Oppo Find X9s in Digit Test Labs: Find X9 experience at hopefully lower price

The Oppo Find X9s is an interesting addition to the brand’s flagship portfolio in India, as it is the first ‘s’-branded Find X-series smartphone to launch in the country. As of now, the Find X9 lineup consists of the Oppo Find X9 (review) and the Find X9 Pro (review), but the company is preparing to expand the series soon with the Find X9s and the top-end Find X9 Ultra. Going by the name, the X9s seems destined to be positioned below the standard Find X9, while sharing several similarities with its elder sibling. Hopefully, along with all that flagship experience, the price point may also be more accessible. Or will it be? Because we all know that the Vivo X300 FE (review) launched just a few days ago, and that’s priced slightly higher than the standard X300 (review), if you know what I mean here.

Anyway, the Oppo Find X9s has arrived at the Digit Test Labs. Over the next few days, I’ll be putting it through a series of tests to find out whether it’s worth your attention. But before I deliver the final verdict, here’s a quick first look at Find X9s.

Design and display

Taking the Oppo Find X9s out of the box, the first thing you notice is how closely it resembles its elder sibling. The smartphone features a flat-frame design that not only gives it a modern flagship look but also makes it comfortable to hold.

Speaking of the display, the Find X9s sports a 6.59-inch AMOLED screen that appears vibrant at first glance. Flip the device over, and you’ll find the rear camera module positioned in the top-left corner, while the Oppo branding sits neatly towards the lower centre of the back panel. 

In terms of durability, Oppo has equipped the Find X9s with IP66, IP68 and IP69 ratings, so you get the best possible dust and water resistance. For this review, I received the Midnight Grey colour variant, which I think looks clean and classy.

Cameras

The Oppo Find X series has always focused heavily on cameras, so naturally, the Find X9s has a lot to live up to. The phone comes with a triple rear camera setup that includes:

• Main camera: 50MP Sony LYT-700 sensor with OIS
• Ultra-wide camera: 50MP Samsung JN5 sensor with autofocus
• Telephoto camera: 50MP Sony LYT-600 periscope lens with 3x optical zoom and OIS

In my early testing, the cameras seem to capture good detail. That said, I’ll be testing the cameras in different lighting conditions and scenarios over the next few days before sharing my final thoughts in the full review.

Performance and software

Since the Oppo Find X9s sits below the Find X9 in the lineup, it does make a small compromise in terms of performance. The phone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500s chipset, which is a slightly toned-down version of the Dimensity 9500 found in the Find X9.

That said, early usage has been smooth so far, with the phone handling everyday tasks without any noticeable issues. However, I’ll be testing its performance properly in the coming weeks, including benchmarks and gaming.

On the software side, the Find X9s runs ColorOS 16 based on Android 16 out of the box. The UI feels fluid and feature-rich so far. I’ll talk more about the overall software experience in the detailed review.

Battery and charging

The Oppo Find X9s packs a massive 7,025mAh battery with support for 80W wired fast charging. Despite housing a large battery, the phone does not feel overly bulky or heavy in the hand. Instead, it manages to maintain a slim profile with good weight distribution, making it comfortable to use.

With a battery this big, the Find X9s looks promising when it comes to endurance. On paper, it should easily last through heavy usage, but I will be testing it properly over the next few days to see if it lives up to expectations.

Oppo Find X9s: Early thoughts

The Oppo Find X9s makes a strong first impression by offering an experience that feels quite close to its elder sibling, the Find X9. From the design and display to the battery and cameras, the phone appears to pack several flagship-level features while aiming for a more affordable position in the lineup. That said, I want to emphasise that pricing will play a major role in deciding how competitive the Find X9s really is, and as of now, there is no official word on that.

Yes, component prices are rising, and we have seen smartphone prices going up left, right and centre. Also, consider the Vivo X300 FE I mentioned at the start. But then again, while the X300 FE comes with a high-end Snapdragon chip under the helm, as opposed to MediaTek’s best, the Dimensity 9500, found inside the standard X300, this does give me hope that the Oppo Find X9s, powered by the slightly less powerful Dimensity 9500s, will be priced lower than the standard Oppo Find X9. Of course, don’t get your hopes too high, as the phone could very well end up costing around Rs 70,000, because this is a Find X phone at the end of the day. Or maybe, surprise me, Oppo.

Of course, we are going to find out every detail, including the price, very soon. Over the next few days, I’ll be testing the Oppo Find X9s in depth, including its performance, battery life, cameras and overall day-to-day experience. Stay tuned for the complete review, coming soon on Digit.