One can’t deny that 2023 is the year of the foldable flagship, especially as the OPPO Find N2 Flip is making a big splash with its PH launch.
A few years ago, these collapsible contraptions were few and far between amongst its competitors, and they cost a king’s ransom to boot. However, things have changed. We have variety, now.
In the first quarter of this novelty brand battle, we welcome a new challenger. OPPO has been keeping things rather spicy in the aesthetics department, churning out eye-catching smartphones that deviate from the usual mechanical slab that we’ve grown accustomed to.
Since novelty is the topic of discussion, we’ll be talking about the OPPO Find N2 Flip; a phone that’s been teased for a while now, and is finally arriving on Philippine soil. We had it as a daily driver during our stay in Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress, and let’s just say it found a way to flip our perspectives when it comes to the usual mobile phone.
Geek-sthetic
The sleek, pearlescent finish of our Moonlit Purple-clad unit is just pleasant. Be warned, for it’s an absolute fingerprint magnet, and slapping on the hard plastic case only helps for protection. A few wipes fixes everything.
You get a solid hinge that’s easy to open, but has just enough resistance to position at optimum angles for viewing and taking photos. Otherwise, it clamps shut–leaving no spaces in between.
While open, you get a slightly larger-than-usual, 6.8-incher. However, once you go old school and, well, “flip” it, you get something small enough to fit into the most awkward of small pockets. Flippy and fun-sized, just the way you want it. Also, if you’re worried about the crease, well, if you don’t screen too long while the screen’s off, you can barely see it.
As for cameras, the two main shooters are neatly placed up top with just the right amount of symmetry. Right beside it, you get one of its most interesting features–a 3.26-inch cover display; a screen large enough to be reminiscent of the phone screens of old.
Binge-Watching Factor
It’s a tall task to compare and discern just how good displays among smartphones perform nowadays, as everything’s improved exceptionally in the past few years. That being said, the Find N2 Flip makes sure not to fall behind–and provides quite the show.
The 6.8-inch, 120Hz AMOLED display reaches a brightness of 1600 nits, and provides the most vibrant of colors. The 1080 x 2520 pixel display make great use of its unfolded screen real estate, and watching just about anything becomes a pleasant experience–regardless of whether you crank the brightness up to maximum or leave it halfway. It won’t blow your mind, but you wouldn’t mind having a bigger picture to view.
Now, we’re sure you’re curious about the cover display. We didn’t really go into much detail in our first impressions, and there’s more to it than meets the eye. If you’ve owned any of its other foldable contemporaries since 2020, you’ll be pleased to know that the cover display–covers all its bases. You can take a photo with the front camera, access shortcuts, use a variety of widgets, and customize its lock screen with still images or videos. One thing we wish it had was a way to go beyond just viewing notifications and templated quick replies.
It would be nice to actually be able to type up responses to e-mails and direct messages–especially since there’s such a nice, large screen at your disposal.
Gaming Prowess
What can we say? The Mediatek Dimensity 9000+ chipset is more than enough to handle our ever-reliable gaming standard, Genshin Impact. With 8GB of expandable RAM, you’re all set. Of course, you might want to make sure not to run it at max settings across the board, as you’ll still experience frame drops and jittering–as expected with any phone when it comes to Hoyoverse’s pride and joy.
Run anything less demanding game, and you’re good. Goddess of Victory: NIKKE runs smooth as–the NIKKE’s themselves. Kidding aside, it’s worth noting that this game can run a bit slow, even on upper-midrange phones. So, if you’re playing any MOBAs or FPS titles, you’re basically competition-ready.
Geek Photoshoot Capabilities
Ah, yes, the cameras. In our first impressions, we gave a small showcase of the camera’s capabilities. So far, not much has changed, thanks to its 50 MP, f/1.8 shooter that not only produces clear, detailed photos, but also delivers the same amount of detail in portrait mode. The Hasselblad color calibration works like a charm. The variety of filters are perfect for setting the mood–whatever it may be at the time.
It’s nice to see that you don’t see much difference in color when it comes to the 8 MP, f/2.2 ultrawide lens. That’s a usual gripe when shifting camera settings, and OPPO managed to come out strong in this department.
While not a fan of selfies, as most of you have probably inferred from previous reviews, the 32MP f/2.4 lens performs well, both in standard and ultrawide. That being said, given you can make use of the main shooters for selfies, we highly recommend you do that instead. Just make sure to open that palm while using gestures.
You can shoot clear 4K/30fps videos with the main shooter, and 1080P/60fps with the selfie camera. There’s some room for improvement here, as 4K on a selfie camera isn’t as impossible a task nowadays. Then phone’s MariSilicon X imaging technology reduces noise in dimmer surroundings, and in spite of a lack of OIS, video recording is stable enough.
Everyday Reliability
The OPPO Find N2 Flip was fun to have as a daily driver. Simple joys like opening it up, taking a call, and snapping it shut are both nostalgic, and quite therapeutic.
As for the battery, the 4300 mAh capacity held its own, day in and day out. Whether it be gaming, taking photos and videos, or browsing for leisure, you’re guaranteed to have enough juice once you get back home. Also, thanks to 67W SuperVOOC charging, you can go from zero to half-full in less than half an hour.
Some might find the 256GB of non-expandable storage (as per our unit) a bit of a letdown, but being able to save just about everything onto Google can solve most of the photo and video capacity problems. As the phone runs on ColorOS 13, you get all the productivity and aesthetic perks it entails. Work efficiency will not be an issue. You’re better of worrying about Genshin Impact.
Final Geek Lifestyle Verdict
A lot of us have grown tired of the usual mobile phone form factor. “Same is lame,” as the youngblood used to say many years ago. We needed something new–amongst what’s considered new.
While OPPO didn’t pioneer the ‘flippable’ phone concept, they most definitely brought a compelling option to the table. They introduced a great phone that didn’t rely on its novelty alone. This isn’t a gimmick. What you get is a premium device that can deliver, regardless who’s using it. It’s finds that sweet spot, right smack in the middle of working professionals, content creators, gamers, and just about anyone who wants to stand out in the crowd.
It has all the flagship specs, the flagship aesthetic, the flagship overall feel, and most importantly, the flagship foldability. But does it have the usual flagship price?
The OPPO Find N2 Flip is priced in the Philippines starting at 49,999. This includes official stores and dealers nationwide including major eCommerce platforms. If you can afford it, and you want it, we suggest you grab it.
OPPO Find N2 Flip Specs:
- Mediatek Dimensity 9000+ (4 nm)
- Mali-G710 MC10
- 8GB RAM (8GB RAM expansion)
- Main screen: 6.8 inch LTPO AMOLED HDR10+ (1080 x 2520), Cover screen: 3.26 inch AMOLED (382 x 720)
- 256GB Storage
- 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, multi-directional PDAF
8 MP, f/2.2, 112˚, (ultrawide) - 32 MP, f/2.4, 22mm (wide) front camera
- 5G, LTE, Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by)
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, fingerprint scanner (side-mounted, USB Type-C
- 4300mAh battery with 67W SUPERVOOC charge support
- Android 13, ColorOS 13
- Astral Black, Moonlit Purple, Gold