Oppo Find X3 Neo smartphone in review: Focus on the camera
After our tests of the two Oppo smartphones Find X3 Pro and Find X3 Lite we will now take a look at the mid-range model. With a price of approximately 800 Euros (~$969), the Oppo Find X3 Neo is positioned between the aforementioned devices. The same applies for the installed SoC, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 with Adreno 650 graphics unit, and the storage configuration of 12 GB RAM and 256 GB UFS 3.0 storage.
With the mentioned equipment, we compare the X3 Neo with the rival devices below. However, other devices from our database can also be added for comparison under each section.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 88.6 % v7 (old) | 04 / 2021 | Oppo Find X3 Neo SD 865, Adreno 650 | 184 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.55" | 2400x1080 | |
| 87.2 % v7 (old) | 04 / 2021 | OnePlus 9 SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 192 g | 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.55" | 2400x1080 | |
| 87.3 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2021 | Xiaomi Mi 11 SD 888 5G, Adreno 660 | 196 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.81" | 3200x1440 | |
| 87.9 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2021 | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G SD 865, Adreno 650 | 190 g | 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | 6.50" | 2400x1080 |
Case - Splash-proof smartphone
The Oppo Find X3 Neo is easy to hold thanks to its low weight of 185 g (~6.5 oz) and leaves a high-quality impression. The frame is made of aluminum and has a matte surface that ensures a firm grip. Uneven gaps are not present. However, the camera hump protrudes clearly from the matte glass surface on the back. Besides the "Galactic Silver" color of our test model, Oppo's smartphone is also available in "Starlight Black". The smartphone is also protected against splashing water according to IPX4.
Features - 5G smartphone from Oppo
Besides the hardware mentioned at the beginning, Oppo installs two nano-SIM slots in the Find X3 Neo, one of which can be used for 5G and one for LTE. Features like VoLTE and VoWLAN are also available. However, a memory card reader has been omitted.
A USB-C port is available as a charging and data port, which, in contrast to the Find X3 Pro it only supports the slow USB 2.0 standard. Thus, image output via a corresponding adapter is not possible. The manufacturer also omits a separate 3.5 mm jack.
Software - Color OS 11 on Android basis
Oppo uses its own ColorOS version 11.1 for the Find X3 Neo. It is based on Android 11 and is similar to it in many aspects. Users therefore only have to deal with modified icons and some manufacturer-specific applications for photos, music or file management, for example.
The so-called GameSpace is used for better control over the system performance in games. Settings for the system performance in games can be made here and data about the Oppo smartphone's current load can be read.
The security updates were up to March 5, 2021 on our review sample, and another update was already available. Furthermore, navigating through menus was possible smoothly at all times, and there were no small dropouts or the like.
Communication and GNSS - Fast WLAN in the Find X3 Neo
In combination with our reference router Netgear Nighthawk AX12, Oppo's smartphone achieves WLAN speeds of 743 MBit/s on average in data reception and 724 MBit/s in data transmission. While the latter value is sufficient for the first place in our test field, the competition we chose can perform slightly better in data reception.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
The Find X3 Neo can use GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo and QZSS to determine the location. With the "GPS Test" app, we achieved a positioning accuracy of up to four meters (~13 feet) outdoors.
On our obligatory bike tour, Oppo's smartphone shows a similar inaccuracy as our reference device Garmin Edge 500 in the recorded route. Deviations are particularly obvious in curves, but also occur on long straights.
Phone features and voice quality - Clear connection
Oppo relies on the standard Android app for telephony. It provides a direct view of saved favorites and allows quick access to the call list and saved contacts. The Find X3 Neo has a high volume and a good filter for ambient noise during calls. Participants can be clearly understood on both sides at all times.
Cameras - Oppo Find X3 Neo with optical zoom
Oppo places four camera sensors on the Find X3 Neo's back. Resolution is good in pictures taken with the front-facing camera, and colors look natural. Image quality adjustments are only possible via beautification options and color filters. According to Oppo, an AI also ensures the optimal setting of lighting and color for every picture.
The main camera also delivers very detailed pictures with natural colors. Darker areas in the picture are also evenly illuminated. However, the blur effect in the background is not clean and makes these areas look a bit blurry. Subjects in focus, on the other hand, are clearly delineated. Pictures taken with an ultra-wide angle show stronger colors and slightly less details. Object transitions with a strong brightness difference also tend to fade a bit at the picture's edge, and a fine grain is visible on dark areas.
With the help of the telesensor, the Find X3 Neo achieves a 5x hybrid zoom, but can also magnify digitally up to 20x. With 5x magnification, zoomed subjects show a lot of details in good lighting conditions. However, there is a slight graininess on dark surfaces here as well. In the low-light range, the Oppo smartphone's camera can show our test subject in detail, but the picture is too dark overall. Here, too, an AI takes over the optimal settings for colors and lighting. The main camera can also be used with a Pro mode that allows manually adjusting the ISO value, shutter speed, white balance, focus and lighting.
Video recordings can be made with the main camera's sensor as well as the wide-angle and telesensor. The image quality corresponds to our test photos. In addition to a disengageable image stabilizer, AI control for recognizing subjects and so-called highlights in the picture, as well as bokeh effect and color filters, a movie mode is also available. This offers numerous adjustment options that are similar to the Pro mode for photographs. The available resolutions are 4K, 1080p and 720p, each with 30 or 60 fps.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraUltra-wide-angleZoom (5x)LowLight
Accessories and warranty - headset and protective case included
Besides the smartphone, the Oppo Find X3 Neo comes with a USB power adapter with a matching USB-C cable, a SIM needle, a USB-C headset, and a protective silicone case.
The manufacturer also grants a warranty period of 24 months.
Input devices & operation - InScreen fingerprint and face recognition
The touchscreen of the Find X3 Neo responds very directly and precisely to touches. The surface also offers little resistance to the fingertips, which makes drag-and-drop movements easy. Google's Gboard is installed as the standard on-screen keyboard, which allows numerous settings.
An optical in-screen fingerprint sensor and face recognition are also available for unlocking the smartphone. Both options respond relatively well, and it rarely took two attempts to unlock the device.
Display - 90 Hz panel with high brightness
The screen of Oppo's Find X3 Neo consists of a 6.55-inch AMOLED panel. The maximum brightness of 758 cd/m² is on par with the competition, and the same applies for the illumination of 98%. Without an activated light sensor, the smartphone achieves 475 cd/m², and the minimum luminosity is 1.85 cd/m². In the APL50 test, the maximum value increases to 934 cd/m².
According to our measurements, the display flickers from a brightness value of below 24 percent in a frequency range between 122 and 362 Hz. Above 24 percent, we only detect the refresh rate of 90 Hz.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 98 %
Center on Battery: 758 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 2.1 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
100% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.27
| Oppo Find X3 Neo AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.6" | OnePlus 9 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.6" | Xiaomi Mi 11 LED DotDisplay, 3200x1440, 6.8" | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G Super AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.5" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 31% | 17% | -3% | |
| Brightness middle | 758 | 731 -4% | 840 11% | 714 -6% |
| Brightness | 753 | 739 -2% | 845 12% | 721 -4% |
| Brightness Distribution | 98 | 96 -2% | 98 0% | 95 -3% |
| Black Level * | ||||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.7 | 0.59 65% | 1.2 29% | 1.8 -6% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5 | 1.3 74% | 2.7 46% | 5.1 -2% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.1 | 0.9 57% | 2 5% | 2 5% |
| Gamma | 2.27 97% | 2.243 98% | 2.26 97% | 2.16 102% |
| CCT | 6370 102% | 6573 99% | 6492 100% | 6588 99% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 362.3 Hz | ≤ 24 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 362.3 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 24 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 362.3 Hz is relatively high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. However, there are reports that some users are still sensitive to PWM at 500 Hz and above, so be aware. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
While the values for the black level and the contrast ratio are outstanding as typical for OLEDs, the CalMAN analysis shows that colors are displayed very balanced in the color profile "Vivid" (color space P3) and with the preset "Warm". Alternatively, the profile "Mild" (sRGB) as well as the color temperatures "Standard" and "Colder" are available.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 1.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.6 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 11 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 3.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 1.2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 10 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
The Find X3 Neo can also be used well outdoors in shady places. However, depending on the viewing angle, reflections can occur that make it difficult to see the content.
The panel of Oppo's smartphone has very stable viewing angles. Only from very flat angles does a slight green cast appear, but image content can still be recognized well.
Performance - With Snapdragon 865 on 888 level
Oppo relies on the slightly older Snapdragon 865 in the Find X3 Neo. This is also used in the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE and ensures smooth system operation. On average across all benchmark results, Oppo's smartphone places itself in the middle of our test field. However, it is sometimes at the top or the bottom of the comparison devices depending on the individual disciplines.
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (10990 - 19989, n=22) | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Work 2.0 performance score | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (9202 - 15299, n=23) | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| Average of class Smartphone (23 - 166, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (50 - 138, n=23) | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (168 - 266, n=23) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 166, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (50 - 111, n=23) | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Average of class Smartphone (12 - 482, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (96 - 151, n=23) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 166, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (43 - 83, n=24) | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Average of class Smartphone (8.3 - 341, n=172, last 2 years) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (67 - 103, n=24) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| AnTuTu v8 - Total Score | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (527301 - 631025, n=24) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| Antutu v9 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (99654 - 2056989, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (628715 - 714632, n=2) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo (Chrome 90) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus 9 (MS Edge) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (74.2 - 145.1, n=21) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38 - 347, n=79, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus 9 (MS Edge) | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo (Chrome 90) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (97 - 127, n=23) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=204, last 2 years) | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo (Chrome 90) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus 9 (Chrome89) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (14606 - 31224, n=23) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G (Chrome 81.0.4044.138) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 (1623 - 2911, n=24) | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88) | |
| OnePlus 9 (Chrome89) | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo (Chrome 90) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=163, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
According to the spec sheet, Oppo installs a UFS 3.0 storage in the Find X3 Neo. However, the results of the storage test suggest a UFS 3.1 storage. The X3 can just about compete with the Mi 11 with the achieved rates and thus places itself at the upper end of our test field.
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | OnePlus 9 | Xiaomi Mi 11 | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | Average 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -6% | 3% | -12% | 22% | 32% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 1738 | 1872 8% | 1615 -7% | 1528 -12% | 1749 ? 1% | 1867 ? 7% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 769 | 739 -4% | 754 -2% | 676 -12% | 1163 ? 51% | 1451 ? 89% |
| Random Read 4KB | 260.9 | 225.4 -14% | 278.5 7% | 228.4 -12% | 286 ? 10% | 279 ? 7% |
| Random Write 4KB | 251 | 221.4 -12% | 289.3 15% | 218.4 -13% | 319 ? 27% | 311 ? 24% |
Games - Smooth gaming with a high frame rate
The Adreno 650, which is responsible for the graphics in the Find X3 Neo, can also run current games smoothly with a frame rate of 90 fps. We did not experience any stutters or the like during our test, and controlling via the touchscreen was possible without any problems.
Emissions - speakers not suitable for music
Temperature
According to our measurements, the surface of the Find X3 Neo heats up to 38.5 °C (101.3 °F) under load. Thus, the Oppo phone feels warm, but does not get hot. The stability of the system performance under permanent load is also good.
| 3DMark - Wild Life Stress Test Stability | |
| Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G | |
| Xiaomi Mi 11 | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo | |
| OnePlus 9 | |
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.5 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 34.1 °C / 93 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The speakers of the X3 Neo offer a high volume and a sound spectrum that is focused on the higher tones. This makes it possible to reproduce speech well, for example, but it lacks depth for music or similar. Playing media at high volume levels also results in distortions of the sound image.
Oppo Find X3 Neo audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.8% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 19% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 71% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 40% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 52% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
OnePlus 9 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 68.3% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 68.3% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 68.3% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (117.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 86% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 7% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 96% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 2% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery life - Long runtime and fast charging
Energy consumption
While the Oppo smartphone requires slightly more energy than the other smartphones in our test field with an average power consumption of 2.38 watts in idle mode, it is one of the most frugal devices in our test field under load, along with the Galaxy S20 FE.
The Find X3 Neo supports fast charging with 65 watts; a corresponding power adapter is included.
| Off / Standby |   0.03 / 0.45 Watt |
| Idle |  0.92 / 2.38 / 2.41 Watt |
| Load |
3.91 / 8.13 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Oppo Find X3 Neo 4500 mAh | OnePlus 9 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 11 4600 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G 4500 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -11% | -27% | 21% | -15% | -3% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.92 | 0.9 2% | 1.57 -71% | 0.75 18% | 1.133 ? -23% | 0.885 ? 4% |
| Idle Average * | 2.38 | 1.7 29% | 1.92 19% | 1.41 41% | 2.23 ? 6% | 1.451 ? 39% |
| Idle Maximum * | 2.41 | 2.7 -12% | 1.94 20% | 1.44 40% | 2.45 ? -2% | 1.608 ? 33% |
| Load Average * | 3.91 | 5.4 -38% | 6.32 -62% | 3.84 2% | 5.26 ? -35% | 6.55 ? -68% |
| Load Maximum * | 8.13 | 11.1 -37% | 11.65 -43% | 7.67 6% | 9.68 ? -19% | 9.92 ? -22% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery life
The Oppo Find X3 Neo achieves a very good runtime of over 18 hours in our real-world Wi-Fi test. The battery is also fully recharged in about one and a half hours with the included quick charger.
| Oppo Find X3 Neo 4500 mAh | OnePlus 9 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 11 4600 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G 4500 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | ||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 1127 | 854 -24% | 527 -53% | 763 -32% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - On par with the competition
The Oppo Find X3 Neo can hold its own against the competition despite the slightly older SoC. The system performance is good, and the camera delivers very good pictures. The high battery runtime, 5G support, and an equally very good screen leave hardly anything to be desired.
Oppo places the Find X3 Neo on par with the competition. Thus, only small details decide about buying or not buying.
The criticism is therefore played out in the details. The USB 2.0 standard becomes a bottleneck especially for large files or many photos that are to be copied via cable. The missing memory card reader and the lack of a jack can also be criticized. However, the competition is confronted with similar complaints in this price range.
Price and availability
Oppo Find X3 Neo
- 08/31/2022 v7 (old)
Mike Wobker
Price comparison
