Oppo Find X8 Ultra Dethrones Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra in Flagship Camera Showdown

When Prakhar Khanna of ZDNET embarked on a photography journey through Sweden's dramatic landscapes, he packed two heavyweight contenders: the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and Oppo Find X8 Ultra. What followed was a 500-photo stress test revealing decisive differences in how these Android flagships handle real-world photography. The results challenge conventional wisdom about mobile camera supremacy.

The Hardware Divide

At first glance, both phones boast impressive quad-camera arrays, but sensor specifications tell a different story:

Oppo's hardware advantages are immediately apparent: larger sensors across three key cameras, particularly the 1.0"-type main sensor that gathers significantly more light than Samsung's pixel-binned 200MP shooter. Combined with Oppo's Hasselblad partnership for color calibration and computational photography, this creates a formidable imaging package.

Color Science in the Crucible

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET
The Swedish expedition exposed fundamental differences in image processing philosophies. In portrait mode at 3x zoom, Oppo consistently produced better-exposed subjects with natural skin tones, while Samsung tended toward underexposure with warmer, less flattering results. Khanna notes:

"Oppo brightens subjects in harsh lighting almost to the point of artificiality, but I'd still prefer it over Samsung's underexposed shots. Samsung has a warmer undertone, while Oppo delivers livelier images."

This advantage extended to low-light scenarios where Oppo's larger sensors demonstrated clear superiority. In night shots, the Find X8 Ultra captured sharper details with minimal noise, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra struggled with blown highlights and grain.

Zoom & Specialty Modes: Oppo's Knockout Punch

Where Oppo truly dominates is in telephoto and creative capabilities:
- 6x optical zoom outperformed Samsung's 5x with noticeably sharper details and natural bokeh
- Portrait mode at 6x maintained exceptional subject isolation and color accuracy
- XPAN mode enabled cinematic 65:24 aspect ratio panoramas unavailable on Samsung
- Master Mode offered professional-level manual controls

Samsung's sole interface advantage was the absence of Oppo's occasionally intrusive "Camera Control" button that disrupts landscape compositions. Yet in telephoto comparisons, even Samsung's 50MP periscope couldn't match Oppo's 6x optical clarity.

The Verdict

After side-by-side testing across Nordic fjords, castles, and urban environments, Khanna's choice is unequivocal: the Oppo Find X8 Ultra becomes his travel companion for future adventures. While Samsung delivers competent versatility, Oppo's Hasselblad color science, larger sensors, and specialized shooting modes create more compelling images that capture the emotion of the moment. This victory signals how camera hardware partnerships and sensor size are becoming decisive differentiators in the flagship arena—a lesson competitors must heed.

Source: ZDNET analysis by Prakhar Khanna