Oppo Find 7 review! The Best Oppo Yet!


full oppo find 7 review

The Oppo Find 7a review is here! This is a full in-depth review of the Oppo Find 7a including benchmarks, photo samples and review videos!

Oppo Find 7

The Oppo Find 7 is the flagship Oppo smartphone for 2014. 3 versions of the Oppo Find 7 are known to exist, the Oppo Find 7a (X9007) the Oppo Find 7 (X9077) and a China Unicom only version without 4G LTE, the Oppo Find 7 (X9000).

oppo find 7 review

I bought and am reviewing the Oppo Find 7a (X9007). This phone differs from the Find 7 (X9077) in that it only has 2GB RAM, 16GB memory, a 2800mAh battery, 1920 x 1080 FHD display and a 2.3Ghz Snapdragon 801 processor. The rest of the features are the same between the Find 7A and Find 7 including 4G LTE, 13 mega-pixel camera, fast charging, SD memory card and removable battery.

oppo find 7 review 1

The phone is only on sale in China at this time so does not come with Google services installed, however the phone can be easily rooted and you can then install Google service.

Oppo Find 7a vs Find 7 Specifications

Below is a chart comparing the Oppo Find 7a to the flagship Oppo Find 7 specifications.

[komper pid=169,168 compareform=no]

Video: Oppo Find 7a unboxing

This is a very long video. If you are in a rush then save it for another time.

Oppo Find 7a review – Design

The Find 7 is unmistakably an Oppo device. The Find 7 design isn’t all that different from the Find 5, or any modern Oppo phone. Bezels aren’t particularly narrow, and the upper and especially lower edges of the phone are larger than most other devices.

oppo find 7 review

Although the shape of the Find 7 is typical of Oppo, the designers have added some unique features. The bottom edge of the front for example has a LED notification beam which hides behind a blacked out plastic panel. When you receive a message or battery warning the beam lights up blue. From what I can tell this is not an RGB light so you cannot change the color of the notification.

A 5.5-inch 1920 x 1080 display sits across the front of the phone. Oppo are calling this JDI made screen a 2.0 display and can be used with wet hands, gloved hands and is not affected by magnetic fields (sometimes created while charging). The display is made of Corning Gorilla Glass 3, but comes pre-fitted with a screen protection film (at least here in China it does).

oppo find 7 review

There are 3 color choices for the Find 7. The 7a comes in either white or black, while the Find 7 also has a carbon option. I opted for the white version as it has a textured finish which I prefer over the smooth finish of the black model. The rear tapers to the edges which makes for a comfortable device, and the textured finish aids with grip.

Features on the rear include a dual speaker, Oppo logo, dual LED flash and 13 mega-pixel camera.

The rear of the phone can be easily removed and reveals the location of the removable 2800mAh battery (3000mAh on the Find 7), Micro SIM card and space for a 128GB mirco SD card. The SD card option is very much appreciated as 16GB or even 32GB isn’t enough for most users anymore.

Around the edges of the phone we find a 3.5mm headphone jack, power button on the left, volume rocker on the right, and micro USB plug in the base. The Micro USB on the Find 7 boasts additional connections which allow the Find 7 to charger extremely quickly using VOOC fast charging.

Oppo Find 7a review – display

Our version of the Find 7 is the 1920 x 1080 FHD model, and for my purpose and use this is more than enough resolution for me. Even at the launch of the Find 7 I found it difficult to distinguish between the 2560 x 1440 model and the 1920 x 1080 version, and in all honesty I’m happy that I saved the 500 Yuan and bought this model.

Chinese reviewers have also commented that the 1080 display on the Find 7a actually produces better colours than the 2K model, and have complained of blue tints on the 2560 x 1440 resolution display.

oppo find 7 hands on

As for the Find 7a display it is bright, sharp and crisp. It is also fully responsive and offers wide viewing angles. There really is nothing more to say as the screen is brilliant!

Oppo Find 7a review – Performance

The Find 7a has a slower processor and less RAM than the Find 7, but as it only needs to push around enough pixels for a FHD display benchmarks are better on the lower specification model. In use this means very little, both the Find 7a and Find 7 are equally fast and in everyday use you will not notice the difference between the two phones.

Although not really necessary the following screenshots show benchmarks for Antutu, Antutu X, Nenamark, Quadrant and 3D Mark. There are phones with higher scores, but again in real life you won’t notice the difference.

Oppo Find 7a Benchmarks

  • Quadrant: 21,672
  • Antutu: 35,982
  • Antutu X: 35,251
  • Nenamark: 63.4fps
  • 3D Mark Unlimited: 20,033
  • 3D Mark Extreme: Maxed out

Oppo Find 7a review – ColorOS

The Find 7a from China comes with only English and Chinese languages, it also lacks Google services and due to some agreement with China Mobile, the phone wont work on 3G WCDMA in China, Oppo have confirmed it will work on WCDMA outside of China though. If you are a little tech savvy you can easily remedy all of this by rooting your Find 7 and install Gapps , additional languages and even hacking the system to accept China Unicom WCDMA.

Gizchina News of the week


The Find 7a ships with Color OS but I updated to a beta version of Color OS 2.o. A hands on of ColorOS 2.0 can be watched in the video below.

Read Also:  Production on the New Flagship Armor 17 Pro Is Now Being Stepped Up

Hands on with ColorOS 2.0 on the Find 7a

ROM’s are a personal thing and I personally am not a fan of the look of ColorOS. The icons are quite ugly and the overall look of 2.0 is a mash-up of Flyme and iOS 7 all held together with Oppo’s own ideas. While the UI and look isn’t to my taste I really do like the features which Oppo have included with the Find 7. There is plenty of opportunity to customise the gesture controls and really make the phone run how you like.

From past experience with the Find 5 and N1 we can assume the Oppo will be working with Cyanogenmod and Omni ROM once the phone is launched internationally, so we keep our fingers crossed for 3rd party ROMS so we can have a choice of what we want to run.

Oppo Find 7 review – Camera

The 13 mega-pixel main camera of the Oppo Find 7 is a Sony sensor with an F2.0 ‘Super aperture’ and is easily one of the best cameras of any smartphone I have used to date. I would even go as far as saying I prefer the camera on the Find 7 over the camera on the N1!

oppo find 7 review photo sample

Samples below are resized, a link below the gallery will allow you to download full size sample photos.

oppo find 7 review photo sample

Taking and saving photos is fast. As soon as one image is snapped the Find 7 is ready to take another, and another and another.

oppo find 7 review photo sample

The camera app is one area which Oppo have taken a lot of time over. The app is so good that users of other phones have requested that Oppo release the apk for use on other handsets. Built in features included beauty mode, HDR, burst, Super Zoom, poster search, bar code scanner, panorama and then there are hundreds of manual settings and filters to choose from too!

oppo find 7 review photo sample

For most of the time I use the phone on normal mode and find the photos are just what I hoped, clear with accurate colours. Super Zoom produces 50 mega-pixel images and has a built-in software based image stabilisation, and there is also the very popular slow shutter mode which now offers 16 and 32 second exposure photos! If there is one feature I am not too keen on it is HDR, I belive both Xiaomi and Meizu have done a better job with their HDR options.

Oppo Find 7 photo samples

Video on the Find 7 can be captured in 720, 1080 and even 4K! There are also slow motion options too. The below video was shot entirely on the Find 7 in 1080 capture mode. As you will see video is clear and audio is superb!

Oppo Find 7 video sample

Oppo Find 7 review – Battery

With a removable battery, and super fast VOOC charging the Oppo Find 7 is in a league of its own when compared to other flagship smartphones.

My typical use has been to stream a few hours of music over WIFI and 3G, with my VPN connected most of the day, 3G, WIFI and GPS constantly on, WeChat messaging on, Email on push, lots of web browsing, photos etc. The Find 7 will last from 7am in the morning to around 11pm at night with enough juice to sit on stanby till the next morning, more than acceptable for me (and that is using a Beta ROM).

oppo find 7 hands on

Even with heavier use the battery would not be an issue thanks to the ultra fast charging capabilities of the Find 7. I have seen the battery charge from 0 – 70% in as little as 25 minutes! This fast charging really is a life saver, how many times have you been about to leave your home only to see you have very little power in your phone? With the Find 7 only a few minutes charging can boost screen time by a few hours!

Oppo Find 7 review – Other features

I have only used the Find 7 on 3G, GSM and WIFI and can tell you all it is a faultless experience. Bluetooth and GPS are equally as reliable, with a fast accurate lock when navigating around town.

Audio on the Find 7a is amazing both through the rear speakers and the included earbuds. The Maxx Audio feature is especially worthwhile for anyone who enjoys music on the go. When I first gave it a go it really was a ‘Wow’ moment!

Video: Oppo Find 7a review

Below is the video review of the Oppo Find 7. It’s quite long so please grab a drink and a snack before starting.

Oppo Find 7 review – Conclusion

All in the Find 7 is one of the most perfect smartphones I have every owned. The screen is beautiful, performance is top-notch, the camera is amazing, and the fast charging and Maxx Audio are features that I don’t think I could live without on future smartphones.

There are a few items I wish the Find 7 had. It would be great to choose the notification LED colour depending on the message, or alert. OIS (optical image stabilisation) is a big feature to miss off a flagship phone in 2014, and this alone could have some customers pass the Find 7 all together. Lastly ColorOS needs a make over, it currently feels a little thrown together. The features are great but the UI lets the overall experience down.

Would I recommend the Find 7?

Would I recommend buying the Oppo Find 7? If I could go back in time 1 week to buy the phone again would I? Most certainly yes! The Find 7 might not be a show stopping, drop dead gorgeous phone, but it is the most sensible Android device I have ever owned! I can see a bright and happy future for me and the Oppo Find 7, and it will take a lot to tear me away from it.

If you have any questions please ask in the comments section below!

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203 Comments

  1. vijay
    March 26, 2014

    Most comprehensive.. Andi u seem to love this phone !!

    • March 26, 2014

      It’s a really great phone 🙂

      • Airyl
        March 26, 2014

        So Andi, now that you’re using the Find 7……. Can I have the Meizu? 😀

        • March 26, 2014

          haha nice try 😀

          • Airyl
            March 26, 2014

            Well, it was worth a shot. XD

  2. zaikatanox
    March 26, 2014

    Nice review, Andi. I’m glad to see how the phone performs similarly between AnTuTu and AnTuTu X, and it’s amazing how some of the best (and most powerful) phones out there are Chinese-brand phones. I hope Indian gadgets too will soon catch up 🙂

  3. emzee007
    March 26, 2014

    Hey Andi thanks a lot for the review, really appreciate it! Just have a couple of questions, does the LED notification light glow even when u get notifications from 3rd party apps like say BBM or FACEBOOK or WHATSAPP? Will this work world wide on 3G and LTE? And finally between Find 7 and the N1 what would you recommend?

    • March 26, 2014

      Yes, the notification light works with 3rd party apps.

      Oppo tell me that 3G WCDMA and 4G LTE are supported outside of China on this model.

      • Ray Quest
        March 26, 2014

        HI ANDI can confirm pls that OPPO FIND 7 QHD HAS SNAPDRAGON 801 PROCESSOR ? right please correct me if i am wrong ?

        • Allanitomwesh
          March 27, 2014

          Right

      • Angel, un placer
        March 27, 2014

        Andy, sorry for my english first…

        The Oppo Find 7, 2k Version, the display is worth than a 7a version. You know its a software problem?

        • March 27, 2014

          They might need to optimise the software for the 2K display, but this has not been confirmed. I would not spend the extra for the 2k display though, the 1080 model is good enough.

    • March 26, 2014

      Ah didn’t answer the last question. Find 7 would be my choice. Hardly use my N1 now.

      • Graeme Reid
        March 26, 2014

        I’ll buy that off ya Andi

        • March 26, 2014

          TD-SCDMA model so not sure it will be of use to you :p

  4. Quest
    March 26, 2014

    Hi Andy..How is it Maxx Audio comparable to Htc One Boomsound?

    • March 26, 2014

      Good question, however I don’t have a HTC device to compare it too.

  5. liljohn
    March 26, 2014

    andi, how bout, “more touch more possibilities”, ‘as long as there is light, there is light” ??? have u solved this mysteries???

    • March 26, 2014

      Just marketing nonesense it seems

      • Allanitomwesh
        March 27, 2014

        More touch possibilities had to do with having more off screen gestures. The light thing was about the glow at the bottom since it works with every app that has notifications.

  6. March 26, 2014

    Thank you for this detailed review. Can you test the slow-motion video recording? How many frames per second can it capture 1080p and 720p videos?

    • March 26, 2014

      Yes, I will do some slow mo video

      • March 31, 2014

        Hi Andi, did you have the time to try it yet?

  7. guady
    March 26, 2014

    Nice review :). One question is there any noticable difference between the Super Aperture F2.0 and the F2.0 aperture on the find 7a?

  8. Svart
    March 26, 2014

    thanks for the great review.
    What camera mode did you use for the photos of little biker ?

  9. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    Most comprehensive.. Andi u seem to love this phone !!

    • Andi Sykes
      March 26, 2014

      It’s a really great phone 🙂

    • Airyl
      March 26, 2014

      So Andi, now that you’re using the Find 7……. Can I have the Meizu? 😀

    • Andi Sykes
      March 26, 2014

      haha nice try 😀

    • Airyl
      March 26, 2014

      Well, it was worth a shot. XD

  10. zaikatanox
    March 26, 2014

    Nice review, Andi. I’m glad to see how the phone performs similarly between AnTuTu and AnTuTu X, and it’s amazing how some of the best (and most powerful) phones out there are Chinese-brand phones. I hope Indian gadgets too will soon catch up 🙂

  11. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    Hey Andi thanks a lot for the review, really appreciate it! Just have a couple of questions, does the LED notification light glow even when u get notifications from 3rd party apps like say BBM or FACEBOOK or WHATSAPP? Will this work world wide on 3G and LTE? And finally between Find 7 and the N1 what would you recommend?

    • Andi Sykes
      March 26, 2014

      Yes, the notification light works with 3rd party apps.

      Oppo tell me that 3G WCDMA and 4G LTE are supported outside of China on this model.

    • Andi Sykes
      March 26, 2014

      Ah didn’t answer the last question. Find 7 would be my choice. Hardly use my N1 now.

    • Graeme Reid
      March 26, 2014

      I’ll buy that off ya Andi

    • Andi Sykes
      March 26, 2014

      TD-SCDMA model so not sure it will be of use to you :p

    • Ray Quest
      March 26, 2014

      HI ANDI can confirm pls that OPPO FIND 7 QHD HAS SNAPDRAGON 801 PROCESSOR ? right please correct me if i am wrong ?

    • Allanitomwesh
      March 27, 2014

      Right

    • Angel, un placer
      March 27, 2014

      Andy, sorry for my english first…

      The Oppo Find 7, 2k Version, the display is worth than a 7a version. You know its a software problem?

    • Andi Sykes
      March 27, 2014

      They might need to optimise the software for the 2K display, but this has not been confirmed. I would not spend the extra for the 2k display though, the 1080 model is good enough.

  12. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    Hi Andy..How is it Maxx Audio comparable to Htc One Boomsound?

    • Andi Sykes
      March 26, 2014

      Good question, however I don’t have a HTC device to compare it too.

  13. Thomas Batliner
    March 26, 2014

    Thank you for the great review! Now I can’t decide between the Vivo XPlay 3S and the Oppo Find 7 :o( Any tips for me to decide? 🙂

    • March 26, 2014

      Personally the Find 7, I like the dev support and the smaller size.

      • Aditya Swaminathan
        March 27, 2014

        Just curious about the dev support. I don’t find much on XDA. Am I missing something?

        • Allanitomwesh
          March 27, 2014

          International model not available yet,so XDA is not very busy. Chinese developers are busy though,even MIUI will official support.

          • Robert Coldbird
            April 9, 2014

            Where did you find a statement about official miui?

            It’s basically the only thing I still need / want for this phone.

            • Allanitomwesh
              April 9, 2014

              OPPO Finder and Find 5 have official support,Find 7 is obvious.

        • April 4, 2014

          One the international model is launched it will be there

  14. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    andi, how bout, “more touch more possibilities”, ‘as long as there is light, there is light” ??? have u solved this mysteries???

    • Andi Sykes
      March 27, 2014

      Just marketing nonesense it seems

    • Allanitomwesh
      March 27, 2014

      More touch possibilities had to do with having more off screen gestures. The light thing was about the glow at the bottom since it works with every app that has notifications.

  15. March 26, 2014

    No, but there are 14 gestures to choose from and you can set them to do a variety of things.

  16. arinium
    March 26, 2014

    Thank you for this detailed review. Can you test the slow-motion video recording? How many frames per second can it capture 1080p and 720p videos?

    • Andi Sykes
      March 26, 2014

      Yes, I will do some slow mo video

    • arinium
      March 31, 2014

      Hi Andi, did you have the time to try it yet?

  17. guady
    March 26, 2014

    Nice review :). One question is there any noticable difference between the Super Aperture F2.0 and the F2.0 aperture on the find 7a?

  18. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    thanks for the great review.
    What camera mode did you use for the photos of little biker ?

    • Andi Sykes
      March 26, 2014

      Normal burst

  19. Bob
    March 26, 2014

    As always, great review Andi.

    The chipset needs to be corrected to 801 for X9007 in the comparison table though, it says 800.

    Have Oppo used a software or hardware enhancement for Maxx Audio?

    • zaikatanox
      March 27, 2014

      I just noticed this as well from their website. BOTH the Find 7 and the Find 7a use Snapdragon 801. The Find 7a uses MSM8974-AB v3, which is considered a Snapdragon 801 chipset.

      Speedwise, there is barely (if at all) any difference between MSM8974AB v2 (Snapdragon 800) and MSM8974AB v3 (Snapdragon 801) though.

  20. akselic
    March 26, 2014

    Thanks for the hands-on and Color OS videos and this review Andi. Posted a link to your review on XDA and quite excited about this phone. Might even exchange my Note 3 that in all honesty is up there spec-wise… I just love that Kitt (Knight Rider) notification light 😀

    • March 26, 2014

      Awesome thanks so much : )
      I wonder if I can change “ok google” to “hey kitt” 😀

  21. Thomas Batliner
    March 26, 2014

    Thank you for the great review! Now I can’t decide between the Vivo XPlay 3S and the Oppo Find 7 :o( Any tips for me to decide? 🙂

    • Andi Sykes
      March 26, 2014

      Personally the Find 7, I like the dev support and the smaller size.

    • ats
      March 27, 2014

      Just curious about the dev support. I don’t find much on XDA. Am I missing something?

    • Allanitomwesh
      March 27, 2014

      International model not available yet,so XDA is not very busy. Chinese developers are busy though,even MIUI will official support.

    • Andi Sykes
      April 4, 2014

      One the international model is launched it will be there

    • Robert Coldbird
      April 9, 2014

      Where did you find a statement about official miui?

      It’s basically the only thing I still need / want for this phone.

    • Allanitomwesh
      April 9, 2014

      OPPO Finder and Find 5 have official support,Find 7 is obvious.

  22. seismo
    March 26, 2014

    How is the visibility outdoor under the direct sun light?

    • March 26, 2014

      It is on pat with the Mi3 and MX3

      • seismo
        March 27, 2014

        I don’t have either of them, so…
        Is the content of the screen fully recognizable or do you have to concentrate/shadow it with your hand to see what’s in there?

        • April 4, 2014

          On full screen brightness with direct sunlight you might need a bit of shadow to see things clearly.

  23. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    This comment was deleted.

    • Andi Sykes
      March 26, 2014

      No, but there are 14 gestures to choose from and you can set them to do a variety of things.

  24. Mat
    March 26, 2014

    Maybe you have the answer of my topic : )

    http://forums.oneplus.net/threads/16-9-option-hdr-sony-exmor-imx214.459/#post-21031

    About an option or a mod to take huge angle photo as the Galaxy S4. In my case, with the oppo find 7, the ratio of the photo was strange. Maybe i’m not an expert with a photo. But i want use my photo in screen of computer of other…^^

  25. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    As always, great review Andi.

    The chipset needs to be corrected to 801 for X9007 in the comparison table though, it says 800.

    Have Oppo used a software or hardware enhancement for Maxx Audio?

    • zaikatanox
      March 27, 2014

      I just noticed this as well from their website. BOTH the Find 7 and the Find 7a use Snapdragon 801. The Find 7a uses MSM8974-AB v3, which is considered a Snapdragon 801 chipset.

      Speedwise, there is barely (if at all) any difference between MSM8974AB v2 (Snapdragon 800) and MSM8974AB v3 (Snapdragon 801) though.

  26. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    Thanks for the hands-on and Color OS videos and this review Andi. Posted a link to your review on XDA and quite excited about this phone. Might even exchange my Note 3 that in all honesty is up there spec-wise… I just love that Kitt (Knight Rider) notification light 😀

    • Andi Sykes
      March 27, 2014

      Awesome thanks so much : )
      I wonder if I can change “ok google” to “hey kitt” 😀

  27. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    How is the visibility outdoor under the direct sun light?

    • Andi Sykes
      March 27, 2014

      It is on pat with the Mi3 and MX3

    • Guest
      March 27, 2014

      I don’t have either of them, so…
      Is the content of the screen fully recognizable or do you have to concentrate/shadow it with your hand to see what’s in there?

    • Andi Sykes
      April 4, 2014

      On full screen brightness with direct sunlight you might need a bit of shadow to see things clearly.

  28. CC
    March 26, 2014

    Very nice review.Thx. I am arriving in Shanghai 12. April and stay to 20. April. I want to buy the oppo 7 a ( or 7). I understand that i should go for the 9007/9077 (live in Europe). But I also want a prepaid sim card to use on 3G while I’am in Shanghai. Is that posible? And do know anything abort the sale date og the 7 (9077)?

    • March 26, 2014

      If you buy the Find 7a (X9007) you can use a China Mobile 3G TD-SCDMA SIM while you are here or a China Mobile 4G card. When you get back home your WCDMA card should work.

      • CC
        March 27, 2014

        Ok. Thanks

  29. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    Maybe you have the answer of my topic : )

    http://forums.oneplus.net/threads/16-9-option-hdr-sony-exmor-imx214.459/#post-21031

    About an option or a mod to take huge angle photo as the Galaxy S4. In my case, with the oppo find 7, the ratio of the photo was strange. Maybe i’m not an expert with a photo. But i want use my photo in screen of computer of other…^^

  30. Cuerex
    March 26, 2014

    those photos are absolutely stunning andi, thanks.. but i feel you should have fiddled more with low light condition photos ^^

    • March 26, 2014

      Yep I could have done, but these photos are just showing you the base. If you play around with the settings, choose difference options and scenes the images just get even better.

  31. Simon
    March 26, 2014

    Great review! Love this phone! So will the Color OS run any app from the Play Store, or would Android need to be installed? Thanks again.

    • March 26, 2014

      Color OS is Android, it is just Oppo’s Skin on the system (like MIUI and Flyme). The Chinese version will need to be rooted and then you can installl Google Play services and all apps will work. The international model will have Google Play already installed.

  32. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    Very nice review.Thx. I am arriving in Shanghai 12. April and stay to 20. April. I want to buy the oppo 7 a ( or 7). I understand that i should go for the 9007/9077 (live in Europe). But I also want a prepaid sim card to use on 3G while I’am in Shanghai. Is that posible? And do know anything abort the sale date og the 7 (9077)?

    • Andi Sykes
      March 27, 2014

      If you buy the Find 7a (X9007) you can use a China Mobile 3G TD-SCDMA SIM while you are here or a China Mobile 4G card. When you get back home your WCDMA card should work.

    • Guest
      March 27, 2014

      Ok. Thanks

  33. Bob
    March 26, 2014

    Hey Andi, great and thorrough review! Can you compare the Find 7A to the Lenovo Vibe Z? I own the Lenovo Vibe Z and simply from the size and weight standpoint the Oppo Find 7 was a bit of a disappointment once it was officially announced, even though the gesture control sounds really great. Especially since similar tech was announced on the Zopo ZP998 but never made it to the actual released model.

  34. Cuerex
    March 26, 2014

    those photos are absolutely stunning andi, thanks.. but i feel you should have fiddled more with low light condition photos ^^

    • Andi Sykes
      March 27, 2014

      Yep I could have done, but these photos are just showing you the base. If you play around with the settings, choose difference options and scenes the images just get even better.

  35. Tjoe
    March 26, 2014

    Hey Andi, wonderful review =) I was just wondering though does the OPPO find 7a have MHL and GLONASS? If it doesn’t have GLONASS how does the GPS lock speed stack up against the Mi3 which has it?

  36. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    Great review! Love this phone! So will the Color OS run any app from the Play Store, or would Android need to be installed? Thanks again.

    • Andi Sykes
      March 26, 2014

      Color OS is Android, it is just Oppo’s Skin on the system (like MIUI and Flyme). The Chinese version will need to be rooted and then you can installl Google Play services and all apps will work. The international model will have Google Play already installed.

  37. Guest
    March 26, 2014

    Hey Andi, great and thorrough review! Can you compare the Find 7A to the Lenovo Vibe Z? I own the Lenovo Vibe Z and simply from the size and weight standpoint the Oppo Find 7 was a bit of a disappointment once it was officially announced, even though the gesture control sounds really great. Especially since similar tech was announced on the Zopo ZP998 but never made it to the actual released model.

  38. rr
    March 27, 2014

    wow the colour of the photos looks very accurate.
    just wondering if the battery from find 7 is compatible with the find 7a?
    are extra batteries available to purchase?
    and are there any external charging module for the batteries? thanks

  39. Guest
    March 27, 2014

    Hey Andi, wonderful review =) I was just wondering though does the OPPO find 7a have MHL and GLONASS? If it doesn’t have GLONASS how does the GPS lock speed stack up against the Mi3 which has it?

  40. sss
    March 27, 2014

    Hi Andi,

    is there an Oppo Store in Guangzhou?

    • March 27, 2014

      Yes, many

      • sss
        March 27, 2014

        are the Oppo stores normally Concept shops wherein it is purely an Oppo store not a mobile phone store selling different brands? TIA!

  41. Guest
    March 27, 2014

    wow the colour of the photos looks very accurate.
    just wondering if the battery from find 7 is compatible with the find 7a?
    are extra batteries available to purchase?
    and are there any external charging module for the batteries? thanks

  42. NoOne
    March 27, 2014

    Does notification LED has other colors?

  43. aela111
    March 27, 2014

    the super aperture 2.0 is just on the 2k model or also the other one?

    • Allanitomwesh
      March 27, 2014

      Same camera on both ,all the features are there. Display,RAM,Battery and CPU clock is the difference.

      • aela111
        March 27, 2014

        OK thanks.

  44. Allanitomwesh
    March 27, 2014

    Nice review Andi
    Shame about the light,i was hoping to play around with the colors, have you tried Lightflow app to see if it’ll force a change? Otherwise i think it is great. I totally agree on ColorOS it isn’t the greatest looker but the features make it tolerable. It’s fairly easy to get around unlike touchwiz and LG’s UI where you know you can do cool stuff but have no idea where to start.
    The BMW of smartphones,haha.

    • March 27, 2014

      Glad you liked it 🙂 I will try Lightflow see how it is

      • NoOne
        March 28, 2014

        Looking forward to that, will you write the results here?

  45. Guest
    March 27, 2014

    Hi Andi,

    is there an Oppo Store in Guangzhou?

    • Andi Sykes
      March 27, 2014

      Yes, many

    • Guest
      March 27, 2014

      are the Oppo stores normally Concept shops wherein it is purely an Oppo store not a mobile phone store selling different brands? TIA!

    • Andi Sykes
      April 4, 2014

      There are both

  46. batman
    March 27, 2014

    Why would you choose a long and heavy phone? 170 g? uff. When are these companies going to take a look at samsung design intelligence? Light and compact!

    • JohnScorps
      April 1, 2014

      Yeah, just like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3! 168g, Light and Compact! :p

  47. NoOne
    March 27, 2014

    Does notification LED has other colors?

    • Andi Sykes
      April 4, 2014

      Nope

  48. aela111
    March 27, 2014

    the super aperture 2.0 is just on the 2k model or also the other one?

    • Allanitomwesh
      March 27, 2014

      Same camera on both ,all the features are there. Display,RAM,Battery and CPU clock is the difference.

    • aela111
      March 27, 2014

      OK thanks.

  49. Allanitomwesh
    March 27, 2014

    Nice review Andi
    Shame about the light,i was hoping to play around with the colors, have you tried Lightflow app to see if it’ll force a change? Otherwise i think it is great. I totally agree on ColorOS it isn’t the greatest looker but the features make it tolerable. It’s fairly easy to get around unlike touchwiz and LG’s UI where you know you can do cool stuff but have no idea where to start.
    The BMW of smartphones,haha.

    • Andi Sykes
      March 27, 2014

      Glad you liked it 🙂 I will try Lightflow see how it is

    • NoOne
      March 28, 2014

      Looking forward to that, will you write the results here?

  50. Skeemaskk
    March 27, 2014

    Hello Andi. Thx for this great review ! Could you check your device and tell us if you have a Qualcomm MSM8974 or MSM8974-AB inside, please ?

    • March 27, 2014

      2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Quad Core (MSM8974AB)

      • Skeemaskk
        March 28, 2014

        Thanks a lot Andi !

        There was confusion surrounding Find 7A chipset, as many sites display wrong specs for this version.

        Maybe you should correct your spec comparison table and participate to the enlightenment ;D

  51. Guest
    March 27, 2014

    Why would you choose a long and heavy phone? 170 g? uff. When are these companies going to take a look at samsung design intelligence? Light and compact!

    • Guest
      April 1, 2014

      Yeah, just like the Samsung Galaxy Note 3! 168g, Light and Compact! :p

  52. Vaantje
    March 27, 2014

    Thanks for the review Andi, I’m waiting for the phone to be available in Europe to buy.

    • March 27, 2014

      Should be very soon 🙂

  53. Guest
    March 27, 2014

    Hello Andi. Thx for this great review ! Could you check your device and tell us if you have a Qualcomm MSM8974 or MSM8974-AB inside, please ?

    • Andi Sykes
      March 27, 2014

      2.3GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Quad Core (MSM8974AB)

    • Guest
      March 28, 2014

      Thanks a lot Andi !

      There was confusion surrounding Find 7A chipset, as many sites display wrong specs for this version.

      Maybe you should correct your spec comparison table and participate to the enlightenment ;D

  54. Guest
    March 27, 2014

    Thanks for the review Andi, I’m waiting for the phone to be available in Europe to buy.

    • Andi Sykes
      March 27, 2014

      Should be very soon 🙂

  55. Andrew White
    March 28, 2014

    At a predicted price of $599 US (not the 7a version) why would you buy anything else.
    I have watched YouTube videos and read most reviews and there is no competition right now.
    Some sites are saying the Note 3 is close, but on price as one example, it is far cheaper.
    I believe this smartphone will, in 5 years be remembered as being pivotal in the evolution of all mobile devices.
    It effectively places China on top in this very important technological arena.
    As a point of possible interest, LG is responsible for manufacturing the WQHD (2k) screen. This means that without doubt LG’s G3 will have the same.
    In terms of ergonomics, the Oppo Find 7 and the incoming G3 will both be narrower, therefore easier to operate with one hand than the current Note 3.
    I just love the carbon fibre back plate, the industry leading rapid charging and support for the latest 128GB SD cards (SanDisk of course).
    The UI can be modified in a multitude of ways, made to look like Kitkat but without being ‘cloud dependant’. Jelly Bean forever or possibly ‘Sailfish’ sometime in the not to distant future.
    Congrats…. Oppo, for bringing us something very special.

  56. Andrew White
    March 28, 2014

    At a predicted price of $599 US (not the 7a version) why would you buy anything else.
    I have watched YouTube videos and read most reviews and there is no competition right now.
    Some sites are saying the Note 3 is close, but on price as one example, it is far cheaper.
    I believe this smartphone will, in 5 years be remembered as being pivotal in the evolution of all mobile devices.
    It effectively places China on top in this very important technological arena.
    As a point of possible interest, LG is responsible for manufacturing the WQHD (2k) screen. This means that without doubt LG’s G3 will have the same.
    In terms of ergonomics, the Oppo Find 7 and the incoming G3 will both be narrower, therefore easier to operate with one hand than the current Note 3.
    I just love the carbon fibre back plate, the industry leading rapid charging and support for the latest 128GB SD cards (SanDisk of course).
    The UI can be modified in a multitude of ways, made to look like Kitkat but without being ‘cloud dependant’. Jelly Bean forever or possibly ‘Sailfish’ sometime in the not to distant future.
    Congrats…. Oppo, for bringing us something very special.

  57. Reza Putra Santoso
    March 28, 2014

    hey Andi can i ask you about the 4G connectivity ? i heard china unicom 4G out, and there will be oppo find 7 china unicom but only 3G, so can we use 4g with oppo 7a using china unicom ?

    • April 4, 2014

      I believe that the current version of the Oppo Find 7a is meant for China Mobile or international users. I have my phone running on China Unicom 3G with an easy hack, I have not tried their 4G yet.

  58. Reza Putra Santoso
    March 28, 2014

    hey Andi can i ask you about the 4G connectivity ? i heard china unicom 4G out, and there will be oppo find 7 china unicom but only 3G, so can we use 4g with oppo 7a using china unicom ?

    • Andi Sykes
      April 4, 2014

      I believe that the current version of the Oppo Find 7a is meant for China Mobile or international users. I have my phone running on China Unicom 3G with an easy hack, I have not tried their 4G yet.

  59. Meka
    March 30, 2014

    Great Review Andi,
    I am unable to decide between the Xiaomi Mi3 and the Oppo Find 7a. Considering everything from Hardware, Software optimization and build quality , which of the two do you think is an overall better phone if the removable batter feature and expandable memory features are not considered. Hope to hear back with a comparison perhaps.

    • April 4, 2014

      Personally I prefer the Find 7a, it is a more expensive phone though but the design and hardware are better.

  60. Rajan
    March 30, 2014

    Hi Andi
    Where can I buy Find 7a online. Am based out of India and really want to buy this
    Rajan

    • Rajan
      March 31, 2014

      Guys
      Would appreciate if someone guides me where can buy this online

  61. Guest
    March 30, 2014

    Great Review Andi,
    I am unable to decide between the Xiaomi Mi3 and the Oppo Find 7a. Considering everything from Hardware, Software optimization and build quality , which of the two do you think is an overall better phone if the removable batter feature and expandable memory features are not considered. Hope to hear back with a comparison perhaps.

    • Andi Sykes
      April 4, 2014

      Personally I prefer the Find 7a, it is a more expensive phone though but the design and hardware are better.

  62. AC
    March 30, 2014

    As much as i like oppo phones.. They never update the phones.. I mean 4.2 is so old now..
    The thing is it’s easy for me to root and put a custom rom, but what they lack is the sound quality and picture quality of stock roms.. That’s the only issue that upsets me!

  63. Guest
    March 30, 2014

    Hi Andi
    Where can I buy Find 7a online. Am based out of India and really want to buy this
    Rajan

    • Guest
      March 31, 2014

      Guys
      Would appreciate if someone guides me where can buy this online

    • Andi Sykes
      April 4, 2014

      Oppo Style very soon

  64. AC
    March 30, 2014

    As much as i like oppo phones.. They never update the phones.. I mean 4.2 is so old now..
    The thing is it’s easy for me to root and put a custom rom, but what they lack is the sound quality and picture quality of stock roms.. That’s the only issue that upsets me!

  65. Jack
    March 31, 2014

    I’ll be in Shanghai mid May.
    Can I buy the OPPO in stores for use in Europe?

    • Irv
      April 2, 2014

      Yeah, they’re on sale in the stores at the moment. Bought the find 7 a few days ago in Shenzhen and while I’m in Hong Kong now, my HK 3G sim card works just fine! Should work fine in Europe too, they assured me.

      • Jack
        April 2, 2014

        Should I go to an OPPO store or somewhere else?
        How do I know I get the European model?

        • April 2, 2014

          An Oppo Store. It will say in Chinese if it will work outside of China, I’m sure someone in the store wlll speak a little Engish and help you.

  66. Jack
    March 31, 2014

    I’ll be in Shanghai mid May.
    Can I buy the OPPO in stores for use in Europe?

    • Irv
      April 2, 2014

      Yeah, they’re on sale in the stores at the moment. Bought the find 7 a few days ago in Shenzhen and while I’m in Hong Kong now, my HK 3G sim card works just fine! Should work fine in Europe too, they assured me.

    • Guest
      April 2, 2014

      Should I go to an OPPO store or somewhere else?
      How do I know I get the European model?

    • Andi Sykes
      April 2, 2014

      An Oppo Store. It will say in Chinese if it will work outside of China, I’m sure someone in the store wlll speak a little Engish and help you.

  67. Erwin
    April 1, 2014

    Hi Andi and the rest,

    I just got my HTC One M7 stolen this past weekend so I need to find a new phone quick! I’m in love with this Oppo Find 7!

    The problem is, I have China Unicom and would like to use the 3G WCDMA. The article states there is a way to “hack” the system and enable this functionality. I don’t want to purchase the phone off Taobao for it not to get Internet connectivity when I put my SIM in.

    Can you or anyone point me in the direction as to how to do this ASAP?

    Thank you so much.

    Erwin

  68. Guest
    April 1, 2014

    Hi Andi and the rest,

    I just got my HTC One M7 stolen this past weekend so I need to find a new phone quick! I’m in love with this Oppo Find 7!

    The problem is, I have China Unicom and would like to use the 3G WCDMA. The article states there is a way to “hack” the system and enable this functionality. I don’t want to purchase the phone off Taobao for it not to get Internet connectivity when I put my SIM in.

    Can you or anyone point me in the direction as to how to do this ASAP?

    Thank you so much.

    Erwin

  69. andreas
    April 6, 2014

    hi Andi

    thank you for the great review, one more question how is the camera compared to the z1 sony or an iphone 5s?

    thank you
    andreas

  70. andreas
    April 6, 2014

    hi Andi,

    thank you for the great review! one additional question, how is the camera compared to
    the big one’s like samsung s4/s5, htc one, sony z1 or an iPhone 5s?

    i am looking forward to buy the oppo cause there are great camera features like raw or
    long exposures time…

    so a short compare or your experience?

    thank you
    andreas

  71. Guest
    April 6, 2014

    hi Andi

    thank you for the great review, one more question how is the camera compared to the z1 sony or an iphone 5s?

    thank you
    andreas

  72. Guest
    April 6, 2014

    hi Andi,

    thank you for the great review! one additional question, how is the camera compared to
    the big one’s like samsung s4/s5, htc one, sony z1 or an iPhone 5s?

    i am looking forward to buy the oppo cause there are great camera features like raw or
    long exposures time…

    so a short compare or your experience?

    thank you
    andreas

  73. Jamal
    April 8, 2014

    Cant decide should i buy the Find 7a or wait for the find 7, cause i have seen reviews saying that the screen of find 7a is better

    • April 8, 2014

      Find 7a has all the main features of the Find 7 just a little less RAM and the display. I’d say get the Find 7a and use the money you saved to go out for the day and take loads of awesome photos.

  74. Jamal
    April 8, 2014

    Cant decide should i buy the Find 7a or wait for the find 7, cause i have seen reviews saying that the screen of find 7a is better

    • Andi Sykes
      April 8, 2014

      Find 7a has all the main features of the Find 7 just a little less RAM and the display. I’d say get the Find 7a and use the money you saved to go out for the day and take loads of awesome photos.

  75. Wallter
    April 8, 2014

    Hello Andi,

    you said that you chose the white one because of it’s textured back. I wanted the midnight one, but don’t know what to do now.

    Why is the white exactly better for you? I don’t see any difference in product pictures of the oppo in white vs midnight blue.

  76. Guest
    April 8, 2014

    Hello Andi,

    you said that you chose the white one because of it’s textured back. I wanted the midnight one, but don’t know what to do now.

    Why is the white exactly better for you? I don’t see any difference in product pictures of the oppo in white vs midnight blue.

  77. Peterr Johansson
    April 10, 2014

    Andi, Im realy intressting in what kelvin-figure the display on Find 7 have, is it near 6500?

  78. Peterr Johansson
    April 10, 2014

    Andi, Im realy intressting in what kelvin-figure the display on Find 7 have, is it near 6500?

  79. Vish
    April 12, 2014

    Andi, can you please tell us how long the battery lasts for normal usage?
    Thanks for the review, can’t wait to get my hands on one of these.
    -Vish

  80. Michelle
    April 12, 2014

    Hey! I’m currently using the non-international version in Canada, and the GPS seems not be working at all. Furthermore, the English translations really suck. Do you have any suggestions on what I should do?

  81. Guest
    April 12, 2014

    Andi, can you please tell us how long the battery lasts for normal usage?
    Thanks for the review, can’t wait to get my hands on one of these.
    -Vish

  82. Guest
    April 12, 2014

    Hey! I’m currently using the non-international version in Canada, and the GPS seems not be working at all. Furthermore, the English translations really suck. Do you have any suggestions on what I should do?

  83. Harold_Finch
    April 19, 2014

    Is the play store on it?

    • April 19, 2014

      When you buy the international version from Oppo Style then yes

  84. Harold_Finch
    April 19, 2014

    Is the play store on it?

    • Andi Sykes
      April 20, 2014

      When you buy the international version from Oppo Style then yes

  85. Oli Sierra
    April 21, 2014

    Hi, Have the Find 7 Multicolor LED or blue LED ? 🙂

  86. Oliver Sierra
    April 21, 2014

    Hi, Have the Find 7 Multicolor LED or blue LED ? 🙂

  87. Andrew White
    April 22, 2014

    The Find 7 premium I’m sure will definitely tear you away from the 7a with the inclusion of LG’s 1440p (2k) screen.
    When you compare a high end, high priced 1080p 55″ TV with Sony or Samsung’s 4k devices the difference is very obvious.
    On a 5.5″ smartphone the difference between 1080p, 1440p or 4k (2015) probably will be less noticable or important day to day, unless photography really grabs you.
    Then, from what I have read over numerous sites including your great review and video, the camera tech (Sony with Oppo enhancements) on this ‘phone’ could be the the best available by a sizable margin.
    But, from what I can gather, this is where the higher definition screens really become useful. One is really somewhat useless without the other.
    Andy please keep us appraised of its release date and some suggestions on where to buy.

  88. Andrew White
    April 22, 2014

    The Find 7 premium I’m sure will definitely tear you away from the 7a with the inclusion of LG’s 1440p (2k) screen.
    When you compare a high end, high priced 1080p 55″ TV with Sony or Samsung’s 4k devices the difference is very obvious.
    On a 5.5″ smartphone the difference between 1080p, 1440p or 4k (2015) probably will be less noticable or important day to day, unless photography really grabs you.
    Then, from what I have read over numerous sites including your great review and video, the camera tech (Sony with Oppo enhancements) on this ‘phone’ could be the the best available by a sizable margin.
    But, from what I can gather, this is where the higher definition screens really become useful. One is really somewhat useless without the other.
    Andy please keep us appraised of its release date and some suggestions on where to buy.

  89. cblake765
    April 28, 2014

    maxx was totally wow moment for me as well when I got with my laptop. I’ve never heard sound come out my computer as nice as it does with it. Now that’s its in a phone also. I might have to switch over.

  90. cblake765
    April 28, 2014

    maxx was totally wow moment for me as well when I got with my laptop. I’ve never heard sound come out my computer as nice as it does with it. Now that’s its in a phone also. I might have to switch over.

  91. Antonio_lovy
    April 30, 2014

    What about battery drain during standby? I’m going to replace my nexus 4 with it, but standby issue really worries me

  92. Antonio_lovy
    April 30, 2014

    What about battery drain during standby? I’m going to replace my nexus 4 with it, but standby issue really worries me

  93. Κυρι άκΟς
    May 20, 2014

    Can I buy this from Greece?
    If I do, can I also buy a 2nd battery (if it’s not included with the hole packet) ?

  94. Κυρι άκΟς
    May 20, 2014

    Can I buy this from Greece?
    If I do, can I also buy a 2nd battery (if it’s not included with the hole packet) ?