Oppo put in just as much effort in the accessories department. First of all, we have to talk about the SIM ejection tool — it’s basically a miniaturized Spear of Longinus, but with a shorter handle. Then you have the Unit-01-styled protection case, along with a pair of NERV-branded earbuds and a charger with design details from the mecha’s launch pad.

Oppo

As you’d expect, the phone’s software interface received a similar design treatment, with my favorite being the animated A.T. Field overlay which shows up when the phone is being charged via SuperVOOC or AirVOOC. Speaking of, the bundled 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 adapter charges the 4,000mAh battery in just 30 minutes, whereas the optional EVA-themed 40W AirVOOC wireless charger takes 56 minutes.

Appearance differences aside, this 5G phone is identical to the regular Reno Ace 2, featuring Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 SoC but with RAM and storage options limited to just 8GB and 256GB, respectively. There’s a 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with 90Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ certification, followed by Dolby Atmos stereo speakers to complete the multimedia experience. As for cameras, there’s a 16-megapixel punch-hole camera on the front, along with four on the back: a 48-megapixel f/1.7 main camera (Sony IMX586 sensor), an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and two 2-megapixel special effects cameras.

Oppo

According to Engadget Chinese, the Reno Ace 2 EVA Limited Edition will be joined by an Asuka Langley Soryu-themed Oppo Watch as well as Rei Ayanami-themed Enco W31 true wireless earbuds. These will all go on sale in China on June 1st, with the phone asking for 4,399 yuan (about $616), the watch for 2,199 yuan ($308) and the earbuds for 399 yuan ($56). Sadly, these will all be limited to 10,000 units each, and if you really want the 299-yuan ($42) EVA-themed wireless charging pad, good luck, as there will only be 5,000 of those.

The rest of the Reno Ace 2 is very much a moderate flagship phone based on the increasingly common Snapdragon 865 platform. Starting off with the display, this device comes with a 6.5-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel featuring 90Hz refresh rate, 180Hz touch sampling rate, HDR10+ certification and a 16-megapixel punch-hole camera. This is all sandwiched between Dolby Atmos stereo speakers. Alas, the headphone jack is gone this time.

As for the rear cameras, we’re looking at a 48-megapixel f/1.7 main shooter with a Sony IMX586 sensor, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera and two gimmicky 2-megapixel special effects cameras — one for vintage portraits and one for light leak effects.

The Reno Ace 2 comes in grey, silver or purple, and much like how its predecessor got a Gundam edition, this time we can expect an Evangelion special edition in the near future. For now, the phone starts at 3,999 yuan or about $570 for 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB UFS 3.0 storage, then capping at 4,599 yuan or about $650 for 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB storage. As for the optional AirVOOC wireless charger (which doubles as a 10W Qi charger), it’s asking for 249 yuan or about $35. Pre-orders are already open in China ahead of the April 20th launch.

The camera array features a 64-megapixel primary sensor, 13-megapixel ultrawide, 2-megapixel depth-of-field and a 5-megapixel telephoto camera. Xiaomi is also offering a K30 Pro Zoom version with 8GB of RAM and a longer, 30x hybrid zoom.

Other features include 6GB of RAM (LPDDR5 on most models), up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, 8K video recording on the main camera, a 4,700mAh battery with 33W USB-C fast charging (a full charge takes 63 minutes), IP53 water resistance and a new haptic feedback system. It also has a 6.7-inch 1080p 60Hz OLED display, WiFi6 and Bluetooth 5.1, NFC and a rear light sensor to improve automatic brightness performance.

The K30 Pro launches in China and should come to India later on. A version (possibly the Mi 10T) could also appear in Europe. It starts at 2,999 yuan ($425) with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage and goes up to 3,999 yuan ($565) for the K30 Pro Zoom with 8GB of RAM and 265GB of storage — quite a bargain next to comparable flagships from Samsung and other brands.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Find X2 Pro is that it has a somewhat plain appearance compared to the legendary Find X. There are no hidden pop-up cameras; instead you’ll find three of them lined up on the back. There’s also a punch-hole camera at the top left corner of the curved screen.

Admittedly, the Find X2 Pro’s design didn’t surprise me as much as its predecessor’s, but that’s not to say it’s bad. The phone comes in black ceramic or orange vegan leather with a rose gold frame (China gets a grey vegan leather edition, too). Personally, I prefer the masculine ceramic edition. The back is etched with fine curvy lines, which form a wave pattern when you tilt it under the light. The downside, though, is that this glossy surface picks up fingerprints.

People used to the likes of regular-sized phones — the iPhone 11 Pro, Galaxy S20+ or smaller — may find the 207-gram (7.3-ounce) Find X2 Pro a little heavy. (The leather edition weighs 7 grams less.). That said, it’s still lighter than the likes of S20 Ultra and iPhone 11 Pro Max. For me, the Find X2 Pro feels just right for its size, weight and build quality.

What truly makes the Find X2 Pro stand out from the crowd is its 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 flash charge, making it the third device to benefit from Oppo’s handy feature after the Reno Ace and Realme’s X50 Pro. In this case, it takes 38 minutes to juice up that 4,260mAh battery, which is quite fast considering how other flagships take about an hour or more for a full charge. Another benefit of VOOC is that the phone doesn’t heat up that much while charging, so it’s totally fine to use it while plugged in.

This new Oppo phone has all the guts you’d expect from a 5G flagship. There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset, 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 512GB of storage, in-display fingerprint reader, Dolby Atmos stereo speakers and triple-mic noise cancellation. It also packs a 6.7-inch Quad HD+ (3,168 x 1,440) AMOLED screen with an impressive 120Hz refresh rate — a rare combination in today’s market. With the periscope telephoto camera on the back, the Find X2 Pro is basically the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s brother from another mother.

The imaging similarities end there, as the Find X2 Pro has a totally different set of camera sensors. While the telephoto camera here also offers 10x hybrid zoom (16mm-160mm), it uses a 13-megapixel sensor with f/3.0 aperture and optical stabilization. The app switches to this camera for 5x zoom (optical) and beyond (hybrid). You can push all the way to 60x zoom if you really want to, but you’re not going to get anything Instagram-worthy.

As for the 48-megapixel f/1.7 main camera, it’s powered by Sony’s new IMX689 sensor, which offers “All Pixel Omni-Directional PDAF (phase-detection autofocus).” In a nutshell, rather than using just 3 percent of the pixels to focus, here all the pixels take part in a faster and more reliable autofocus, especially in the dark. Additionally, there’s optical stabilization plus laser autofocus, and these cameras can use the color sensors on both sides of the phone for more accurate brightness and color temperature measurements. The main camera also does 12-bit RAW capture for greater color depth, which Oppo claims is a first for smartphones.

The last of the rear cameras is a 48-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide camera with a 120-degree field of view. It can also be used to take macro shots at down to 3cm, as well as offering extra stabilization for video capture. Much like the S20 Ultra, the Find X2 Pro’s rear cameras can make use of the triple microphones for clearer audio recording and audio zoom, but they can’t do 8K recording — just up to 4K at 60fps.

On the other side, there’s a 32-megapixel f/2.4 selfie camera punched into the top-left corner of the screen. Here you get the usual beautification options, as well as screen flash and gesture control. It also does 1080p video capture at 30fps.

An Oppo spokesperson told me that the rear cameras here were built based on the learnings of the earlier Reno 10x Zoom, which also had a periscope camera. The company claims that we’ll see better uniformity across all three cameras, especially when it comes to auto white balance, HDR photography and the new Ultra Night Mode — this is sometimes an issue for smartphones packing so many different camera sensors.

I asked Oppo why the company chose to ditch the Find X’s legendary pop-up cameras, and the reason was partly about achieving an IP68 dustproof plus waterproof rating. Also, the design team wanted a camera module small enough that it wouldn’t call too much attention to itself. Fair enough. And of course, the fewer mechanical parts there are, the less wear and tear users will have to worry about in the long run.

To help show off the Find X2 Pro’s photography prowess, Oppo picked this particular “True Billion Color Display” from Samsung. The panel’s 8+2 bit color depth means it delivers 64 times more colors than conventional 8-bit displays. Oppo also worked with color tuning experts to add screen calibration process — an extra 20 seconds for each device — to the Find X2 Pro’s production line, in order to ensure a low JNCD (Just Noticeable Color Difference) ratio of no greater than 0.8 in default display mode. As phone nerds might know, this is the same standard that OnePlus teased for its upcoming smartphone, which isn’t surprising given that Oppo does the manufacturing for it.

Oppo also added a clever trick to accurately control the screen’s brightness and color temperature. Rather than relying on a single sensor, the Find X2 Pro uses the color sensors for both sets of cameras for 360-degree detection. This means the screen will less likely jump to maximum brightness when you walk under a street light at night. Additionally, the system will also learn your brightness preferences according to the current app and sensor data and automatically adjust for you in the future.

To further leverage this 120Hz, HDR10+ display, Oppo added a proprietary feature called the O1 Ultra Vision Engine, which is mainly for upscaling to HDR and boosting frame rate in video playback (you can toggle these two features individually). While I appreciate the HDR upscaling option, I find that this engine isn’t necessary for most clips; in fact, artificially boosting the frame rate appears to reduce the sharpness slightly. In response, Oppo claims “the smoothness matters the most” for our overall viewing experience, and recommends trying this engine with action sequences with a frame rate of under 30fps.

Oppo is also taking full advantage of this 120Hz screen with its revamped, more lightweight ColorOS, based on Android 10. I’m liking it so far. The interface looks clean and the animations feel smooth, so much that it actually reminds me of the latest OnePlus phones, which isn’t a bad thing.

As a finishing touch on the UX, Oppo equipped the phone with a custom X-axis linear motor for vibration functions, which the company claims is the largest of its kind amongst Android phones. Compared to most other phones I’ve come across, the vibration here feels crisper, which is great for typing and gaming — I could really feel the difference.

If you’ve been wondering why there’s a “Pro” in the name, there is indeed a “regular” Find X2 as well. It’ll obviously be cheaper, but you’ll mainly be missing out on the camera specs. The periscope telephoto camera is replaced with a fixed telephoto shooter, and the main camera uses an older 48-megapixel sensor (it’s the same IMX586 as the Pro’s ultra-wide camera). While the ultra-wide camera here only shoots 12 megapixels, it’s actually powered by Sony’s new IMX708 sensor, which makes up with native 16:9 capture and 4-in-1 pixel binning. You also only get 256GB of storage, the more common Z-axis vibration motor, a lower protection rating of IP54 and a choice of either ceramic or glass only. The rest is pretty much the same, though.

Alen Wu, Oppo’s President of Global Sales, told me that there are no plans to bring the Find X2 series to the US, which isn’t surprising given that the company has yet to properly enter the US smartphone market. He added that much of his company’s focus in the West is in European countries like France, Italy, Spain, UK and more. And for the first time, sales outside China accounted for more than half of Oppo’s total numbers last year. As for 2020, Oppo will be making its Latin America debut in Mexico. One step closer to the brand’s eventual arrival in the US?

Update 3/6/20 5:15AM ET:: In terms of pricing, the Find X2 Pro is asking for 6,999 yuan (about $1,010) or 1,199 euros. Like the original Find X, the Find X2 Pro also comes in a Lamborghini edition, with design inspirations taken from the Aventador SVJ Roadster. The damage? A mere 12,999 yuan or about $1,880, which includes special edition accessories plus a pair of true-wireless earbuds. If you want something a little more affordable, though, the Find X2 starts at 5,499 yuan (about $790) or 999 euros.

With the exception of the Lamborghini edition, the Find X2 series will be available in Europe from as soon as early May.

The Black Shark 3 Pro has a 7.1-inch, 3,120 x 1,440 AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. Its 270Hz touch sampling rate makes it that much more responsive to your finger taps, and it comes with a 5,000 mAh battery. The 8GB RAM version costs 4,699 yuan ($675), and the 12GB RAM option costs 4,999 yuan ($718). Both come with 256GB of storage.

If you aren’t ready to spend that much and you don’t mind sacrificing the pop-up shoulder buttons, the Black Shark 3 ranges from 3,499 yuan ($502) to 3,999 yuan ($575). The non-Pro model has capacitive shoulder buttons, a 6.67-inch, 2,400 x 1,800 AMOLED display, with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 270Hz touch sampling rate. It comes with a 4,720mAh battery.

Both of the 5G phones have the Snapdragon 865 chipset, two heat pipes that sandwich the logic board to keep it cool and adjustable pressure sensitivity on the left and right parts of the screen (when the phone is in landscape). The Black Shark 3 and Pro both have a triple-camera setup on the back, with a 64-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultra wide camera and a five-megapixel bokeh camera. The front-facing selfie camera has a 20-megapixel sensor, and there’s a 3.5mm headphone jack.

The backs of the phones have pins for an 18W magnetic charging plug, which could be convenient when you’re gaming. The phones are capable of 65W fast charging through the USB-C port, and both take just 12 minutes to reach a 50 percent charge (38 minutes to reach 100 percent). All of the models are now available for preorder.

Other “Pro” bits include better cameras, Dolby Atmos stereo speakers, a beefed-up in-display fingerprint reader, an improved vapor-cooling system and 35-minute, 65W “SuperDart” flash charge (it’s basically a rebranded version of Oppo’s “SuperVOOC 2.0”). These are all packaged into a low-profile “Moss Green” or “Rust Red” body, featuring a smooth frosted glass back which shows a subtle metallic shine at certain angles.

Oddly enough, Realme kind of went the opposite direction with the X50 Pro’s 1080p display. Rather than keeping the X50’s 6.57-inch 120Hz LCD (from JDI and BOE), the Pro model has to make do with a smaller, slower 6.44-inch 90Hz Samsung AMOLED panel. While some may be disappointed by the lack of a 120Hz AMOLED panel, this was most likely a price-conscious decision made by the brand. Not that this is a bad thing, mind; 90Hz AMOLED is already a noticeable upgrade for most people, and we liked it on both the OnePlus 7 Pro and the Oppo Reno Ace.

The X50 Pro maxes out at 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM with 256GB of UFS 3.0 storage. It comes with a 4,200mAh battery along with the usual NFC (Google Pay friendly), dual-SIM tray and dual-mic noise cancellation. But nope, no headphone jack here.

Much like the X50, the X50 Pro has a set of quad cameras on the back and dual cameras for selfies, but with a slightly different set of sensors and optics. The rear group is led by a 64-megapixel Samsung GW1 chip with a f/1.8 aperture for super high-resolution shots, or for 4-in-1 pixel-binning to boost sensitivity in low-light scenarios. Below that is an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, which also handles macro shots at down to 3cm. The top camera is a 12-megapixel telephoto shooter, which offers up to 5x optical hybrid zoom (or a gimmicky 20x hybrid zoom, if you’re really desperate). Last but not least, there is a 2-megapixel f/2.4 monochromatic camera at the bottom which assists the main camera’s portrait mode.

One of the main photography features that Realme is pitching for the X50 series is “Nightscape 3.0,” which comes with a “Tripod Mode” that does super long exposure of up to 50 seconds for some interesting night shots, so long as you can mount your phone onto a tripod. “Nightscape 3.0” also has an “Ultra Nightscape Mode,” which essentially boosts the camera’s sensitivity to take bright images even when illuminance is down to just 1 Lux. As for video, it’s just the usual 4K@30fps recording with two levels of video stabilization, and there’s also real-time bokeh effect video if you want to try something different.

On the other side of the phone, you get a 32-megapixel f/2.5 main selfie camera along with an 8-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide shooter, both powered by Sony sensors and are stuffed into the screen’s top-left punch-hole. Again, there’s real-time bokeh effect video recording here, but users will likely be more interested in taking slow-motion selfies at 1080p@120fps (just don’t call them “slofies“).

The Realme X50 Pro runs on Android 10 with Realme UI — essentially a near-stock Android experience with some goodies ported over from Oppo’s ColorOS, such as gesture navigation and smart assistant features. And of course, the software runs even smoother on the 90Hz display. One cool feature here is Dual Mode Music Share, which lets you play music through wired (USB) earphones and Bluetooth earphones simultaneously, and you can even pick up calls with the earphones you’re wearing while letting your friend continue listening to music with the other pair.

There’s no word on US availability just yet, as Realme is targeting Europe for now, with Spain being the launch market in April. The Realme X50 Pro will start from 599 euros (about $650) for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage version, and topping at 749 euros (about $810) with 12GB of RAM + 256GB storage. These are cheaper than even some of the recent 4G flagships, but apparently the China prices will be even lower when the phone launches there locally.

Conventional phase detection autofocus (PDAF), as featured on most modern smartphone cameras, works by detecting pattern changes in the vertical direction only. In other words, PDAF wouldn’t work as well on horizontal pattern changes.

This is where “All Pixel Omni-directional PDAF” comes in. In a nutshell, it’s about detecting pattern changes in both vertical and horizontal directions to make use of more image data, thus enabling faster focusing and better low-light performance. This also allows the sensor to focus on smaller objects or finer details.

All Pixel Omni-directional PDAF requires some tweaking on the sensor’s micro lens level. To achieve this, Oppo tapped into Sony’s “2×2 On-Chip Lens (OCL)” solution, which places four adjacent pixels with the same color under one on-chip lens, thus turning all imaging pixels into usable pixels for phase detection. A conventional sensor layout, on wouldthe other hand, would have one lens per pixel, which vastly limited the number of detection pixels.

Of course, this sounds great and all on paper, but we’ll have to see it to believe it. Oppo didn’t have performance figures to share at the time of writing, nor could it share a model number for its custom-made sensor. Likewise, there’s no word on whether the under-screen camera will make it to this phone — the prototype I tried today certainly wasn’t ready, as the sample shots had a fair amount of hazing. We’ll know more when the Find X2 launches in Q1 2020 — maybe at MWC?

Just when phones will arrive will depend on the individual manufacturers. It won’t surprise you to hear that several vendors have already confirmed work on devices using the new Snapdragons. Xiaomi’s Mi 10 and an unnamed Oppo flagship will use the Snapdragon 865 in the first quarter of 2020, while Nokia (that is, HMD Global) will use the Snapdragon 765 for future hardware. Motorola, meanwhile, expects to use both the 865 and 765 in its devices.

And yes, there’s good news if you liked the thought of Qualcomm’s in-screen fingerprint reader but thought it needed work. The company has unveiled a next-gen 3D Sonic Max sensor whose ultrasonic tech has a recognition area 17 times larger than before, letting it authenticate with two whole fingers at once. That promises considerably greater security, but also promises faster fingerprint registration and fewer instances of fumbling around to hit the reader’s sweet spot. You’ll have to wait until 2020 for this as well, but it could be worthwhile if you think current fingerprint sensors are too crude.