OPPO recently hosted the global launch of its latest foldable smartphone, the OPPO Find N2 Flip in London. It is no surprise that OPPO is pushing ahead with its foldable strategy, since the foldable segment is one of the few growth areas in an industry that is struggling due to the challenging macro environment. Global foldable smartphone shipments grew by just under 40% in 2022 compared to 2021, and we expect them to grow by almost 60% in 2023. Yes, this growth and the overall foldables segment is led by Samsung at the moment, but OPPO is throwing its hat in the ring as a real contender.
The N2 Flip is OPPO’s first clamshell foldable, following the book-type Find N and N2. And it is also OPPO’s first globally available foldable, since both the Find N and N2 were only launched in China. The clamshell has so far been the most popular of the foldables, as the form factor is more practical (the fold makes the phone smaller, rather than larger) and also cheaper. This is why Samsung’s Flip smartphones have outsold the Fold devices by almost two to one. OPPO has brought some interesting features to its first flip device in the hopes of being just as successful.
WATCH: OPPO Find N2 Flip: First Look
Big cover screen
The OPPO Find N2 Flip has a 3.26-inch cover screen; almost double the 1.9-inch one on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4. This means it can display six notifications, not one or two, allows the toggling of nine settings, not two or three, can show a full preview of a selfie, and offer improved functionality for many apps like the weather, WhatsApp, or Spotify. The screen is impressive and is actually useful compared to the slightly gimmicky interface on the Flip4.
Impressive folding technology
OPPO’s Flexion Hinge is a step up in folding technology, offering no gap and almost zero crease. When folded the phone shuts tight, protecting it from dirt (no IP rating though, which is a shame), and the curved edges feel great. And when open, the crease on the multi-layered, anti-reflection coated screen is almost imperceptible. The overall folding experience is lovely.
Intuitive cameras
The Find N2 Flip has a 50MP main shooter with a 1/1.56-inch Sony IMX980 sensor; the same one as on the flagship Find X5 Pro. There is also an 8MP ultrawide lens on the back, plus a 32MP selfie lens on the main screen. A proper test of the camera’s capabilities will follow soon, but initial thoughts are positive. The combination of the Hasselblad colour palette and OPPO’s own MariSilicon X NPU was impressive on the Find X5 Pro so should be a winner here.
Some mid-range hardware
Possibly in order to keep costs down, OPPO has made some compromises. The Find N2 Flip uses the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+, compared to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 in the Galaxy Z Flip4. Though, this is an impressive design win for MediaTek, making the Find N2 Flip the first folding smartphone powered by the company’s chipset.
The Find N2 Flip has a 4300mAh battery, which is an improvement over the Flip4’s 3700mAh battery, but it is only capable of 44W charging (the Find X5 Pro offers 80W), and there are no wireless charging capabilities. It does come with Android 13 and offers four years of OS updates.
Punchy price
We were only given the Find N2 Flip’s UK price, which is £849 (just over $1,000) for the 8GB/256GB version. While this undercuts the Flip4 by around £50, it is still on the expensive side.
Conclusion
The OPPO Find N2 Flip is a solid device, and probably the nicest feeling clamshell smartphone available today. The large cover screen is an excellent addition and improves the user experience hugely, which is absolutely key at a time when consumers are still trying to figure out what foldables are for.
With such a strong all-rounder of a device, OPPO has a big chance of eating into Samsung’s foldables dominance. My only issue is the price. In the current challenging financial climate, it may be a little too far for consumers struggling with the cost of living in many countries around the world.
