Oppo has only released a total of three foldable smartphones over the past couple of years. There’s the original Find N, the Find N2 Flip, and the device you see here, the Find N2. Despite that, the Chinese company’s foldable phones are easily some of the most refined offerings in the market now.
At least, that’s the case in China, as Oppo’s foldable devices have not been released outside of the country, including the Find N2. That’s quite unfortunate, given just how compelling the Find N2 is after I’ve used it for a couple of weeks.
If Oppo does decide to launch the Find N2 in international markets, I’m confident it will be well-received, and I’ll explain why below.
First, let’s talk about the hardware of the Find N2. Just like its predecessor, the foldable phone has a compact form factor, so it’s still an ergonomically-friendly phone. It has a slightly larger 5.54-inch 2120 x 1080 AMOLED cover screen with a 120Hz refresh rate now, while the internal display is a familiar 7.1-inch 1920 x 1792 AMOLED panel; also clocked at 120Hz.
According to Oppo, the width of the crease on the primary display of the Find N2 has been reduced by 67%, lending to a sleeker-looking design. Of course, looking at the actual phone in person, the crease is definitely still there, but it’s not particularly prominent, which is good.
Other specifications of the Find N2 include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, a Hasselblad-branded triple camera system (50MP primary + 48MP ultra-wide + 32MP telephoto) with Oppo’s MariSilicon X NPU for improved performance, a 32MP selfie camera, up to 16GB of RAM, two storage options (256GB or 512GB), and a 4,520mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging.
Tipping the scales at 233g, the Find N2 is touted by Oppo to be the “lightest horizontally folding phone” – that is, foldable phones with a tablet-style form factor like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. While 233g doesn’t sound all that light on paper, the large dimensions of the phone distributes the weight nicely. Compared to the aforementioned Z Fold 4, the Find N2 is noticeably lighter, making it less fatiguing to use for long periods of time.
The robust hinge of the Find N2 is worth a mention as well. Not only does it feel smooth to fold and unfold the phone, it also closes the phone with a reassuring thud. The best part is, there’s no noticeable gap at all when the phone is folded close – very impressive.
And then we have the two 120Hz displays of the Find N2, which look great. The 5.54-inch AMOLED cover screen is nice and compact, while the 7.1-inch primary inner display (also AMOLED) is there for tasks that require more screen real estate. As these are both AMOLED panels, their deep, true blacks and vibrant colours are great for content consumption.
Surprisingly enough, I find myself using the cover screen of the Find N2 more often than the larger primary display. I just love the wide and short aspect ratio of the external screen, making one-handed use a breeze. The panel is also more than big enough for a comfortable viewing experience, in my opinion.
Next, we have the performance of the Find N2, and it is unsurprisingly a quick smartphone. It’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, and while it’s not the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, there’s no denying that this is still a very capable chip that can offer flagship-tier performance.
Speaking of performance, let’s move on to the camera performance of the Find N2’s Hasselblad-branded triple camera system. For the most part, the 50MP primary sensor, 48MP ultra-wide angle shooter, and 32MP telephoto lens are capable of taking some great-looking shots, but it is also…well, inconsistent.
Judge for yourself with these sample shots.
Most of these shots taken with the Find N2 look great, but some of them are also lacking in detail, especially in low light conditions. The focus can be quite soft as well, and the colour reproduction can be a tad too saturated for my liking. It’s also worth noting that the camera interface has a tendency to flicker whenever I click on the shutter button.
Nonetheless, I do think the Find N2 has a reasonably capable camera system. It’s not class-leading by any means, but it can definitely take good shots. I just wish it offered a more consistent camera performance with a more refined camera interface.
Unfortunately, I did not manage to do a proper battery test with the Find N2, given that it’s running on the Chinese version of ColorOS 13. It doesn’t have access to the Google Play Store – the service is not offered in China, after all – so I can’t really test out the phone’s battery life in a fair manner without access to my usual suite of apps.
But all things considered, the Oppo Find N2 is easily one of the most refined foldable phones in the market now. If it was more widely available, I reckon it can even put up a good fight against the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, which I consider to be the benchmark for tablet-like foldable phones.
Oppo certainly knows how to make good foldable phones, and the Find N2 is a testament of that. While this phone (probably) won’t be sold outside of China, the Find N2 Flip may enter international markets. I’m certainly looking forward to seeing that foldable flip phone enter the Malaysian market, even if the Find N2 does not.