Product test
Honor Magic V3: The strengths make up for the weaknesses
by Michelle Brändle
Review: the Oppo Find N2 Flip fits into little pockets too
13.3.2023
Translation: Katherine Martin
With the new Find N2 Flip, Oppo has jumped on the foldable smartphone bandwagon. Sporting a sizeable cover screen and decent hardware, this model stands out from the crowd.
A mirror of itself: the cover screen
Seamless folding
The hinge closes flush, while the crease in the interior display is barely noticeable – a much better solution compared to Samsung’s previous models.
Open up, Oppo: the interior display
The foldable smartphone’s AMOLED display is particularly bright. From using my Oppo find X5, I’m used to a brightness of 1000 nits. On the Find N2 Flip, the brightness reaches up to 1600 nits, something I’m especially conscious of in bright sunlight. Even when the sun’s out in force, the content on the display still appears in bright colours, with a high level of detail.
When it comes to watching movies, the picture looks washed out – even on the highest brightness setting. There are no gradations, which obscures the picture completely during scenes filmed in the dark. In my opinion, the gradations on the Find X5 are more refined.
One niggle I’m aware of when using the touchscreen is that the smartphone’s besel encroaches on the display ever so slightly, collecting dust and crumbs. Compared to the Flip’s otherwise very classy design, this looks kind of cheap. That’s just nit-picking, though.
Oppo’s in it for the long haul: software and warranty
With four years of software updates and five years of security updates, you can look forward to using the device for the long haul. If it stays in one piece, anyway. Should the display break, Oppo promises a three-year warranty.
Hardware: specs like these pay off
The smartphone has two batteries with a total of 4300 mAh. The larger one boasts a 3100 mAh capacity, with the capacity of the smaller one measuring in at 1200 mAh. As a result, the Flip can hold out for more than a day during typical use. The 44-watt power adapter included with the phone, as well as the fast-charge function, mean the Flip can be charged in less than an hour.
Its high-end Dimensity 9000+ processor is manufactured by Mediatek. Faring well on Geekbench with a single-core score of 882 and a multi-core score of 3,175, it’s in a similar league to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. For example, the Huawei P50 Pro achieves a single-core score of 898 points and a multi-core score of 3,509 points using Qualcomm’s top chipset from 2022.
When it comes to graphics performance, the Oppo Find N2 Flip is hovering somewhere in the mid-range – when I run a 3DMark benchmark test, it scores a total of 2,542 points in Wild Life Extreme mode. This puts the smartphone six per cent below the average score of 2,706 points.
In practice, the Find N2 Flip copes well with simple games such as Mario Kart and Mortal Kombat. More graphics-heavy games, such as Genshin Impact or GRID are slightly jerky on occasion. There aren’t many gaming settings. I can use 4D vibration so that the vibration matches the audio. In addition, there’s a quick boot function for games, which I use frequently, as well as a gaming focus mode, which blocks notifications appearing from outside the game.
Say cheese! The camera will do the rest
The fact that there’s barely a difference between the Find N2 Flip’s main and wide-angle cameras is astonishing. The wide-angle camera produces images that are just as sharp and detailed as the ones captured in high-res mode on the main camera. When I gave it a go, the colours were actually warmer. Mind you, that could be down to the sunlight. Either way, I’m pleased with the result.
However, given the digital zoom’s impressiveness already begins to dwindle after the double zoom is applied, I’d advise against using it.
I’m pleasantly surprised by the camera’s night mode, which really brightens objects photographed in total darkness. However, it does mean that I need to put up with an orange colour cast. I wanted to turn off night mode and the AI in order to do a comparison, but it wouldn’t work. To draw comparisons and get an untouched image, I have to enable Pro mode.
The camera app has two handy features. If I want to take a photo of someone, they can be correctly positioned immediately, with the cover screen displaying a preview of the image.
Being able to activate the self-timer with a hand gesture proves to be another convenient feature. I do it by raising a fist. Flip phones are generally well suited to taking group photos because they can be set up like tripods when flipped open.
Stable framework and software with potential
I’m impressed by both the Oppo Find N2 Flip’s look and its folding mechanism. It opens and closes comfortably, with the crease in the middle hardly noticeable. The cover screen is easy to use. The camera takes clear pictures with fresh colours and I can take nice selfies and group photos with the main camera. In that respect, the AI is a huge help.
Meanwhile, the interior display is equipped with clear, bright image reproduction. With a decent camera and solid hardware to hand, you’re never left wanting. Not only that, but you have a three-year warranty, four years of software updates and five years of security updates.
There’s still room for improvement when it comes to use of the cover screen. Widgets are few and far between, and there’s not much I can do with notifications besides sending a quick reply. The pets are a fun idea, but as a Tamagotchi fan, I reckon there’s more potential there. The besel, which encroaches on the interior display, takes some getting used to. What’s more, the screen has its work cut out for it when reproducing dark images.
Currently going at just under 1,000 francs, it’s cheaper than previous flip smartphones. If you ask me, it’s not quite cut out for use by gamers and streamers. However, if having a flip phone with a good camera and decent hardware is more important to you, you’ll definitely be happy with it. For me, the drawback is having to return this neat gadget.
In my world, Super Mario chases Stormtroopers with a unicorn and Harley Quinn mixes cocktails for Eddie and Peter at the beach bar. Wherever I can live out my creativity, my fingers tingle. Or maybe it's because nothing flows through my veins but chocolate, glitter and coffee.
