Oppo sets a new standard for clamshell foldables with the Find N3 Flip.
Less than a year since the release of the Oppo Find N2 Flip in India, the successor, the Find N3 Flip, has made its debut. This latest flagship foldable from Oppo introduces significant changes, particularly in terms of the processor, camera setup, and software. Here’s your first look at Oppo’s newest foldable flagship for the Indian market. The smartphone is available in a single variant with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, priced at Rs. 94,999. This represents a modest increase of about Rs. 5,000 compared to the Find N2 Flip, which is quite reasonable. Sales will commence on October 22.
The new Oppo Find N3 Flip retains a design closely resembling its predecessor in terms of dimensions. The Sleek Black variant boasts a glossy finish, which, although prone to fingerprints, lends the phone a highly premium appearance when cleaned. A notable addition to the N3 Flip is the alert slider, functioning in the same manner as on OnePlus smartphones. Furthermore, both halves of the phone feature Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection.
Adjacent to the outer display, there’s another noteworthy addition. For the first time on a vertically folding phone, three camera sensors have been incorporated, with Oppo claiming they are among the largest sensors in this form factor. The primary camera remains the same 50-megapixel Sony IMX890 sensor from the N2 Flip, but it now features optical stabilization, promising smoother videos and sharper low-light photos. Additionally, there’s a 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera with autofocus for macro photography and video. The standout addition is the 32-megapixel portrait camera, offering autofocus and a 2x optical zoom, along with an impressive 20x digital zoom. This camera setup positions the N3 Flip in the same league as some traditional flagships, at least on paper.
The Oppo Find N3 Flip also boasts a new processor, the MediaTek Dimensity 9200, known for its enhanced power and energy efficiency. The battery capacity remains unchanged at 4,300mAh, and the phone supports 44W fast charging with the included adapter. However, wireless charging is still absent.
Oppo has reinforced the hinge design and added an IPX4 ingress protection rating to safeguard against light splashes of water. When folded, there’s virtually no visible gap between the two halves, and the hinge is certified to endure 600,000 folds and unfolds, an improvement of 200,000 over the Oppo N2 Flip.
The inner display on the Oppo Find N3 Flip is a 6.8-inch flexible OLED panel featuring a 120Hz refresh rate and full-HD+ resolution. Peak brightness has been elevated to 1,600 nits, offering a sharp and vibrant display with an impressively subtle crease that is barely visible or felt upon touch.
The outer screen closely resembles the one on the N2 Flip. Oppo has retained this aspect ratio, allowing you to use full-sized apps on the outer display, in addition to the preinstalled widgets for weather and camera. More than 40 apps have been optimized for this purpose, with additional ones expected to be added.
The firmware I had included popular Google apps, as well as support for messaging apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Outlook. You can respond to messages using either voice or the keyboard directly from the outer screen. The Find N3 Flip runs on Android 13, and Oppo has committed to delivering three years of Android updates and four years of security updates.
The Oppo Find N3 Flip presents a significant update, especially considering that the Find N2 Flip was introduced in India earlier this year. This move sets the stage for some intense competition with Samsung and Motorola, a topic we will delve into more deeply in the full review, so stay tuned.