Oppo recently released its latest flagship phone models, the Find X8 series, this past November, and the initial impressions were promising. And it only takes a day or two of using it to learn that the hype is real, after all.

Upon starting the phone, the first thing that draws attention is how smooth the system operates. Swiping between screens and apps gives you that satisfying feeling of precision and instantaneous feedback. If you’re the type that does many things at once, you can have all your apps open and still feel like the phone has barely even tapped into its full computing capabilities. And if you own a phone from two years ago, the differences between smoothness will be even more apparent. Perhaps the 120Hz refresh rate has something to do with it.

Continuing on the subject of display, this phone’s screen is brighter than average thanks to its peak figures of 4,500 nits. Not only is it brighter, but the colours seem to leap out at you too. So in a side-by-side comparison with another phone, the same photo will look more vibrant on the Find X8. This is thanks to the Oppo ProXDR technology, or the Extreme Dynamic Range. A fitting name for the resulting vibrancy, contrast, and crispness.

What’s also obvious is all the screen real-estate that you get. On paper, the Pro version measures 6.78 inches. But in real life, it looks much larger, thanks to the ultra-thin bezel. With such a comfortable viewing experience, one can easily see how the Find X8 can be an all-rounder entertainment system with these features. Add on its tiny pocket footprint coupled with its long-lasting battery life and you get a perfect travel companion for flights or commutes.

The clear display makes for good editing too, which brings us to the next strength of the phone — its AI features. While the AI offerings can perform tasks like summarise voice recordings, what stands out the most is the image editing capabilities. With just one touch of a button, you get to enhance clarity, erase unwanted elements, unblur, or remove reflections.

The person who would benefit most from these features would be someone who lives in images, yet is always on the go or often find themselves in less-than-ideal surroundings for photo taking. With the Find X8, you can address many of these barriers. Want to take a picture at a crowded landmark? Too much movement in the picture from unpredictable subjects? The reflections on glass doors obstructing your outfit of the day? All of that can be easily removed without the need for technical knowledge.

While still on the subject of cameras, the Quick Button on the side of the phone ensures that you’re always ready to take photos. Double-tapping the Quick Button turns on the camera in 0.4 seconds while a single tap takes a photo instantly, meaning that fleeting moments are easier to capture. There will never be a missed memory with this button handy. Once you get used to it, you’ll find any other way of activating the camera to be cumbersome.

But perhaps the most practical camera feature — discounting its Hasselblad-tuned performance — has to be the Telescopic Zoom. It covers impressive distances, up to 100X, to be exact. And while that helps when taking pictures of faraway landmarks, it’s most useful when snapping something like your child’s concert recital from the back of a school hall. Any detail lost from the massive zoom is made up by AI, so these zoomed-in photos almost look like they were taken in the default focal length.

All in all, the Find X8 is a solid offering by Oppo. Not surprising, seeing how it is the brand’s flagship range. It gives all the vibes of a lifestyle-oriented phone, and while it comes with its suite of AI features, it’s also humanising the way we use our phones, all while simplifying the user experience. And frankly, that’s the best approach a brand can take.