Oppo’s new phone has one camera too many

Oppo's Find X9 Ultra flagship smartphone introduces a unique 10x telephoto camera lens not seen in the market for three years, marking an attempt to differentiate in the increasingly commoditized premium smartphone segment where competitors now primarily compete on design and camera capabilities rather than core specifications. While the device demonstrates technical innovation with its specialized camera system, the 10x lens represents a niche feature with limited practical utility, highlighting the broader industry challenge of finding meaningful differentiation beyond standard flagship specifications. This exemplifies how hardware manufacturers are pursuing incremental specialized features rather than breakthrough innovations, which may influence enterprise device procurement strategies and user productivity considerations.

The VergeApril 21, 20262 min read

The two-paneled design is my favorite of the year so far. Oppo's Find X9 Ultra offers something that no other new phone has for three long years: a 10x telephoto lens. In an attempt to win the photography front of the war between the various Ultra flagships, Oppo has turned to a trick last employed by Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra. It's a better 10x lens than ever before, but is it good enough for the moments you might really need it? The long-distance lens is the best of its kind, but compared to this phone's other lenses it struggles a little with the usual suspects: moving subjects, low light, and moving subjects in low light. Fortunately the Find X9 Ultra is an excellent phone otherwise. It pairs … Read the full story at The Verge.