After spending nearly a decade reviewing gadgets, I have used almost every flagship phone that has launched in India. As someone who genuinely enjoys mobile photography, camera-focused phones have always excited me more than phones that simply chase benchmark numbers. I have been using an iPhone for years but there are only a few Android smartphones that have impressed me. Vivo’s X series, Samsung’s Galaxy S Ultra lineup and Oppo’s Find X series are among those few.
But, Oppo’s Find X series has always been special to me. Why? Every generation has shown how serious Oppo is about smartphone photography and to be honest not a single Find X phone have disappointed me so far.
This year, the company has taken things a step further with the Oppo Find X9 Ultra.
At Rs 1,69,999, this is Oppo’s most premium smartphone yet and naturally my expectations were high. It wasn’t just me who wanted to test the cameras. Even my colleagues were curious to try X9 Ultra.
Sparsh even carried the phone to Rishikesh to test its cameras in different lighting conditions, while I used it for work, gaming, photography, video recording and everyday use.
After spending a fair amount of time with the Find X9 Ultra, I can confidently say this is one of the most complete flagship smartphones I have used in 2026 so far.
Oppo Find X9 Ultra: Design And Display
I got the Tundra Umber colour for review and honestly, I liked it the moment I took it out of the box. The vegan leather back with the matte glass finish gives the phone a premium feel.
One thing you simply can’t miss about the design is the massive circular camera module at the back. Yes it is big but seriously it never felt uncomfortable in my hand. I was expecting the phone to feel really heavy because of the large camera setup and the huge battery but Oppo has balanced the weight really well.
Even after using it for long hours, I didn’t feel it was difficult to hold.
I also liked the vegan leather finish on the back. It not only makes the phone look premium but also gives you a better grip. Unlike glass-back phones that attract fingerprints, this one stays clean most of the time.
The overall build quality is exactly what you would expect from a flagship smartphone. The aluminium frame feels solid, the buttons are clicky and premium, and the phone comes with an IP69 rating for dust and water resistance.
Oppo has also added volume rocker and the power button on the right. But that’s not it. The company has included an orange haptic ‘Quick’ Button. The Quick Button can be customised and you can use it to quickly open the camera and a double press to take a picture.
On the left, there’s a customisable shortcut button that you can use to quickly open your favourite app or an AI feature.
Overall, I’m impressed with the design here. Now moving on to the display arena, the device comes with a huge 6.82-inch AMOLED display with a QHD resolution.
The display is excellent. I checked out photos, read articles, watched Netflix and old FIFA World Cup matches on YouTube. The colours look rich and natural, the blacks are deep, and watching HDR content is a great experience.
Outdoor visibility is equally impressive. Even under Delhi’s bright afternoon sun, I never struggled to navigate through apps.
The phone supports a refresh rate of up to 144Hz. However, during my usage, I realised that most everyday apps run at 120Hz, while the full 144Hz is reserved for supported games.
Honestly, I don’t think this is a major issue because the interface already feels incredibly smooth.
The stereo speakers are good but not the best a. They get loud enough for watching movies and gaming, but I expected a little more bass at this price. Samsung and Apple’s latest flagship phones still have a slight edge when it comes to speaker quality.
The fingerprint scanner do deserves special mention here. It is on of the fastest and most reliable fingerprint sensors I have used recently. Overall, Oppo has done a fantastic job here.
Oppo Find X9 Ultra Review: Camera
Let’s be honest. Cameras are the biggest reason anyone would consider buying the Oppo Find X9 Ultra.
I have used almost every major flagship camera phone over the years, including the iPhones, Samsung Galaxy Ultra models, Google’s Pixel series and Vivo’s X lineup. Every brand has its strengths. And I can confidently say that the Find X9 Ultra comfortably joins that league.
Oppo has equipped its Find X9 Ultra with a Hasselblad-tuned quad rear camera setup — a 200-megapixel primary sensor with OIS, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 200-megapixel telephoto lens, and a 50-megapixel ultra-telephoto camera. It offers up to 10x optical zoom and 120x digital zoom. There is also a dedicated colour reproduction lens. On the front, the phone sports a 50-megapixel selfie camera.
What impressed me most wasn’t just the specifications but the consistency. I was shooting during the day, indoors, at night with different zoom levels and the phone rarely disappointed me.
The main camera is easily one of the biggest highlights of the Find X9 Ultra. I was really impressed with the photos it captured. Images are sharp, colours look natural and the dynamic range is excellent. Even in tricky lighting, where there is a bright sky and dark shadows in the same frame, the phone managed to capture good details without making the photo look over-processed.
Skin tones also looked accurate in most of the shots I clicked. Portrait photography is another area where the Find X9 Ultra shines. Edge detection is among the best I have seen on any Android smartphone.
The real highlight, however, is Oppo’s zoom system.
The dedicated 3x and 10x telephoto cameras completely change the photography experience. I found myself using the 10x camera much more than expected. The photos had plenty of detail and looked much better than the digital zoom photos I have seen on most flagship phones.
I also had a lot of fun using the Find X9 Ultra for macro photography. The telephoto camera lets you get really close to your subject without losing detail.
The ultra-wide camera is good, but if I had to point out one weak spot in the camera setup, this would be it. It still captures nice photos, but the colours sometimes looked slightly different especially at night.
Night photography is another area where the Find X9 Ultra performs really well. The main camera captures bright and detailed photos with natural colours. It also does a good job of controlling bright lights while keeping enough detail in darker areas of the image.
For selfies, Oppo has included a 50MP front camera with autofocus. The selfies came out sharp, detailed and natural. Autofocus also helps keep faces in focus, especially while taking group selfies or recording selfie videos.
Overall, this is easily one of the best smartphone camera systems I have used this year. The image quality and zoom capabilities make it a dream phone for anyone who enjoys mobile photography.
Oppo Find X9 Ultra Review: Performance
The Oppo Find X9 Ultra is not just about cameras. It packs Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset and during my time with the phone, I never felt it was short on performance.
I also ran a few benchmark tests on the Find X9 Ultra. The results were exactly what you would expect from a phone in this price segment. Well, the real-world performance also matched the benchmark numbers.
Scrolling through social media platforms like Instagram and X, switching between multiple apps or playing games after work, the phone handled everything smoothly. I have not experienced any lag or app crashes during my usage.
I also spent some time gaming on the phone. I played BGMI, Call of Duty: Mobile and a few racing games. The gameplay during my usage smooth, frame rates were stable and the phone wasn’t uncomfortably hot.
Yes, it warmed up after heavy gaming sessions but that’s normal for any flagship smartphone. The phone runs ColorOS 16 based on Android 16. I have used ColorOS and trust me I have to say it has improved a lot over the years. It feels clean and animations are smooth. I didn’t come across any major bugs during my review period.
Like almost every phone in 2026, you have to talk about AI features. Right? Oppo has also added plenty of AI features. You get AI writing tools, live translation, voice transcription and AI photo editing features that can remove unwanted objects or improve your photos.
I won’t say I used these features every day but some of them are really good.
Battery life is another area where the Find X9 Ultra impressed me. The phone packs a massive 7,050mAh battery, and it easily lasted me a full day even on heavy usage. On lighter days, the phone ran almost two days without looking for a charger.
My Two Cents
After using the Oppo Find X9 Ultra for a good amount of time, I can easily say this is one of the best flagship smartphones I have used this year. Yes, the cameras are its biggest highlight but what impressed me even more is that the company hasn’t ignored the rest of the experience.
The display is excellent, performance is great, battery life is also impressive. It feels like a complete package rather than just a camera phone.
Of course, there are a few things Oppo can improve. And another big factor, to be honest, is the price.
At Rs 1,69,999, this is not a phone everyone can buy. At this price, buyers will also look at the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. So, choosing one won’t be easy. But if you ask me, I enjoyed using the Oppo Find X9 Ultra, my answer is a big yes.