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.
OPPO Find X3 Neo 5G – 12GB RAM and 256GB Storage SIM Free…
- 50MP Ultra HD Quad Rear Cameras + 32MP Front…
- 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 Fast Charging
- Powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Processor
Phone & Camera Specification
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
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Normal shot -
Nighty Mode
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Normal shot -
Night Mode
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).
Posted by Mighty Gadget Blog: UK Technology News and Reviews
