All lenses on deck | OPPO Find X9 Ultra

Oppo’s “Ultra” badge has finally crossed borders and it brought a camera island the size of a dinner plate with it. The Find X9 Ultra packs a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, a Hasselblad tuned five sensor camera setup and a price that will make you check your bank balance twice. We carried it around for a week. Here’s how it held up.

RETRO REIMAGINED

The model we tested borrows its look from Hasselblad’s own cameras, right down to the orange accents on the shutter button. At 235g and 9.1mm thick, this is not a dainty phone, yet the weight distribution makes it surprisingly comfortable in hand. IP68 and IP69 ratings mean it can survive more than just a splash.

BRIGHT SPARK

The 6.82-inch LTPO AMOLED screen runs at 144Hz and hits 1,800 nits brightness, which translates to readable visuals even under harsh Delhi sunlight. Touch response is silky, the under-display fingerprint scanner is lightning fast, and 4K content looks suitably cinematic with deep blacks and punchy contrast.

QUIET POWER

The Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chews through gaming, multitasking and video editing without raising its voice or its temperature. The standout, though, is the camera system. The 200MP main sensor, paired with ultrawide and dual telephoto lenses, delivers natural, detailed shots in almost any light, while the new true colour sensor keeps tones honest.

WORTH THE SPLURGE?

At `1,69,999, the Find X9 Ultra is not cheap, and yes, the bloatware is annoying. But the design, display and camera trio make a strong case for spending big. If you want a phone that performs like a flagship and shoots like a proper DSLR, this is it.