Can this Android phone camera beat the iPhone 16 Pro? I flew to Bali to find out

The iPhone 16 Pro has one of the best smartphone cameras you can buy, and it sets a standard for everyone to beat, especially regarding video. We’ve already seen Samsung and OnePlus try and fail to beat Apple, and the Google Pixel 9 Pro has proven that even it will fall somewhat short.

However, what happens when you look outside the U.S.? Smartphones from Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo have set camera standards that put even the best in the U.S. to shame. I was in Bali last month testing the iPhone 16 Pro camera against a new smartphone from Oppo.

The sister company of OnePlus, Oppo has already shocked me with its incredible zoom capability on the Find X8. The Find X8 Pro adds a second telephoto camera — this time offering 6x optical zoom — but is it far ahead of the iPhone 16 Pro?

Oppo Find X8 Pro vs. iPhone 16 Pro: camera specs

As you can see above, both phones have similar main and ultrawide cameras, but each company takes a different approach to telephoto cameras.

Apple has opted for a single 5x telephoto lens and uses in-sensor cropping to achieve the 2x “telephoto” it promotes. This should mean it’s fairly capable at lower zoom lengths, but 5x makes it more difficult to stay consistent between 2x and 5x.

Meanwhile, Oppo has also opted for in-sensor cropping for a 2x telephoto, but it has paired this with two telephoto lenses offering 3x and 6x optical zoom. This setup — which is similar to the one used in the Galaxy S24 Ultra — means there are different lenses for the Find X8 Pro to switch between at lower zoom lengths, and this should mean it’s more capable across the various focal lengths.

Does it deliver? Let’s find out!

Low-light and night photography

Low-light photography is one of the most challenging tests of any smartphone camera, and this test proves exactly why. While the Oppo Find X8 Pro delivers better colors and light reproduction in the second sample, I prefer the iPhone photo in the first scene thanks to better overall light balance.

Both phones perform equally well in this test, both in terms of color reproduction and overall detail. I expected the iPhone to be slightly worse, and when viewed on each display, the Find X8 Pro looked better.

Pets and people

I’ve been a big fan of Samsung’s cameras for many years thanks to the extra saturation applied in post-processing, and it’s why I prefer the Find X8 Pro camera in the second photo. However, despite Oppo having an exceptional camera for pet photos, the iPhone 16 Pro takes a much better overall cat photo as there’s more detail in the eyes, and the colors are more representative.

The first photo here was a fun test as it helped showcase how each phone handles a scene with vibrant colors and details. It’s a very close battle, but the Find X8 Pro just beats the iPhone 16 Pro, and this continues into the second photo. A recurring theme in this comparison — and my overall experience with the iPhone 16 Pro — is that it can sometimes be more washed out than the competition.

Which is better for portraits?

This is the ultimate test of any smartphone camera: how do you handle hair flying in the wind while traveling at more than 20 mph on an open-top boat? Now, these aren’t direct comparisons as each phone captures portraits at varying degrees of crop, but I can’t get over the Find X8 Pro in the second photo: the detail captured in the hair is incredible, especially considering the harsh shooting conditions.

Of course, it’s about more than just one sample, so how about when the subject has little or no hair that’s moving in the wind? In the first photo, the Find X8 Pro captures all the finer details in the hair, but the overhead sun results in a less vibrant and more washed-out photo of me in the second set.

The fight to be the zoom king

The Find X8 Pro should appeal to anyone who’s looking for a capable zoom camera, and this was the test I was extremely excited about. Now, it’s worth noting that the iPhone 16 Pro only has one telephoto camera, and the Find X8 Pro has two, so naturally, the Oppo camera should be much better at higher zoom lengths. However, is it a close fight otherwise?

Both phones are virtually on par with each other regarding ultrawide camera specs, but the iPhone 16 Pro has slightly better color science. However, this isn’t specific to just one lens on the Find X8 Pro, with Oppo’s algorithm proving to be somewhat inconsistent in its overall photos. The same experience continues through to the 1x photos, with the iPhone 16 Pro capturing a more enjoyable overall photo.

Despite the duller image, the Find X8 Pro is better at the bigger zoom lengths, and there’s more detail captured in both of these zoom pictures. The second image especially shows the difference between the two, although it is certainly closer than I had expected going into this comparison.

We’ve heard a lot about smartphone cameras and their zoom or low-light capabilities, but most companies don’t like to promote low-light zoom. This test shows why and how different the zoom capabilities of these two devices are. There’s no contest here: the Find X8 Pro blows the iPhone out of the water, which suffers from the lens flares we’ve all seen on iPhone photos in low light.

How about in daylight? These two photos arguably encompass the entire camera experience between these two devices. The OPPO Find X8 has more detail and a slightly darker tone, while the iPhone 16 Pro has a brighter image that looks slightly better but doesn’t stand up to as much scrutiny.

The battle for overall camera supremacy

As we’ve seen previously in this comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro captures photos that are a little brighter. In some shots — both previously and to come — this works to its detriment, but in the case of the Hindu statues in the first image, the extra light means the whole scene is well-lit. Meanwhile, the Find X8 Pro is darker in both photos, which serves it well in the second photo but not in the first.

That same desire to create a bright photo considerably hinders the iPhone 16 Pro in the first photo. The harsh brightness of the overhead sun, coupled with a moving boat, means it’s washed out and lacking detail, whereas the first photo shows the true capability of the Find X8 Pro’s lightning snap feature.

The first photo here is another interesting example of different approaches to color science. The desire for a brighter photo means there’s more detail in the rocks from the iPhone 16 Pro, but it falls apart when it comes to the trees in the background, while the Find X8 Pro is more well-rounded in both photos.

Neither is perfect, however, as the actual scene was similar to the lighting in the iPhone photo in the first photo but with the detail and clarity from the Find X8 Pro photo. Thankfully, a little editing can make the Find X8 Pro a better photo overall, whereas there’s no solution for the lack of detail on the iPhone photo.

The trend of how the iPhone handles lighting again hurts it here, with the Find X8 Pro proving to be considerably better in both color reproduction and detail in both photos. In particular, both photos from the Find X8 Pro are virtually identical to the actual scene.

How the Find X8 Pro surprised and frustrated me

The Find X8 Pro represents the unknown in smartphone cameras. Sharing many of the same features as last year’s Find X7 Ultra — albeit without a 1-inch sensor — it has everything you need on paper for a versatile smartphone camera that can shoot at multiple focal lengths.

The iPhone 16 Pro has considerably less-capable hardware, but it has one extremely strong advantage over the Find X8 Pro: consistency. This means that while it takes inferior photos, they are consistent in their overall color science, while the Find X8 Pro is more inconsistent.

This has proven to be a little frustrating, and the same photo taken on the Find X8 Pro twice can have different processing, resulting in different photos. That said, I can’t get over just how capable the Find X8 Pro camera is, and while this comparison shows some of its capabilities, our full Oppo Find X8 Pro review highlights why this is my new favorite smartphone camera.