Don't buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, buy the Oppo Find X5 Pro instead

(Image credit: Oppo / Future)

published 24 November 2022

Price really dictates what's within your reach, especially when it comes to picking out one of the best new phones. Much as I love the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (I mean, c'mon, it was a T3 Award-winning handset this year), there's a big Black Friday deal bargain on the Oppo Find X5 Pro's asking price.

So if you're thinking "I want an S22 Ultra" then, well, this deal might well change your mind. Both Samsung and Oppo handsets are bona fide five-star products, no doubt about that, it's just that even last week a shiny new Oppo X5 Pro would cost you over a grand. Today that's dropped by 30%, bringing the asking price down to just £739.

I know, it might be hard to let go of your norm and shimmy over from Galaxy land to Oppo's world, but I don't think you'll regret it if you're letting your wallet lead the charge. The thing that really stands the Oppo apart from, well, everything for me is its design: the unique curved glass rear, which curves up to the camera enclosure, is unlike anything else you can buy today.

Thinking you'll miss out on the cameras if you go Oppo X5 Pro instead of Galaxy S22 Ultra? It depends how much you want zoom. The Samsung has a 3x zoom lens as its third camera, whereas the Oppo has a 2x zoom. If you're zoom-crazy then, okay, the Samsung may be your best match. Otherwise give the Oppo a good think-over.

So that's my pitch: don't default buy the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, consider the Oppo X5 Pro as a cheaper alternative instead. Or flip a coin, because I think both of these handsets are great flagships if you're looking for one of the best Android phones going and you'll be happy as Larry either way.

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Mike is T3's Tech Editor. He's been writing about consumer technology for 15 years and his beat covers phones – of which he's seen hundreds of handsets over the years – laptops, gaming, TV & audio, and more. There's little consumer tech he's not had a hand at trying, and with extensive commissioning and editing experience, he knows the industry inside out. As the former Reviews Editor at Pocket-lint for 10 years where he furthered his knowledge and expertise, whilst writing about literally thousands of products, he's also provided work for publications such as Wired, The Guardian, Metro, and more.