Oppo Find N2 Flip review: Can it beat Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4?

The phone has a 50MP camera at the back, along with an 8MP ultra-wide camera. The selfie camera is 32MP, and yes, there is a flex mode to allow you to take photos or videos using just the outer screen, which is all convenient. But unlike Samsung’s Z Flip4, this one does not run Qualcomm’s top-end Snapdragon processor. Instead, the Mediatek Dimensity 9000+ powers this phone. It also comes with Oppo’s own custom MariSilicon X chipset, meant to improve the photography and video experience on the device.

More importantly, Oppo is pushing how it uses a new Flexion Hinge, which ensures better resistance to dust, no gap when you close the device and that the crease is barely visible. I would say the crease is visible, though yes, much less noticeable than what I’ve experienced when testing the other Flip.

There is no gap between the screen when folded. (Image Credit: Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express)

Oppo Find N2 Flip review: What stands out in the device?

No doubt, the Find N2 Flip’s bigger outer display is striking and makes for an impact. In fact, when my husband saw the phone, he was most pleased by the outer display, because it makes more sense if you are giving users a second screen. The bigger display means it is much easier to use, swipe across notifications, and take selfies or group photos. It is a more convenient screen to use, as I could see during my testing period. What is limiting, for now, is the number of widgets you can add to this. Interestingly, there is a dedicated widget for wireless earphones — but only some Oppo and OnePlus options are supported. Since I don’t have those, I could not use this feature. But what I liked most was the responsiveness of this display, and that I didn’t have to go through a learning curve on this.

The outer display is responsive and more convenient to use. (Image Credit: Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express)

The Find N2 Flip comes in two colour variants: Purple and Black. I have the purple colour variant, which is stylish. Actually, it is more of a mauve colour, and if you want a phone that stands out, then this colour is the one to pick. What I don’t like is the plastic cover in the box that Oppo has packed with this device. It is flimsy and looks cheap. Hopefully, Oppo will offer better cover options. Oppo also gave a flip pocket purse, which can be used to store the phone. The latter looks much more stylish compared to the inbox cover. To my mind, the Find N2 Flip still feels like a fairly chunky device when folded, though it fits perfectly in my jeans pocket.

The main display itself is impressive. Yes, that crease is barely visible, though, of course, it is there. Watching videos on Netflix or Disney+Hotstar was a delight on this display, and it remains legible even in bright sunlight, as I found out during an afternoon outing.

Oppo has put all foldable related settings in a sub-section called ‘Special features’ in the Settings app.(Image Credit: Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express)

But I was interested in seeing how the software would work on this Find N2 Flip, given this is critical to foldable phones. So far, Oppo has done a reasonably good job. For one, I appreciated that Oppo neatly put all the foldable related settings as one sub-section in the Settings app. Another tab called Special features also lists other features like Split Screen, Flexible Windows, etc., which is also useful. The Split-Screen feature though works with very few apps. The Flexible Windows (floating app windows) feature also works fine with Google apps, but with others, I would get the message that the app might not work properly. Admittedly, it took a few swipes and some struggle to get these experiences right, but then that is expected.

Split screen implementation is a bit weird, with the app on top looking like its minimized. (Image Credit: Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express)

Still, the user interface is not perfect. For instance, to initiate the Split-Screen, you have to swipe up on the open app with three fingers. But what happens is that the app then goes straight to the top of the screen as a minimal bar, and you are left a little confused. What you are supposed to do is open the other app, and the split-screen view is automatically initiated. But the way it takes place could have been smoother. The first time I tried it, I was confused about why Gmail had shrunk to the top of the screen and about what to do next. Once again, app support is limited for many of these features. Google apps like YouTube, Google Sheets, Gmail, and Play Store worked fine in split-screen mode.

Here’s how the split screen functionality looks like on the Oppo Find N2 Flip. (Image Credit: Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express)

There is bloatware as well, which is annoying as always. I found the setting to get rid of the Hot Apps and Hot Games folder from the home screen, but I just cannot delete it from the app tray. It is not great to see these apps promoted on a ‘premium’ phone.

On the performance front, the Oppo Find N2 Flip works well, though yes, there is a slight lag when taking photos using the cover screen. The phone’s performance is fast enough for daily tasks, and games like Asphalt 9 and Genshin Impact ran without any hiccups. I did not face any extensive heating when using this phone.

The Oppo Find N2 Flip will easily last a day thanks to that 4300 mAh battery, even with heavy-duty usage. The power-saving mode is also impressive. The 44W charging gets this to 100 per cent in over an hour or so. The battery is definitely one advantage this phone has over its immediate rival.

Oppo Find N2 Flip review: What about the camera?

This camera comes with Hasselblad branding, and works well in bright outdoors and even at night. The photos are detailed and crisp, and the colour tone is mostly accurate. In some photos, I felt the reds were oversaturated, and sometimes there is a tendency to make the skies look bluer, but then this is the case on many other phones.

Skies look a bit more bluer than in real life. (Image Credit: Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express)

The colour tone is pretty accurate and on par with other premium phones. (Image Credit: Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express)

Red and pink often come out oversaturated. (Image Credit: Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express)

The overall image quality is really good with most photos coming out natural most of the time. (Image Credit: Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express)

Once again, reds look a bit saturated compared to other phones in the price segment. (Image Credit: Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express)

Nighttime photos are really good as well. (Image Credit: Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express)

The selfie camera delivers well, though I naturally turned off the default beauty mode on the phone. I have no clue why Oppo is keen to give us women ‘orange’ lips as part of the beautification process, but it does not work, definitely not on Indian skin tones. Might I suggest a richer pink instead? Photos I took during my outings to a strawberry farm and to Lodhi Gardens came out well. Videos on the phone are also good, though some colours looked a little oversaturated at times, especially pinks and reds.

Overall, this is a reasonably good camera. But yes, at this price, it is not the best camera money can buy, if that’s your main reason for getting a phone.

The crease is barely visible when unfolded. (Image Credit: Shruti Dhapola/ Indian Express)

Oppo Find N2 Flip review: What about the price?

This is Oppo’s most expensive phone in India in recent times. Yes, it takes on squarely the Z Flip4 in many ways. It definitely has an edge in some areas. The outer screen, the bigger battery, and faster charging are all plus points. The software features work well, though bloatware remains an issue. The foldable form factor also makes this an attractive product to consider.

But the problem is brand perception, which is admittedly not easy to fight. Not to forget that Samsung regularly offers discounts on its foldable phones. At Rs 89,999, this is a pricey buy, for the form factor alone. Of course, with bank offers, Oppo’s price goes down to Rs 79,999 – though only if you are exchanging another Oppo device for this one. But then Samsung is offering its Z Flip4 latest at Rs 80,999 if one includes the bank offer, and the price will fall further as we have seen in the past. I’d say this is for those who don’t mind experimenting, are open to trying a foldable and don’t want a Samsung.