Released with the Find X2 Neo, the Find X2 Lite is the lightest of the three Finds released in 2020. This does not prevent the youngest of the siblings from being 5G compatible and displaying some interesting technical characteristics. But these have taken a bit of lead in the past few weeks. In question, a little more aggressive competition.
Mobile telephony is going fast. Very quickly. Maybe even a little too fast. A forward race where each outing must be timed so as not to become obsolete if the start is a second too late. Here is a concrete example. Last May, Oppo presented two 5G-compatible mid-range smartphones: the Find X2 Neo and Find X2 Lite. The first, tested here in our columns, is offered at 699 euros. The second is displayed at less than 450 euros. Here is the full test, conducted at the start of the summer and updated when it is published.
Price and availability
The Find X2 Lite is therefore offered at the recommended retail price of 449 euros and is available for sale now. When it was released in France, the Find X2 Lite was presented as one of the cheapest 5G smartphones, with a balanced technical sheet and beautiful finery served by a pleasant hardware and software design. It was intended to be a credible (and Android) alternative to the iPhone SE (2020).
But now, in recent weeks, new models with similar characteristics have been presented. We are thinking of the OnePlus North, whose technical sheet is similar (or even a little better depending on the configurations), but whose price is cheaper. We are also thinking of the Google Pixel 4a, an astonishing phone with an aggressive price and a smart proposition, especially in terms of energy. So the Find X2 Lite is no longer the cheapest 5G smartphone, far from it.
Technical sheet
The Find X2 Lite technical sheet, very similar to that of the OnePlus Nord, is a lighter version of that of the Find X2 Neo. You will find the Snapdragon 765G, for compatibility with 5G, a AMOLED display slightly smaller, a photographic setup with the same base (a main sensor 48 megapixels), but less interesting secondary sensors and no optical stabilizer, the same selfie sensor, the same battery and, of course, less RAM and storage.
| Pixel 4a | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 144 x 69.4 x 8.2 mm |
| Weight | 143 grams |
| Screen | 5.81 “OLED 1080 × 2340 pixels, 443 ppi |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 730G (8 nm) |
| BONE | Android 10 |
| RAM | 6 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| microSD | No |
| Rear sensor | 12.2 MP, 1.4µm, f / 1.7 |
| Front sensor | 8 MP, 1.12 μm, f / 2.0 |
| Drums | 3140 mAh |
| 5G | No |
| Biometrics | Impression scanner on the back |
| Water resistance | No |
Design and handling
The Find X2 Lite adopts a design in line with the mid-range segment. Some might even find it a bit outdated, with its notch on the front. The latter is shaped like a drop of water and houses the selfie sensor. The borders are also quite wide around this screen, especially the lower border, without this being justified in terms of the features offered.
At the back you find a metal rimmed photo block, ergonomic detail that protects the component and gives it a premium character. This block is positioned vertically in the upper left corner, like the other Find X2s. The flash is disconnected from the sensors. Unlike the Find X2 Pro, the Oppo brand is not located in the extension of the photo block, but on its opposite, diagonally. The hull appears to be made of mineral glass. It is curved at the sides.
On the edges, you find the usual technical elements, without real surprise, except the pleasure of finding a port 3.5mm jack. It is placed on the lower edge, with the speaker, the main microphone and the USB type-C port. On the left, you find the volume controls and the SIM drawer. To the right is the power button. And finally, on the upper edge, you find the secondary microphone for active noise reduction.
The edges are protected by polycarbonate (the absence of separation for the antennas is proof of this) with a very nice brushed metal effect. The grip of the smartphone is very pleasant. One-handed operation isn’t always obvious at this size, although the Find X2 Lite is relatively thin for a mid-range 5G smartphone.
Screen quality
As with the Find X2 Neo, Oppo decided to keep the AMOLED technology for the display of his Find X2 Lite. Even if its screen is not as advanced as that of its big brother, the mid-range smartphone still benefits from the same definition, Full HD +, for a slightly higher resolution: 408 pixels per inch. This is more than sufficient for the uses (messaging, Internet, geolocation, multimedia and a bit of games) offered by this smartphone.
Officially, the Find X2 Lite panel benefits from a brightness of 430 nits. In use, the screen is indeed very bright. In direct sunlight, you have no difficulty viewing the screen, although some glare can sometimes get in the way. The minimum brightness is not too dazzling. Perfect for Internet night owls.
The colorimetry is, by default, quite warm, slightly tending towards red. If this bothers you, it is possible, as very often, to adjust the colorimetry from the parameter menu. Not only can you play with the color temperature (warmer or cooler) or the display mode: vivid or soft (more contrast or less contrast, more vulgarly). Unlike the Find X2 Neo, the Find X2 Lite does not benefit from a screen with a high refresh rate (90Hz or 120Hz).
The screen offers fairly wide viewing angles. The contrast ratio is “infinite”, the nature of AMOLED requires. The display of the Find X2 Lite is protected by mineral glass (Corning Gorilla 5). Added to this is additional protection preinstalled by the brand that we advise you to keep. A fingerprint reader is placed below. The latter is quite fast, like that of the Find X2 Lite.
User interface
Once the screen is on, the smartphone displays its interface. It is ColorOS 7, based on Android 10. This is strictly the same interface as the Find X2 Neo. We are therefore on familiar ground. Two home screens are configured by default, not to mention the dedicated Intelligent Assistant screen to the left of the home page, as always. The widgets offered by this screen are not only quite few, but also not always useful. We hope that updates are planned on this in the near future.
By swiping from the right side towards the center, you discover, as always, the Smart Sidebar to open two apps at the same time. Swiping down from the middle of the screen opens a global “Siri” type search engine in iOS. Added to this are the perennial app drawer and area for notifications and quick settings.
On the application side, you will find the Google’s usual skewer (Chrome, Gmail, Search, Play Store, Maps, YouTube and YouTube Music, Play Films, Duo and Photos) and even some tools from the company that are not mandatory: Keep, Actualite, Lens, Drive. You also have a few applications from Oppo’s commercial partnerships: Facebook, Opera, OfficeSuite and SoLoop. Oppo adds to this some of the software already crossed with the Find X2 Neo and the Find X2 Pro: Games Room, File Manager, Phone Manager (very moderately useful), Oppo Relax (excellent by the way), an audio player and a video player.
By browsing through the settings menu, you will find a tool for the battery, another to protect the phone (fingerprint or facial recognition), settings to personalize navigation in the interface (gesture on closed screen, presence and order Android icons, aspect and presence of the sidebar, etc.), the tool for themes (also accessible by pinching the home screen, the application cloning (to use two accounts with the same application), the activation of multi-window mode (called “split screen”), without forgetting the whole part dedicated to digital well-being.
Performance and autonomy
The operating system weighs approximately 17 GB, not including the applications installed by default. Fortunately, therefore, the Find X2 Lite is equipped with 128 GB storage by default, without the possibility of expanding this space with a microSDXC card (which is a bit of a shame here). The rest of the platform is fitted with 8 GB RAM and a Snapdragon 765G, as we have seen previously with the technical sheet.
We therefore come to discuss the performance of the Find X2 Lite. We tested the smartphone with the usual benchmark tools. And the results are in the good average of smartphones running Snapdragon 765G. You can find our results below on 3DMark, AnTuTu, Geekbench, PCMark and GFXBench. Note that the phone detects benchmark applications and adapts its performance. This is also the case with games.
In comparison to the OnePlus Nord, for example, tested in our columns with an identical configuration (8 GB of RAM, SD765G and Full HD + screen), the Find X2 Lite offers similar performance (in 3DMark and Geekbench), even very slightly above (this is particularly the case in AnTuTu). With PCMark, the Find X2 Lite is below. Faced with the OnePlus Nord 12 Go and the Find X2 Neo, the Find X2 Lite results are just as close.
In use, the platform offers good fluidity to the whole, whether it is when browsing the operating system, using the usual applications or when playing games with the titles present on the Play Store (like Dead Trigger 2, tested here). Beware of retrogamers: relatively recent emulators (Citra, Dolphin) will struggle with the X2 Lite.
In terms of autonomy, the Find X2 Lite is equipped with a battery of 4025 mAh compatible 30 watt fast charge. This is a battery identical to that of the Find X2 Neo and close to that of the OnePlus Nord, for results quite similar here too, whether in terms of power consumption or recharging. That of the Find X2 Lite therefore holds a good day in normal use (surfing, messaging, music, call and video), but little more. For recharging, half an hour is enough to recharge two thirds of the 4025 mAh with a VOOC 4.0 charger. For the rest, allow another half an hour according to our observations.
Audio quality
The Find X2 Lite, unlike the Find X2 Neo, is only equipped witha single speaker. The latter is located on the lower edge, to the right of the USB type-C port. A positioning that is not always ideal, since, depending on the use (video game for example, or watching a movie), you will obstruct it.
This speaker delivers sound with enough power to watch a short video with others, take a call or listen to a piece of music with friends. The sound quality is decent: no loud crackling, some bass and a lot of mids and highs.
If the speakerphone option is not satisfactory, the Find X2 is equipped with a 3.5mm jack port. You can therefore connect any audio headset with this connection. This is very practical. Note that the hands-free kit supplied with the smartphone obviously takes advantage of this port that many manufacturers find obsolete (or too bulky). This headset is equipped with a remote control with microphone.
The Find X2 Lite is equipped with two microphones. One placed on the top edge and another on the bottom edge. The first is used to reduce noise during communications. The second picks up your voice during a conversation. Conversations are actually quite good, both for the user and his correspondent. No untimely shutdown. No sizzling. And clear exchanges.
Photo quality
Let’s move on to photography. Let us first recall the configuration of the smartphone: a main sensor 48 megapixels with phase detection autofocus, one sensor 8 megapixels with wide-angle optics, a 2 megapixel monochrome sensor to provide brightness and the latest sensor 2 megapixels for the calculation of depths. In other words, two sensors that can be used directly for the user. Up front, the selfie sensor is a model 32 megapixels.
We focused our tests on the 48-megapixel sensor, because it’s the most interesting of the bunch. It opens to f / 1.7, offering a beautiful light to the whole. It captures the photos in 12 megapixels by default (Quad Bayer mode), but a quick button to find in the settings allows you to switch to native definition (for a more precise result, but less bright).
The results of the main sensor during the day are very pleasant to watch. Lots of details. Lots of contrast. A great mastery of shadows and differences in light. And especially bright colors. Very lively! Remember that the Oppo Photo application has two color activators: HDR mode and Brilliant Color mode. For more details on the strengths of these two settings, go to our Find X2 Pro review.
The Find X2 Lite does not offer no optical zoom, but a simple digital zoom. The two default zoom buttons are for upscaling to x2 and x5, respectively. But you can go up up to the ratio x10 with the dial, for very variable results in quality from the x5 ratio. The portrait mode, on the other hand, offers beautiful background blur, well controlled.
When night falls, you have the choice between staying in the classic photo mode and the dedicated night mode. The quality of the shots is more variable here depending on the light conditions and your tremors. Without optical stabilizer (present in the Neo and some competitors), unsightly blurs appear, especially with the dedicated Night mode. Sometimes it is even better to stay in automatic mode to take advantage of a shorter exposure time: even if it is less bright, the shot is sharper. By night, the 2x zoom remains usable, but higher ratios are not at all. Be careful, when the light source is colored, the 48 megapixel sensor can no longer achieve a correct white balance.
A few words to finish off on the wide-angle lens sensor. Logically enough, it offers less bright shots than its neighbor, day and night. But fortunately this is less noticeable when the ambient light is generous. He still suffers from the same distortion problems than the Find X2 Neo, with lots of artifacts in the corners. Note that the panorama sensor is compatible with Night mode, but here too the quality is not always there.
Conclusion
The Find X2 Lite is an honest smartphone. It does not promise the Moon, but a balanced experience where casual gamers, series fans and amateur photographers will find their value, despite some annoying concessions as we have seen. It does not claim to be the new gaming console, the long-awaited haven for videographers or the new design object for fashionistas. And, at this price, we don’t ask him.
Firmly rooted in its achievements, offering a classic experience, the Find X2 Lite does not forget the essential: good connectivity, with 5G as a bonus (which will be very useful when operators can market compatible offers). All at a fair price. In other words, you will get what you pay for : You will even get more with the 449 euros spent on the Find X2 Lite than with the 699 euros granted for the Find X2 Neo.
However, the Find X2 Lite suffers from competition that has not been idle in recent months. The OnePlus North and the Google Pixel 4a are two proposals that also offer a balanced experience at a price that is sometimes more aggressive. The OnePlus North, in particular, offers a technical sheet stuck very slightly above that of the X2 Lite (especially in the photo), at a lower price (399 euros in 8 + 128 GB version).
The Pixel 4a, meanwhile, chooses a less efficient platform (SD730G, 6 GB of RAM, smaller screen), slightly lower performance (a single photo sensor, fingerprint reader on the back), but with three years of update guarantee and a much lower price: 349 euros.