Flip phones are back. Once the icon of 1990s teenage trendsetters, flip phones have made a comeback recently with Samsung pushing the folding screen formula forward with its wave-making Galaxy Z Fold and Flip range of foldable phones.
When it comes to the best foldable phones (opens in new tab), Samsung was alone at the top for quite some time, with its now iconic Galaxy Z Fold (opens in new tab)and Galaxy Z Flip (opens in new tab) ruling the roost. However, we are seeing more and more interesting new takes on the flip and fold design from phone makers like Motorola with its continuation of the Razr 5G (opens in new tab) line of phones. Even companies like Microsoft are expanding their wildly successful Surface line of products to include the dual-screen Microsoft Surface Duo (opens in new tab).
You can pre-order the OPPO Find N2 Flip right now at the following locations:
UK
OPPO UK (opens in new tab)| Amazon (opens in new tab) | Very (opens in new tab)
US
The OPPO Find N2 Flip is currently unavailable to pre-order in North America, but you might be able to find international sellers on eBay (opens in new tab).
OPPO, one of the largest makers to come out of the new wave of Chinese phone manufacturers is now set to challenge Samsung's dominance in the folding phone category, with the worldwide launch of the OPPO Find N2 Flip.
Launched in China at the very end of 2022 alongside the folding Find N2, the Find N2 Flip is OPPO's first device to go 'global' and makes a big play for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4's crown. Although take the word global with a pinch of salt, as for OPPO, for some reason the globe doesn't include North America.
We were invited along by OPPO to their London launch event, where we got a first hands-on look at the device.
Specifications
Rear cameras: 50MP Main camera, Sony IMX890, 1/1.56-inch sensor, 23mm, f/1.8
8MP ultrawide, Sony IMX355, 16mm, f/2.2
Front camera: 32MP, Sony IMX709, 1/2.74-inch sensor, 21mm, f/2.4 lens
Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 9000+, MariSilicon X Imaging NPU
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB
Main Screen Size: • 120Hz 6.8-inch AMOLED with LTPO, 21:9, 2520×1080, 1600nits (peak), HDR10+, Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5
Cover Screen Size: 3.26-inch AMOLED, 17:9, 720×382, 900nits (peak), Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5
Security: Fingerprint reader, Face unlock
Connectivity: 5G, Dual SIM, Bluetooth, WiFi 6
Battery: 4,300mAh, 44W SUPERVOOC charging
Size: Open: 166.2mm × 75.2mm × 7.45mm, Closed: 85.5mm x 75.2mm × 16.02mm
Weight: 191g
Colors: Astral Black, Moonlit Purple
Key features
As the name suggests, the OPPO Find N2 Flip with have a flip design with a folding screen that opens up into a 21:9 AMOLED display measuring 6.8 inches. The screen is capable of a variable 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and gaming and has a very impressive max peak brightness of 1,600 nits.
OPPO is touting its latest generation of Flexion Hinge, the tear-drop-shaped hinge mechanism used to open the phone. This year's model of Flexation Hinge is thinner, smaller, and stronger than the previous Find N foldable, and is certified by TUV Rheinland for 400,000 folds, which amounts to 100 folds a day for 10 years.
The hinge can also be used to hold the phone at any angle between 45º and 110º, allowing the phone to be used as a hands-free selfie camera, using the top half of the inside screen while the phone rests on a flat surface, or for waist level camera framing.
The star of the show is the Find N2 Flip's cover screen, which is the largest cover screen yet seen on a foldable flip phone. The N2 Flip has a 3.26-inch AMOLED full-color touch display which has a 17:9 ratio and a peak brightness of 900 nits. The taller screen is capable of showing up to six notifications at once, as well as nine quick settings toggles, making it much more practical day to day.
One of the big features OPPO is bringing to the cover screen is its own custom widgets, these are expansive but cover the majority of phone functions like controlling music, setting timers, making a note, or responding to messages. The Find N2 Flip will be capable of responding to messages with voice-to-text dictation straight from the cover screen.
These widgets also work with third-party apps, with Spotify, Line, and WhatsApp integrations demonstrated. And for those who miss the days of Tamagotchi, there is even a widget to care for your virtual pet.
The cover screen is also being utilized by OPPO as the ultimate selfie preview screen, allowing you to shoot selfies and group shots with the much more powerful main cameras, while all the while being able to frame your shots perfectly in the cover screen that is the same aspect ratio as the camera. The cover screen and main screen can also be used simultaneously so your portrait subject can see themselves as you take their photos.
Speaking of cameras, the OPPO Find N2 Flip has two main cameras, which have been tuned by Hasselblad for their iconic color science. OPPO has included a 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor with a 23mm field of view as the main camera, the Find N2 Flip also has an ultrawide camera using an 8MP Sony IMX355, with a 16mm FOV. For selfies on the internal screen, there is a 32MP Sony IMX709 21mm front-facing camera with a hole punch design.
The Find N2 Flip also has a MariSilicon X Imaging NPU co-processor for more complex and efficient AI image processing such as reducing noise in images and calculating portrait blur. The additional processor also enables 4K Ultra Night Video and 4K Ultra HDR Video using its AI powers. The N2 Flip is also capable of outputting 10-bit RAW images in Hasselblad professional mode, for keen image editors.
The OPPO Find N2 Flip, has the largest battery of any flip phone, with a 4300mAh capacity battery, for all-day gaming, productivity, and streaming, and introduces SUPERVOOC flash charging, which makes it the fastest-charging flip phone on the market, with 44W wired charging, which OPPo claim with give you 50% in 23 minutes and 100% in just one hour.
The Find N2 Flip will feature a MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ processor and either 8GB, 12GB, or 16GB of RAM. OPPO says it has worked closely with MediaTek on a customized version of the processor that will improve battery life, a key concern for compact phones with two separate screens.
Build and handling
The first thing that strikes you with the design of the OPPO Find N2 Flip is that 3.26-inch cover screen. It's big, bold, and colorful and immediately draws you in. It just plain looks cool. It blends seamlessly with the case with no hard edge or lip as it meets the chassis.
The cover screen I feared was going to be very gimmicky, but I was surprised at how practical OPPO has made it, with a considerable number of custom widgets covering everything from the weather outlook, and music playback to replying to WhatsApp messages. It really is like a miniature phone in itself.
Being able to use the cover screen to frame portraits and selfies with the main camera is also a revelation for those that care about image quality, with front cameras usually having much smaller sensors.
OPPO waxed lyrical about their latest Flexion Hinge and how it wouldn't produce a visible crease. I would love to say this is completely true, but unfortunately even in my small amount of time with the phone, I could notice the crease when unfolded, not to a distracting degree at all, and it is significantly better than other folding devices, but I knew it was there. I don't know if this crease would get more prominent over time and with more folds, (OPPO/TUV Rheinland says it doesn't), but it is something to be aware of.
Unfolded, the screen is beautiful, it is bright, sharp, and colorful, and the screen appears nearly borderless. At a 21:9 ratio, it is bordering on what I consider too tall for a phone, considering a lot of phone UI is right up at the top of the screen, and those with small hands might struggle to reach up one-handed.
The phone comes in two colors, neither of which I am sold on, there is a dusky pink color which is nice, but only for those who wish to sport a pink phone. The traditional black color has a slightly strange sandblasted texture, which also for some reason sparkles in the light, which is an interesting choice.
Performance
The performance of the cover screen was excellent, flicking through widgets and loading up the cover screen camera was instantaneous. The phone also had no issues or slowdowns swapping between using the cover screen and the unfolded main screen or both at the same time.
Navigating around the home screen was a breeze, with the processor being very quick and responsive, apps opened instantly.
I only got a very brief hands-on with the Oppo Find N2 Flip, so didn't get to test a lot of its features like camera performance, battery life, and how the MediaTek processor performs under load. These will all come in our full review soon.
Early verdict
The OPPO Find N2 Flip is one of the first flip phones to get me genuinely excited about the category, and that has to do with OPPO putting that larger vertical screen on the cover, this is the first cover screen I can actually see myself interacting with instead of glancing at and then bypassing it to just open the phone.
OPPO has put a lot of careful thought into the flip phone experience and there are lots of nice touches throughout, with OPPO's custom cover screen widgets being a standout as well as the selfie camera experience on that larger screen just being magical.
OPPO has also built a solid phone with a stylish design that I would enjoy using. The Flexation Hinge appears to be a fantastic upgrade, and really does minimize (but not erase) the crease from foldables.
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