Oppo entered the clamshell foldable smartphone category about a year ago in December 2022, in China. The company’s first offering, dubbed Oppo Find N2 Flip, later made its way to global markets, starting in February 2023.
At launch, the Find N2 Flip had one of the largest cover screens on flip-style foldable smartphones. And like non-Samsung foldables, it had a teardrop hinge for a minimal crease.
Eight months later, the brand debuted Find N3 Flip at the end of August in its home country. Beginning in October, the phone was also made available in India and other countries.
The latest model improves upon its predecessor in quite a few areas. It is the only flip-style foldable with a triple-camera system and houses a slightly more powerful MediaTek Dimensity 9200 chip.
Just like the Find N2 Flip, Oppo India sent us a unit of the Find N3 Flip to try out. Having used the handset for about two weeks, I have shared my thoughts on it in this article.
Before I note down my experience, I would like to let readers know that the company had no early look or editorial input. Also, I am dividing this review into three segments, talking about the device’s use case, pros, and cons.
Why do clamshell foldable smartphones make sense?
Primarily, there are two types of foldable phones. The first, commonly referred to as book-style foldables, has a horizontal folding screen that unfolds into a tablet. The second one sports a vertical folding display and unfolds into a regular smartphone.
The Oppo Find N3 Flip falls into the second category. The most popular product in this segment is Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip lineup. Ever since foldables became mainstream, these handsets have been bestsellers.
The primary reason behind the success of clamshell foldable phones is their affordability compared to book-style foldables. For instance, the Oppo Find N3 Flip is priced at ₹94,999 in India, while its competitor, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, starts at ₹99,999. In other words, they cost about the same as non-folding flagship smartphones like Galaxy S23 Plus and iPhone 15 Plus.
In terms of the use case, it is generally considered that foldables that offer a larger canvas when needed satisfy many user needs. But clamshell foldables are not far behind in terms of practicality either.
I have always adored flip-style foldables since their inception. After having used the Find N3 Flip for the last few days, my love for them has only increased. They elevate the overall smartphone experience when compared to a regular slab phone.
First and foremost, they take up less space in your pockets and bags. Due to their small form factor when folded, they are comfortable to hold in hands for a longer duration.
Further, you don’t need a kickstand case or a stand for your desk, as the handset itself can sit on any flat surface. I found this feature quite useful, as I used the phone conveniently by placing it at desired angles on tables in my house and other places.
Thanks to a larger cover screen and software features, a lot can be done on the device when it is unfolded. Also, ending calls by folding the phone shut with a ‘thud’ sound is satisfying, and it even folds flat without a gap in between.
As for fashion enthusiasts, I don’t think there’s any other handset on the market as stylish as clamshell foldables. Whenever I used the device in public, it lured people’s attention due to the ‘wow factor’ or novelty associated with it.
Similarly, this type of smartphone is well-suited for someone looking to detox from social media. Because you need to unfold the device every time, in addition to picking it up in hand. Finally, for those who can afford it, I believe flip-style foldables are strong contenders for a fun secondary smartphone.
How Oppo Find N3 Flip is different from competitors?
Oppo markets the Find N3 Flip as a camera smartphone, and the device delivers on that front. I used the handset’s cameras more than anything else.
The camera hardware on the rear is the same as the one found on the OnePlus 11 (review). The phone arrives with an OIS-assisted 50MP Sony IMX890 main sensor with 2x in-sensor zoom, a 48MP Sony IMX581 ultrawide unit with autofocus, and a 32MP Sony IMX709 2x telephoto shooter with 5x in-sensor zoom.
The selfie camera also uses the same sensor as the zoom camera. Lastly, the image processing is tuned in collaboration with Hasselblad, just like on other premium handsets from Oppo and OnePlus.
This camera system is probably the best on a clamshell foldable smartphone to date. In fact, I would argue that the overall camera experience is better than what you get on premium slab smartphones like the iPhone 15 and Galaxy S23.
I reached out to Find N3 Flip every time I wanted to take pictures, even though I had an iPhone 15 alongside. The dynamic range, colors, white balance, and contrast are well-balanced. The images don’t come out too natural or overprocessed.
The pictures have enough details and almost no noise. The cameras also perform well under low-light conditions and often come out better than the aforementioned slab handsets.
Above all, it’s fun to use the Oppo Find N3 Flip for photography, thanks to its cover display. By using ‘Dual Preview’, you can take various types of shots. Your creativity is the limit. This feature is very useful for group shots, especially when you couple it with a timer and ‘Interval Shooting’ (burst mode).
Almost all the images I clicked on the handset are in portrait orientation. Because the device screams at you to fold it 90° (L-shaped) to take pictures.
Talking about performance, the phone does not stutter and offers a smooth experience like any other premium smartphone. This is made possible by a MediaTek Dimensity 9200 chip and well-optimized ColorOS 13 software based on Android 13. The 6.8-inch 1-120Hz LTPO FHD+ (2520 x 1080 pixels) display with a not-so-visible crease also contributes to smoothness.
You can make good use of the 3.26-inch cover screen as it can open many popular apps, including the likes of Gmail, YouTube, Google Maps, WhatsApp, X, and Telegram to name a few. And, of course, you can also access notifications and quick toggles.
Additionally, you can customize the external display with live wallpapers, AOD, and ‘Interactive Pets.’ The latter bit is so cute, and almost everyone I showed it to was impressed.
Finally, the network reception and 5G performance are solid, just like the battery life from the 4,300mAh battery. The device can easily last a day even with excessive camera and mobile hotspot usage, or even more if you use it conservatively. It even charges 20-100% within an hour with the bundled charger (up to 44W).
In a nutshell, cameras have been the weakest link on most clamshell foldables. However, it is where the Find N3 Flip shines. This makes it stand out among competitors.
What could have made Oppo Find N3 Flip better?
Not every product is perfect, as there are always some drawbacks. The same applies to the Find N3 Flip as well. But I am happy to say there aren’t many major cons, except for one thing.
The Oppo Find N3 Flip is no doubt well-built. But I wish the hinge was a bit tighter. It feels loose compared to what you get on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 and its predecessors.
Also, the hinge cannot hold the phone folded at extreme angles like Samsung’s offerings. I hope Oppo improves the hinge further on its next-gen clamshell foldable.
Then, there are minor issues that can be fixed with future software updates if the company wants to.
To keep the thermals low, Oppo limits video recording to 1080p 30fps when you use ‘Dual Preview’. Similarly, the device doesn’t let you take the above-discussed burst shots, even if it gets a little warm, as a precaution.
Clamshell foldables don’t have enough space inside to dissipate heat. So they are expected to get warmer. To mitigate this, Oppo throttles the performance, especially while running high-demand applications like games.
It’s not wrong for the company to be cautious. However, it would be better if the brand offered an option to let users decide via a future software update.
Last but not least, competitors have moved on to a larger external display with a better resolution. The smaller screen on the Find N3 Flip is definitely useful, but I could clearly notice the lower resolution, though regular customers probably won’t.
Should you buy the Oppo Find N3 Flip?
The answer to this is yes. If you want a clamshell foldable smartphone with the best cameras, the Oppo Find N3 Flip should be your pick.
It even boasts a stellar battery life for this form factor and a faster charging speed than competitors. Further, the software is well-optimized and is assured to receive 4 Android updates and 5 years of security updates.
Unfortunately, the Oppo Find N3 Flip is not as widely available as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 or even the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra (review). In that situation, Samsung becomes the default option given its sheer presence and eye-catching deals from retailers and carriers.
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