Oppo's Find N2 Flip is a new clamshell foldable phone that competes with Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4. With a larger external display, longer battery life, and a higher resolution camera, it is poised to challenge Samsung's dominance in the foldable phone market.
COVER DISPLAY
Despite having undergone four iterations, the Galaxy Z Flip still has a small outer display that lacks essential functions. In contrast, Oppo has hit the nail on the head with the N2 Flip's impressive 3.26-inch vertical cover screen, which surpasses those of Samsung and Motorola's flip phones. The extra space allows you to view more notifications at once, reply to messages faster, and take better selfies or videos.
ALSO WATCH: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Review
HINGE DESIGN & BATTERY
Additionally, the N2 Flip has an improved inner display with a less noticeable crease when compared to the Flip 4. This is due to the new-generation Flexion hinge with a waterdrop design, which allows for a wider fold radius and a smoother surface when unfolded. While the crease is still somewhat visible, it's less prominent than on other foldable devices.
As for the durability, the hinge has been certified to endure 400,000 opening and closing actions, providing assurance that the phone will last as long as a standard smartphone. Furthermore, Oppo has effectively minimized the size of the hinge, so there is no gap when the phone is closed and there is now extra room inside the handset, enabling the company to fit a larger 4,300 mah battery. This is the biggest battery you'll find on any clamshell foldable, and it lasted me for almost 13 hours with around 5 hours of screen time on a single charge. These figures are way better than what the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 can deliver with its 3,7000 mah battery.
Regrettably, wireless charging is not available but it didn't bother me much as the phone charges fully in under an hour at 44W, which is faster than any Samsung foldable. Moreover, Oppo deserves credit for including a charging adapter and a protective case in the box, as these are now considered rare features in the premium smartphone segment.
INNER DISPLAY
In terms of dimensions, the N2 Flip is a little heavier and thicker than the Galaxy Z flip 4 but it compensates for that extra heft with a bigger 6.8-inch inner display that features Full HD+ resolution and LTPO AMOLED technology.
Content looks sharp and vibrant with minimal colour distortion, even when viewed from different angles. The display supports a variable refresh rate ranging from 1Hz to 120Hz, which results in better power efficiency, and the screen's peak brightness of 1,600 nits makes it perfectly suitable for use in direct sunlight. On top of that, you get minimal bezels all around and a loud set of stereo speakers, ensuring an immersive experience.
SOFTWARE
ColorOS 13's visual appeal is also noticeable on that huge screen, along with helpful features that improve multitasking, such as split-screen capability, floating windows, and a smart sidebar. Oppo even matches Samsung's software policy by offering 4 years of major OS updates and 5 years of security patches.
PERFOMRANCE
Specs wise, the company has opted for MediaTek's Dimensity 9000+ chip rather than a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Although this is quite similar to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, and the difference in day-to-day usage is likely to be minimal.
During my weeks' worth of usage, I mostly utilized the N2 Flip for typical smartphone stuff such as taking photos, browsing social media, and a bit of light reading.
Throughout this time, the phone operated seamlessly without any lags or app crashes, and no irregularities whatsoever. Playing graphic-intensive games like COD Mobile on the N2 Flip was a breeze, but I wouldn't recommend prolonged gaming on any foldable phone as the screen isn't really designed for that, and if you have long nails, you always run the risk of damaging the screen.
Additionally, I conducted benchmark tests and the results were reasonably satisfactory, although they did fall behind the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. There's also 8GB of RAM on tap and 256GB of storage, which should be enough for most people. Naturally, 5G is available too, along with Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 6 and dual sim support.
CAMERAS
When it comes to optics, the phone comes equipped with two rear cameras, consisting of a 50MP primary lens and an 8MP ultrawide lens. The main camera is powered by the Sony IMX890 sensor, which is the same sensor used in the OnePlus 11. It can capture aesthetically pleasing shots, but what's more impressive is that the images retain a natural appearance. This is largely thanks to the collaboration between Oppo, and the German camera manufacturer Hasselblad, which developed the famous "Hasselblad colour tuning." This collaboration also brings in additional benefits, such as Hasselblad's pro mode and the classic Xpan mode, which produces very creative results.
The ultrawide camera isn't spectacular but it is still a nice addition to have, and I noticed that its colour reproduction is consistent with the main sensor. Moving on to the front camera, you have the option to use the 32-megapixel snapper located on the phone's folding screen to capture selfies. The results aren't bad at all, but I suggest using the rear camera to take high-resolution selfies while utilizing the large cover screen as a viewfinder. The contrast in quality is definitely noticeable.
AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT
In many ways, the N2 Flip is an extremely polished product, but there is still some scope for improvement. One notable area pertains to pre-installed bloatware apps, which seem excessive for a top-tier smartphone. In addition to this, the device lacks an official water resistance rating, which is a disadvantage compared to Samsung's foldable phones that come with an IPX8 rating. I would also have appreciated a wider colour selection for the N2 Flip. At the moment, it only comes in Black and Purple, leaving little room for variety between plain and flamboyant options..
There are limitations in the video department as well. The ultrawide camera can only record up to 1080p 30fps, and while the main camera shoots up to 4K 30fps, it is questionable why it doesn't support 4K 60fps recording, especially at this price point.
Then there's the cover display, which I often felt wasn't living up to its full potential. It can only accommodate a couple of widgets, and while some of these utilize the available screen space well, the overall experience feels limited. For example, when viewing email notifications, only the subject line is visible, and with the weather widget, I could only view the weather conditions for the next four hours without the ability to scroll for additional information.
More annoyingly, you can't quickly open the camera by double-pressing the power button like on most other Android phones, which made me less excited to take pictures with this phone.
VERDICT
To be fair, despite all these criticisms, I still think the N2 Flip is a well-rounded device. It looks great, takes good photos and offers reliable performance.
More importantly though, the N2 Flip is a genuine alternative to the Galaxy Z Flip 4, and if I'm being completely honest, it's about time that someone finally challenged Samsung's dominance in the foldable smartphone market.
