Fresh off the announcement desk — oPPO describes them as “built for pro-grade imaging and cinematic storytelling”, but to me, the newest additions to The company’s Find X9 series represent something more… especially the Find X9 Ultra. To think that, till a couple of years ago, the Find series was nowhere to be found (pun unintended) in the country, and now OPPO is confident enough to bring its A game to our shores. It’s the first time OPPO is bringing the Ultra model to India, and along with its smaller sibling, the Find X9s, the duo boast some serious imaging firepower. In the meantime, rivals have upped their game too, and strong contenders are vying for a place at the top, and aiming for similar targets — premium-tier usage, imaging capabilities, and the promise of the ultimate overall experience. I sat down with Goldee Patnaik, OPPO India’s Head of Communications, and Simon Liu, who is The company’s Director of Imaging, to get their takes on bringing the Find X9 Ultra to India, the premium-tier experience they’re aiming to offer, and dive a bit deeper into the imaging magic being promised.⸻

On bringing the Find X9 Ultra to India for the first time

On balancing optics and computational photography

On the end-user benefits of the camera system

Deepak: For the first time, we finally have the Ultra model Moving on to India. To me, that signals OPPO is becoming more confident in the premium-tier space. A few years ago, there was barely any Find series presence in the country. I remember joking that it was called “Find” because it was difficult to find in the country. But now we have the Find X9 series officially here, including the Ultra. Take me through that journey. Goldee: This has been an evolving journey for us. When we brought the Find X9 last year, we introduced several new experiences — imaging innovations, design aesthetics, battery improvements, and overall premium-tier refinement. Naturally, we were a little sceptical about how the market would respond at first. OPPO Find X9 Ultra But the response was phenomenal. Consumers genuinely embraced This product and gave us the confidence that India is ready for true premium-tier experiences. In fact, we saw a 3x jump in Find X Series sales over the last year in the country. What’s also changed is the consumer mindset. The premium smartphone segment in the country has grown significantly — around 37 percent year-on-year growth in the premium segment and 7–8 percent growth in the ultra-premium category. That tells us one thing very clearly: smartphones are no longer just tools. They’ve become creative enablers. Consumers today are moving from being price-centric to value-centric and experience-led. They’re keeping devices for longer periods, so they want something reliable, premium, stylish, and future-ready. That’s where the Find X9 Ultra comes in. We’re not just talking about a good camera smartphone anymore. We’re talking about a complete imaging smartphone — one that consistently delivers in real-life situations, whether it’s concerts, sports, travel, or adventure content. The creator economy has also played a major role. There are serious creators who want camera-grade output and flexibility, while there are also casual creators who want ready-to-post images instantly. We believe the Find X9 series caters to both audiences very effectively. ⸻

Deepak: While OPPO has traditionally been known as an imaging-first brand, what I also notice now is that the overall premium-tier experience feels much more complete — performance, battery, durability, software, AI features, everything seems to have evolved significantly. Goldee: Absolutely. Imaging may be the first thing people notice, but the overall premium-tier experience has to be holistic. We are building a complete ecosystem around imaging, but alongside that, you also need: * reliable battery life, * durability, * strong performance, * premium design aesthetics, * and meaningful AI integration. For example, the devices come with IP66, IP68, and IP69 ratings. We’re ensuring durability alongside performance. At the same time, AI is becoming an important part of the experience. I still feel India is at a stage where people are discovering the practical value of AI. That’s why we’ve focused on three AI pillars: 1. AI for creativity 2. AI for imaging enhancement 3. AI for productivity We’re continuously improving ColorOS and refining how AI works across the user journey — from creation to editing to sharing. That’s where OPPO stands apart. people don’t have to compromise on imaging, AI, battery, design, or durability. ⸻

On the Find X9 Ultra’s advanced camera engineering

Here’s a photo I clicked using the Find X9 Ultra right after this interaction Deepak: The Ultra includes an incredible amount of camera technology into a smartphone form factor. There’s a lot of engineering involved, especially with the new periscope system and prism-based optics. Can you break that down briefly? Simon: Of course. The first challenge was the prism itself. For a true 10x optical zoom system, the light travel distance needs to be physically long. Since smartphones are compact, the only way to achieve that was to bend the light path multiple times inside the phone using a prism system. So the photons are still travelling the same total distance, but now they’re bouncing multiple times within the module. The second challenge was stray light. Once the light reflects multiple times, unwanted reflections can reduce image quality significantly. We had to develop extremely precise manufacturing techniques to make the prism surfaces crystal-clear and eliminate those reflections. The third challenge was alignment. Since the light reflects multiple times, even a nanometre-level misalignment can prevent the photons from reaching the sensor correctly. So during assembly, we use multiple calibration cameras and highly precise robotic systems to align the optical path accurately. This entire process took nearly three years to perfect. ⸻

Deepak: Every smartphone brand today relies heavily on computational photography. How do you balance optics and software in the final imaging output? Simon: For us, it’s not about balancing hardware and software — it’s about combining them. The hardware still matters enormously, but software helps compensate for physical limitations. Smartphones have strict space constraints compared to traditional cameras. Computational photography enables us to intelligently reconstruct and enhance image information. The stronger the software becomes, the less dependent we are on oversized hardware. For example, in the past, you may have needed 100 percent of the image information from the sensor to create a great photo. Today, software can reconstruct a comparable result even with significantly less raw information. That allows us to: * make modules smaller, * use larger sensors more efficiently, * and push smartphone imaging much further. Hardware and software are evolving together. ⸻

Deepak: From a user perspective, what are the biggest benefits of the camera systems on the Find X9 Ultra and X9s? Simon: One of the standout experiences is the Hasselblad Master Mode. people don’t need to understand exposure, professional tuning, or camera science. They can simply point and shoot, but still get access to imaging tools inspired by professional Hasselblad cameras. The goal is to empower people to capture professional-looking photos very easily and conveniently. ⸻

On OPPO’s plans for the rest of the year

Deepak: You’ve already set the bar high this year. What can we expect from OPPO for the rest of 2026? Goldee: 2025 has been extremely strong for us so far. We exited last year with a 13 percent market share, and now we’ve grown to 14 percent. We’ve also been among the fastest-growing brands in the top five. One major focus area for us this year is after-sales service — something we don’t talk about enough. Today, we have: * over 570 service centres, * across 500 towns, * supporting 19 languages in the country. We’re also introducing Service Centre 3.0 Pro, which focuses on: * digital queue management, * faster issue resolution, * repairs happening in front of customers, * and a much more transparent service experience. Around 90 percent of customer issues are now resolved within one hour. On the product side, we want to remain relevant across all price segments — entry-level, mid-segment, premium, and ultra-premium. This year alone, we plan to launch around 10–12 new smartphones. We’re also reducing the waiting time between global premium-tier launches and India availability. Consumers in the country shouldn’t have to wait long to experience premium-tier innovations. At the same time, we’re investing heavily in regionalisation, local creator partnerships, cultural campaigns, and deeper consumer engagement. Ultimately, we want OPPO devices to feel relevant, aspirational, and emotionally connected to Indian consumers.