Oppo’s new X8 Ultra phone leans on camera specs in crowded market

Chinese hardware maker Oppo on Thursday unveiled its new Find X8 Ultra flagship phone, firing the latest salvo in a camera-technology arms race among premium Chinese brands.

50MP cameras, 4 zoom levels

With domestic consumers growing ever more discerning about specs and performance at the high end of the market, Oppo seeks to stand out with a multicamera system comprised of 50-megapixel shooters at four different zoom levels.

There’s also an additional sensor dedicated to measuring color temperature.

Slimmer Oppo

The Guangdong-based brand deviates from rivals like Xiaomi Corp. and Vivo by also slimming down the profile of its Ultra device to make it more manageable in everyday use.

Oppo had a down year in 2024 as Xiaomi and Huawei Technologies Co. surged to claim a larger share of the Chinese market, though it rebounded in the holiday quarter with the success of its Find X8 devices.

IDC data in January showed Oppo had about a 14% share of domestic phone shipments.

Its X8 Ultra goes up against Xiaomi’s 15 Ultra and Vivo’s X200 Pro, two handsets that have distinguished themselves with excellent zoom photography.

6.8-inch screen for X8 Ultra

The 6.8-inch X8 Ultra includes Sony Group Corp.’s flagship-tier LYT900 sensor for its main camera, Qualcomm Inc.’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and a large 6,100-mAh silicon carbon battery capable of fast 50W wireless charging.

The other upgrades over the last-generation model from a year ago are primarily about making the design more efficient and ergonomic.

The X8 Ultra adds a shortcut key and a quick button, echoing Apple Inc.’s Action Button and Camera Control keys on the iPhone 16 line. Oppo has also flattened the screen, again bringing it closer to the iPhone in appearance and functionality.