Hardwired
In Hardwired, AC Senior Editor Harish Jonnalagadda delves into all issues {hardware}, together with telephones, audio merchandise, storage servers, and networking gear.
I switched to the Discover X9 Professional after utilizing the Vivo X300 Professional, and each telephones have loads of similarities this yr — extra so than prior to now. They’re each powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9500 platform, get the identical storage variants, have a similar-sized 6.78-inch AMOLED panel, similar ultrasonic fingerprint modules, and a giant battery.
They even share the identical 50MP Sony LYT-828 foremost digital camera and 50MP Samsung JN5 wide-angle modules, and a 200MP telephoto lens — albeit one which’s barely totally different, with the Discover X9 Professional that includes the Samsung HP5 module (Vivo makes use of a customized HPB sensor). Heck, OPPO even has a telephoto extender this yr, which has similarities to what Vivo offers on the X300 Professional.
Though there are a lot of {hardware} similarities, these gadgets aren’t equivalent to make use of — removed from it. Vivo and OPPO clearly diverge on the subject of their digital camera tuning, and that was instantly evident after I began utilizing the Discover X9 Professional. The software program is refreshingly totally different as effectively, even when each cellphone makers selected to “borrow” iOS 26’s translucent results.
Anyway, again to the cameras. OPPO is utilizing a brand new Lumo digital camera engine, with the model noting that it overhauled its imaging algorithms to ship cleaner and extra detailed pictures. Apparently, it is designed to shoot 50MP stills as normal, in a position to eke out a lot better high quality. Video high quality is improved as effectively, and the cellphone is now in a position to shoot 4K120 Dolby Imaginative and prescient footage — albeit with the primary digital camera and tele lens (wide-angle is restricted to 4K60).
Let’s get to the pictures. Predictably, the Discover X9 Professional does a implausible job in nearly any lighting state of affairs, delivering detailed pictures with good dynamic vary and colour accuracy. OPPO says it labored intently with Sony and Hasselblad to tune each the sensor and its imaging algorithms this yr, and there’s a noticeable distinction within the resultant picture high quality over the Discover X8 Professional.
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Whereas there is not a devoted 6x zoom lens this time, the Discover X9 Professional does simply as effectively at each 3x and 6x, producing pictures which are simply nearly as good as the primary digital camera — it holds its personal in opposition to the X300 Professional on this regard. The wide-angle lens is the one module that is holding the machine again slightly; it would not fairly have the identical tonal steadiness in difficult situations, and would not measure as much as the opposite two cameras.
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There aren’t any points in low-light situations with the remainder of the cameras, and the cellphone does a fantastic job with portrait pictures. This is likely one of the key explanation why I used the Vivo X200 Professional and Discover X8 Professional a lot over the course of 2025, and I am glad to see each manufacturers making optimistic strides with portrait mode on their newest gadgets.
Then there’s the telephoto extender err, removable zoom lens. OPPO went with an analogous system as Vivo, however annoyingly, attaching the zoom lens covers up your complete digital camera island, so you’ll be able to’t use some other lens when it is in use. This is not a limitation on the X300 Professional, and OPPO ought to contemplate tweaking the design with the subsequent technology. The removable lens does a fantastic job extending the zoom vary, and the resultant picture high quality is much like that of the X300 Professional. However the related problem means I did not use it anyplace as a lot as its Vivo sibling.
I nonetheless assume Vivo has the general edge with the cameras; I want the model’s picture tuning and colour science, but it surely’s solely a matter of selection. From a technical perspective, the Discover X9 Professional delivers pictures and movies which are simply nearly as good, and that is nice information — it simply means you get two selections when contemplating a cellphone improve subsequent yr.
