OPPO Find X8s: Challenging the Small-Screen Flagship Market Can it Achieve a Winning Streak?

OPPO Find X8s: Challenging the Small-Screen Flagship Market Can it Achieve a Winning Streak?The mobile phone industry is increasingly competitive, with new "global bests" and "industry firsts" emerging almost daily. With battery life and specifications no longer the primary pain points, and influenced by the standard versions of iPhone and Xiaomi's numbered series, small-screen flagship phones have carved out a niche in the large-screen dominated market

OPPO Find X8s: Challenging the Small-Screen Flagship Market Can it Achieve a Winning Streak?

The mobile phone industry is increasingly competitive, with new "global bests" and "industry firsts" emerging almost daily. With battery life and specifications no longer the primary pain points, and influenced by the standard versions of iPhone and Xiaomi's numbered series, small-screen flagship phones have carved out a niche in the large-screen dominated market. Since the second half of 2024, in addition to manufacturers already focusing on small-screen phones, brands like vivo and OPPO have quickly followed suit. Rumors even suggest that domestic brands like Honor and Huawei are preparing to develop 6.3-6.5-inch models. According to the digital blogger @DigitalChatStation, OPPO and OnePlus will release two flagship models with screen sizes around 6.3 inches in April, with OPPO officially naming its model "Find X8s." vivo will also further expand its influence in the small-screen phone market, with its mid-range S series also launching a smaller-screen model. The positive reception of ColorOS 15 has garnered considerable attention for OPPO, and the Find X8 series has had a successful launch this year. OPPO's upcoming small-screen flagship is attracting significant attention, with Zhou Yibo, the head of OPPO Find series products, frequently releasing information about the new Find series phones, successfully piquing the interest of netizens.

Lighter, Thinner, and Featuring the "World's Narrowest Bezels": OPPO Find X8s

Zhou Yibo revealed a significant piece of information for the Find X8s, the smallest screen size in the Find X series: he posted a front-on comparison image of the Find X8s and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, announcing the arrival of the "world's narrowest four-sided equal bezels." The bezel width of 1.xx mm has sparked much speculation among netizens. Currently, the Xiaomi 13, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and Samsung S25 Ultra are among the phones with the narrowest bezels, with bezel widths of 1.38 mm, 1.34 mm, and 1.32 mm respectively. Some netizens speculate that the Find X8s' bezel width is around 1.32 mm, to which Zhou Yibo responded: "Be bolder."

The final bezel width data awaits official release, but judging from the published image, the Find X8s' bezel performance can at least solidify its claim to the "world's narrowest bezels" title, even if it doesn't significantly surpass competitors. Zhou Yibo also revealed the "secret" behind the world's narrowest bezels a new generation of chip-level screen packaging technology. In the chip processing field, chip-scale packaging (CSP) is a high-precision packaging technology with higher integration, resulting in a size almost identical to the chip itself after packaging. Previously, Lei Technology also discussed LIPO (Low-Pressure Injection Molding) screen packaging technology, which optimizes the display driver chip and circuit layout, folding or hiding the screen driver chip behind the screen to further reduce the screen bezel width. Models like the Xiaomi 13 and earlier iPhone 15 (Pro/Pro Max) used LIPO packaging technology to compress screen bezel width.

While it's uncertain whether the Find X8s uses the same chip-level packaging process, it's speculated that OPPO may have further optimized the LIPO packaging process to achieve narrower bezels. OPPO claims to have invested "100 million yuan over three years" in developing this self-researched screen packaging technology. Regardless, from a marketing perspective and the actual photos, the effect of the extremely narrow bezels is noticeable. Before publication, Zhou Yibo released a more comprehensive front-on comparison image of the Find X8s. The small screen combined with extremely narrow bezels, plus a 7.7 mm body thickness and a weight of less than 187 g, suggests an excellent in-hand feel.

The concurrently released Find X8 Ultra will also feature top-tier extremely narrow screen bezels and be the first domestically produced Ultra imaging flagship with a straight screen design. It's clear that advanced packaging technology can make the front of the screen appear more "borderless," eliminating the need for curved screens to create the illusion of narrow bezels. The return of the straight-screen trend is also expected.

Putting aside the practicality of the extremely narrow bezels, the visually "borderless" design does enhance the sense of high-end and visual enjoyment for consumers. A flagship phone is not simply about being "good enough"; the "pleasing to the eye" aspect of design is also a value that flagship models must provide. The "narrowest bezels" is undoubtedly a plus point.

Advantages and Challenges of Small-Screen Flagships

Small-screen flagship phones undeniably hold significant appeal for online users, their biggest advantage being their lightweight and agile nature, offering enhanced one-handed operation. However, the extremely narrow bezels have sparked another discussion topic accidental touches. Some netizens believe that extremely narrow bezels should be a standard feature for flagship phones, while others express concerns about accidental touches. Their point is that small-screen phones are mostly used one-handed, making it inevitable for the thumb to touch parts of the screen, leading to accidental touches. The bezel serves as a "buffer" between the touchscreen and the thumb.

During the prevalence of curved screens, and in discussions about "borderless phones," similar arguments emerged. Curved screens incorporate a portion of the display and touch area, making accidental touches more likely. Phone manufacturers have long had countermeasures, such as disabling edge touch areas, and solutions combining touch chips and edge touch algorithms. Curved screens have been around for years; manufacturers have mature solutions for accidental touch issues. Extremely narrow bezels are a market demand; preventing accidental touches will not hinder the upward exploration of screen packaging technology.

However, extremely narrow bezels don't solve all problems. If the basic experience cannot match mainstream large-screen phones, small-screen flagships will struggle to stand out. While extremely narrow bezels are excellent, the core hardware configuration is what consumers care about most.

Looking at relevant discussion forums for the Find X8s, most netizens are discussing hardware configurations, such as camera pixels, processor performance, display quality, etc., rather than the screen bezels themselves. The Find X8s' hardware level is not weak. According to @DigitalChatStation, it will feature the latest MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ processor, an X-axis linear motor, a periscope telephoto lens, a 6000mAh battery (supporting 80W wired fast charging + 50W wireless fast charging), and a classic "Oreo" large circular design. Overall, its configuration surpasses already released small-screen flagships.

As a latecomer, the Find X8s can learn from already released competitors, but its relatively late release means it needs to compensate for the loss of first-mover advantage with stronger product capabilities, making the competition even fiercer.

OPPO's Four Flagship Lineup and Benchmarking Against iPhone 17

Half-generation upgrades can feel somewhat lackluster; most new products are likely to be optimized upgrades based on existing models. However, OPPO's actions in the first half of the year were significant. From a product planning perspective, OPPO may be hoping to adjust the Find series product lineup through half-generation upgrades, such as acknowledging the market potential of small-screen flagships and incorporating small-screen products into the standard version of the Find X series, forming a four-flagship lineup consisting of the Find X8s, Find X8s Plus, Find X8s Pro, and Find X8 Ultra. Its potential competitor might be Apple's updated product line this year.

Apple's iPhone 17 series is also making a strong showing this year, with significant changes to its design and potentially high refresh rate screens across the board, along with an ultra-thin and light large-screen Air version. Additionally, the Find X8s will have a "sister model" with the same extremely narrow bezel straight screen, equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and a dual-camera setup, aiming for the "there's one for everyone" approach. These two new phones will bear the responsibility of vying for dominance in the small-screen flagship market, and the challenges are considerable.

Future Trends for Small-Screen Flagships

Small-screen flagships are undoubtedly a key focus in the mobile phone industry in 2025, and even more trends are emerging, such as the democratization of small-screen phones. vivo's upcoming S series will also launch a small-screen version, and Motorola's S50 will also be launched in the 1900-2500 yuan price range.

With high market attention and intense netizen discussions, the OPPO Find X8s has gained considerable exposure in the early stages, but this also means that expectations are higher. Pricing, product strength, and differentiation points will all be focal points for the market. The "world's narrowest bezels" are certainly beneficial for marketing and a plus point for the Find X8s. In such a fiercely competitive mobile phone market, consumers' expectations and "thresholds" for surprises from new phones will be very high; they may not be satisfied with just the narrowest bezels and will expect more.