It’s safe to say that OPPO has become fairly acquainted with mobile phones over the past few years. While they’ve provided a wide range of both entry-level and high-value handsets, there’s also no doubt that phones are shifting into another era of, let’s just say, flexibility. Brands like Samsung and Motorola are very much into the swing of things, providing both foldable and flippable options to a new market.
OPPO’s Find N2 Flip isn’t necessarily revolutionising the flippable phone market just yet, but it also feels like an incredibly relevant and suitable option for most everyday users who would like a little extra space in their pocket or bag, without sacrificing plenty of features like performance along with both camera and screen quality. It’s still a little rough around the edges in those parts, but in no way feels like a gimmick, instead providing one of the more value-packed options at A$1499.
Design
Available in both black and purple and weighing in at just 191 grams, the first thing I noticed about the Find N2 Flip was just how light it was and comfortable to hold. But if having a flip phone wasn’t cool enough, it’s just as handy to have a phone with a larger 6.8-inch screen, that feels this sleek when folded in half. While I use an iPhone 13 Pro Max as a daily driver, which weighs a whopping 240 grams, this certainly felt like a plus.
But that’s not what we’re all here for. Yes, the Find N2 Flip is incredibly cool and thankfully functional. The only real gripe I had using this daily came down to the fact that like Samsung’s Flip 4, it’s still very much a two-handed experience. If you really wanted the to, you could slide your thumb in to wedge the phone open, but it simply takes more effort than it’s worth. While you can actually close the phone with one hand, it’s also worth noting that it’s quite tricky to do so while keeping the outer 3.26-inch screen from suffering the full effects of fingerprints and smudges.
It’s also incredibly sturdy and at no point in time did I feel the hinge was going to give way under pressure. That being said, I do question the longevity of such a feature, as I’ve seen what can happen to these screens after a couple of years, as the thinner protective layer of the screen can peel around that central hinge area.
The real winner in terms of design here though, is how the experience marries its hardware with new and exciting software features. That aforementioned 3.26-inch screen functions as a smaller notification centre for when the phone is closed, should you want to check-in. It can even be used as a reference screen for the rear camera, so you can use the main shooter for your selfies instead. You can even fold the phone in half to sit on a tabletop, should you want to use the phone’s selfie camera as a mirror or to have it simply stay in place while you vlog and video chat.
Display
The Find N2 Flip packs in a main 6.8-inch 2520×1080 AMOLED FHD+ 120Hz screen, along with up to 1600 nits of peak brightness. In short, it’s incredibly crisp, vibrant and smooth in most conditions, making it a joy for streaming and social media consumption. The main concern that I feel would affect most users, in the long run, is the unavoidable crease at the centre of the screen. Before I go any further, I feel I should make it abundantly clear that the crease from a visual standpoint, is as minimal as I’ve seen in a flippable or foldable phone thus far. It certainly creeps out at certain angles and under certain light, but it never really detracts from the overall experience.
The main issue comes from the overall feel. If you’re an avid social media user like I am, scrolling across this thing leaves a little more to be desired. Sure, you could drop your thumb a little lower in the bottom portion, but I felt as though my natural grip put my swiping thumb just under this crease. While it’s not necessarily annoying, you will feel it. How annoying that will become is totally subjective, but it’s an experience you obviously don’t get with a normal smartphone, making it stand out a little more than I would have thought.
In many ways, it feels par for the course in terms of quality at this particular price, but I would be lying if I said the outer 3.26-inch screen wasn’t the star of the show here. While I had previously introduced this feature, the outer screen provides a 720×382 resolution, making it a suitable option given its smaller size. But its accessibility is what helps it shine. My initial thoughts left me questioning why I would need such a screen, especially if my previous phone never needed to be opened in the first place.
But then I started using it to take selfies on my rear camera instead. I started answering calls from it using my loudspeaker and started managing notifications from it instead of unlocking the phone itself. While it can’t do everything, for example, you can only check notifications here and will need to open the phone to respond, I found it worked well enough at providing an added level of convenience.
Performance
The Find N2 Flip packs in an 8-core Dimensity 9000+ processor along with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage as standard. Social media browsing and light gaming work well, and aside from a few hiccups when opening and closing certain apps, everything ran rather smoothly.
When you’re accessing the phone, various security features like a fingerprint-enabled lock button and facial recognition work consistently well. It’s not quite at the level of Apple’s Face ID in most situations, but it’s getting close.
As with most mobile phone reviews, I tend to use Call of Duty: Mobile as the benchmark for gaming. Yes, I totally understand that it’s not what most people play casually, but it’s a great way to get the wheels churning on most devices. Call of Duty: Mobile will run on this, but the Find N2 Flip tends to heat relatively quickly while draining a hefty amount of the smaller 4300mAh battery. OPPO’s Games app rounds up your games for you within one convenient app, although I recommend keeping a few features like 4D vibration and brightness lock off for maximum battery life.
Along with all new handsets, the Find N2 Flip comes loaded with the latest version of ColourOS 13, OPPO’s answer to Android 13, along with the latest security updates. Much like our OPPO A78 5G review, things can get a little crowded at times. The refreshed drop-down menu admittedly provides a bunch of adjustable and customisable settings and options to add more to your home screen, making your experience feel that much more intuitive, should you wish to tailor it. Beyond that, most OPPO users will continue to feel at home. As an iPhone user, the gap is also getting a little closer in terms of what I’m used to, but I simply find the minimalist iOS layout a little more intuitive.
If that wasn’t enough, the Find N2 Flip also packs in dual stereo speakers, which feel suited to most everyday social media content and light streaming. While the speakers are certainly loud, and arguably as loud as any phone I’ve used including my iPhone 13 Pro Max, the overall experience lacks that sense of bass, making things sound a little tinny at times.
Camera
The Find N2 Flip features a 50MP main camera and 8MP ultra-wide angle camera around the back. The 8MP ultra-wide does a fine job of extending the field of view, but the 50MP main sensor will make up for most of what daily users will encounter. Images in most lighting conditions came up crisp and vibrant, but I can’t help but notice the overabundance of AI assistance, which tends to make more natural tones and colours feel too flat or too oversaturated. Video recording also nails the basics, providing 4K@30fps, 1080@60fps/30fps, and 720P@60fps/30fps options at the rear.
The 32MP selfie camera features an f/2.4; FOV 90° that is capable of AF with an open-loop focus motor; for as complex as that sounds, this is actually a decent selfie camera and one of the better options I’ve used in a phone to date. But it also feels like a wasted opportunity given you’re able to take advantage of that 50MP rear camera so easily.
Battery & Charging
The 4300mAh battery might not be the biggest on the market, but this choice also feels dependent on the overall design. While more intensive gaming and multiple open apps drained this rather quickly, I found myself getting to the end of each day with around 20-30% of battery left.
I simply love that OPPO is providing faster charging options within most of their phones, from the entry-level to the more premium models. Thankfully, the Find N2 Flip features 44W SUPERVOOC charging, which is once again the real winner, and does make up for that slightly smaller battery. Yes, the included brick is a little chunky, but you’ll be getting a fully charged phone within the hour.
Verdict & Value
The OPPO Find N2 Flip doesn’t necessarily revolutionise the newer flip phone market but certainly nails the existing expectations with suitable performance and a decent camera to match. That crease is still unavoidable, but it’s certainly the best I’ve seen yet, while the 6.8-inch main screen and additional 3.26 outer screen work well and in tandem to bring out everything this handset has to offer.
At this particular price point, there are a bunch of phones that stack up to the Find N2 Flip; but they’re not as flexible, making this one of the most valuable and feature-packed foldable options on the market at this price.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Vibrant and smooth main display; Outer display provides added versatility; Screen crease is barely visible; Solid main camera
Lowlights: Screen crease feels unavoidable at this point in time; A perfectly decent selfie camera feels pointless due to the ability to use the main camera at all times.
Manufacturer: OPPO
Price: A$1499
Available: Now
Review based on unit supplied by OPPO.
