Android is arguably the most advanced and widely popular mobile operating system in the world today and over a billion Android users around the world support that claim. This astonishing feat is not something anyone can achieve easily. The key elements behind this success are very simple. Android is an open source platform that allows unmatched freedom. Sure, Apple comes with a development tools suite that is very useful but what it does not give is the amount of freedom Android can. Other strong competitors like Google and Verizon are incrementing and implementing to the same amount of freedom that Android allows hoping to generate more revenue and so far, the results are very satisfying. Hundreds and thousands of people around the world are converting to Android. These people belong to all sorts of life circles. A common cell phone user to a Chief executive of a corporate company now prefers Android to attain the results and satisfaction they are looking for.
The Android operating system allows phones to be produced by many manufacturers. With the current generation of 4G phones, the leading producers are Motorola and Samsung. Motorola is the creator of the Droid line of phones - a series that were made popular by their availability with Verizon service in the United States. The Droid X2, the latest model in the Droid series, includes a multi-touch interface, 8 GB of memory along with an 8 GB micro SD card for storage, and an 8 megapixel camera with built in video recorder. Samsung is the other major producer of Android phones and have collaborated with Google on the Nexus S. The Nexus was the first phone to use the new Gingerbread operating system and included a powerful processor and 512 MB of RAM. The Nexus S has 16 GB of internal storage and can access the 4G network using a Sprint service plan. Other companies such as HTC produce Android phones as well, giving the consumer a wide variety of choices when trying to choose the best Android phone for their needs.
Mobile phones running the Android operating system all have a similar set of features provided by the OS. The Android OS is made to be run on smart phones, phones which can run a variety of Java based applications that give the phone added functionality. In addition to basic phone and text/media messaging service, Android phones have a variety of web based services and applications. Android phones are connected with the owner Google account, allowing access to Gmail and Google Calendar as well as a variety of other applications. In addition to wireless internet and Bluetooth connectivity, Android phones allow for wireless tethering - using the phone as a modem to connect a laptop computer to the internet. All android phones allow for streaming video, with the latest models able to connect to the 4G network and video conferencing using Google Talk. The most well known aspect of the Android platform is access to the Android Market. Similar to the Apple App Store, the Android Market allows users to download applications and games for their phone, many of which are free.
The first Android phone to be released was the G1, developed by HTC and released in 2008. Running Android 1.0, this phone had many of the features currently found in Android phones, including synchronization with the users Google account and the Android Market for downloading phone apps. Since then, there have been many updates to the Android operating system - major updates are given the name of a dessert. The newest version of Android for mobile phones is Android 2.3.4, Gingerbread. Designed for use on 4G phones with increased performance and speed, Gingerbread provides better video playback and support for front facing cameras for video conferencing.
Android is a mobile phone operating system developed by the search provider Google. Used on a wide variety of smart phones, Android is currently the best selling mobile operating system in the world. Android is an open source OS, letting anyone develop their own software (such as applications or games) to be run on Android platforms. The Android OS is also used in tablet computers, with the latest version being Android 3.0. While the Android OS has been in use since 2008, regular updates and support for Google keeps Android the leading-edge system it is today.
Update, February 24, 2021 (11:43 AM ET): We’ve recently updated this Oppo Find X3 Pro and Find X3 series rumor hub with new information regarding supposed pricing. There are also new rumors related to a release date, features, and the different designs in the lineup. Read on for more!
Original article: In 2020, the Oppo Find X2 Pro became one of our favorite smartphones of the year. Oppo’s unique take on flagship phone design set it apart from the crowd. Meanwhile, the camera’s high quality impressed us, and even Color OS is slowly shaping into an amazing Android skin. Now, in 2021, all eyes are on the Oppo Find X3 Pro.
Related: Oppo Find X2 Pro review: Fast, fashionable, and fantastic
In addition to the direct follow-up to the Find X2 Pro, we also expect at least two other phones to land in the Find X3 series. We’ve summarized everything we know so far in the rumor hub below.
Be sure to bookmark this page as we will update it whenever new Oppo Find X3 Pro details surface!
Oppo Find X3 series: Name and release date
In November last year, Oppo confirmed what we all expected: the follow-up to the Find X2 series will be the Find X3 series. That means you can expect the Oppo Find X3 Pro to be that phone’s official moniker.
See also: What to expect from smartphones in 2021
Interestingly, though, we don’t have any confirmation whether or not there will be a vanilla Find X3. Rumors suggest there could be at least two other phones in the Find X3 series — but neither of those would likely land as the standard Find X3. It’s possible Oppo has a regular Find X3 in the works, but that’s not confirmed as of yet.
As for a release date, we only have a window of time so far: March. According to trusted leaker Evan Blass, Oppo might launch the devices in early March and then set them up for a late March or early April release. There are other rumors about a specific release date of March 11, but they come from a dubious source. Regardless, an early March launch seems to be what we should expect.
Oppo Find X3 Pro: Design
With the Oppo Find X2 Pro, the company bucked the usual “glass sandwich” design to offer something different. On the back of some Find X2 Pro models, you’ll find a faux-leather covering. It harkens back to the old days when you could find similar material on the back of Samsung Galaxy Note phones.
Unfortunately, rumors so far suggest that Oppo probably won’t be bringing the leather back to the Oppo Find X3 Pro.
However, that doesn’t mean Oppo isn’t incorporating some innovation. Renders leaked via Evan Blass show a phone with a unique rear camera bump that subtly blends in with the back glass (or it could be plastic, we aren’t sure yet). While it doesn’t make the camera bump any smaller, it does give it a distinct and unique look.
On the front, you can expect things to be pretty much the same as last year. Early leaks show a 6.7-inch curved display panel with a single selfie camera cutout in the top left corner.
On the sides, you’ll find a power button on the right and a volume rocker on the left. It doesn’t look like there will be a headphone jack, but the Find X2 Pro also lacked that, so that’s no big surprise.
Oppo Find X3 Pro: Specs and features
Although we don’t have confirmation, we are confident the Oppo Find X3 Pro will have the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor. This is one of Oppo’s highest-profile phone launches of the year, so we would be very surprised if it didn’t feature world-class silicon.
Elsewhere, we expect many of the specs from the Find X2 Pro to carry over to its follow-up. That means a 120Hz display refresh rate, a 1440p display, and 65W wired charging. Unlike last year though, there are rumors that support the idea that Oppo’s VOOC Air rapid wireless charging could come with the Find X3 Pro. That’s a big deal, as the lack of wireless charging on the Find X2 Pro was a big disappointment. We expect the battery to be a 4,500mAh cell.
Speaking of charging-related matters, frequent leaker Digital Chat Station spotted an apparent Find X3 Pro certification listing online. The listing shows that the phone could indeed be equipped with 65W wired charging. We’d therefore expect similar charging times as the Find X2 Pro.
Related: The best phones with wireless charging to get right now
But what about the cameras? Rumors suggest the Oppo Find X3 Pro could include two 50MP Sony-made sensors for standard and ultra-wide shots. On top of that, there could be a 13MP telephoto lens. We believe there could also be a 3MP “microscope” macro camera. This is most likely the small sensor in the bottom left of the module in the image above. That lens could help with close-ups of flowers and other difficult-to-shoot objects.
Back in November, Oppo did confirm that the Find X3 series will feature a new “full-path color management system.” This basically means the display could be incredibly accurate when it comes to colors. Of course, we’ll need to test this out for ourselves.
Finally, we can pretty much guarantee the phone will launch with Android 11 skinned over with Color OS 11.
Other Find X3 phones
As mentioned earlier, we don’t expect there to be a vanilla Find X3 alongside the Oppo Find X3 Pro. However, we do expect there to be two other devices in the family: the Find X3 Neo and Find X3 Lite.
The Find X3 Lite should be very familiar. We expect that device to be a simple rebrand of the Oppo Reno 5. Since the Reno 5 and the Find X3 Lite would land in different markets, most consumers will only have one choice, so they wouldn’t know any different. Other than the rear logo, the phones should be identical. That means a Snapdragon 765G under the hood, a 6.4-inch display, 65W wired charging, and a quad-camera array on the back.
Likewise, the Find X3 Neo looks to be a rebranded Oppo Reno 5 Pro Plus. If that ends up being the case, we can expect a Snapdragon 865 chipset underneath a 6.5-inch curved display. With its formidable specs and multitude of rear cameras, the Find X3 Neo would be the middle child between the budget-friendly Lite and the wallet-busting Oppo Find X3 Pro.
You can find out more about the Reno 5 series here.
Oppo Find X3 series: Price and availability
We loved everything about the Oppo Find X2 Pro — except its price. At £1,099 (~$1,500), the phone was basically as expensive as last year’s Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. Granted, with the high-caliber specs and terrific design aesthetic, the price wasn’t totally unreasonable. It was just a lot.
See also: 2021 could be the year smartphone prices are finally kept in check
This year, we were hoping Oppo would follow Samsung’s lead and bring down the pricing a bit for the Oppo Find X3 Pro. Thankfully, it looks like that could be possible if only by a little bit. According to information obtained by 91Mobiles, these could be the price ranges for the Find X3 series:
- Oppo Find X3 Lite — €400 – €500 (~$486 – $607)
- Find X3 Neo — €700 – €800 (~$850 – $971)
- Find X3 Pro — €1,000 – €1,200 (~$1,214 – $1,457)
If those prices pan out, even the highest estimate would still be nominally cheaper than last year’s Find X2 Pro. At the very least, you can rest easy knowing that the chances are good there won’t be a price increase this year.
As far as availability goes, you can expect the Find X3 series to land in the same countries as last year. That means most of Europe and the United Kingdom. It is very unlikely Oppo would launch any of the Find X3 phones in the United States. With the Reno 5 series available in India, it is also unlikely the Find X3 series will land there.
That’s everything we know so far about the Oppo Find X3 Pro! Be sure to bookmark this page as it will see constant updates from now until launch.
