Although it hasn’t exactly been kept secret, the Oppo Find X8 Ultra camera phone is now finally official, but there’s a problem.
Rewind a few weeks back to MWC 2025, and following the keynote of Oppo’s AI summit, I was whisked off with a selection of peers to a meeting room in the hotel for a top-secret briefing.
There were claps and cheers as it was revealed that we were about to find out (pun unintended) about the long-awaited Find X8 Ultra, Oppo’s upcoming flagship phone, which the firm is touting as “The Everest” and “The ultimate camera phone”.
I was thinking, sign me up. But the next announcement was a dashing blow as Oppo’s spokesperson announced that the plan for the Find X8 Ultra is an exclusive launch for the Chinese market.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Though I hoped this might change between the briefing and today, I’ve had it confirmed that it is still the launch plan.
It’s disappointing following the news that the Find N5, Oppo’s stunning foldable phone, wasn’t getting a UK launch – despite having a London-based press event.
Find N5 aside, it’s still gutting as of course we want to put it head-to-head with the likes of the Xiaomi 15 Ultra, particularly as it will appeal in a different way.
All the camera tech in a ‘normal’ handset?
In a nutshell, Oppo appears to have packed in similar amounts of impressive camera tech as the 15 Ultra but without the downside a lot of prospective buyers face – a divisive design and hulking great phone to carry around.
Oppo did give us decent hands-on time with the Find X8 Ultra and I can confirm it’s the most normal looking and feeling ‘Ultra’ phone I’ve seen.
If you want all the fancy camera tech but in a far more regular handset with subtle style, the Find X8 Ultra was a front runner.
Oppo is calling it ‘The thinnest Camera Phone’ as the design is just 8.78mm and I can confirm it feels very light and slender in the hand.
Chris Martin / Foundry
A common problem with high-end camera phones is the huge camera bump, making them top-heavy and awkward in pockets, but Oppo has managed to keep things svelte on the Find X8 Ultra.
All the fancy camera tech but in a far more regular handset with subtle style
Those who enjoy a simple colour scheme will delight in the fact the Find X8 Ultra comes only in black and white options – though I’ve also seen a leaked render of a pale pink colourway.
It’s a little too plain for my personal taste and it’s a shame Oppo hasn’t kept an option like the two-tone Ocean Blue Find X7 Ultra (below) with its eco leather back, exactly the style of phone I’m a sucker for.
Luke Baker
Still, the Find X8 Ultra felt premium and well-made and it also features IP68/69 ratings. However, the most important thing for me was that I felt I could just slip it into my pocket with no trouble, which can’t be said for many rivals.
Is the photography tech compromised?
You might think that the slender profile of the Find X8 Ultra means it can’t match up to the likes of the Xiaomi or the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra when it comes to photography prowess – but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
The ‘Next-gen Hasselblad master camera’ system comprises a 50Mp, 23mm equivalent, 1-inch LYT-900 sensor, f/1.8 aperture with S-OIS and custom 1G7P lens – and that’s just the main camera.
Chris Martin / Foundry
This is joined by a 50MP ultra-wide camera and two 50Mp periscope cameras offering 3x and 6x levels of optical zoom. Furthermore, a 32Mp front camera gives you a total of five cameras to play with.
Oppo has made various software improvements too, with an updated Master Mode with RAW MAX output, more powerful AI Telescope Zoom, Next-Gen HyperTone Image Engine and plenty more.
There’s also a new pressure-sensitive Quick Button on the side akin to the iPhone 16 Camera Button to make shooting easier. You can fast capture photos with it in as little as 0.4 seconds, according to the firm.
Chris Martin / Foundry
Of course, with only a short time of playing with the phone, I can’t make any assured comments on the quality here, but it looks very promising and we know the Find X7 Ultra was fantastic, to say the least.
It’s just a shame it won’t be coming here, unless…
A glimmer of hope?
Although Oppo has confirmed the plan for the Find X8 Ultra is to launch it in China only, a statement I received provides a positive note.
“However, many of the innovative technologies featured in this device will be integrated into future OPPO products, which will be made available in more regions globally,” said Oppo.
So, the Find X8 Ultra may be with us in spirit, as parts of another handset in the future – hopefully the cameras.
I’d rather have the Ultra, but we’ll have to make do with the Oppo Find X8 and Find X8 Pro, I suppose.
