A phone that borrows flagship cameras without the flagship price
In the ongoing human negotiation between aspiration and affordability, OPPO has introduced the Find X9s in Singapore — a device designed to close the distance between what serious photography demands and what most budgets allow. Priced at S$1,299 and carrying Hasselblad's imaging philosophy across three 50-megapixel cameras, it arrives in July 2026 as a considered answer to travelers and enthusiasts who want capability without the full cost of conviction. The phone's durability ratings and generous battery suggest OPPO is thinking not just about the shot, but about the journey taken to get there.
- The tension is real: flagship camera systems have long been locked behind flagship prices, leaving most buyers to compromise on the thing they use most — the camera.
- OPPO's move disrupts that hierarchy by transplanting Hasselblad Portrait Mode, a periscope telephoto with a premium-grade sensor, and 4K60FPS video into a phone that costs hundreds less than the Ultra tier.
- To sweeten the navigation toward purchase, a launch promotion running through July 31 cuts S$100 off the price and bundles a wireless speaker, two-year international warranty, and screen protection.
- The Find X9s is landing in a precise gap in the market — credible enough for photography enthusiasts, durable enough for travelers, and priced just low enough to feel like a genuine trade-off rather than a consolation prize.
OPPO's new Find X9s is built around a single, pointed question: how much flagship camera can you get without paying a flagship price? The company's answer arrives at S$1,299 in Singapore, borrowing the Hasselblad imaging identity from its more expensive models and wrapping it in hardware designed to endure the demands of travel.
The camera system leads the conversation. Three rear sensors — each at 50 megapixels — divide the work between a stabilized main shooter, a periscope telephoto with a 1/1.95-inch sensor at 3x magnification, and a 120-degree ultrawide. All three support Hasselblad Portrait Mode and 4K60FPS video with Dolby HDR. Manual controls are available through Hasselblad Master Mode, and an XPAN Mode recreates the distinctive wide-format aspect ratio of Hasselblad's film cameras.
For travelers, OPPO added a 7,025mAh battery with 80W wired charging, triple IP ratings covering dust, submersion, and high-pressure water jets, and an AI-assisted antenna system meant to hold signal in difficult environments. The internals match the company's flagship tier — the same processor, a vapor chamber, a 6.59-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, and ColorOS 16 with AI tools for expense tracking, menu translation, and an upgraded AI assistant.
Through July 31, a launch promotion brings the effective price to S$1,199 with instant cashback, and includes a portable wireless speaker, two years of screen and international warranty coverage, and accessory discounts. The Find X9s ultimately asks whether the Hasselblad story and triple-camera setup justify stepping down from OPPO's Ultra line — or whether, for most people, this is simply the phone that makes the camera story affordable.
OPPO has released a phone that tries to answer a specific question: what if you wanted the camera quality of a premium flagship without the premium flagship price? The answer, according to the company, is the Find X9s—a mid-range device that borrows the Hasselblad imaging signature from OPPO's more expensive models and packages it with enough durability and battery life to survive a holiday.
The camera system is the draw. Three rear sensors, each rated at 50 megapixels, handle different jobs. The main camera includes optical image stabilization to steady handheld shots. A periscope telephoto lens offers 3x magnification and houses a notably large 1/1.95-inch sensor—the kind of specification that usually appears in phones costing significantly more. A third 50MP camera captures an ultrawide view at 120 degrees. All three work with Hasselblad Portrait Mode, which applies the camera maker's signature approach to background blur, and all can record video up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second with Dolby HDR support. For users who want to adjust settings manually, there's Hasselblad Master Mode, which opens up controls for ISO, focus, and white balance. OPPO also included XPAN Mode, a feature that mimics the distinctive 65:24 aspect ratio of Hasselblad's film cameras.
Beyond the cameras, OPPO positioned this phone as a travel device. The battery capacity reaches 7,025 milliamp-hours, and the charging system delivers 80 watts through a wired connection. The phone carries IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings—a combination that means it resists dust, survives submersion in water, and can handle high-pressure water jets. For connectivity in crowded tourist areas or remote locations, OPPO added AI LinkBoost and a 360-degree antenna system designed to maintain signal in difficult conditions.
The hardware underneath matches the company's flagship tier. The processor is the same chip found in the more expensive models, paired with a vapor chamber for thermal management. The display is a 6.59-inch AMOLED panel with a resolution of 2,760 by 1,256 pixels, capable of 120Hz refresh rates and 240Hz touch sampling. The phone measures just 7.99 millimeters thick. It runs ColorOS 16, OPPO's Android skin, and includes several AI features: a bill manager that tracks expenses, a translation tool for menus, and an upgraded AI Mind Space that now provides answers through an AI Mind Pilot.
In Singapore, the Find X9s starts at S$1,299 for the 12GB RAM and 512GB storage configuration, available in Sunset Orange and Midnight Grey. Until July 31, 2026, OPPO is running a launch promotion that reduces the effective price to S$1,199 with a S$100 instant cashback. The bundle also includes a two-year international warranty, two years of screen protection, a portable wireless speaker, and 20 percent off select OPPO accessories like smartwatches and earbuds. These offers are available while inventory lasts.
The Find X9s occupies a specific market position: expensive enough to feel like a real phone, affordable enough that the Hasselblad cameras and triple 50MP setup feel like a genuine value proposition rather than a luxury tax. Whether that positioning resonates depends on whether travelers and photography enthusiasts believe the mid-flagship price justifies stepping down from the Ultra models—or whether the Find X9s simply becomes the phone people buy when they want the camera story without the flagship bill.
Notable Quotes
OPPO wants it to become a travel and holiday companion without the price tag— OPPO positioning statement
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does OPPO keep pushing Hasselblad into phones that cost less than their flagships? Doesn't that dilute the brand?
Not really. Hasselblad is a name that means something to photographers—it signals a certain approach to color and bokeh. By putting it lower in the lineup, OPPO makes that signature accessible to people who care about cameras but can't justify S$2,000 for a phone.
Three 50MP cameras sounds like marketing overkill. Are they actually useful, or is it just a spec sheet?
The periscope telephoto with that 1/1.95-inch sensor is the real story. That's a genuinely large sensor for a 3x zoom lens. The ultrawide at 120 degrees gives you range. It's not overkill—it's coverage.
The IP69 rating is interesting. Most phones stop at IP68. What's the practical difference?
IP69 means it can handle high-pressure water jets. It's the difference between surviving a splash and surviving someone spraying it with a hose. For a travel phone, that's real durability.
The battery is 7,025mAh. Is that actually big, or just a number?
It's substantial. That's the kind of capacity that gets you through a full day of heavy use, which matters when you're traveling and can't always find a charger.
What's the real competition here? Who's this phone actually for?
Someone who wants flagship cameras and durability but doesn't need the absolute top processor or the prestige of the Ultra name. It's for the traveler who cares about the photos more than the phone itself.