Some smartphone accessories, such as power banks, are quite useful, while others are good for about five minutes before the novelty wears off. The Oppo Bubble looked like it would be part of the latter, but I was very happy with it, and now I want more accessories to be like this. One that doesn’t take itself too seriously, without missing something well thought out.
I used it with the Oppo Reno 16 Pro, which already has one of the flashiest phone designs I’ve seen this year. The Pop White version has a 3D Pop Planet look on the back, giving it this floating, toy-like effect. Shoot the Bubble in the background, and it’s complete iced out.
What a small screen with so much personality
The Bubble is basically a small round AMOLED display that attaches magnetically to the back of a compatible Oppo phone. It connects via Bluetooth, and once paired, it becomes this customizable little screen that can display photos, short videos, animation-style visuals, or animated Pop IP characters.
The last one is a nice little add-on that lets you have a little animated animal sitting on the back of your phone for no practical reason other than it looks cool. There’s a dedicated app for the best controls, including unique Pop IP options and custom display options. The Bubble also has independent controls, including brightness adjustment and Bluetooth pairing. So it doesn’t feel like a sticker with a screen.
And yes, it is a very stylish accessory. You can set it to display a picture, a loop clip, or an animated character, making your phone stand out even more than a protective case. Most phones up there look expensive in a few similar ways, and the Bubble helps the Reno 16 Pro provide a more personal experience.
Nothing beats the camera preview feature
Oppo’s Bubble Display would have been an interesting magnet with these customization options alone. But what really sells it for me is the camera integration. When attached, it can act as a live view finder for the rear camera. So you can transform the phone and use better rear cameras to take selfies, portraits, or group shots without guessing your frame. You can see yourself in the Bubble and see the changes in real time before taking the picture.
This immediately solves one of the problems of the old smartphone camera. Rear cameras are almost always better than front cameras, especially for portraits and low-light shots, yet many people still use a selfie camera because framing with the rear camera is often not worth the trouble.
That is also one of the biggest advantages of foldable devices. They use more advanced rear cameras for photography thanks to their secondary displays, which is something I rely on more often with the Motorola Razr Fold. Oppo’s Bubble basically lets you do exactly that naturally on a regular phone.
Now, your portraits are more detailed, group photos can accommodate a large group with ultra-wide lenses, and sharper videos. Since this works wirelessly, you can use it as a remote camera control. This opens up interesting angles. Place the phone somewhere, step back, and you can use Bubble to create a perfect frame and capture the shot.
Compatibility is a catch
The curse of the closed ecosystem returns here. Oppo’s new Bubble Display only works with supported Oppo devices. I used it with the Reno 16 Pro, and Oppo currently lists support for devices including the Reno 16 series and its flagship Find X9. There is a good chance that more models will receive its support in time, but that does not make it universally visible outside of the brand’s smartphones.
It is also very important to note that it is not compatible with MagSafe. So you can’t just slap it on any iPhone or Android device with built-in magnets. It might literally stick with the right magnetic ring or case (the grip won’t be strong), but the useful camera and customization features depend on Oppo’s ecosystem. Although this limits the audience, Bubble works seamlessly with the right devices. Pairing was straightforward, and the way it integrates with the camera experience makes it feel more integrated than a standard external screen.
As predictable as the smartphone experience can be, it’s always refreshing to see a smartphone brand try so many new things. You usually leave silly or unique gadgets to third-party developers, but Bubble was fun enough to make people around me ask, “Wait, what’s that?”
