I thought I was done with slate-shaped, boxy devices. I was ready to hold on to my Pink iPhone and trusty Blue Flip until one of them gave up on me.

I’ll admit, I was spoiled. When I first got my hands on flip smartphones, I couldn’t stop. I jumped from one to another, falling in love with how fun and compact they were. I swore I’d stick with flips forever — if forever was possible.

But life — and Mercury Retrograde — has a way of circling back to what you once loved… but with a twist.

Instead of fighting against it, I welcomed it with hesitation. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about returning to a slate device when I was handed the OPPO Find X8.

At first glance, it reminded me of an iPhone. But calling it an iPhone clone would be a disservice to OPPO’s years of dedication to flagship craftsmanship.

So I decided to channel NIKI’s song, “Take A Chance With Me” and gave it a shot as my daily driver for over a month. I happily traded in my flips for a chance with a slate that promised to get it right (or better) the second time around.

Spoiler alert: I fell in love with it.

A perfect match

The OPPO Find X8 brought back everything I once admired in a classic smartphone design: sophistication, elegance, and a timeless appeal. Its flat, contoured edges were comfortable to grip, unlike the rigid boxes of the past.

At just 7.85mm thick and 193 grams, it’s slim and light enough to carry with ease. It slips into my waistband when I run and fits in my hand when I hold it like a clutch, alongside my fingers carrying my keys and HydroFlask. Yes, people, I’m like those women who chaotically hold several things in one hand, and still have the strength to not drop any of them.

That said, it’s military-grade certified with a whole-phone drop resistance. While it looks elegant, the Find X8 is tough — a mix of reinforced glass, aluminum alloy, and IP68/IP69 certification.

Picture: The English Teacher, aka Brian Jordan Alvarez. It’s beautifully lean, with just the right amount of muscle. Gorgeous to look at and nice to hold, but you know it can pack a punch when life throws a curveball.

Every relationship has its moments

No dream guy — or dream phone — is flawless. Both come with quirks because they’re made to fit a variety of preferences, not just yours.

And after a month with the OPPO Find X8, I’ve come to notice a few design choices that take some getting used to.

Take the alert slider, for instance. It’s great for quickly switching to silent mode, but its placement far from the power button feels unintuitive. A minor inconvenience, sure, but one you’ll notice in everyday use.

Then there’s the “Gen Z-style” photo dilemma. You know the drill: hold your phone up high, use the rear camera’s wide-angle lens, and snap the shot with the volume rocker.

With the Find X8, this feels awkward because of how the buttons are positioned. And no, switching to the selfie camera isn’t a solution — I still don’t love how OPPO handles selfies. They haven’t cracked the code for me yet.

And while the camera bump is slimmer now at 3.01mm, it still causes the phone to wobble when placed on a flat surface. It’s a small thing, but it makes me miss the flat backs of my iPhone and Flip phones.

With the right case, those stayed perfectly level. CASETiFY’s impact cases, for example, wrap around the protrusion and keep things stable. Even a cased Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra does the same. Sadly, the Find X8 doesn’t quite hit it for me.

These might seem like trivial gripes, but the little things often shape your day-to-day experience. Much like in relationships, small annoyances can build up if left unchecked. Although, if you can accept them for who they are, you have to live with the package you signed up for.

Is it a love at first sight?

The Find X8 definitely delivers when it comes to its front display. Its 6.59-inch screen was perfect for binge-watching TikTok, catching up on the latest season of Netflix’s Arcane, or indulging in some Mobile Legends: Bang Bang during my downtime.

The super-slim bezels create an immersive experience with a peak brightness of 4500 nits. When I was at Sanur Beach in Bali, doing my heat run at 8 a.m., I didn’t have to squint to see the screen under the blazing sun.

And yes, that 4500 nits wasn’t a fluke — the brightness was often too much for my strained, dry eyes, which are already struggling with screens in general.

Luckily, OPPO’s tech protection comes to the rescue, combining PWM dimming, dual ambient light sensors, and adaptive tone to minimize discomfort and eye strain. As someone who spends a reported 7 hours a day on screens (blame my 2-hour TikTok doom-scrolling habit), this was a godsend.

Building the foundation

I was shocked when I found out that the Find X8, unlike its Pro counterpart, uses a MediaTek Dimensity 9400 processor, instead of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. While some might see the Snapdragon as the obvious choice for a flagship, OPPO has its reasons.

I got the chance to ask Arne Herkelman, OPPO’s Head of Product Management, about this during an interview in Bali, Indonesia. He explained that MediaTek, after last year’s success, made more sense for OPPO’s next-generation devices.

The Dimensity 9400 provides 40% better performance while also reducing battery consumption by 40%. The chip works seamlessly with OPPO’s Trinity Engine, optimizing system resources to deliver an additional 8.2% power savings.

For now, MediaTek is the right choice, according to Herkelman. But who knows? Things might change next year.

As for me, I’ve been a heavy user for years. My former editor often joked that I was a multitasker and a power user, which is why I always leaned toward flagship devices. I need things done quickly — no patience for slow-loading apps.

The Find X8 surely kept up with my fast-paced lifestyle. Its unique triple-antenna Wi-Fi system helped me finish tasks faster than expected.

There were times when I even swapped my iPad and iPhone for the Find X8 to work remotely. Its system reduced average latency, and the 5G connectivity gave me a better experience than my other devices.

Your partner-in-crime

I’ll admit it: I have high standards, whether it’s for gadgets or people. I just want something — or someone — that can keep up with my ever-changing whims.

The Find X8 does exactly that. With its massive 5630mAh battery and top-tier cameras, it’s always ready for the day. Even after hours of doom-scrolling, chatting, playing music, and keeping my mobile data on, the battery never drops into the red. It even served as a hotspot during my work-from-the-beach days without heating up or losing power too quickly.

When it’s time to charge, the 80W SuperVOOC charging refuels the battery in under an hour. Faster than I can even get ready for work, and no surprise there — OPPO’s fast-charging tech is top-notch.

Thanks to the lightweight design and long-lasting battery life, I had more than enough time to explore both Bali and Manila with the Find X8 by my side. Whether it was for gym sessions, runs, or just navigating my daily life, it truly became my go-to companion.

Made for the IG Boyfriend

Props to OPPO for incorporating Hasselblad’s camera system, and extending it into the Find X8 series. It’s clear that they’re serious about elevating the photography experience. The rear cameras feature three 50-megapixel lenses: a 15mm ultra-wide for 0.6x shots, a 24mm wide for your 1x shots, and a 73mm telephoto lens that doubles as a periscope for 3x optical zoom.

On top of that, the Find X8 uses the HyperTone Image Engine. I know, it sounds techy, but essentially, it ensures the quality of your photos is always top-notch: Protecting highlights, keeping depths and shadows in check, and maintaining remarkable detail while reducing noise.

Here are a few sample photos from everyday moments that are prime for Instagram — both for my feed and stories.

 

 

Zooming in on what matters

To be honest, zoom shots aren’t usually my thing. But OPPO saw an opportunity and ran with it: making the Find X8 the ultimate concert phone. The AI Telescope zoom kicks in automatically at 10x and beyond, utilizing the full 50MP resolution of the telephoto lens. This delivers crisp, clear shots even at 20x or 30x zoom.

I tested this during the premiere of Hello, Love, Again, where stars Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards made their entrance. While everyone else rushed to get close, I stayed comfortably in my seat, snapping photos from afar. I even captured a shot of Richards waving at me — yes, in low-light conditions.

This wasn’t just the zoom working its magic, though. Thanks to the Lightning Snap feature — basically a rapid-fire shooting mode — the Find X8 froze every moment even in the chaos. And underneath it all, the HyperTone Image Engine intelligently merges exposures, cutting down on motion blur and enhancing clarity.

And while I do appreciate the tech, I’ll be honest: I don’t have time to hold the shutter button for the Lightning Snap.

Perfect imperfections?

The Find X8’s 32MP front camera has potential, but it could use a little work. The 21mm lens and large 1/2.74-inch sensor handle most conditions, but selfies in poor lighting often end up blurry. The AI steps in to smooth things out, but here’s the catch: it smooths out skin too much, giving me that “filter-like” effect. Beauty mode might be off, but it still gives me that soft, airbrushed look that I find a bit too much.

While I don’t mind not seeing every pore (hello, Pixel or iPhone!), I do wish for more contrast. It can be hit or miss depending on the lighting. This issue becomes more pronounced when recording videos. The extra light flattens the image, giving me that “Barbie and Ken doll” look — no depth, just a painted face.

But hey, you can judge for yourself:

We all like it stable

Where the Find X8 truly shines is in videography. While its still photos are great, the rear cameras take video quality to the next level. Stabilization is excellent — even when I’m running. A friend of mine, Jayson, helped me capture a run at Sanur Beach, and we were both impressed by how well the phone kept everything stable and focused.

The quality is top-notch, and with the right conditions, it could easily rival Apple and Samsung in smartphone videography.

Here are a few reels I’ve recorded, edited, and uploaded using the OPPO Find X8:

 

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Love’s little extras

The Find X8 is like a dream guy — it comes with a few skills that are nice to have, even if I don’t need them. ColorOS 15 introduces a minimalist visual overhaul that makes for a smooth, intuitive experience. Honestly, I’d be perfectly content with that. But of course, OPPO jumped on the AI bandwagon.

ColorOS 15 introduces three AI-powered photo-editing tools: AI Clarity Enhance, AI Unblur, and AI Reflection Remover. These features are great if you tend to mess up shots, but I’m usually careful with mine. If there’s a mistake, I just retake it — no editing needed.

Then there’s AI Studio, which helps you create illustrations for your next post. Personally, I think I’ll stick to learning to draw.

Despite my mild grumbling, I appreciate the AI Toolbox. It helps you extract information quickly and polish your social media posts, like having an editor-in-chief for your captions. And with Google’s Gemini AI built in as the digital assistant, the Find X8 also includes Samsung’s Circle to Search, which is a feature I’m really excited about.

But what really sealed the deal for me, despite my AI fatigue, is Touch to Share. It simplifies cross-platform file sharing between Android and iPhones. With a single NFC tap, I can transfer files seamlessly between my Find X8, iPhone, and iPad. No more clunky methods, just effortless sharing.

All you need to do is install the O+ Connect app on your iPhone or iPad, and you’ll get the same seamless file-sharing experience I enjoy.

Say goodbye to using up mobile data on Telegram. (Don’t judge me, it’s just the fastest way to transfer between Android and iPhone).

The cost of forever

The OPPO Find X8 (16GB + 512GB) is priced at IDR 13,999,000, which is roughly US$879. In Singapore, it’s retailing for SG$1,249 until December 31, as part of a launch offer, before it reverts to SG$1,349. The available colors are Star Grey, Space Black, and Shell Pink.

The launch offer includes an exclusive OPPO x Maison Kitsune phone case, an OPPO Enco Air4, a 2-year Screen Damage Protection, and a 2-year Global Warranty.

In the Philippines, the OPPO Find X8 retails for PhP 54,999, and comes in Star Grey and Space Black. It’s available for installment payments through Credit Card in 6-month, 12-month, or 24-month plans with 0% interest at select OPPO stores. Home Credit also offers installment options at partnered OPPO stores nationwide, with monthly payments starting at PhP 2,289.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

The OPPO Find X8 is an outstanding smartphone, no doubt about it. There are hardly any cons, making it an easy recommendation for anyone seeking OPPO’s premium flagship experience. Sure, the Find X8 Pro might be a better option, packing all the top-tier features, but the base model still delivers a punch with its impressive specs.

Swipe right if you want a smartphone that’s compact, well-rounded, durable, offers an excellent camera system, has solid battery life, and comes at a reasonable price for what you’re getting.

Swipe left if you want more versatility, more gimmicks, or features tailored to specific needs, like the Find X8 Pro, Galaxy S24 Ultra, or Vivo X200 Pro.

Super Swipe if you want a smartphone that’s powerful, reliable, long-lasting, and comes with next-level protection, all wrapped in an elegant, beautiful design. The OPPO Find X8 is a Super Swipe for me, and it definitely earns the GadgetMatch Seal of Approval.

After weeks of testing, there’s no doubt about it: I’ve found a smartphone I’ll stick with for the long haul. It’s not just about the specs, the design, or even the camera performance (though those are top-tier). It’s the feeling of reliability.

Much like a relationship that grows deeper over time, the OPPO Find X8 has proven itself to be my go-to companion. I think I’m going to be married to this smartphone for a while.

Seriously, just get your hands on it to seal the deal.