Mini flagship outshines Apple, Samsung in battery & camera, still disappoints

Initial Thoughts on the Oppo Find X9s Pro

The Oppo Find X9s Pro looks like an insider tip among compact smartphones when looking at the compact smartphones. The Oppo phone starts for a budget‑friendly level at around $940 from our loan partner Trading Shenzhen. However, our review of the mini flagship shows that the strong first impression cannot be maintained throughout.

Design and Build Quality Stand Out

There are many points where the compact top smartphone from oppo is convincing. The built-quality is excellent complemented by an IP69 certified resistance to dust and water. The very thin bezels around the 6.32-inch OLED panel also give the Find X9s Pro a modern look and efficient design. It feels premium in hand and the water resistance is a major plus over competitors.

Camera and Battery Performance Shine

The Find X9s Pro also plays to its strengths with its XXL battery and Hasselblad cameras. In these areas, the Oppo phone performs in a different league compared to the iPhone 17 or Galaxy S26 in our review. The cameras capture vibrant colors and the battery capacity is huge for this form factor, easily lasting a full day under heavy usage conditions.

Disappointing USB and Connectivity Issues

However, several minor weaknesses noticeably tarnish the overall picture. The USB 2.0 port is particularly hard to understand, as it matches neither the price range nor the Pro claim of the mini flagship – even the “normal” Find X9 achieved better performance with a 3.2 standard in our review. In terms of communication, the Find X9s Pro shines with fast Wi-Fi 7, but loses some of its suitability for everyday use due to the lack of LTE bands 20 and 32, which are essential for optimal coverage outside urban areas in Europe.

Software and GPS Problems Are Concerning

When it comes to software, our review also raises certain questions. Although the China version with the ColorOS 16 interface, including a multilingual package, can be used without any major restrictions, our test data revealed significant dropouts in positioning, as gps data in motion is not recorded reliably. These may simply be early‑stage issues that future updates will address, but the problems with gps tracking could also be a consequence of the restrictive power‑management policies of the China ROM.

Battery Life Not Matching Expectations

We also see great potential for improvement in the energy management of the Oppo Find X9s Pro. Despite the very large battery, the endurance of the mini flagship powered with the Dimensity 9500 is not at the level of the large flagship from oppo. This is surprising given the battery capacity and the claimed efficiency of the chipset, leaving the device feeling slightly under-optimized in real-world usage.