Samsung is leading the charge as new-generation smartphones flip and fold their way into the mainstream. Motorola, too, deserves credit for sticking to clamshell phones and upgrading its Razr lineup year after year, Android or not. And now Oppo has released its second Flip phone, the Find N3 Flip, a successor to the Find N2 Flip, which was released in 2022.
So, what has improved? The crease, the durability, or the amount of folds of the Find N3? According to Oppo, all three characteristics have improved and are now accompanied by new numbers. Oppo says that the Find 3 can fold and withstand 6 lakh times, which is the equivalent of 100 folds each day for 14 years. On paper, that appears to be an extremely long period, if you chose to stick with one phone for that long.
The Oppo Find N3 sports an enhanced Flexion hinge, a new camera module with Hasselblad branding on top, and a design that will appeal to a wide range of buyers. However, it comes at a premium price of Rs 94,000. Should you therefore spend your money on the phone? In the India Today Tech review, we discover out.
Design
If you're familiar with the Oppo Find N2 Flip's design, the only visible difference is the camera module. The Find N2 has two big camera sensors positioned vertically, but the Find N3 has a circular camera module that houses all three sensors. When examined closely, the camera module appears to be a tiny version of the camera found on the OnePlus 11, although with Hasselblad branding. While I enjoy the phone's in-hand feel, the camera module protrudes slightly and becomes unsteady when placed on a surface. It interferes with your use if you try to utilize the cover screen with one hand, example, predominantly with the thumb of your right hand.
Having said that, I must say that the Oppo Find N3 Flip has a very beautiful look. In fact, I believe it has one of the most visually appealing designs in its class. This phone has an exquisite appearance thanks to its glass back and metal frame. You'll notice that it has a curved design on all sides when you hold it. It is available in two colors: black and cream, and I received the cream version for review, which I believe is more quality than the black one.
The Oppo Find N3 Flip is small enough to fit in your palms but large enough that your fingers will grasp at it.
The glass panel makes the phone less susceptible to fingerprints and smudges, but it is also highly slippery. I've had a few near calls where the phone almost dropped from my fingers, but I've always managed to keep it from hitting the ground. However, fortune may not always be on your side. Despite the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection, the glass body makes it more prone to cracking if dropped.
Moving on to the buttons, the Oppo Find N3 has an alert slider, which is popular among OnePlus phones. It is located on the phone's left side and makes changing modes a breeze. Aside from that, the volume sliders and power button are on the right side, allowing for one-handed usage while the flip is closed; but, when the flip is open, you may have to stretch your fingers a little to access the controls. The speaker grille and USB Type-C port are located at the bottom.
One problem I observed was that I had to use both of my hands to open the phone, but once opened, the phone's cover felt a little unstable and made a sound when shaken. This, however, does not appear to interfere with the overall phone experience.
Oppo Find N3 display
The Find N3 has two displays: a cover screen and an internal monitor. The cover screen features a 17:9 aspect ratio and no bezels. According to the business, 40 apps, including WhatsApp and Gmail, have been optimized for use on the cover screen. I could simply read my Gmail emails and WhatsApp messages without having to access the main screen. It is sufficiently bright and has a refresh rate of 60 hertz, which is far too fast for a tiny screen. One thing I didn't like about it was the lack of a tap-to-wake feature. I had to press the power button to activate the cover screen. Aside from that, the cover screen features an always-on feature that displays the time every time you bring the device closer to your eyes.
Let's start with the primary screen. It has a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a peak brightness of 1600 nits and a refresh rate of 120Hz. Even in direct sunshine, I found the screen to be fully readable. Its lengthy shape also improved my movie and video viewing experience. The bottom speaker functioned admirably. When I opened the flip, I noticed that the crease remained rather level. Only by running your fingertips along the phone's joint will you detect the wrinkle.
Battery life and performance
The Oppo Find N2 is equipped with a MediaTek 9200 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. I had been using the device for about a week and had not encountered any performance difficulties. The phone handled navigation well, loaded apps and games rapidly, and could even handle extended gaming sessions. I played Asphalt 9 on the Oppo Find N3 for 30 minutes straight and did not experience any slowdown. The haptics on this phone are simply great. It's just right, neither too strong nor too weak.
While everything is fine under the hood, I did notice a number of apps that I didn't need installed, such as Oppo Store, DailyHunt, and others, so I would prefer it if the phone was bloatware free, especially since many smartphone companies are pushing for a bloatware free user interface.
In terms of battery life, the Find N2 and Find N3 share the same 4300mAh battery. Given that the Find N3 has two displays, one of which is always-on, I was skeptical about its lifespan, but it exceeded my expectations. Even with my typical usage, which includes video streaming, gaming, and social media, I was able to go for well over a day on a single charge. The phone's performance was excellent. It's also not a slouch when it comes to charging. It can charge more than half the battery in half an hour with a 44W charger, which I find rather astounding.
Camera
Oppo Find 3 has three camera sensors: a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 48-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, and a 32-megapixel portrait camera. The daylight images were detailed and sharp, with no overlaid or fake elements, and the skin tone was accurate. In fact, the 5X telephoto lens softens the boundaries flawlessly and allows for distant close-ups. In fact, if you use the Telephoto lens, you can keep the phone on the table in a half-open posture and take stable images.
I must remark that the daytime photography is extremely outstanding. The camera's low-light performance, on the other hand, left me wanting more. Night photographs came out excellent, and what drew my attention was the speed with which images were captured in night mode, which was faster than on many other phones.
Here's an unusual fact: when you use the cover screen to take a picture, you can use the 50-megapixel primary camera as the selfie camera. This is a useful function, particularly if you're feeling lazy and don't want to open your phone to take a fast selfie.
Should you purchase the Oppo Find N3 Flip?
As a foldable phone, I found the Oppo Find N3 Flip to be rather intriguing. It offers a stylish look, dependable performance, and some useful camera functions for taking pictures during the day. The redesigned foldable hinge increases durability, and the twin displays facilitate multitasking.
However, I must mention that the phone's interface might be cleaner, with fewer pre-installed apps. In low-light circumstances, the camera's performance fell short of my expectations. If you enjoy evening photography, you should look at other options.
Finally, whether or not you should purchase the Oppo Find N3 Flip is a matter of personal preference. It's definitely worth considering if you're interested in novel design, solid daytime camera performance, and the experience of using a foldable phone.
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