Oppo is preparing to launch the Find X9 Ultra next month, and the buzz centers on its groundbreaking camera technology. Unlike many smartphones that rely on digital tricks to amplify zoom, the Find X9 Ultra promises genuine 10x optical zoom thanks to a new Hasselblad-branded telephoto lens. This marks a rare achievement as smartphone makers have struggled to fit true 10x optical zoom into slim devices-until now.
The secret lies in Oppo’s innovative periscope camera design utilizing a five-reflection optical architecture. This complex setup achieves a 460mm equivalent focal length without necessitating a bulky body, effectively embedding what Oppo calls a ”teleconverter inside a smartphone.” To maintain image clarity, Oppo developed nanometer-precision cutting for the internal prism, creating an ”ultra-high purity air aperture” that minimizes stray light and preserves shot quality.
Manufacturing precision is another highlight. Through an Active Optical Alignment (AOA) process, each lens and sensor is dynamically adjusted and calibrated during assembly, which reduces device-to-device variation and pushes camera performance closer to lab-level standards. This level of control is rare in mass smartphone production and indicates Oppo’s dedication to optical quality.
The camera system pairs this telephoto lens with a bespoke 50-megapixel sensor and Oppo’s LUMO imaging engine. The combination is designed for crisp, detailed shots even at long distances, with enhancements to dynamic range and color accuracy through telephoto-specific tuning of microlenses and filters. Digital zoom reaches up to 120x, though the emphasis is on retaining optical and optical-quality zoom fidelity up to 20x.
While companies like Samsung and Huawei have explored optical zoom ranges between 5x and 10x, Oppo’s approach of embedding a true 10x optical zoom lens with this five-reflection periscope design is technically impressive, especially given the device’s slender profile. This move sharpens competition in flagship camera phones, spotlighting the race to resolve size, zoom range, and image quality trade-offs.
With true 10x optical zoom finally hitting smartphones under slim constraints, the Find X9 Ultra might set new standards for telephoto photography on mobile devices. The upcoming unveiling will reveal if this precision engineering translates into a user-friendly, reliable experience beyond lab specifications.