Oppo Find N2 Flip review: Galaxy Z Flip4 should be worried

The foldable revolution is now in full swing and it’s not just Samsung that’s making smartphones that bend. Oppo is joining the party with the Chinese firm launching its new Find N2 Flip in markets across the globe. With an eye-catching design and price that undercuts Samsung by a considerable margin, is this now the best and most affordable flippable phone money can buy?

Express.co.uk has been putting it through its paces and here is our full Oppo Find N2 Flip review.

Oppo has made some big claims about the displays on its Find N2 smartphone with the company boasting that it features the biggest Cover Screen on the market and also gets a main display with a less noticeable crease. But how do things stack up in reality?

Let’s start by talking about that larger Cover Screen as there’s no question that, on first impressions, it looks impressive. This panel measures in at 3.26-inches which is much bigger than the 1.9-inch screen found on the Galaxy Z Flip4.

Wake this mini panel up and it looks great with it packed with masses of colour and pin-sharp visuals.

From this screen, you can take photos, check the weather, look at your diary and set timers along with adding a Tamagotchi-style pet for a bit of pointless fun.

You can also view messages and emails without opening the main display, which sounds great, but there are some big limitations. If you want to send a reply there are some generic responses that can be sent such as “No problem” or “Thanks” but you can’t write a real response without flipping open the main screen. There’s also no support for third-party apps and using this display can feel a little stuttery at times.

There’s no question that it has loads of potential but it feels like Oppo simply hasn’t worked out a way to get the most out of this headline-grabbing feature and that’s a shame.

Flip open the lid and you’ll be treated to a stunning 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. This main panel is truly stunning and is also super responsive which makes it a total joy to use.

Sadly, just like all foldables you will have to put up with an annoying crease which runs right through the middle of the display.

Although Oppo’s Flexion Hinge has definitely reduced the bump it’s still pretty noticeable and is something you’ll have to put up with if you want a phone that bends.

So that’s the screens but what about the design? Overall, the build quality really impresses and the Oppo Find N2 Flip feels incredibly premium. We took delivery of the purple model which looks really pretty and is definitely a head-turning device. In fact, we actually think the N2 Flip looks better than the Galaxy Z Flip4 from Samsung.

Oppo is promising that it should survive life in your pocket with it being tested to survive 400,000 folds. That’s not something we’ve been able to test but we can’t fault the build quality as this is a very premium phone.

If we had one gripe about the design it’s that the hinge doesn’t offer the same rigidity as the Flip4 from Samsung. That means the flexible screen can’t be moved to as many positions without it snapping fully open. Other than that niggle we have no complaints and Oppo’s design team have produced a phone with oodles of wow factor.

Oppo has included a dual-lens camera system in the Find N2 Flip which includes a 50MP main sensor and 8MP ultra-wide lens. Our shots snapped on this device have all looked colourful, bright and packed with detail. Even at night, this device performs well and there are all usual the features such as Portrait Mode to add some DSLR-style blur to your images.

Thanks to its foldable design and large cover screen you can also use the main cameras to shoot selfies which works really well and makes photos of your face look more pixel-packed than ever.

Video can be shot in full 4K and there’s the option to film those fun slow-motion movies. The useful camcorder mode helps you grip the device just like a gadget from the 90s and there’s a dual-screen preview so you can film a family member whilst they can see how they look on the cover display.

We also like Oppo’s FlexForm Photography mode which lets you stand the device up on the desk so you can record hands-free. You can even snap a selfie by raising your hand so there’s no need to touch the screen.

There’s plenty to like about Find N2 Flip but we’re not sure this is the best camera if want the ultimate photography settings.

There’s only a 2X zoom and it’s lacking other features such as the market-leading image stabilisation now found on devices such as the iPhone 14 and Galaxy S23. You also won’t find upgrades like the Pixel’s Magic Eraser which can remove photo bombers from images with just one tap.

The Find N2 Flip has a solid camera just beware that there are better smartphone snappers for the same price.

Tucked inside the N2 Flip is a MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ processor which offers a slick and powerful experience. There’s little this device won’t cope with and we doubt you’ll face any frustrations when using it.

Most comparisons show the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ isn’t quite as quick as the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 brains from Qualcomm but the average user is unlikely to notice the difference.

Along with some decent power, the N2 Flip also impresses when it comes to battery life. Thanks to a large 4300mAh (Samsung’s Z Flip has a 3333mAH battery inside) we’ve easily got a full day’s usage out of this phone and our tests have also shown that you play two hours of video and only lose around 20 percent of the power.

When things do run dry there’s 44W SUPERVOOC charger in the box which allows you to go from nearly empty to 50 per cent in just 23 minutes, and to 100 per cent within one hour. Samsung no longer ships its phones with a power brick so this is another bonus of choosing Oppo.

The only thing it is missing is wireless charging which is a shame but we guess you can’t have everything.

Other things you’ll find on the N2 Flip include a fast fingerprint scanner on the side of the device and its fully 5G ready for speedy downloads on the move.

There are also dual stereo speakers which are good although there is a distinct lack of bass which means things don’t sound as full as other devices such as the iPhone.

It’s worth noting that there’s no official IPX8 water resistance rating so don’t drop this device in the bath as it might not survive. Oppo says it should cope with splashes of rain but if you are accident-prone the Galaxy Z Flip4 is a better option as that phone is fully dust and waterproof.

The Find N2 Flip runs on Oppo’s ColorOS version of Android which is nice and easy to use although when you fire things up for the first time you find an annoying amount of bloatware installed including games and pre-loaded services such as Facebook.

You can of course delete everything you don’t want but it’s an irritation you won’t find on devices such as Google’s Pixel or Samsung’s Galaxy.

The Find N2 Flip is aggressively priced with Oppo clearly hoping that its headline-grabbing cost will convince consumers to make the switch from Samsung.

You can pick up the Find N2 Flip for £849 which is £150 cheaper than the Galaxy Z Flip4.

It’s a very enticing deal and makes the Find N2 Flip worth considering if you’re desperate for a foldable phone but have been put off by the previous expense.

Samsung had better beware! Oppo’s new Find N2 Flip is a tremendously good foldable that’s £150 cheaper than its Galaxy rival. It looks stunning, has a bigger cover display, larger battery and faster charging. 

No, it’s not perfect and there are some things that Oppo needs to tweak before we can give the N2 Flip the full 5 stars including upgrading the software to make the front screen more useful.

That said, there’s plenty to like about this device including its price and premium build quality.

If you’ve been pondering a switch to a flip phone don’t discount the Find N2. This is a decent device that’s going to be a thorn is the Galaxy’s side. 

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