I Was Amazed That this Oppo Camera Slammed the iPhone 17 Pro in My Tests


The iPhone 17 Pro is absolutely worthy of its ranking among the best camera phones you can buy in 2026. Thanks to its trio of lenses and features like ProRaw, It’s capable of taking stunning images — in broad daylight or in the dead of night — that would rival professional mirrorless cameras. But while Apple may have held its crown as mobile photography champ for a long time, there are an increasing number of flagship Android phones that offer incredible camera skills as well — and the Oppo Find X9 Pro is just such a device. Its camera setup is excellent and I’ve taken some beautiful images with it using both its wide and 200-megapixel zoom cameras. 

The Find X9 Pro is a powerhouse phone in all respects, which is why it scored so highly in my full review — and why it was given a coveted CNET Editors’ Choice Award. So to see just how it stacks up against the iPhone 17 Pro, I took it out on a series of photo missions around my beautiful home city of Edinburgh. 

Before we dive in, a quick note about the images. They were all shot with each phone’s default camera mode in JPEG with no other settings applied (the Photographic Style on the iPhone was set to Standard). The images have been imported into Lightroom for the purposes of comparison and exporting at file sizes that will play nicely on the internet, but no other edits, sharpening or noise reduction have been applied. 

Watch this: One Month Later: The iPhone 17 Pro Strikes Back

Remember that while some decisions about which images look better might be obvious (such as a lack of detail or image processing aberrations), others will simply come down to personal opinion. I’m a professional photographer, so I typically look for an image that captures the scene more naturally. You may like a more vibrant image with high contrast, so take my findings with a pinch of salt.

With that said, let’s dive in.

Wide cameras comparison

iPhone 17 Pro, shot on the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot on the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Starting off with this easy snap overlooking the train tracks. Both phones have exposed their images above well but the Oppo’s shot has more natural warm tones on the brickwork on the wall — the iPhone’s look more magenta. The Oppo’s colors are more vibrant, too, but not overly so. 

iPhone 17 Pro, shot on the ultrawide camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot on the ultrawide camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Switching to the ultrawide lens, the blue sky definitely looks oversaturated in the Oppo’s shot. And here’s where we have to dive deeper; Oppo’s image has had more digital sharpening applied to it, which helps some details look crisp, but it’s also got a lot of noise reduction, which smooths details in other areas.

Detail crop with the iPhone 17 Pro on the left and Oppo Find X9 Pro on the right.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

If we look up close at this section of wall, we can see that the strong lines of mortar between the bricks look sharper in the Oppo’s photo on the right. But the bricks themselves look almost polished as they’ve been stripped of detail by the noise reduction. The iPhone’s image has retained that detail.

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the main camera

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Another weird one to analyze. The wooden box of the library is unquestionably sharper on the Oppo’s shot, with even the minute scratches on the perspex being clearly visible. But as soon as we look further out toward the edges of the frame, that detail plummets. 

Detail crop with the iPhone 17 Pro on the left and Oppo Find X9 Pro on the right.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Zooming in close on a section to the right side of the frame, it’s clear that the Oppo’s image severely lacks detail compared to the iPhone’s image. Whether this is an image processing issue or due to the quality of the lens, I’m not sure, but it’s surprising to see, especially given how sharp the rest of the image is.

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

This indoor shot on the main camera feels like a slightly easier win for the Oppo. Its image is brighter and colors look richer without being too punchy. As before, it both sharpens some areas and reduces texture in others. There’s a lack of detail toward the edge of the frame, but you’d only notice if you really get up close to the pixels. Overall, I prefer the look of the Oppo’s shot. 

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the ultrawide camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the ultrawide camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

And it’s the same when I switched to the ultrawide lens — the Oppo takes the win here.

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

I love the balanced exposure from both phones in this vibrant outdoor scene, but I prefer the warmer tone of the Oppo’s shot. The iPhone’s photo looks like it saw all the golden colors and set its auto white balance on the cooler side to compensate. The Oppo produced a more true-to-life image and I think it’s a great shot as a result.

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

I don’t like the Oppo’s effort here, though. It artificially brightened the shadows way too much, giving this scene a fake HDR look that screams, “I took this on an Android phone.” The iPhone takes an easy win with its more natural handle on shadows.

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

I’m conflicted on this one. The Oppo’s shot is brighter and more vibrant, but it’s almost too much. The blue sky is a bit on the electric-blue side for my taste, while the buildings in the center of the frame look slightly too bright. Still, I think I prefer its rendition to the iPhone’s, which does look a little drab by comparison.

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with 2x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with 2x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

At 2x zoom, this indoor scene looks solid on both phones. Overall, I think the Oppo’s shot takes the win as it’s brighter and sharper than the iPhone’s. 

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with 8x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo find X9 Pro, shot with 6x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Taking each phone up to its maximum default zoom levels (8x on the iPhone, 6x on the Oppo), the results look quite dramatically different. The color balance is wildly different for one thing, with the iPhone leaning more into teal tones while the Oppo’s photo has a more magenta cast to it. Honestly, neither one looks especially realistic, with both phones going a bit too hard in different directions. What I have noticed is that the Oppo’s image has gone overboard with the digital sharpening, resulting in a crunchiness to the details that I’m not a fan of. 

Detail crop with the iPhone 17 Pro on the left and Oppo Find X9 Pro on the right.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The huge amount of digital sharpening on the Oppo’s shot is clear when you zoom in on the details.

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with 8x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with 6x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

This is an odd one; at max zoom, the Oppo has catastrophically failed to render the details on the side of the building. 

Detail crop with the iPhone 17 Pro on the left and Oppo Find X9 Pro on the right.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Check out this detailed crop; I don’t know what the Oppo was doing in its image, but that building has been turned into a bizarre, smeary mess. The iPhone has done a superb job of capturing those distant fine details.

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with 8x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with 6x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Seagulls on a log. There’s very little to choose between either phone in this example. Take your pick!

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with 8x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the Hasselblad zoom lens.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The Oppo Find X9 Pro does have a secret weapon when it comes to zoom, though, in the form of the Hasselblad telephoto zoom accessory. This optional lens attaches to the phone and gives huge zoom lengths — up to 40x — while retaining excellent quality. You can see the difference here in the maximum zoom range of the iPhone against the zoom of the Find X9 Pro with the lens attached; it’s both closer and sharper.

The telephoto lens looks just like a real Hasselblad camera lens. It’s great fun to play with.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the Hasselblad telephoto zoom lens.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

I absolutely love using the lens add-on for street photography, as you can get some great candid moments without anyone noticing. It’s worth keeping in mind, though, that the Hasselblad lens for the phone is an eye-watering £435 or $580 (based on a rough conversion of the 499 euro price), and third-party telephoto lenses from the likes of Sandmarc are also available for the iPhone. 

Night photography

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the main camera, night mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the main camera, night mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The iPhone’s night mode shot here does look brighter, but I prefer the richer contrast on the Oppo’s shot. Otherwise, it’s a pretty even match here.

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the main camera, night mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the main camera, night mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

But it’s a much easier win for the Oppo here. The deeper contrast has helped keep some of the flare from the lights at bay, while the details on the front of the building are much sharper. 

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

This indoor scene is brighter, warmer and more vibrant on the Oppo and I much prefer it as a result. 

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the main camera, night mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the main camera, night mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

The iPhone’s image is brighter here, especially in the sky, but if you zoom in on the details, the Oppo’s image is sharper. 

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the ultrawide camera, night mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the ultrawide camera, night mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

And it’s basically the same story when you switch to the ultrawide lens. 

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with 8x zoom, night mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with 6x zoom, night mode.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

When we jump to the zooms, though, the Oppo has ramped up the sharpening again, resulting in an image that looks rather over-processed.

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with 2x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with 2x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

I caught a glorious sunset on one evening but only the iPhone managed to do it justice. I love the iPhone’s natural tones and deep shadows, whereas the Oppo has delivered an oversaturated shot that looks like I’ve applied a tacky filter before posting it to Instagram.

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the main camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

And it’s the same here with the Oppo’s shot looking saturated against the iPhone’s more realistic version. 

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with 8x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with 6x zoom.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

But the difference was most obvious when using the zoom lenses on both phones. The iPhone’s shot not only has more natural colors, but the Oppo’s heavy-handed processing has given the lighthouse an unpleasant halo (a light haziness around its edges) that really spoils the shot. 

iPhone 17 Pro, shot with the selfie camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

Oppo Find X9 Pro, shot with the selfie camera.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

I ended on a selfie and here both phones went in interesting directions. The Oppo is certainly the winner to my eye — it’s shot is considerably sharper (without overdoing it) with more natural skin tones and an accurate orange hue on my jacket. The background is a bit overly cyan but it’s certainly a better-looking attempt than the iPhone’s.

iPhone 17 Pro vs. Oppo Find X9 Pro: Which takes better photos?

I was surprised at the results. Oppo’s phones — and its sister company OnePlus’s phones — have had a history of leaning hard into image processing with often wildly brightened shadows, too much sharpening and inaccurate colors that resulted in shots that were only really okay for casual snaps. The Find X9 Pro does have some of that (the image of the red restaurant front is a particularly egregious example of shadow brightening) but it’s way more toned down than I expected.

In fact, it delivered shots in many instances that I preferred over the iPhone’s. The golden hues of the tree-lined pathway shot looked sublime on the Oppo, while the warmer, brighter tones inside the pub were a clear victory for the X9 Pro. Most of the images from the Oppo’s main camera I preferred over the iPhone’s, including some at night. It wasn’t a win in every instance and it just goes to show that each phone’s image processing will still trip up in different scenarios. 

But overall, I think I have to give the win to the Oppo Find X9 Pro. Its ability to capture scenes accurately with just enough processing to help give images that little pop but without going overboard is admirable. It’s safe to say then, if you’re looking for a high performance Android camera phone, the Find X9 Pro is certainly one to consider.





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Michelin is a French multinational company that many consumers consider to be one of the most satisfying major tire brands. This firm makes several tire models that offer comfort, performance, all-terrain prowess, and everything in between — including cutting-edge products like the $42,000-per-set Michelin Pilot Sport PAX that it developed specifically for the Bugatti Veyron. Aside from its own tires, Michelin also owns other tire brands that you might be familiar with, including BFGoodrich, Achilles, and Corsa.

While tires are what Michelin is known for, the company has put its name to more than the rubber that wraps around your car’s rims. In fact, the company sells several other products that aren’t tires. So, we’re listing a few Michelin-branded items that you can buy online and in retail stores. While they might not all be made of rubber or even related to vehicles, these tools and accessories can come in handy when keeping your car — and even yourself — in good shape.

Michelin tire inflator

Since Michelin is primarily known for its tires, it makes sense for the company to sell a Michelin-branded tire inflator as well. That way, if you get a flat on one of the Michelin tires on your car or want to regularly top up your car’s tire pressure to maintain optimum performance, you can use a Michelin-branded pump to fill up your tires. The company actually sells several types of inflators on its Amazon page, but it only offers a single motorized unit — the Michelin Micro Tyre Inflator, which is available on Amazon for $98.99.

This little device is only slightly wider than an iPhone 17 and weighs about 400 grams, or 14 ounces. This means it’s easy to store in your car and to move to whichever tire needs topping up. More importantly, it takes power from a 12-volt socket, allowing you to run it using your car’s battery. It also has a USB port for charging your phone (or any other USB device) in case of an emergency.

Some users say that the device is slow, taking about 12 minutes to bring a tire from 10 to 32 PSI, but that’s not unexpected given its small size. Still, it should be good enough for regular weekly maintenance if you know your car’s proper tire pressure, or in case of an emergency. Its biggest downside is that you need a power source to run it, but having a dead battery and a flat tire simultaneously is likely a rare occurrence in many modern cars.

Michelin mini fridge

Taking a road trip during the summer can get you thirsty, and there’s no better way to quench that thirst than by drinking a cool can of soda (or your beverage of choice). If you want to ensure that you’ll always have a cold drink ready while you’re driving on the freeway, Michelin’s mini fridge will help you with that. This nifty little refrigerator is available on Amazon for just $99.99 and can be connected to either 110V AC or 12V DC power, ensuring that it will work on both your desk and in your car.

The mini fridge measures 6.9 x 9.45 x 10 inches (17.5 x 24 x 25.4 cm), meaning it can easily fit on a garage shelf or office desk. It should also be small enough to put on the floor of your car. Despite that relatively small size, it’s large enough to fit six 350-ml cans or four 500-ml bottles, and it will keep these items at a chilly 32 degrees Fahrenheit or 18 degrees Celsius. It also has an LED light on the door, so it can double as a night light if necessary.

Aside from keeping your drinks (and other food items) below room temperature, it also has a few other creature comforts. These include a removable shelf and door basket for flexibility and easy cleaning, as well as a retractable carry handle and a self-locking door to make transportation easier.

Michelin car floor mats

Heavy-duty car floor mats are often made from rubber for durability and water resistance, and since Michelin is in the business of rubber, it makes sense for the company to offer exactly that. So, if you want to protect your vehicle’s floor from dirt, dust, and mud, the company can help you with its Michelin all-weather car floor mats. This four-piece package is available on Amazon for $49.99 and comes in either black or tan.

The surface of these floor mats is specially designed to trap debris, snow, and water, preventing them from ruining the carpet on your vehicle. The mats have a cleat backing that grips your car’s floor and prevents them from slipping. The front row mats also come with what Michelin calls a Gripclip Retention System, allowing them to clip into your vehicle’s safety clips and adding even more reassurance that they won’t accidentally slip while you’re driving and pose a hazard to your safety.

These mats are universal and will work in most vehicles. However, they’re also easy to customize: If you find them a bit too large for the footwell of your tiny hatchback, you can use a pair of scissors to trim the edges for a perfect fit.

Michelin Stealth Ultra wiper blades

While Michelin’s Stealth Ultra wiper blades aren’t generally considered among the best windshield wipers, they appear to be a pretty good choice given their four-star rating on Amazon. These wipers cost $49.99 and are available in various size combinations for all sorts of cars. This ensures that no matter what vehicle you’re driving, you can probably find a set that will fit your needs.

These Michelin wipers are curved to conform to the shape of your windscreen for a clean, streak-free wipe. The company’s Amazon listing claims that these are designed to “withstand rain, wind, snow, mud, dust, or any other debris that might hamper your windshield’s visibility.” While you might think that windshield wipers are pretty simple items, and that you can just purchase any generic wipers off the internet, you must remember that they’re essential so that you have the best visibility possible during inclement weather. So, for your safety, consider investing in a set from a reputable brand like Michelin.

Michelin work boots

Michelin is known for making rubber tires to put on your car’s “feet,” but did you know it also makes shoes for the driver’s feet? The company makes sports & outdoor footwear, as well as shoes for work and safety. For this example, we have the Michelin HydroEdge Steel Toe waterproof work boot, listed for $210 on Amazon and at Georgia Boot. This shoe is available in U.S. sizes from 7.5 up to 14, ensuring that no matter what size you wear, you can get a Michelin work boot for yourself.

As the name suggests, this pair of shoes has steel toes to protect your feet from accidental impacts and is fully waterproof to help keep your feet dry, even in supposedly severe conditions. It also meets ASTM F2413 standards for electrical protection, meaning it has fully insulating soles to protect you from electrical hazards at work. Michelin also added what it calls an Advanced Rear Suspension system to its heel, ensuring proper shock absorption when you walk.





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