OnePlus and Oppo often build phones that seem similar. The two companies are semi-related, in that they're part of the same group of manufacturers, even if they do operate independently. And they don't just look the same often either. OnePlus regularly uses the tech and hardware introduced by Oppo. Things like Warp Charge started off life as Oppo's VOOC flash charging. 

With the Find X2 series now officially launched, it's a good time to see if it's worth the extra money versus OnePlus' 2020 flagship phone. Top of those two lineups for the respective brands you'll find the OnePlus 8 Pro and Find X2 Pro. So, the question is: just how similar are they and is the Oppo worth the extra money? 

OnePlus 8 Pro

Find X2 Pro vs. OnePlus 8 Pro: Design

  • OnePlus - 165.3 x 74.4 x 8.5mm 
  • Oppo - 165.2 x 74.4 x 8.8/9.5mm
  • OnePlus - 199g
  • Oppo - 217g or 200g 
  • OnePlus - glass and metal
  • Oppo - glass, metal and either ceramic or vegan leather
  • Both - IP68 water and dust resistant

Look at these two phones side by side, and it's clear they're cut from the same cloth. The physical dimensions are virtually the same when it comes to height and width. Holding them in the hand, it's clear that the Oppo is thicker, at least when comparing the vegan leather option to OnePlus' glass phone. 

Visually, from the back, the two phones are vastly different, so there's no way you'll easily confuse the two. OnePlus has launched its 8 Pro in a Glacial Green colour, which has a lovely frosted look to it, as well as a pure black glass. Oppo, on the other hand, has a vegan leather which not only looks great in orange, but feels fantastic in the hand. Then there's the black ceramic finish, which doesn't look quite the same as OnePlus' glass.

The camera placement on the back is different too. OnePlus likes symmetry and so puts its cameras in the middle, where Oppo has gone the more traditional smartphone route and stuck its cameras in the left corner.  

From the front, the two phones look almost identical. That's because, colours schemes aside, they pretty much are. The display is the same size, has the same curves, same bezels and the same hole-punch notch for the selfie camera. They do have a slightly different button layout though, with OnePlus offering an alert switch on the right. Plus, the volume rocker switch on the right is higher up than Oppo has placed the individual volume buttons on the Find X2 Pro. 

Oppo has also shaped its top and bottom edges differently to OnePlus, as well as the speaker grille holes and sim tray design. 

Another thing similar between these two phones: water proofing. The two manufacturers have built their flagship phones to be IP68 water and dust resistant. 

OnePlus vs Oppo: Display

  • Both - 6.78-inch AMOLED panels
  • Both - 1440 x 3168 resolution
  • Both - Hole punch camera
  • Both - Up to 120Hz refresh and HDR10+

If there's one part of the phone that's practically identical on these two phones, it's the display. Both have exactly the same size, shape and resolution panel with the same curves, same 120Hz maximum refresh rate and the same support for HDR10+. 

That 120Hz refresh means that whether you're scrolling up and down settings and menus in the OnePlus or the Oppo phone, you'll get a similarly smooth and snappy experience on both. 

Where we saw a little difference was in the way the screens were tuned. You can adjust colours, temperature and sharpness on both, but each does it in its own way. OnePlus gives you more fine-tuned control here, and we found Oppo's was a little cooler by default, but there's not a lot in it. We did find OnePlus' display a tiny bit harsher when it came to contrast too.

One thing we will say about Oppo, which is more of a software thing, is that its live wallpapers make more of that display than the ones loaded on OnePlus' device. They're more dynamic, and they stay active for as long as you're looking at the home screen. 

Hardware/Performance comparison

  • Both - Snapdragon 865 processor
  • OnePlus - either 8GB or 12GB RAM
  • Oppo - 12GB RAM standard
  • OnePlus - 128GB or 256GB storage
  • Oppo - 256GB or 512GB storage
  • OnePlus - 4,510mAh battery w/30W wired and wireless charging
  • Oppo - 4,260mAh battery w/ 65W wired charging

Internally, there are some subtle differences which can make quite a big difference between the two phones in daily performance. At least, when it comes to battery. 

Oppo and OnePlus went two different ways here. The OnePlus 8 Pro has the bigger battery of the two, and in daily use, you might just squeeze an hour or so more out of it than you would out of the Find X2 Pro. In truth, there's not a lot in it, and both phones will easily get you through a full working day, even when you're really busy. 

Refilling the batteries is another matter entirely. Oppo's latest Super VOOC 2.0 charging technology is astonishingly quick. It combines 65W power with effective heat dissipation, and a battery design that essentially splits that 4,260mAh into two individual cells that charge quickly. That means a full charge from 0-100 per cent in about half an hour. 

OnePlus 8 Pro's Warp Charge 30T is still quick at 30W, and gets you a 50 per cent charge in under 25 minutes. It does have another string to its bow, though: wireless charging. OnePlus has included 30W wireless charging, which is almost as fast as its wired charging, but does require OnePlus' proprietary charging stand which you need to buy separately. 

As for every day speed and performance, there's not a lot of difference between the two phones. They're both fast, and load apps and games quickly. They're based on the same processor, and both come with 12GB RAM options. Saying that, OnePlus does offer an 8GB RAM model too. Of the two, Oppo offers the most internal storage. 

Camera

  • OnePlus - 48MP primary camera
    • f/1.8, 25mm, 1/1.43" sensor
  • Oppo - 48MP primary camera
    • f/1.7, 25mm, 1/1.43" sensor
  • OnePlus - 48MP ultra-wide camera
    • f/2.2, 14mm, 116-degree
  • Oppo - 48MP ultra-wide camera
    • f/2.2, 17mm
  • OnePlus - 3x hybrid zoom 8MP telephoto 
  • Oppo - 5x optical 13MP periscope zoom
  • Selfie cameras - OnePlus 16MP, Oppo 32MP

Even in the camera department you'll find OnePlus using some of the same hardware as Oppo. Both devices use a 48MP sensor in their primary and ultra-wide cameras. There's a little difference in aperture between them, but again, they're very similar. 

Where the big difference crops in (pun not intended) is in the telephoto or zoom cameras. Oppo has used its periscope-like zoom which offers up to 5x optical zoom, while OnePlus says it has a 3x hybrid zoom. Oppo uses a higher resolution sensor too, and so offers better, sharper images than OnePlus when zoomed in. 

That's not all. Oppo's zoom camera, as well as being a longer focal length also has optical image stabilisation, to ensure you get a more stable shot. 

Video wise, they both shoot 4K video at up to 60 frames per second, and use a gyro-scope based eletronic stabilisation feature for smooth video. 

Short version: if you want the best camera between these two, that epic zoom on the Oppo might just push you towards the Find X2 Pro. 

Software: Oxygen OS vs ColorOS

  • OnePlus - Oxygen OS 10.5, Android 10
  • Oppo - ColorOS 7.1, Android 10

So here's one area where the two phones are quite drastically different: software. OnePlus has pretty much always used an interface that's really lightweight and bloat free, and is also highly customisable. You can change so many elements of the interface, and choose custom colours for your system accents among many other changes, all in the 'Customisation' settings screen. 

Oppo has a much heavier skin, with its own styling in the drop down settings  and even a Smart Assistant screen to the left of the home screen. 

Oppo Find X2 Pro

Price

  • OnePlus 8 Pro - starts at £799/$899/€899
  • Oppo Find X2 Pro - starts at £1099/$1199/€1199

Here's where you'll probably find the biggest difference between these two phones: price. OnePlus and Oppo's phones are some distance apart, with the 8 Pro coming in just under £800 in the UK and a little under $900 in the US. That's not cheap, but it's still considerably cheaper than the Oppo. 

Spending an extra £300 on the Oppo might seem to some to be a little unnecessary for a phone that's largely the same. 

Conclusion

Despite no longer being cheap and affordable, OnePlus' latest phone is still comfortably cheaper than its similarly specced competition. This year, you get the convenience of fast wireless charging thrown into the mix too. 

In our opinion, both phones stand well on their own. They're both great flagships, with premium design and high-end features. Deciding between them might just come down to having the better zoom camera, vegan leather and the faster charging on the Oppo. Or it might just come down to preferring OnePlus' cleaner software, having wireless charging or wanting to spend less money. 

If you're wanting the best bang for your buck, the OnePlus is the way to go. If you want a sublime phone with great hardware and a great camera system, Oppo is a great option too.