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Monitoring call times, optimizing agent schedules, timely analytics, not to mention the ability to view the entire customer journey in real and historic-time, ensuring agents have the on-demand resources and data to deal with complex customer requests – the benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in customer service are huge and still only in part realized.

The value of AI is not in replacing jobs, but in doing the jobs that enhance the ears, the eyes, and the ‘voice’ of the contact center – their agents, so that both can, put simply, do their job of looking after the customer so much better. He explains how to find your way through the AI hype to the four areas where AI will bring contact centers and employees most value.

A recent Deloitte study “2024 Global Contact Center Survey” finds that service innovators are over performing and setting a new gold standard – 1.6x in meeting strategic goals, 4.6x in improving customer satisfaction and 2.5x in employee satisfaction. The report identifies service innovators as those that invest in the use of AI and analytics as key drivers.

Using AI in the contact center can contribute massively to quality management and take away the laborious activities associated with quality management when reviewed by a human For example, AI can track whether the call went according to all rules, regulations, and company policies, it can monitor whether the tone of voice was correct, and it can determine if customer details, financial or not, have been stored correctly and safely. It can of course do all this at a much quicker rate than humans, and aids the better management of day-to-day operations.

But there’s even more potential to leverage AI - aggregating and analyzing key contact center data points – then integrating these insights into a real-time dashboard to automatically alert contact center supervisors of any exceptional activity. The potential goes on.

So you need to get on to the AI bus, but how do you find your way through the AI hype?

There are four key areas where AI is seriously improving customer contact enablement in the contact center:

1. Text channels with an AI boost keep flexibility at the core

Regardless of the number of agents operating in a contact center, AI can be a useful tool in the condensing and analysis of large amounts of data. If you think AI will be used to replace humans, read on. New research suggests that 70% of contact center managers believe AI will mean there will be more agents in the next 10 years, not fewer – and their roles are likely to evolve. Here’s how.

The use and need of AI can vary from business to business, so it’s important that a comprehensive contact center solution keeps flexibility at the heart of operations. Integrating AI into text channels, i.e., emails, SMS, web chat, and other social channels needs varying levels of flexibility. For example, does a customer wish to use AI-assist for email enquiries? Or would they simply prefer an automated email process?

AI is capable of answering simple questions. A customer query into business opening times would not warrant a human agent response, in fact, it would simply be a waste of agent time and resources. Instead, AI could answer this quickly and efficiently, leaving human agents to deal with more complex enquiries

But the human element remains. The age of personalization is not dead, and its with these more complex queries that human interaction still has a strong hold over the customer journey. Here, AI uses customer data to inform next actions dependent on the individual customer. It can route customer queries to the right person, and provide assistance for these requests – think suggested responses, summarized data, previous call history.

It all contributes to a better customer experience and employee experience. When agents are better equipped to deal with these queries, they are empowered, their efficiency is increased, and confidence and trust is instilled and builds for both customers and employees.

…and it speaks any language!

Transcription and translation services within AI make global communication easier. Even if the agent and the customer are speaking different languages, AI integrated into these text channels can help them communicate in a preferred language. The benefits are clear to see, particularly for countries with multiple languages - Belgium, as an example, has four languages!

2. The ears and eyes of the contact center: AI call routing improves CX and EX

Directing a customer query to the right place and person might sound like standard practice, but it’s a critical element of a great customer journey. Customers always demand a quick and easy resolution. It’s where a comprehensive recording helps. Call recording is not new, but the process can be made even better with the use of AI. AI will listen to the call in progress and provide summaries to the agent, and suggestive answers. It’s there to help employees and ensure they have correct tools, answers, and data to be efficient.

Using AI, the purpose of the call can be quickly analyzed. Whether it’s to ensure that previous correspondence is considered – perhaps a customer sent an email a while back, this will be added to their record – or that the reason for call is directed to the right department in the contact center. It’s important that the right agent has the means to deal with the query on the end of the call.

It’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it.

Going a step further, AI also provides semantic recognition to monitor the tone of the call – it examines the conversation for specific words or the general sentiment or mood of the customer, such as whether they’re slightly angry, very disappointed or even laughing, for example. Sentiment analysis is used by the system to proactively analyze cases and provide agents with suggestions for how to resolve issues quickly and effectively, to ensure the customer journey is pleasant right the way through. It all aids better, more effective training.

Not only this, sentiment analysis can also send alerts directly to a supervisor for the chance to intervene or be used in future training exercises to improve employee workflows. It can work across screens, social media, and webchat, in fact, it will operate on whatever channel agents and customers are using, to support additional training and an agent’s ability to solve the issue.

3. Historical and real-time reporting: Knowledge of the past enables you to deal with the future

Reporting provides visibility into processes and events that might not be visible on quick inspection – something that is especially important in the virtual contact center where service and operations are spread out over remote locations.

When it comes to day-to-day operations, reporting within the contact center can be hugely beneficial when integrated with the use of AI in three particular areas: wasted time is reduced by ensuring human agents are focused on the jobs that matter most, human agents and distractions are monitored and assessed on how to be minimized, and the length of calls and busy peak times are reduced, as contact centers can ensure they have enough staff on during busy periods, with a focus on how calls can be more efficient.

In order to maximize the value in their data, contact centers need two types of reporting: Historical reporting and Real-time insights. Both are vital to laser in on key pain points in the customer journey and address them with precision.

4. A safe place: Keeping data secure with Microsoft Azure AI

After all this, the importance of security can’t go unnoticed. Gen-AI requires access to a large data set, and in a contact center setting this can be personal customer data that must be kept safe. If you’re storing customer data, then it’s a given that you need a secure technology stack that keeps this information private.

For example, a solution natively integrated with Microsoft Teams means the entire tech stack, including AI models, is Microsoft based. Therefore, all data is stored in Azure Open AI, and therefore all data is always kept in the tenant customer. Risk and safety monitoring, safety evaluations, prompt shields, safety system messages are just a handful of the new features coming to Microsoft Azure AI to help keep businesses safe. Take a cyberattack as an example. If a cyberattack meets certain criteria defined by the security team, AI can automate the response and isolate the affected assets. Generative AI takes this one step further by producing original natural language text, images, and other content based on patterns in existing data.

Keeping customers secure is a top priority for Microsoft, which is why the company invests $1 billion every year into security, which includes protecting the Azure infrastructure. It also employs 3,500 cybersecurity experts, including 200 who continually look for weaknesses. When it comes to how the technology works, data sent within the Azure environment is automatically encrypted by AI. Then, automated smart traffic monitoring and profiling makes it easier to detect and deflect threats as the system knows when something looks out of the ordinary.

The triple boost from AI: enhancing EX, CX, and contact center operations!

The power of AI when used correctly in the contact center can be felt along the entire contact center chain. It begins with well-trained, empowered employees that are equipped with the tools and data to perform at an exceedingly high level. They are able to answer customer queries quickly, and correctly, in whatever language the customer speaks!

Contact center operations are optimized, whether it be for the length of calls and monitoring for peak times, contact centers can use AI to reduce wait times and ensure more staff are working in busy periods. Effective reporting software gives employees access to historical information and real-time insights to assess the severity of queries. Not to mention that all their data and personal information is kept safe!

And finally, it all contributes to a better customer experience – whether it be a quick resolution, first time fixes, short wait times, or a call directed to the correct department – it all falls under the CX umbrella.

Remember, AI does the jobs better that are too time consuming for humans to do, leaving humans to do the jobs that they are good at better – customer service.

We've featured the best CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service) provider.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

• OpenAI could be mulling the idea of making a browser, but it’s early days
• The browser would pack ChatGPT, but we have precious few details yet
• OpenAI has recruited some key staff involved in the making of Chrome

OpenAI appears to be gunning for another key aspect of Google’s business, with apparent plans to build a web browser to rival Chrome.

You’ll get no points for guessing that OpenAI’s creation would, naturally enough, be a heavily AI-infused take on a browser client. According to a report from The Information, OpenAI is considering the development of a web browser that would be combined with ChatGPT.

Exactly what that browser might look like, we don’t yet know, and judging from what’s in the report, this is still in the early stages – and very much a ‘might happen’ or ‘might not’ possibility at this point.

However, even though the report makes it clear that OpenAI isn’t “remotely close” to launching a browser yet, things are happening in the background which amount to enough evidence that OpenAI is taking this potential product launch seriously.

For starters, The Information has learned that OpenAI has hired two staff members who were ‘instrumental’ in making Chrome for Google, namely Ben Goodger and Darin Fisher.

The report also claims that alongside mulling its browser, OpenAI has been talking to multiple companies, or has even struck deals with some, to “power search features for travel, food, real estate and retail websites.” That’s the word from people who’ve seen prototypes or designs related to this work, and we’re told OpenAI has spoken to a number of companies about these search products, including Conde Nast, Redfin, Eventbrite and Priceline.

On top of that, there’s a further contention that OpenAI has been in discussions with Samsung about bringing its AI features to Galaxy smartphones – and muscling out Google there, which has a deal with Samsung to drive some AI features with its Gemini AI (though Samsung has its own AI concoction in the form of Bixby, too).

Analysis: Towering ambitions

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Ascannio)

Is OpenAI going for Google’s throat, then? Well, it very much looks that way given this latest info dump, and previous moves, such as OpenAI launching SearchGPT, a rival search engine product put into testing earlier this year (with the expectation that it’ll be fully realized in ChatGPT before the year is out).

The Information also underlines how OpenAI is pushing its ‘Natural Language Web’ to power conversational search features on websites (or apps) to radically change the way a person interacts with a site – talking to it, rather than navigating the website.

Okay, so much of this is still under discussion, and in the form of plans rumbling along in the background that may, or may not, happen – particularly the browser, which sounds really airy. We’re not given any details at all as to how this AI-led browser might work.

If a browser is coming, development would be a very long haul yet, of course – it’s a huge undertaking to get a software client like this right. But even if this ends up just being theorizing and mulling, it clearly shows the intent, and extent of the well-financed ambition, that’s buzzing behind the doors of OpenAI.

Certainly, Google is aware of the dangers here, and the report mentions that the company is preparing for the possibility of having to compete with OpenAI to power AI features for Samsung phones, according to a source with knowledge of what’s going on behind the scenes right now.

Meanwhile, according to the rumor mill, Google is hard at work trying to make Gemini more closely mimic a human’s ability to reason in ChatGPT fashion.

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Like many of you, I’ve had phone calls from scammers. They’re usually very easy to spot, even before I pick up the phone – invariably they are from an unknown mobile number, something a legitimate organization would never use. The caller then goes on to explain that they are calling from my phone provider – clearly a list of phone numbers associated with particular phone companies has been leaked at some point.

Despite their sophistication, I can get these scammers to hang up with five simple words: “who are you calling for?” They may have my number, but they don’t have my name or indeed any other personal details, so asking them who they are calling for, and repeating the question when they inevitably try to evade it, always causes them to hang up in a panic. I could, of course, end the call myself, or not take the call, but there is a small degree of satisfaction in letting criminals who exploit the most vulnerable people in our society know that they can be undone in only five words.

While typical scams can be easy to thwart, new fraud tactics are emerging every day and can fool the wariest of consumers. Even people who are well-informed can fall for what seem to outsiders to be pretty obvious scams all the time: you may recall a finance advice columnist being persuaded to hand over $50,000 dollars in cash in a shoe box to a scam caller claiming to be from the CIA. The demographic most likely to fall for scams isn’t the elderly, but digital natives under 25s.

Why is APP Fraud so prevalent?

The most common form of fraud by far is authorized push payment (APP) fraud. The definition is simple, but the ways in which it can be carried out are widely varied: at its most basic level, APP fraud is any fraud that makes use of the APP technology. Those of you who use banking apps will be familiar with the ability to send payments to friends or businesses through the app, and the multiple layers of warnings that you may be sending money to a scammer. You can also send push payments by calling a bank’s customer service line or in a branch, though these are less common, and fraudsters will try to steer you away from these solutions since bank employees are trained to look for evidence of scams.

The scale of the problem is staggering. In 2023 alone, £1.17 billion was stolen through various forms of fraud, and while APP losses decreased by 5%, the total number of APP cases rose by 12%​. Despite major efforts by banks to mitigate these losses—deploying increasingly sophisticated technology, partnering with law enforcement, and rolling out public awareness campaigns—criminals continue to evolve. In fact, 76% of APP fraud originated online, with an additional 16% coming from telecommunications​.

While financial institutions bear the brunt of combatting fraud through proactive measures, consumers are still being tricked into sending money to fraudsters. Even with layers of alerts, prompts, and security measures, scams continue to succeed, primarily because through generative AI and machine-learning tools, criminals have become expert manipulators. They exploit consumers' trust in legitimate platforms, making it harder to detect fraud until it's too late.

The hard truth about APP Fraud

So, what is the missing link? The answer is, unfortunately, consumers. No amount of regulation, no reimbursement policy, or sophisticated technology can fully replace the vigilance and awareness required at the consumer level. Banks can prevent unauthorized fraud—where payments are made without a customer’s consent—more effectively than APP fraud, where the customer themselves authorizes the transaction, albeit under false pretenses. In unauthorized fraud cases, banks are able to recover or prevent the loss of money in 64% of incidents​. APP fraud, by contrast, often sees a much lower rate of recovery, as criminals are adept at moving money quickly once they’ve gained access to an account.

APP scams often involve highly believable social engineering techniques. Fraudsters impersonate legitimate organizations such as banks, government departments, or even utility companies. In other instances, they exploit emotional vulnerabilities, like in romance scams, where victims are convinced they’re in a genuine relationship. These types of fraud play out over long periods of time, sometimes involving up to ten separate payments per case​. With such a personal touch, it’s easy to see how these scams bypass even the most robust security measures.

The financial industry has certainly stepped up, but the hard truth remains: criminals will always adapt to the latest technological advancements, meaning the fraud landscape will continue to evolve. The focus, therefore, must also shift towards empowering consumers with the skills they need to recognize fraud before it happens.

Consider the generational gap in fraud susceptibility. You might expect older adults, who are often seen as less tech-savvy, to be most at risk. Yet under-25s are statistically more likely to fall victim to online scams. This isn’t due to a lack of familiarity with technology; quite the opposite. Young adults, comfortable with digital environments, tend to be more trusting of online interactions​. They are also the demographic most likely to engage in behaviors that make them vulnerable to fraud, such as using insecure platforms for transactions or being lured by ‘too good to be true’ deals on social media.

Fighting APP fraud starts with consumers

To truly combat APP fraud, consumers need to develop a healthy level of scepticism when it comes to their digital interactions. Trusting that a bank’s warnings or anti-fraud systems will always intervene is misguided. Instead, consumers must be educated to recognize warning signs for themselves, as knowing which questions to ask could save them from falling victim to APP fraud.

Banks and fintech companies can continue to implement top-tier fraud prevention systems, and they should, but there will always be an inherent limitation to what those systems can achieve. Criminals are, by nature, opportunistic and constantly on the lookout for weak links. Unfortunately, the weakest link remains human psychology. To stop APP fraud, we must first get smart.

While the banking industry has undoubtedly made strides in combating APP fraud, it cannot be solely responsible for eliminating it. True fraud prevention will only occur when consumers become more informed, cautious, and empowered to question the legitimacy of their transactions. This is not just a financial challenge; it’s a societal one. And it’s only by working together that we can hope to turn the tide.

We've featured the best identity theft protection.

This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro

The penultimate weekend of November 2024 is upon us and, while the US' Thanksgiving celebrations are still a week away, the world's best streaming services have served up a delicious feast of new movies and shows to enjoy over the next few days.

There have been so many new films and series released this week that my colleagues and I have struggled to whittle down this list to just seven entries, too. Indeed, whether it's HBO's new crime thriller Get Millie Black or two other new Netflix movies in Joy and The Piano Lesson, we just couldn't fit everything into this week's streaming recommendations guide.

But enough chatter! Grab some snacks and settle in for a session or three in front of the TV after a long week. Enjoy! - Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

Arcane season 2 act 3 (Netflix)

Have you got your tissues handy? You'll need them, because the final three episodes of Arcane season 2 will likely break our hearts. With Arcane's second season bringing the award-winning animated series to a close, too, there'll be no more chapters to enjoy after they're released on Netflix tomorrow (Saturday, November 23).

Nevertheless, even though I know it'll be a bittersweet end to one of the best Netflix shows ever made, I plan to enjoy Arcane's last hurrah as much as I can. I haven't watched act 3 ahead of time, either, so I'll be tuning in with the rest of you to see every jaw-dropping moment as they play out. Before you stream them, read my Arcane season 2 act 2 ending explained piece to remind yourself what happened last time out. Then, take a deep breath – you'll need to! – and hit play. See you on the other side, everyone.

Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter

• Watch Arcane season 2 act 3 on Netflix

Blitz (Apple TV Plus)

A highly-anticipated historical war drama by Steve McQueen, Blitz is one of four new Apple TV Plus movies and shows we're excited to stream in November. Set in London during World War II, nine-year-old George (Elliot Heffernan) is evacuated to the countryside by his mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) to escape the Blitz. Determined to return to his mother, George embarks on a perilous journey back home as Rita goes on a desperate search to find him.

There's no doubt that Apple TV Plus is home to an array of high quality content – I mean, it was crowned TechRadar's Streaming Service of the Year for this very reason. Some of its best Apple TV Plus movies have attracted an array of A-list actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, and Tom Hanks. Now, Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan is set to put on another astounding performance in the period drama Blitz. I'm getting the tissues ready!

Grace Morris, entertainment writer

• Watch Blitz on Apple TV Plus

Spellbound (Netflix)

One of November's many new Netflix movies Spellbound follows Princess Ellian (Rachel Zegler), the young princes of Lumbria who goes on a quest to save her family after a spell transforms her parents into monsters.

Ahead of my press screening (keep an eye out for my full review this weekend), I was expecting it to be your average children's animated fantasy. However, I left feeling surprisingly emotional at the film's moving message that many families will appreciate. Indeed, Spellbound, which may have enough about it to join our best Netflix movies, is a heart-warming and magical adventure set in a vivid world that's perfect for all the family. Oh, and there's some catchy songs to get you dancing!

Grace Morris, entertainment writer

• Watch Spellbound on Netflix

Cruel Intentions (Prime Video)

When it comes to '90s teen dramas, Cruel Intentions was one of the biggest movies of the time. Its story of bored, scheming step siblings (Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe) at an elite school who try to seduce a new student (Reese Witherspoon) as part of a twisted bet is not something you'd expect to be remade into a TV show nowadays, but Amazon has done exactly that.

Not many were thrilled by the idea of a Cruel Intentions TV remake, so it's probably not surprising that the new series has a Rotten Tomatoes score of just 22% since it landed on Prime Video. While it won't make the cut for one of the best Prime Video shows, the original movie is available for free on Amazon Freevee in the US, plus Prime Video in the UK and Australia. It might not have a great critical rating either, but it does have an incredible soundtrack.

Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor

• Watch Cruel Intentions on Prime Video

The Sex Lives of College Girls season 3 (Max)

If you're looking for more elite student college drama, then season 3 of The Sex Lives of College Girls, which was part of everything new on Max in November.article, is out now, too. The first episode of the returning comedy series debuted on Max on Thursday (November 21), and new episodes will air weekly from then on until January 23, 2025.

For those unfamiliar with its premise: this teen series follows roommates Whitney (Alyah Chanelle Scott), Bela (Amrit Kaur), Kimberly (Pauline Chalamet) and Leighton (Reneé Rapp) studying at the fictional Essex College. It's been a hit with audiences and critics alike, and has 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it one of the best Max shows.

Amelia Schwanke, senior entertainment editor

• Watch The Sex Lives of College Girls season 3 on Max (US only)

Making Manson (Peacock)

There's always a great deal of intrigue when a new true crime documentary airs. Recently, Netflix has led the charge with movies like Woman of the Hour and the latest in Ryan Murphy's Monsters franchise. If you're in the mood for something similar, then, Peacock is bringing us up close and personal to one of America's most notorious killers: Charles Manson.

This docuseries is described as "offering unfiltered insights into America's most notorious killer, Charles Manson. Through 20 years' worth of never-before-aired conversations, those closest to the case have their views challenged". So, it should be a very interesting watch, featuring clips of the man himself and those who knew him. If you prefer your crime fictionalized, though, I highly recommend Peacock's horror series Hysteria!.

Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Making Manson on Peacock (US only)

Alien: Romulus (Hulu)

Alien: Romulus has made its official streaming debut! Well, on Hulu, anyway – if you were too scared to see it in the theater, then, not to worry, because in your living room no one can hear you scream from behind your cushion. As I suggested, it's bittersweet news, though, because the latest Alien film doesn't have a Disney Plus release date yet. Fans in other territories will have to wait a little longer for an at-home release, then. But hey, at least the sci-fi horror franchise's first TV show, aka Alien: Earth, is set to simultaneously land on Hulu and Disney Plus in mid-2025.

Those of you in the US are in for a treat, however, as Alien: Romulus is one of my favorite entries in the franchise. In my opinion, it's just as good as Aliens, and people on Rotten Tomatoes are inclined to agree, given its glowing 80% rating.

If you are in the mood for a good scare and you're not in the US, you can check out 7 sci-fi horror movies on Hulu, Prime Video, and more for some eerie, out of this world entertainment.

Lucy Buglass, senior entertainment writer

• Watch Alien: Romulus on Hulu (US only)

For more streaming recommendations, read our guides on the best Disney Plus shows, best Hulu shows, best Paramount Plus movies, and best Max movies.

The not-a-Twitter-clone is exploding, and its CEO promises to not repeat old social-media mistakes. Her strategy? Massively empower users to decide how the service works.

Black Friday deals on smart tech from Meta don't come around too often, now you can pick up the smart glasses for as low as $239.

For those who can't get enough of Minecraft, this massively discounted mini fridge is the best $30 you'll spend this Black Friday.

Oppo Find X8 Pro: Two-minute review

The Oppo Find X8 Pro is built on truly excellent hardware. It sports a sleek premium design, a luxurious 6.78-inch display, and the best mobile camera system I’ve ever used. Its snappy performance and innovative UI animations also make it one of the smoothest-feeling phones on the market, and this combination of great hardware and slick software is reflected in the Find X8 Pro's high (but arguably competitive) retail price.

However, the Find X8 Pro has clearly taken one or two (or ten) design cues from the iPhone 16 Pro, and at several points during this review, I found myself asking how much originality counts for. In many ways, the Find X8 Pro blazes past its inspiration, with smoother software, more powerful cameras, and – to my eye – a more interesting design. But Oppo can only take so much credit for a phone so substantially built on another phone maker’s ideas.

Philosophizing aside, the Oppo Find X8 Pro is full to the brim with impressive tech. Its display is sharp, colorful, and immersive, and at 6.78 inches is about as large as I’d want a phone screen to get. The back of the phone is where the real magic happens, though – the quad-camera system on the Oppo Find X8 Pro is truly class-leading, with four 50MP snappers at various levels of optical magnification.

Internally, the phone is just as solid, with a MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chipset and 16GB of RAM. The Find X8 Pro handled everything I threw at it with aplomb. I felt like I was gliding through the ColorOS 15 Android wrapper in day-to-day tasks, and no game or app seemed to vex the system at all. This software experience is unfortunately marred by a large amount of bloatware.

Overall, whether the Find X8 Pro is for you comes down to how much you care about originality. People who want an iPhone will always get an iPhone, and because of that, I'm drawn to the idea that Oppo isn't so much chasing Apple customers as it is interpreting Apple features, which might even be a boost for those who prefer Android to iOS. However you feel about that debate, though, this is a great Android phone loaded with top-flight features; with a specs sheet like this, perhaps an identity crisis is forgivable.

@techradar

♬ original sound - TechRadar Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Price and availability

• Costs £1,049, available in one configuration
• Not available in the US

The Oppo Find X8 Pro costs £1,049 in the UK. It comes in two colors – Pearl White or Space Black – and ships with a non-configurable 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM. As with all Oppo phones, it's very unlikely that the Find X8 Pro will launch in the US, though the upcoming OnePlus 13 could offer similar (if not identical) specs.

At this price, the Oppo Find X8 Pro is directly challenging premium flagships like the iPhone 16 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, both of which start at £999. Matching these established brands on price is a bold move from Oppo – Chinese manufacturers have traditionally sought to undercut Western competitors on price to compensate for weaker reputation. The Find X8 Pro is full of premium hardware, however, so the value is definitely there.

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Specs Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Design

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

• Comes in two colors – Pearl White and Space Black
• Rounded frame with new Quick Button – a shutter button for the camera app
• Rounded quad-camera housing

The Oppo Find X8 Pro is a strikingly beautiful device. The unit I tested came in Pearl White, which casts a unique pearlescent pattern on each individual handset (there's also a muted Space Black option). It’s subtle in all but the most direct light, which for me strikes the perfect balance between understated and fascinating. Both color options are rated at both IP68 and IP69 for water resistance against both immersion and jets.

The Find X8 Pro is otherwise simple-looking, but keeps things feeling premium with well-chosen materials and attention to detail. The phone is weighty, at 215 grams, but doesn’t feel overly heavy. The camera housing on the Pearl White model is made of polished metal, rather than the glass found on premium OnePlus models, and I have to say, I’m a fan. It gives an industrial contrast to the artsy rear cover and everything on the rear panel a pleasant muted sheen.

The front panel hosts a 6.78-inch screen, curved slightly on each edge. The selfie camera is a reasonably inconspicuous punch-hole design that serves as the midpoint of the software-only Dynamic Cloud – which is, as it sounds, very similar in form and function to Apple’s Dynamic Island.

Ergonomically, the Find X8 finds a nice balance between the ultra-thin curved phones of five or so years ago and the blocky flagships of today. It feels great to hold, but is a little slippery. The phone also seems plenty durable, with weighty buttons and aluminum rails, and comes with a screen protector pre-installed.

On the topic of buttons, the new Quick Button can be found on the lower right-hand side of the frame. The Quick Button is a camera button in all but name, and currently only supports functions and shortcuts directly related to the camera. It’s a nice addition to have and sits flatter than the iPhone’s Camera Control, feeling overall less obtrusive as a result.

Design score: 4 / 5

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Display

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

• 1264 x 2780 resolution (19.8:9 aspect ratio)
• 120Hz refresh rate
• Ludicrous peak brightness of 4500 nits

The display on the Oppo Find X8 Pro is a sharp 1264 x 2780 panel with a 120Hz refresh rate that works in tandem with Oppo’s new animation technology to offer a truly fluid experience. At 6.78 inches, this is as large as I’d want a phone screen to be, and this size lends itself to dual senses of openness and immersion.

The display on the Find X8 Pro isn’t the highest resolution on the market, but it’s certainly enough to make images and video look razor-sharp. There’s plenty of color, and though I’ve definitely seen panels with richer contrast, the Find X8 is well beyond serviceable. The large size and overall sharpness of this panel lends itself well to all types of games, from the landscape shoot-em-up Call of Duty Mobile to charming vertical RPGs like Mousebusters.

The Find X8 Pro’s screen can reach a respectable 800 nits of brightness in typical use, with an absolute maximum of 4500 nits. That is ludicrously bright and far past the realm of actual usefulness. I found the phone to be reasonably bright in normal use, though colors can appear slightly blown out at the higher end of the brightness slider. I never found myself struggling to read the display outside, though the auto-brightness can sometimes make the screen a little too dim indoors.

Display score: 4 / 5

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Software

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

• Android 15 with ColorOS 15
• Unacceptable amount of bloatware
• Google Gemini-powered AI

ColorOS 15 is one of the smoothest experiences I’ve had with a smartphone operating system, neck-and-neck with OxygenOS 15 – which adds up, considering they’re basically the same thing. AI is provided courtesy of Google Gemini, with support for Circle to Search, writing tools, document summarization, voice memo transcription, and photo editing tools.

Oppo has imbued ColorOS with some of the highest quality animations I've ever seen on a mobile OS. This translates into exceptionally smooth navigation, and in combination with Oppo’s other fantastic UI animations, depth of field effects, and other visual tricks, gives the operating system a playful sense of elasticity and responsiveness I’ve seen nowhere else in the smartphone market, bar maybe the iPhone.

That leads us to an unavoidable fact about ColorOS 15 – the liberal inspiration it's taken from iOS. Everything from the default wallpapers to the way the date and time sit on the lock screen to the layout of the settings app feels like an echo of the iPhone. The Dynamic Cloud, while useful, is barely distinct from the iPhone's Dynamic Island, and the Quick Settings tab is almost a one-for-one recreation of the iOS 18 control center. Oppo is clearly well-versed in making fantastic software that runs like it's being chased, but it’d be nice to see more of the company’s own personality come through.

Another unfortunate mark on an otherwise exceptionally fast software experience is the absolutely unacceptable amount of bloatware the phone ships with; a ridiculous inclusion on a device of this price that regrettably tarnished my first impressions of the phone. I also couldn't get Google Wallet to enable contactless payments – unrelated, but important.

Software score: 3 / 5

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Cameras

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

• 50MP wide camera
• 50MP ultra-wide camera
• 50MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom
• 50MP telephoto with 6x optical zoom

The camera system on the Oppo Find X8 Pro is absolutely superb. This is a robust, flexible, and staggeringly powerful camera setup that excels in most situations, particularly with its optical zoom and night photography. While there are a wealth of modes, features, and shooting options built into the Find X8’s camera app, the phone is truly brilliant at offering a fast and reliable point and shoot experience – I never had to consciously consider choosing night mode, or portrait mode, as the default photo tab worked so well. The new Quick Button – a shutter button in all but name – elevates this phone to something closer to a traditional digital camera, and the hardware is certainly there.

Each of the four cameras affixed to the Oppo Find X8 Pro has a 50MP sensor, ensuring consistent quality across its wide optical zoom range. You get an ultra-wide camera, main wide camera, 3x telephoto, and 6x telephoto. All of these cameras feel like powerful tools rather than tacked-on gimmicks, and despite my noted disdain for ultra-wide snappers I must say that this is the best one I’ve come across. Zooming in to the telephoto cameras feels like a natural extension of the main camera, and some excellent software trickery means the transition between lenses when zooming in and out is rarely noticeable.

The Find X8 Pro's optical zoom range of 6x is close to class-leading at this point, now that Samsung no longer fits its phones with 10x lenses. The Find X8 also offers a ludicrous digital zoom range of 120x, which is impressive up to about 40x and then serviceable up to 60x. Past that point, you’re relying on post-processing or an optional AI Telephoto Zoom mode to fill in the gaps and sharpen the blurry original image. The AI zoom isn't great at details, but can guess the outline of shapes and text with decent accuracy.

The camera system’s post-processing is very active overall – some people will prefer a less edited look, but I think it adds a nice amount of color depth, contrast, and sharpness, which directly opposes the brightened style favored by the iPhone and Galaxy flagships. As for video, the phone shoots in 4k at 60fps with the ability to shoot in slow-motion at up to 480fps in 720p.

And, of course, there’s a new way to control the camera system on the Find X8 Pro. The Quick Button appears in the same position and does some of the same things as the iPhone’s Camera Control – it’s seemingly a haptic-sensitive button that supports swiping touch gestures. The Quick Button only does a few things, though – a double press opens the camera app, wherein a single press takes a photo, a long press either takes a burst of photos or a video, and swiping back and forth in landscape mode zooms in and out.

Sure, this isn’t as deep a feature set as Apple’s version, but I still found the Quick Button to be massively effective in reducing the time from thought to photo. The only complaints I have are that the scroll-to-zoom can be a little ‘sticky’ sometimes or occasionally just not work, and that there’s no half-press-to-focus function (Oppo missed an open goal with that one).

Camera score: 4.5 / 5

Oppo Find X8 Pro Camera Samples Image 1 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)Image 2 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)Image 3 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)Image 4 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)Image 5 of 5

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards) Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Performance

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

• MediaTek Dimensity 9400
• GPU: Immortalis G-925
• 16GB of RAM

Day-to-day, the Find X8 Pro performs admirably, powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 9400 chipset. I encountered no slowdown at all in general usage, and found I could swiftly switch between apps and games with no fuss from the hardware.

The phone also performs well across its array of AI tools, with reasonably fast load times and no real lag or slowdown. The Quick Button lives up to its name in accessing the camera app, which opens near-enough instantly from anywhere in the OS.

The Find X8 Pro comes equipped with 16GB of RAM, a generous allotment that means the phone has plenty of headroom for multitasking and AI. The phone's combination of strong internal specs and a large display also makes it a capable gaming machine, and I had no issues booting up games like Atom RPG or Call of Duty Mobile for sessions on the go, with little noticeable warming.

To put it simply, the Oppo Find X8 Pro just feels efficient. I didn’t notice anything putting more strain on the battery, and the phone seems happy to sustain a variety of concurrent processes. The phone excels in shaving milliseconds off of the hundred-a-day tasks: switching apps, opening files, installing software, and so on. This all adds up and makes using the Oppo Find X8 a fluid and satisfying experience.

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Battery

(Image credit: Future / Jamie Richards)

• 5,910mAh battery
• 80W wired charging
• 50W wireless charging

The Oppo Find X8 Pro sports an all-day battery life, with power to spare. The 5,910mAh silicon-carbon battery gives the Find X8 Pro exceptional longevity. It handles busy days of mixed use with no issue, and doesn’t seem to drain too drastically during gaming sessions or when playing back longer videos.

The real magic comes when it’s time to plug in the Find X8 Pro to recharge – the phone doesn't only come with a charger, which is itself a major win in today’s market, but an 80W charger using Oppo’s own SuperVOOC technology. What that means in practice is blisteringly fast charging speeds and more flexibility for battery top-ups. I almost never saw the Oppo Find X8 Pro run out of battery, as even a cursory 5-minute charge could net me an extra 10% or so of battery life. The phone also supports 50W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging.

When I tested the charging speed of the Oppo Find X8 Pro, I found that the phone reached 50% charge in about 20 minutes and 100% in around 45 minutes. I started the test, as despite my best efforts I couldn't get the phone to completely run out in a reasonable amount of time.

Standby times are also exceptional, and the phone will do everything in its power to prevent this with warnings at 20%, 10%, 5%, and 2%, before launching into Super Power Saving mode at 1%, limiting your usage to just six apps.

Battery score: 5 / 5

Should you buy the Oppo Find X8 Pro? Buy it if...

You want the best cameras

The Oppo Find X8 Pro has a simply fantastic camera system that rivals any of our present choices for the best camera phones. The new Quick Button adds even more control.

You want a truly premium design

The Find X8 Pro makes some bold choices with its design, but ultimately feels as luxurious as it does aesthetically fresh. It hits a home run with its ergonomics and is clearly built to last.

You want a beautiful display

The Find X8 Pro comes equipped with a beautiful and immersive 6.78-inch display that rarely looks anything less than great. It's large enough to be a serious contender for watching TV shows and movies on, too.

You want impressive battery life

The Oppo Find X8 Pro lasts a full day of mixed use with energy to spare, with a huge 5,910mAh cell that simply refuses to run all the way down. Charging is absolutely rapid, too.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a budget

The Find X8 Pro offers a lot of high-quality hardware, but you'll certainly pay for it. Chinese phone makers can no longer be relied on to undercut Western brands at the top end of their lineups, and Oppo has proved no different.

You value originality

The Oppo Find X8 Pro does some things better than the iPhone 16 Pro, but it's fairly obvious that the phone was designed with some serious Apple inspiration. If you're someone who likes to reward originality, you might want to look elsewhere.

Oppo Find X8 Pro review: Also consider

iPhone 16 Pro Max

The real thing, as it were. Those who want an iPhone probably won't be swayed by the Find X8 Pro, but nevertheless it's worth considering paying a little extra to scratch the Apple itch if it's one you find yourself stuck with.

Read our iPhone 16 Pro Max review

Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus takes the premium design, exceptional cameras, and powerful AI tools of the base-model S24 and puts them into a larger frame, with a bigger display and even better battery life. If you want a large Android phone from a more recognizable brand, this is one to consider.

Read our Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus review

iPhone 16

If you're more intrigued by the Find X8 Pro's Quick Button than anything else, it could be worth taking a look at the iPhone 16. Sure, it's got a humbler specs sheet than Oppo's new flagship, but the Camera Control is far more powerful than the Find X8 Pro's shutter button. It helps that it's a fair bit cheaper, too.

Read our iPhone 16 review

How I tested the Oppo Find X8 Pro

My testing of the Oppo Find X8 Pro included several specifically chosen test scenarios as well as more general day-to-day usage over the course of about one week. The model tested came in the Pearl White color option and came with 512GB of storage.

I used the Oppo Find X8 Pro as my everyday smartphone for about a week to test it, using it to chat with friends and family, scroll through websites and social media, watch videos, listen to music, and play games. I went out to test all four of the phone’s cameras in a variety of conditions. I then considered the performance and value proposition of the Find X8 Pro using my knowledge of the smartphone market and journalistic training.

For more on our smartphone test process, be sure to check out our guide to how we test phones for review.

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• Google TV has revealed its most-watched movies and TV shows of 2024
• The most-watched movie is Road House and the most-watched TV show is Shōgun
• Other movies and TV shows that made the list include Deadpool and Wolverine and Fallout

We've all had the experience of switching on the TV and struggling to find something to watch. Well, Google TV has come to the rescue with its most-watched movies and TV shows of 2024 list, which I'm sure will spark some ideas for your next movie night.

Google TV is a great app for amalgamating all the best streaming services out there, as it allows you to access all kinds of movies and TV shows all in one place. From streaming services to live TV, Google TV has it all if you've signed up to those services. As the year comes to an end, Google has revealed the most-watched movies and TV shows across its apps in 2024, which makes for a great list of this year's top entertainment.

If you're looking for a good action thriller for your movie night, then you're in luck with Google TV's most-watched movie Road House. The Prime Video remake of the 1989 classic features Jake Gyllenhaal as ex-UFC fighter Dalton. Taking the title of the most-watched show of 2024 is one of the best Hulu series, Shōgun. The ancient Japanese epic currently sits at 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Google's 2024 greatest hits feature some of the biggest shows of this year from the likes of Apple TV Plus and Disney Plus. As well as blockbuster hits, which cover a wide variety of genres whether you fancy some action thrills or belly laughs. You can find the "Best of 2024" list on your Google TV device or through the mobile app, but to make it easier, we've put the full list of most-watched movies and TV shows below as reported by 9 to 5 Google.

Most-watched movies of 2024 on Google TV

Deadpool and Wolverine is one of the most-watched movies on Google TV. (Image credit: Marvel Studios)

• Road House
• TMZ Presents: The Downfall of Diddy
• The Idea of You
• Descendants: The Rise of Red
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Inside Out 2
• IF
• Dune: Part 2
• Mean Girls (2024)
• Despicable Me 4
• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
• The Fall Guy
• Wolfs
• Civil War
• A Quiet Place: Day One
• Kung Fu Panda 4
• The Instigators
• Twisters
• Monkey Man
• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Bad Boys: Ride or Die
• Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
• Deadpool & Wolverine
• The Garfield Movie
• The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Most-watched TV shows of 2024 on Google TV

Hit Prime Video show Fallout makes the most-watched TV shows list. (Image credit: JoJo Whilden/Prime Video)

• Shōgun
• Fallout
• House of the Dragon
• The Bear
• Bluey
• Tracker
• Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV
• The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
• Bad Monkey
• Agatha All Along
• Reacher
• True Detective
• High Potential
• Presumed Innocent
• The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard
• Yellowstone
• Saturday Night Live
• Masters of the Air
• Love Island: USA
• Spongebob Squarepants
• Gypsy Rose: Life After Lock Up
• 911
• The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live
• Young Sheldon

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• Max has released new trailers for two intriguing-looking projects
• Juror #2 , a new (and potentially final) movie from the legendary Clint Eastwood, arrives in December
• The Pitt, which stars ER alumnus Noah Wyle, makes its debut next January

There are plenty of great things coming to Max in the months ahead and one of the world's best streaming services has just given us a taste of two such projects, albeit very different ones, in the form of two new trailers.

Winter is the perfect time to dive into some great new movies and shows, and Max is encouraging you to do exactly that. Whether or not these new titles will make it onto our best Max shows and best Max movies list remains a mystery, but I really hope that's the case!

Personally, I'm very intrigued by both of them. The first is Juror #2, which is reportedly the final film in legendary actor-turned-director Clint Eastwood's decades-long career. Having loved his previous work as a director on films like Gran Torino, I'm very excited to see this one. The other is a potentially thrilling new medical drama called The Pitt, and fans of the long-running ER will be excited to see a familiar face onboard!

Juror #2

Streaming date: December 20

If you love legal thrillers, Clint Eastwood's got you covered with his latest movie. Here, we follow Justin Kemp, a journalist called up for jury duty who realizes that he may be responsible for the victim's death.

Nicholas Hoult leads the cast and is joined by some great names, including Toni Collette, J. K. Simmons, and Kiefer Sutherland. Gabriel Basso stars here, too, ahead of his return in The Night Agent season 2, which will debut on Netflix early next year. So, if you're in the mood for a good legal story and an ensemble cast, don't miss Juror #2 when it arrives on Max.

The Pitt

Streaming date: January 2025 (date TBC)

Here's one for the medical fans. ER star Noah Wyle is back in the hospital once again, where he's leading the cast of a 15-episode series that's streaming sometime in January. Produced by ER and The West Wing's John Wells, the series is “a realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today’s America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh.”

It's filmed in an interesting way, too, with the entire first season taking place across a single 15-hour emergency room shift. Each hour-long episode will represent real time, then, which feels very 24-esque, and that's no bad thing!

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• CISA updates advisory on BianLian, originally published in May 2024
• Agency claims the group is moving away from deploying the encryptor
• Instead, BianLian exfiltrates sensitive data and threatens to release it

The infamous BianLian ransomware group has stopped deploying an encryptor on victim devices, and now focuses exclusively on data exfiltration, an updated security advisory from the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and partner agencies has warned.

CISA, alongside the FBI and Australian Cyber Security Centre, first published an in-depth report on BianLian in May 2024 as part of its #StopRansomware effort, detailing the group’s techniques, tactics, and procedures, but this has now been updated with new information, including the changes to the group’s modus operandi.

As it turns out, BianLian no longer encrypts the information on the endpoints of its victims. Rather, it just steals the data, and then demands payment in exchange for not leaking it to the public.

BianLian following the trends

This is a change that the cybersecurity community has been warning about for quite some time now, and BianLian is hardly the only group that is no longer deploying the encryptor.

As it turns out, developing, maintaining, and deploying the encryption software is too tedious, too cumbersome, and too expensive. In terms of money extortion, simple data exfiltration yields the same results, anc crooks are taking notice.

The agencies also say BianLian is a Russian actor, based in the country, and with Russian affiliates. If the name threw you off, and made you think the group is likely Chinese (or elsewhere in the far East, for that) - that is intentional.

“The reporting agencies are aware of multiple ransomware groups, like BianLian, that seek to misattribute location and nationality by choosing foreign-language names, almost certainly to complicate attribution efforts,” the report claims.

In the past, the group was observed targeting organizations in the US critical infrastructure sector, and private enterprises in Australia.

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