OPPO Find X vs Apple iPhone XS: new kid vs top dog

Glass, metal and a fragile package

Both smartphones are made with two glass panels that sandwich the metal structure. This makes both the iPhone XS and the OPPO Find X extremely fragile smartphones. Given the amount of money needed to purchase either, you won't want to drop them, believe me.

In favor of the iPhone XS we find the IP68 certification against the water and dust damage, while it is better to keep OPPO Find X away from water splashes especially with the motorized camera mechanism.

Both phones have a striking look and the final decision is a matter of taste, but I personally love the futuristic look of Find X. The curved glass on both sides, the notch-free display that covers almost the entire front and the two colors offered by OPPO are unique. In hand, the smartphone is comfortable and manageable.

In this regard, if you like to use your smartphone with one hand, the iPhone XS is much more compact. Unfortunately, the retractable mechanism for the cameras on the Find X collects a ton of dust and dirt. You will often find yourself blowing on the cameras before taking pictures.

• My surprise-filled weekend with the OPPO Find X

Battery life and charging speed

Despite the glass construction of both smartphones, only the iPhone XS has wireless charging and NFC. It will therefore not be possible to use the Find X with Google Pay when it arrives in your country. According to what has been leaked, the iPhone XS has a 2658 mAh battery while the OPPO Find X has a 3730 mAh battery, but do not be fooled by the numbers, the battery life is comparable and neither smartphone will leave you scrambling in the middle of the day.

What is disappointing, however, is the presence of a standard charger included in the box of the iPhone, despite the cost of the device. You would have to pay Apple extra to buy the quick charger and you would still not reach the charging speeds of the Find X and its VOOC Flash Charge. This situation gets even worse for the iPhone if you compare it to the Lamborghini Edition of the Find X, which has a smaller battery (3400mAh) but takes even less time to recharge thanks to the Super VOOC Flash Charge.

• How to charge your Android phone battery faster

Farewell to two of our most-loved features

Regardless of which smartphone you decide to buy, you'll have to give up two of the features most loved by users around the world. Neither smartphone has a fingerprint reader, as both rely solely on using a 3D face recognition system. The Apple smartphone, in this case, slightly wins in terms of speed but the Find X defends itself well by being comparable to the FaceID of iPhone X.

The other feature you'll have to say goodbye to is the 3.5mm headphone jack. OPPO luckily includes the jack to USB-C dongle in the box, whilst Apple will not do this anymore. Get your wallet out once again.

• Do you still need a headphone jack on your smartphone?

A whole different music

What distinguishes the two smartphones is the multimedia experience. The OPPO Find X has a beautiful 6.42-inch curved AMOLED display with curved sides and a FullHD+ resolution. Above all, though, it has no notch, so the experience when watching videos or during gaming sessions is amazing. It also has an always-on display, which is something the iPhone XS lacks.

• How to get an Always On display on any Android device

However, the lack of stereo speakers in the OPPO is a shame, whilst the stereo speakers on the iPhone XS sound better than ever. Bluetooth audio is great on both but the Find X supports high-quality advanced codecs such as AptX HD and LDAC. The SoC Apple A12 has much more to offer than Qualcomm's Snapdragon 845 inside the Android smartphone in terms of overall smartphone speed and gaming performance.

The best photos? There’s no comparison

Both smartphones have two rear cameras and a front module with 3D face tracking but the results are as different as possible. The OPPO Find X captures great shots in good lighting situations but quickly loses quality when the sun goes down. The Apple iPhone XS, on the other hand, has significant improvements over the previous generation and the first shots that can be seen by this device from those who already have their hands on it are quite special.

• OPPO Find X: good camera with handling issues

Even in terms of video recording, the iPhone is the winner thanks to the 4K mode at 60fps with optical stabilization. Obviously, we will closely compare the shots of the two smartphones once the iPhone reaches our editorial office, but last year’s iPhone X was already better than the OPPO so we expect the result of this one to be clearly in favor of Apple.

Which one should you buy?

Speaking of personal taste, I find that the Find X has a considerable appeal. Retractable cameras are a nice trick that will satisfy you every time you see (and feel) the mechanism moving. The design, screen and colors of this smartphone are attractive and overall the smartphone is very elegant. But there are many compromises to keep in mind before spending the money including one of the best cameras on the market against the presence of ColorOS: a highly modified version of Android, but with some flaws ...

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On the other hand, we find the iPhone XS is no longer a novelty from a design point of view, and does not shine for originality, but has the fluidity of iOS, great cameras and offers a package generally more complete and reliable than the OPPO. Of course, the price is not the most affordable, at around, $1,000 for either, but if you opened this comparison, you certainly did not expect to pinch pennies...

Let me know in the comments if you prefer the peace of mind of the iPhone or the futuristic look of OPPO Find X!