh rate, we are talking about an excellent display regarding the maximum brightness. We exceed 400 cd / m2 in common situations, and we have a peak of over 700 nits. These values allow easy use even outdoors, in direct sunlight. The colors are well reproduced, bright, and often happens with AMOLED panels, even a little oversaturated. In general, however, it is a pleasant panel to observe, and that allows us to enjoy multimedia content to the fullest, be it photos or videos.
Camera
Yes, you read that right. I wrote three and a half cameras because of the 4 modules on the back of this Oppo Find X3 Lite, and only 3 actually take pictures. But let’s go in order. The camera I’ll call the main one offers a 64-megapixel resolution sensor and lens with 80-degree FOV and f / 1.7 aperture. An ultra-wide-angle follows this with a 119-degree viewing angle and an 8-megapixel sensor, and a macro camera with a 2-megapixel sensor.
I’ll be honest. The latter is undoubtedly the camera that I have least used of the three. The focusing distance is not as short as you might think, and you can get very similar results, sometimes even better, using the 2x zoom of the main camera. The fourth module is the one that doesn’t actually take pictures; it is a 2-megapixel sensor, in black and white, which serves as an aid to improve the other shots.
The photos taken during the day are of excellent quality when we use both the main and wide-angle cameras. The photos are sharp and rich in detail, with bright colors and good management of high and low lights. The focusing speed is excellent and performs well even in the most complex situations. HDR is also good, which manages to solve backlight situations by saving many details. There is no optical zoom, but the 2x digital zoom we get using the main camera is still outstanding. The portrait mode works quite well, but I invite you to try the 2x zoom (as in the photo of the daisy above) of the main camera to get the same blur effect. The result is delightful, characterized by a soft bokeh and a subject always well in focus.
In the evening or any case in the presence of little light, the yield is obviously less good regarding the main camera and the wide-angle. Fortunately, the night mode intervenes to raise the fortunes and improve the shots we get via software. The resulting photos are bright enough and sharp enough. Some background noise persists, but in any case, we are talking about a mid-range smartphone, and the competition is on a similar level or, in some cases, even lower. Interestingly, the tripod mode allows you to extend the exposure up to 45 seconds, but in this case, you must still keep the smartphone completely in some way. The integrated electronic stabilization, although good, does not allow us to reach such long exposure times without having blurred images.
However, speaking of video, we can record clips up to a maximum resolution of 4K at 30 fps with the main camera and 1080p, again at 30fps, with the wide-angle one. We find excellent stabilization, bright colors, high-speed focusing, and good sharpness among the main features. Stabilization can be further improved by using the ultra-steady mode, but in doing so, you cannot go beyond 1080p as a resolution.
And finally, a few words also about the 32-megapixel front camera that takes good photos, certainly aligned with the competition, in most situations. Also here to amaze is the excellent stabilization when we use the selfie camera to record videos, a feature common to many Oppo smartphones, even previous generations.
OS and Hardware
The SoC used here is the same as last year or the Snapdragon Qualcomm 765G. We are talking about an older chipset, which we know perfectly well and basically characterized a large part of the mid-range of the market in the last twelve months. In my view, it is what I would define as the perfect compromise. On the one hand, we have convincing performance and on the other hand a low battery consumption in one word: balanced.
Accompanying the SoC, we find 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, thanks to which the absence of memory expansion via microSD will not be a big problem. System management is fast both in opening and managing apps and when it comes to multitasking. In short, it is not a high-end processor and not even the most recent in circulation, but it is still a valid and balanced choice also in terms of consumption.
You can also play quite demanding titles, such as the classic Call Of Duty Mobile, without any problem and being able to enjoy the fluidity offered by the 90Hz display. Let’s say that any category of user you represent will hardly find you in difficulty. Even on the connectivity side, nothing is missing: we have 5G thanks to the integrated Qualcomm modem, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.1, NFC, and GPS. Reception is always up to the task, and I have never noticed particular complications in hooking up the signal and maintaining it. The audio of the calls, both incoming and outgoing, is of good quality.
In all this, we must not forget another element that obviously plays an important, if not fundamental, role in the user experience. I’m talking about the UI at the base of which we obviously have Android 11, which materializes in the Color OS interface in version 11.1. Since last summer, I had not used an Oppo smartphone for a few days, and I must say that all the good impressions I had then have been confirmed and, if possible, consolidated by a UI that has become increasingly mature and less oriental.
Among the elements that I most appreciated are the graphic style of the icons, the order and cleanliness of the menus, and the few simple customized tools such as the camera interface. Some goodies, such as a side menu with quick links to some applications and tools for cleaning memory and battery optimization. In short, one step at a time, Oppo is building a noteworthy hardware and software package; we hope the update process will also speed up.
Autonomy
Inside this Oppo Find X2 lite, we have a 4,300 mAh battery. It is not a huge module, and this helps to contain the weight, which is only 172 grams, but despite this, we do not give up an excellent autonomy. The day of use is never a problem, and you can easily arrive in the evening even in the most complicated situations.
The real added value is certainly that of fast charging. In fact, we have a 65W quick charger in the package that allows us to complete recharge in about half an hour. In short, even if you find yourself in an emergency, just a few minutes are enough to have several hours of autonomy available. It may seem like a superfluous feature, but it is not to be underestimated, and above all, especially in this market segment, no alternative offers solutions above 30W.
Price
Oppo Find X3 Lite will cost you $550 or EUR 499.
Buy Cheap
You can buy it cheap from many stores near you. Digital Phablet have embedded the links where you can get it in a cheaper price rate compared to the others.
Conclusion
Well, how much does this Oppo Find X3 Lite cost? The price list speaks of 499 euros, also considering the competition is certainly a bit high. However, in my view, we are still talking about a smartphone that, at the right price, has all the credentials to become a solution to be kept absolutely into account.
How much would I buy it for? Let’s say that around 350 euros, I would take it seriously, and considering that online it is already around 400 euros, and it may not be long before you see it touch that threshold. Above 350 euros, the differences compared to last year’s model risk not being sufficient to justify a price of over 100 euros higher. So always keep an eye on the price of Oppo Find X2 Lite, which is still an excellent alternative.