The Find X10 Pro Max is a fantastic smartphone that’s easy to love.
It continues the strong streak started by last year’s Find X9 Pro, this time with an even bigger 8000mAh battery (at least in some regions), next-gen Dimensity power and a triple 200MP rear camera setup – the first smartphone to offer such a high-resolution trio.
It’s a phone that I’ve enjoyed using as my everyday phone for the past month. The display is big and bright with those ultra-thin 1.1mm bezels that make everything look and feel premium, and combined with an easy two-day battery life, long gaming sessions are truly enjoyable.
It goes without saying that it’s a damn capable phone in the camera department as well. Those 200MP sensors deliver consistently excellent shots, along with Hasselblad tuning and an updated Master Mode that removes much of the artificial processing seen in nearly every other smartphone camera on the market, offering much more natural results.
I still think that despite Oppo apparently taking elements of iOS 27 (Liquid Glass, hello!) to incorporate into ColorOS 17, it’s still one of the better Android skins out there. It’s highly customizable without too much bloatware, works well with AirDrop-enabled iPhones, and offers solid connectivity between Windows and Mac devices.
So it’s a well-rounded smartphone, ready to really challenge high-end Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Google Pixel 11 Pro XL – well, it would be if it wasn’t so damn expensive.
The Find X10 Pro Max is more expensive than I expected
There is no getting around it; Find X10 Pro Max is an expensive smartphone – one of the the the most expensive non-folding phones, in fact, with a price tag of £1,499.
Admittedly, Oppo offers 512GB of storage as standard with the X10 Pro Max to try to justify that higher price – but that’s no different to what it did with last year’s Find X9 Pro, a phone that cost £1,099 – £400 less than this year.
I suspect Oppo will be happy to point out that it isn’t direct sequel – last year was Pro, this year there’s Pro Max – but we all know this is Pro in everything but branding.
One of Trusted’s contributors, Luke Baker, made a good point about this on TikTok a few weeks ago.
I’m paraphrasing here and it applies watching his video about itbut he basically predicted that many phone manufacturers will produce new Pro Max-branded phones in the coming year because they will be more expensive. But with no previous Pro Max available for comparison, manufacturers can argue that these are indeed different tiers of phones and that the prices aren’t directly comparable.
It is an argument that could it makes sense for Oppo to have a Find X10 Pro – but it doesn’t. That’s just the X10 and X10 Pro Max. Again, it’s a Pro in all but name.
That price also completely messes up Oppo’s broader portfolio; The Pro/Pro Max isn’t as high-end as the Ultra model, but the X9 Ultra – a phone that’s only six months old and offers a better camera setup than the 10 Pro Max – costs £50 less at RRP, £1449. And that’s only when you go directly through Oppo; the phone can be found cheaper at other retailers.
Why spend more on the Pro Max when the Ultra costs less, even at RRP?
Could it be the first of many?
This might seem like a shocking price jump – and don’t get me wrong, it is – but it might just be bad timing, as Oppo will take the brunt of what’s likely to be a wave of ultra-expensive flagships for 2027. Someone has to be first, right?
This is what my intuition, and more recently rumors, say. Take the Samsung Galaxy S27 collection as a prime example. It’s due out sometime in early 2027, and rumors suggest the new Galaxy S27 Pro — which will replace the S26 Plus with specs closer to the Ultra — will cost the same as last year’s $1,299 S26 Ultra.
The S27 Ultra, on the other hand, could get a price hike to around $1399/$1499 according to the latest internet rumours, bringing it on par with the Oppo Find X10 Pro Max. That’s a potential $200 year-over-year jump in US pricing – and rumors don’t point to a complete overhaul of Samsung’s Ultra hardware to justify such a jump in asking price.
And while pricing hasn’t leaked yet, the fact that Honor has the Honor Magic 9 Pro Max out this year suggests it will follow suit when it inevitably launches in the UK in the next few months. Phones will be available soon very expensive, people.
The old prices probably won’t return for some time
Of course, as we all know, it mostly boils down to AI and data centers using RAM and storage, and more component makers are turning to more lucrative AI-focused RAM and storage over consumer-focused technology like that used in phones. This creates a shortage, which in turn raises prices.
An argument could be made to just skip upgrading your phone in 2027 to avoid these crazy price hikes – and I’d usually agree. But not this time.
The problem is that there isn’t really an answer to the RAM/storage imbalance – at least not in the short term. Foundries require time and effort many of money that will still be built and put on the Internet.
Most believe it will not miraculously improve until 2028, instead suggesting it could continue until 2030. Several, including LenovoI even think this will be the ‘new normal’ for component prices.
With that in mind, waiting isn’t a very good idea.
In essence, 2027 will be filled with very, very expensive technology, and the jury is out on whether we’ll ever return to the relatively affordable prices of a year or two ago, so enjoy the current prices while you still can.
