OPPO Find N2 Flip review: Is it better than Galaxy Z Flip 4?

Over the past few years, the options for foldable phones have been limited mainly to Samsung’s Z Fold or Z Flip. While other brands have also launched foldable devices, they have been mostly limited to the Chinese market. However, Oppo has recently decided to break this trend by launching its first folding flip phone, the Find N2 Flip, outside of China. This new Android clamshell device is aimed at challenging Samsung’s popular Z Flip 4, providing consumers with a fresh alternative and more options in the foldable phone market.

OPPO’s decision to launch the Find N2 Flip in India gave me the opportunity to use a non-Samsung folding phone for good 10 days. During this testing period, I used Find N2 as a primary device. Based on that experience, here are my thought about the phone:

OPPO Find N2 Flip Review: Design

The OPPO Find N2 Flip boasts a foldable design similar to other phones that can be folded in half. When unfolded, it functions just like any other Android smartphone. OPPO achieves this by using a flexible OLED screen that can still be folded in half. What sets the N2 Flip apart from the Galaxy Z Flip4 is that it has no visible gap between the two halves when folded, thanks to OPPO’s second-generation Flexion Hinge at the center. Unlike other foldable phones that have an even loop hinge, the N2 Flip’s screen curves in a water-drop shape when the phone is shut, distributing pressure more evenly and avoiding a distinct crease on a single line across the screen. In contrast, Samsung’s designs have a wedge shape when collapsed resulting more pronounced crease.

The hinge on the OPPO Find N2 Flip feels solidly built, requiring a bit of force to open, and it can stay in place at any angle between 45 to 110 degrees. When the phone is folded halfway into an L shape, OPPO refers to this as “FlexForm” and has designed software features that take advantage of this form factor, such as tripod mode for stable shots, waist-level shooting for a unique perspective, and a “camcorder” mode for recording videos.

When the OPPO Find N2 Flip is closed, the hinge cover catches your eye. Like other manufacturers, OPPO has placed their name on it, but they’ve added a touch of elegance with a subtle wave pattern that we find more visually appealing than a plain, glossy aluminum cover. While the outer screen of the Find N2 Flip is striking due to its size, it catches a lot of unintentional finger smudges.

The Oppo phone boasts a sleek profile, measuring only 16mm in thickness when folded and weighing 191 grams. It’s marginally thinner and heavier than its rival, the Z Flip 4, which comes in at 17.1mm and 187g respectively. Nonetheless, the difference in weight and thickness is almost imperceptible. The Oppo phone comes in two elegant colors, black and purple, giving users a choice to suit their personal style.

The Find N2 Flip features a volume rocker and a power button (that doubles as a fingerprint scanner) on the right-hand side of the device, situated on the top half of the phone when folded. Weighing a mere 191g, the phone is incredibly lightweight, and its glossy finish feels both elegant and soft to the touch, albeit slightly slippery.

The Find N2 Flip features rounded edges, providing a more comfortable grip, although it utilizes the slightly outdated Gorilla Glass 5. The device’s connectivity is limited to a USB-C port located at the bottom edge, and there is no provision for a headphone port. However, it’s important to note that the device is not water-resistant, as it lacks an official IP rating, and thus should be kept away from water.

OPPO Find N2 Flip review: Display

The Find N2 Flip boasts a remarkable outer screen that immediately captures your attention even before you unfold the device. Measuring 3.26 inches, it’s the largest outer screen on any clamshell foldable, and its 720×382 resolution offering a sharp view of notifications, Incoming calls and send quick responses to messages. The AMOLED panel can reach a peak brightness of 900 nits, which makes it easily readable even under direct sunlight. Additionally, the display offers exceptional viewing angles, ensuring a clear image from any direction. The cover screen’s main use case remains as a photography tool. OPPO has provided a limited selection of widgets, wallpapers, and virtual pets that can be customized to the user’s preferences. This gives me a feeling that OPPO has missed an opportunity here as it could have added more functionalities to the cover screen. It could have added a dialer for making outgoing calls and a few more Android widgets would have also been beneficial.

However, the real star of the show is the 6.8-inch inner display has a 2520×1080 resolution which is consistent with most other flip-style foldables, and provides a sharp and clear view even at arm’s length. Its 120Hz refresh rate ensures smooth motion, although there’s no dynamic mode – only static options of 60Hz and 120Hz. Therefore, users need to choose between silky animations or better battery life. However, as explained below, battery life is not a concern for the Find N2 Flip.

The colors of the display are particularly vibrant out of the box, and the contrast is exceptional. Users can choose from a handful of color modes and a basic temperature slider in the Settings menu if they prefer to tone down the colors. Alternatively, the Nature Tone Display option can be used to automatically adjust the color temperature based on the surrounding light levels. The Find N2 Flip’s HDR10+ content looks impactful, thanks to its high peak brightness of 1600 nits which also makes it a perfect phone for outdoor use.

OPPO Find N2 Flip review: Performance & software

The ColorOS 13 operating system, which runs on top of Android 13, offers a user interface that is both clean and customizable. Among its notable features are split-screen functionality, the ability to run apps as flexible windows, and a smart sidebar that allows easy access to frequently used apps and functions. Additionally, the cover display offers animated virtual pet wallpapers that are enjoyable to use. However, there is room for improvement in Oppo’s software, as it includes some bloatware and even preloads its own App Market on the phone. Unwanted notifications from Hot Apps and Hot Games can be a nuisance, but thankfully there is a quick way to disable them through the settings. This issue is somewhat disappointing for a premium phone, but it is worth noting that Oppo promises four years of Android and five years of security updates.

Moving on to performance, OPPO has made an interesting choice by using 4 nm-based MediaTek’s Dimensity 9000+ chipset for the Find N2 Flip, rather than the more common choice of Qualcomm used in Samsung foldable. In India, the Find N2 Flip is available with a single configuration featuring 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage.

It is worth noting that the phone does not include the latest UFS 4.0 storage module. OPPO’s decision to go with MediaTek was driven by the need to customize the chipset in order to improve battery life. While the Dimensity 9000+ may not be as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the phone performs smoothly in daily use without any lag or slowdowns.

As is typical for foldable phones, the Find N2 Flip is thermally limited and may experience some throttling during prolonged gaming sessions. However, it is just as stable as other phones using the Dimensity 9000+ chipset. In most synthetic workloads, the Find N2 Flip is comparable to the Galaxy Z Flip 4, and this holds true in real-world usage as well. It performs well in daily use, making the Find N2 Flip one of the best foldable currently available.

OPPO Find N2 Flip Review: Camera

The cameras on the OPPO Find N2 Flip have been developed in collaboration with the renowned camera brand, Hasselblad. The phone boasts a 50MP Sony IMX890 primary sensor (same as OnePlus 11) and an 8MP ultrawide shooter. On the front, there is a 32MP selfie camera integrated into the punch hole of the main screen. The phone is also equipped with OPPO’s in-house MariSilicon X NPU, which provides AI enhancements for improved HDR, low-light performance, dynamic range, sharpness, and reduced noise. Additionally, Hasselblad’s Natural Colour Solution optimizes colour accuracy and tone.

The OPPO Find N2 Flip’s main camera performs incredibly well in all scenarios, offering a range of filters and styles to experiment with. The resulting photos boast plenty of detail, excellent dynamic range, and a satisfyingly saturated color balance that doesn’t go overboard on contrast. In low-light settings, the Find N2 Flip outperforms the Z Flip 4, capturing vibrant colors, minimal noise, and impressive detail. The XPAN mode, which captures images in a 65:24 aspect ratio, was particularly interesting and useful for cityscapes and monuments.

One aspect of the camera system that falls short is the performance of the wide-angle lens. At only 8MP, it doesn’t match the quality of the primary lens, which is disappointing for a high-end phone. Although it’s not terrible, the shots produced by the wide-angle lens don’t measure up to the same level of detail and overall image quality as those taken with the primary lens.

The 32MP front-facing camera on the OPPO Find N2 Flip captures good-quality images while retaining natural skin tones. Apart from its impressive low-light performance and ability to produce great photos in various lighting conditions, the phone’s unique form factor, large cover display, and special camera features offer a whole new level of photography experience.

OPPO Find N2 Flip review: Battery

The Oppo Find N2 Flip is a standout device with an impressive battery capacity of 4,300mAh, setting it apart from other devices with similar designs. In contrast, the Galaxy Z Flip4’s battery capacity remains at 3,700mAh, despite previous iterations featuring smaller 3,300mAh units.

The battery life of the OPPO Find N2 Flip is impressive, lasting a full day with moderate usage. However, with heavy usage, the battery might not last till the end of the day, but the 44W SuperVOOC charging feature is quite handy, as it can fully charge the phone in just over an hour. It’s worth noting that OPPO provides an 80W charger in the box.

Review Verdict: Should you buy OPPO find N2 Flip?

The Oppo Find N2 Flip boasts several impressive features. Firstly, its striking appearance is complemented by a long-lasting battery, which outperforms many others in its class. The phone’s outer screen is generously sized, and its lack of a visible crease enhances the appeal of the inner screen. The camera produces excellent photos, but the wide-angle lens seems like an afterthought and doesn’t meet the standards of a high-end phone. The software is highly commendable, and the fact that the phone receives four Android OS updates is a significant advantage. Overall, OPPO has done an excellent job with the Find N2 Flip, and it holds its ground against the Galaxy Z Flip 4, surpassing it in several key areas.

However, despite its impressive features, the OPPO Find N2 Flip lacks some standard features that are expected in a phone of its class, such as IP rating and wireless charging. It’s worth noting that no phone is perfect, but the Oppo Find N2 Flip is one of the top contenders that’s sure to satisfy many users.

Reasons to buy:

• Stylish looks
• Useful cover display
• Barely noticeable crease
• Dependable performance
• capable cameras

Reasons to not buy:

• Bloatware
• Limited Cover display functionality
• Average Ultrawide camera
• No IP rating for water resistance