I have tested the Oppo Find N2 Flip, the foldable that Samsung should worry about

Oppo is not enough to stand up to Samsung and its Galaxy Z Fold with the Oppo Find N2, which, in my opinion, is the benchmark in this category of smartphones. The Asian company also wants to try to compete against what I consider —despite its shortcomings— one of the most recommended mobile phones with a flexible screen; the Galaxy Z Flip 4. It does so with the Oppo Find N2 Flip, a shell-type mobile that inherits some of the features of its older brother, which fortunately arrives in Spain, and which we at Hipertextual have been able to test firsthand.

In a way, the new Oppo Find N2 resembles Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4. Not only because of its format, whose flexible screen folds vertically but because they have many features in common. Both models, for example, have a 6.8-inch screen with Full HD+ resolution and a frequency of up to 120 Hz. Both have a high-end SoC from a different manufacturer and a dual camera with a very similar setup.

So, beyond the improvements, one or the other can offer in areas such as screen quality or power, what is different about the Find N2 Flip compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 4 or the rest of the foldable if they share the same features? Specifically, they are the following points.

• The outer screen is more significant. This, among other advantages, makes accessing the content much more intuitive.
• The wrinkle on the screen is less pronounced. That’s thanks to the hinge mechanism the manufacturer has included, which is also present in the Find N2.
• It has a larger battery: 4,300 mAh. We must consider that its external screen is more significant so that it can affect battery consumption.

They are, without a doubt, characteristics that place the Find N2 Flip at the forefront. At least, apparently. But are they noticeable changes that make you think it is a worthy option considering the many existing alternatives? And with its arrival in Spain, is it the folding that Samsung should worry about?

Inheriting the best from his older brother

As I mentioned, one of the main advantages of this Find N2 Flip compared to other “shell-type” smartphones, such as Samsung’s Z Flip 4, is its practically non-existent crease on the screen. This is barely visible thanks to its hinge -the same one we see in the Find, N2-which includes a mechanism that means that the screen’s fold is not so pronounced when it is completely folded and, therefore, not marked excessively when deployed.

The question: is the brand noticeable on the screen? The answer: minimally. Of course, much less than another folding. It has given me the feeling that the wrinkle of the Find N2 Flip is less noticeable than that of the Oppo Find N2, probably because it has less travel as it is a much more compact panel with the hinge in a horizontal position. The hinge can withstand up to 400,000 folds (the equivalent of 100 folds a day for ten years).

The interior screen, by the way, is 6.8 inches. It is an AMOLED panel with a Full HD + resolution, 1080 x 2520 pixels, and has an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 Hz and a maximum peak of 1,600 nits of brightness. It is a bright, colorful screen with a sharpness that will hardly leave anyone indifferent.

I’m going to talk about your outer screen. This one, in particular, is 3.26 inches, with a 382 x 720 pixels resolution. Its task is precisely the same as the one we see in similar smartphones: to offer relevant information without fully deploying the terminal. In this case, we can see notifications and incoming calls much more quickly than, for example, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 since its size is considerably larger. Its quality and brightness, in addition, are very similar to that of the interior screen.

Oppo, on the other hand, has included some widgets or shortcuts to different applications for this external screen. For example, we can see and interact with one corresponding to the calendar app, to quickly add or view events. There is another to know the time or shortcuts to some of the functions and modes of the camera.

The outer panel is also customizable. Oppo allows you to set different wallpapers, whether static or animated, through GIFs and an interactive virtual pet available in various designs that also imitates our actions with the mobile.

For example, if I take a photo and close the cover, I can see how that pet pretends to take a picture with his mobile. If I finish reading an article and fold the terminal, the pet is also reading. It’s bullshit, but it’s surprising how well-implemented and intuitive it is to customize this outer panel.

The hardware of the Oppo Find N2 Flip

The Oppo Find N2 Flip also has much to offer regarding hardware. To begin with, the terminal includes a MediaTek Diemsity 9000+ processor, an SoC that competes head-to-head against the latest Qualcomm chip, and, in this case, is accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. It is a somewhat curious configuration considering that most of this type of smartphone bet on Qualcomm. However, after browsing through different applications for a few minutes, I have noticed a relatively convincing overall performance, although it is too early to conclude.

To this, we must add a 4,300 mAh battery, somewhat more significant than that of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 (3,700 mAh) and which, according to Oppo, can offer up to 11.8 hours of video viewing. The Find N2 Flip also has a fast charge of 44 W, supplying 30% battery in about 15 minutes and 100% in almost an hour.

The Oppo Find N2 Flip’s cameras also play an essential role. These are developed with Hasselblad to improve the processing and add additional modes and functions. It also has Oppo’s NPU, dubbed MariSilicon X, which allows, among other advances, to capture images in RAW mode or video recording with night mode.

Configuration-wise, the Find N2 features a 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 primary sensor and an 8-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. It also includes a selfie camera located on the flexible 23-megapixel resolution interior screen. They are very promising sensors and, by way of first impressions, they have not disappointed.

After several shots, the ultra-wide-angle camera and the 32-megapixel front camera have left a bittersweet taste in my mouth since the indoor photographs offer results similar to what I usually see on a mobile. Medium/high range. They are not bad at all, but not at the level of a premium-range smartphone. In any case, as with the performance and battery section, it is too soon to conclude.

The Oppo Find N2 Flip is an upgraded Galaxy Z Flip 4, but at what price?

Without testing three of the critical points of the Find N2 Flip in depth: the camera, its performance, and its battery, there is no doubt that this foldable is what the Galaxy Z Flip 4 should have been for the mobile to Samsung was practically perfect. In part because of its sophisticated design and hinge mechanism, which makes wrinkling on the flexible screen virtually unpredictable.

Also, for that considerably more intuitive and customizable external screen and a very well-optimized software with functions that allow you to take advantage of the possibility of folding the screen at different angles.

The Find N2 Flip, therefore, has all the ballots to become the most recommended mobile with a flexible screen, especially if we consider its price.

This mobile, in particular, will go on sale on March 1 in two colors: black, with a granite finish, and purple, which is more of a light pink — very pretty, in my opinion. It will also be marketed in only one version: 8 GB of RAM and 126 GB of storage, for 1,049 euros. Or 999 euros if you reserve it from February 15 to February 28.

It costs 50 euros less than the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and 70 euros less than the 2022 Motorola Razr Z. I reiterate that it remains tested in more depth to see if it is a worthy competitor to both foldable. But there is no doubt that its arrival in the Spanish market will worry Samsung and the other manufacturers with a similar commitment.