Category: Technology

Oppo’s latest flagship phone, like the sleek (but hard to buy) Find N5 foldable, goes hard on the tech specifications. In fact, the Find X9 Pro’s specs read like a wishlist of what many want to see in their phones, with a huge 7,500mAh battery, a 200-megapixel telephoto camera and a bright 6.78-inch screen with tiny, almost one-millimeter bezels, all while still measuring in at 8.25mm in thickness. Oh, and an optional telephoto lens add-on that boosts camera zoom to 10x.

The Find X9 Pro will be priced at £1,099 (roughly $1,459). The biggest drawback may be that, despite the Find X9 series being Oppo’s biggest phone launch yet, it won’t be available in the US. Still, with everything that’s crammed into this phone, I had to try it out. Do I really want a thinner smartphone? Or one that lasts multiple days before it needs recharging? And man, this telephoto lens is certainly eye-catching.

Display and design

The Find X9 Pro has a 6.78-inch display, with peak outdoor brightness at 3,600 nits. On paper, that beats the iPhone 17 Pro, but most people with phones older than a year or two will notice how much brighter phones like the X9 Pro are. Another notable feature is a 1-nit minimal brightness to reduce eye strain when using the phone in the dark. Or in bed. Which we shouldn’t do, but we all do. Oppo has also included high-frequency pixel dimming to further reduce the screen’s harshness.

Like recent phones from its business cousin, OnePlus, Oppo has added a new button on this year’s Find X model. The Snap key is on the left of the device, and can be customized to launch apps like the voice recorder, translation apps and flashlight. Meanwhile, the right edge houses the Find X9’s Quick Button, which is ostensibly the camera button. Double-tapping it launches the camera app. While it’s not as elaborate as the iPhone’s Camera Control, you can swipe on the button to zoom in and out while using the camera, which is a simple, welcome addition.

Alongside Mediatek’s new Dimensity 9500 chip, the Find X9 Pro is another flagship phone with a silicon-carbon battery. With a higher energy density than graphite-based batteries, this means longer battery life without making the phone bigger or thicker. At 7,000mAh, the battery is huge. That’s far bigger than the battery found in foldables like Samsung’s Z Fold 7 (4,400 mAh) and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (4,650 mAh). It’s even bigger than the one in the OnePlus 13 (6,000 mAh). Fortunately, the Find X9 supports suitably swift charging speeds, with support for 80W SUPERVOOC and 50W wireless charging. During my time with the phone, it would often last two days on a charge. Even after a day of heavy camera use, Google Maps and streaming video, I didn’t need to recharge the Find X9 Pro until late afternoon on the second day.

Cameras

The Find X9 Pro’s camera consists of a 50-megapixel main sensor with f/1.5 lens and optical image stabilization. There’s also a 50MP ultrawide camera and arguably the most technically impressive part: a 200MP periscope camera with an f/2.1 lens and OIS. This is further augmented with an attachable teleconverter lens — more on that later.

Oppo’s Hasselblad collaboration focuses on telephoto, though the company calls its entire camera setup the Hasselblad Master Camera System. I’m not sure it needed such a label.To make the most of the high-resolution sensor, the camera app includes a new Hi-Res mode to capture at 200MP for the telephoto lens and 50MP when using the other two camera sensors. The company warns that the mode is best used in well-lit environments, as it strips out pixel binning and other computational photography techniques that are used when there’s limited light.

But that’s not really the point: it’s all about the zoom. The telephoto has a base 3x optical zoom, which can be cropped to a 6x zoom with a 50MP image. It’s worth noting that all the cameras on the Find X9 can capture at 50MP. If the phone detects more challenging shooting conditions, it automatically drops down to 25MP or 12MP shots. In reality, I didn’t notice the resolution jump in most photos I took, although the rich foliage in some of my landscape shots showcases how much detail the camera system is able to capture.

Oppo says its computational photography know-how pushes the zoom here to 13.2x, but its algorithms can get a little aggressive and messy with faces and detail at the higher digital zoom settings. Take a look at these pictures taken across a hillside. While the foliage appears crisp and detailed, the walkers are blurry and there’s a halo effect around them. At other times, computational photography turned pedestrians into nightmarish faces.

In yet another opportunity to mention the Hasselblad collab, there’s also an XPAN shooting mode for cinematic 65:24 images. Conversely, if you’re into a disposable camera aesthetic, the Find X9 series can also trigger an aggressive double-flash to mimic ‘00s photography.

The same zoom capabilities are available in video capture, too, and the company has added a new Sound Focus mode to strip out ambient noise, which worked better than I expected it to. There are several more video recording upgrades, including full LOG recording (activated in settings) and an integrated LUT preview to check color grading in real time.

Then there’s the attachable lens. Oppo’s Hasselblad Teleconverter is a solid, premium peripheral, with a metal barrel and some heft. It extends the Find X9’s optical zoom to 10x, with an equivalent focal length of 230mm. Thanks to the high-res 200MP Telephoto camera sensor, you can punch in at up to 200x digital zoom for stills and 50x zoom for video, although the sweet spot is certainly more in the middle. The add-on teleconverter lens, while not entirely new (Vivo did it first), may be the most intriguing part.

You need to use a specific case and mounting plate to securely attach the lens to the phone, but when it’s locked in, it feels solid and very secure. It also looks, well, how it looks. Because it’s such a slender lens, it looks like something you might use for espionage. It doesn’t even look like a point-and-shoot camera. It’s… eye-catching, but also so much fun.

I’ve been testing the Find X9’s camera chops for a few weeks, and it’s been a lot of fun to zoom in with optical zoom clarity, whether at concerts, movie premieres or taking pictures of my nieces during hectic Play-Doh sessions. What’s particularly attractive is the combination of high detail and bokeh effect. With the leap in zoom, I had to ensure I was far enough away in order to use the teleconverter, or it would struggle to focus.

Oppo is pitching its new flagship as the ultimate phone for concerts and live events, and the zoom range is very impressive. Perhaps understandably, when zooming so much, there is a high risk of blurry shots. Oppo includes a special tripod mount that attaches to the lens barrel to ensure the whole thing doesn’t tip over, but it’s one step too far for me. Carrying around the teleconverter and mounting plate is already a lot. It’s also a bit of a chore to have to detach the plate when using the camera without the teleconverter. Oddly, the plate covers the other sensors, meaning that if you want a closer focal point (or want to use anything besides the telephoto sensor), it’s an additional pain point before you can take the photo.

It’s unusual that a phone’s “main” camera isn’t the star of the show, but that may be the case with the Find X9 Pro. However, it’s still technically impressive. With a new 1/1.28 sensor codeveloped with Sony, the 50MP main camera can capture triple exposures on each frame before merging them. Oppo claims that it gives images 17 stops of dynamic range. There’s also a fourth camera, a True Color camera, dedicated to precisely measuring color temperatures across all the other sensors. Combined, it’s an impressive system, but you’ll get the most out of it if you’re willing to pay for the additional teleconverter.

At £1,099 in the UK, Oppo has priced it identically to the iPhone 17 Pro, although we’re still waiting to hear pricing for the teleconverter kit. I feared foldable prices, but this seems at least competitive here in Europe.

What’s stopping Oppo from breaking into the US? Trade turbulence and competition, probably. If it can refine the experience (and maybe keep its next phone compatible with the same teleconverter), it has a good chance at charming the obsessive smartphone photographer away from their iPhones and Pixels.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/oppos-find-x9-pro-hands-on-detachable-telephoto-lens-7000mah-battery-160006373.html?src=rss 

Simogo is celebrating its 15th anniversary with some retrospective projects, which include bringing its games to more platforms. The studio has put together the Simogo Legacy Collection for Steam, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. This includes all seven of the mobile games that the developer released between 2010 and 2015, including Year Walk and Device 6. The collection will be available on December 2 — the 15th anniversary of the release of Simogo’s first game, Kosmo Spin — and it costs $15.

Co-founder Simon Flesser noted that the studio’s mobile games were in “constant danger of disappearing or ending up being unplayable.” (Year Walk was ported to Wii U but we all know what happened with that console.) The idea behind Simogo Legacy Collection is to preserve them and “keep the experience as close as possible to the original games,” Flesser said. As such, the team has made as few changes as possible while still making sure the games work on PC and Nintendo’s consoles.

You can use touchscreen controls on Switch and Switch 2 to play the games as they were originally intended. Simogo has also added support for mice, controllers, motion controls and, on Switch 2, dual mouse controls. The bundle includes a bunch of extras too, such as an ebook of Year Walk side stories, a podcast for The Sailor’s Dream, additional music, playable prototypes of the games and more.

That’s not all, though. Simogo is working on Switch 2 versions of its two most recent games, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and Sayonara Wild Hearts. Expect those to arrive in early 2026. The studio is also bringing Sayonara Wild Hearts back to iOS as a paid app next year. That was a launch game for Apple Arcade in 2019, but it left the service in 2024. I’m very much looking forward to having my favorite game available on a device I carry with me everywhere again, even though it’s available on PC and consoles as well.

As well as those projects, the studio has teamed up with Lost in Cult to create a coffee table book about the history of Simogo. Heartbeats, Dreams and Laser Eyes: 15 years of Simogo is a softback book with around 250 pages. A deluxe edition with a semi-translucent wrap, a bookmark, commemorative stamp set and (for the first 300 units) a signed bookplate will be available too. Pre-orders open today and the book is expected to ship in late 2026.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/year-walk-device-6-and-other-early-simogo-games-are-coming-to-steam-and-nintendo-consoles-160056076.html?src=rss 

When the first big wave of handheld PCs hit the market two to three years ago, they were designed as more travel-friendly and convenient alternatives to traditional gaming rigs. That meant reduced performance in exchange for increased portability. However, there will always be enthusiasts who want more: increased horsepower, better battery life and all sorts of extra features. Out of all the handhelds on the market today, there’s practically no device with more tools and special equipment than the Lenovo Legion Go 2. However, just like a luxury SUV, this bucket of components commands a hefty premium and has capabilities that you might not use every day. But if you are the type of person who’s looking for a flagship portable PC with all the bells and whistles, the Legion Go 2 is a true utility gaming handheld. 

Design

The Legion Go 2 looks like a Switch 2 that’s fattened up before hibernating for the winter. It has the same basic design with detachable controllers on either side and a screen in the middle; it’s just way bigger and bulkier. The Legion Go 2 weighs two pounds and measures 11.6 inches wide (with its controllers attached) compared to 1.6 pounds and 11.4 inches for the ROG Xbox Ally X (and that’s including its big, pronounced grips). Both devices make the Switch 2 look downright petite with its  1.2 pounds and 10.7-inch-wide frame.

Both the Legion Go 2’s left and right controllers can be detached. However, Lenovo used regular old latches instead of magnets, so removing them is clunkier compared to the Switch 2.

Unfortunately, without the magnets that Nintendo uses on the Joy-Con, disconnecting the gamepads on the Legion Go 2 isn’t nearly as smooth or easy, but it’s still relatively manageable. On the flipside, Lenovo uses Hall Effect sensors for its joysticks, which makes them super responsive, even though they’re lighter to push around. I appreciate that, unlike many of its rivals, Lenovo kept the kickstand from its predecessor, as it’s super handy if you want to prop the Legion Go 2 up and use it like a mini desktop.

Elsewhere, there is a familiar layout for the Legion Go 2’s D-pad, face buttons and shoulder triggers/bumpers, along with two pairs of paddles around back. Critically, Lenovo retained the built-in touchpad on the right controller, which is super handy for those times when you need to mouse around in the Windows 11 desktop. And like its predecessor, you can detach the right gamepad, flick the hidden switch on the bottom into FPS mode and then combine it with Lenovo’s included base to create a vertical mouse of sorts.

Here’s how the size of the Lenovo Legion Go 2 (top) compares to a major rival like the ROG Xbox Ally X (bottom).

Ostensibly, this setup is meant for people who want extra precision in shooters and there is even an extra set of mouse buttons and an embedded scroll wheel on the controller for that reason. The one hiccup for me is that the puck isn’t that much smaller than a typical travel mouse. If I really want ultimate control in FPS games, I’m going to use one of those instead of Lenovo’s more awkward alternative. 

As for connectivity, the Legion Go 2 features two USB-C ports (one on top and one on bottom) which support data (up to 40 Gbps), power delivery and display output. There’s also a microSD card slot for expandable storage and a 3.5mm audio jack. 

While a lot of rival handhelds skip this feature, I appreciate that Lenovo still put a kickstand on the back of the Legion Go 2.

I have two small nitpicks with the Legion Go 2’s design (aside from its size). First, the headphone port is on the bottom, which isn’t ideal as I feel like the top USB-C connector is easier to use when gaming while plugged into the wall. Secondly, Lenovo’s fingerprint reader (which is built into the power button) is rather finicky. I didn’t have issues unlocking the device, but the sensor is so sensitive that often when I pressed the power button to put the Legion Go 2 into sleep mode, the screen turned off before turning itself on again. This resulted in multiple occasions where I thought I put the handheld to sleep inside the included case (kudos to Lenovo for that freebie) only to come back to a device that was very much awake and felt like it was on the verge of cooking itself inside its padded enclosure. 

Display

One of the best features on the Legion Go 2 is its massive 8.8-inch OLED display.

If money and size are not an issue, Lenovo’s massive OLED display is the biggest reason to choose the Legion Go 2 over rivals like the ROG Xbox Ally X. At 8.8 inches, it’s significantly larger than the 7-inch panel on the ASUS or the 7.9-inch screen on a Switch 2. Not only are its colors super rich and saturated, it has a slightly higher 144Hz refresh rate and a taller 16:10 resolution (1,920 x 1,200). And at 500 nits, it’s just as bright as the screen on the ROG Xbox Ally X. The downside is that if you want to game at the Legion Go 2’s native res, it does take a little bit of extra performance to achieve stable, playable framerates. 

Performance and software

The $1,100 base model of the Legion Go 2 comes with an AMD Ryzen Z2 chip with 16GB of memory and 1TB of storage. However, if you want even better performance, you’ll need to upgrade to the $1,350 version that comes with a Z2 Extreme chip and 32GB of RAM, which is the configuration I tested for this review. Frankly, that is a lot of money to drop on a gaming handheld of any kind, though the Legion Go 2 does make up for it with class-leading performance. Well, almost.

If you want big performance, the Z2 Extreme version of the Legion Go 2 is among the best on the market.

While the maxed SKUs of both the Legion Go 2 and ROG Xbox Ally x are based on the same Z2 Extreme chip, Microsoft was able to tweak some of Windows 11’s tasks and services that run in the background on Lenovo’s’ rival. And while there isn’t a huge gap between the two, that optimization does make a difference. 

Generally, the ROG Xbox Ally produced framerates that were around seven percent higher than what I got from the Legion Go 2 at the same graphics settings and resolution. In Cyberpunk 2077  at 35 watts on medium, 1080p resolution and FSR set to performance, the Legion Go 2 hit 57.5 fps compared to 62.1 fps for the ROG Xbox Ally X. Meanwhile in Returnal at 17 watts on medium, the Lenovo reached 39 fps versus 42 for ASUS. Depending on the game and the exact resolution you’re using, that could mean the difference between something being a good experience or not. For example, in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 at 1080p on medium, the ROG Xbox Ally X hovered right around 30 fps. Granted, that isn’t ideal, but it’s not bad for a handheld running a relatively new title. But on the Legion Go 2 at its native res, its average framerate was closer to 25 fps, which forced me to drop down to low settings to get a smoother experience. 

This is what the Legion Go 2’s controller looks like when you use it in FPS mode.

Like a lot of Windows-based handhelds, it’s important to remember that you get more speed when connected to a power outlet. For example, the Legion Go 2’s Performance mode tops out at 20 watts when not plugged in, but increases to 32 watts when it is. And if you want to go all out, you’re best off using the Custom setting, which gives you a sustained TDP of 35 watts and the ability to boost to 45 watts for up to 10 seconds. 

As for the software, Lenovo’s Legion Space app has come a long way and it’s turned into a solid one-stop shop for launching games, adjusting settings and tweaking performance. As always with Windows-based handhelds, there’s still a bit of awkwardness during setup when you’re installing titles and having to switch between various menus. Thankfully, Lenovo’s built-in touchpad helps smooth that out quite a bit. I’d also argue that because of that trackpad and the handheld’s adaptable design, the Legion Go 2 is the most well-equipped portable for anyone who wants to use it like a mini PC. You can prop the display up with its kickstand, connect a display via USB-C and pair a wireless keyboard and mouse (or use the right controller in FPS mode) and suddenly you’ve got a little desktop for getting some real work done. (Who are we kidding, this is still going to be used for gaming, just on a bigger display with better controls.)

Battery Life

The top edge of the Legion Go 2 features one USB-C port and its power button/fingerprint reader, while the other is on the bottom along with a 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD card reader.

Thanks to a 74WHr cell and a more efficient chip, the Legion Go 2 has gotten a nice bump battery life over its predecessor. However, due to its big display, its longevity isn’t quite as good compared to the ROG Xbox Ally X. I tested this by playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 at 1080p on medium graphics and max brightness. The Legion Go 2 did well, lasting almost three hours, though that was 30 minutes shy of what I got from the ROG Xbox Ally X. While you can game for a decent length of time untethered, for any longer trips or time away from an outlet, you’ll definitely want to keep the included 65-watt power adapter close at hand. 

Wrap-up

The Lenovo Legion Go 2 is large and in charge — both in price and size. The base model starts at $1,100, which is already $100 more than a fully kitted-out ROG Xbox Ally X with a Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip. Meanwhile, to get the same silicon on Lenovo’s handheld, you have to shell out $1,350, and even then, its performance still lags just a tad behind Microsoft and ASUS’ collab. But what the Legion Go 2 lacks in value, it makes up for in versatility.

The Legion Go 2 comes with an included case and a puck that turns its right controller into a vertical mouse.

Its 8.8-inch OLED display is a huge upgrade in terms of both screen space and image quality, while features like its touchpad, detachable controllers and kickstand make this thing feel more like a portable hybrid PC than a single-purpose gaming machine. Just like an SUV that might go off-road once or twice a year, you might not use the Legion Go 2’s full capabilities all the time, but when you do and everything comes together, you realize all that utility isn’t just for show. While the ROG Xbox Ally X is the better value, I appreciate how Lenovo’s handheld was made to handle a variety of battle conditions. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/lenovo-legion-go-2-review-the-utility-pc-gaming-handheld-120000533.html?src=rss