Oppo Find N2 needs to be sold in Malaysia as soon as possible. Here's what we think after using this foldable screen phone for two weeks. Not only is it in our opinion the most comfortable foldable screen phone to use but it also solves the three main issues that plague devices with this design.
The issue is that it is heavy, it is not easy to use with one hand and the price is less affordable. On the Oppo Find N2 these three issues are successfully resolved and prove that perhaps a more compact design is the best for the upcoming foldable screen device.
Specifications
Oppo Find N2
External Screen – 5.54″ AMOLED, 120Hz
In – 7.1″ AMOLED 120Hz
HDR10+, Stylus
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor (4nm)
1 X 3.19 GHz Cortex X2 chip
3 X 2.75 GHz Cortex A710
4 X 2.00 GHz Cortex A510
Adreno 730 Graphics Chip
RAM 12/16 Gigabytes
Internal Storage 256/512GB UFS 3.1
Primary Camera 54 MP, f/1.8, OIS (Wide Angle)
48 MP, f/2.2 (Ultra Wide Angle)
32 MP, f/2.0 Telephoto) 2x Optical Zoom
4K 60p
Front Camera 32 Megapixel f/2.4 (Front)
32 Megapixel f/2.4 (Inner)
1080p 30p
4520 mAh battery
67W wired charging
SIM/Telephony Dual SIM Nano /5G
NFC Yes
Infrared None
Waterproof None
Side built-in Fingerprint Scan System
Sale Price RM5060* (12/256 GB)
RM5693* (16/512 GB)
Screen
5.54″ AMOLED external screen with 120Hz refresh rate support. The screen size is compact which makes it very comfortable to use even with one hand. It's like holding an iPhone SE only twice as thick. Typing using the external screen is also more comfortable because the screen ratio resembles a regular candybar smartphone.
The bezels on the three corners are thin and even. There is official HDR10+ support but at the time of writing HDR can only be used on the YouTube app. Official support for other streaming services may only come after the global launch of the Find N2. The same screen detects every touch and scroll precisely. With 120Hz animation looks clear and smooth all the time. Users are given the option to lower the refresh rate to 120Hz if needed.
The Find N2 foldable screen is 7.1″ AMOLED 120Hz which also supports HDR10+. The crease effect still exists but is not noticeable with the length. Only at certain angles it can be seen. The internal screen frame is large as it is made of a plastic material that absorbs shock when the screen is closed.
The new hinge this year is easier to open without making any strange noises. The device feels solid in the hand both open and closed. In the closed position, there is no space between the screens. This closer design makes it look neater when compared to the Z Fold4 which has a small space between the screen near the hinge in the closed position.
The improvement this year is that Oppo uses a UTG layer on this foldable screen and finally this screen can support the Oppo Pen stylus. In terms of capabilities, the Oppo Pen is the same as the Samsung S Pen. As with the Z Fold4, the Oppo Pen stylus is sold separately with no special storage space included on the body. We were unable to test the Oppo Pen sketch capabilities on the reviewed N2 as it was not provided by Oppo Malaysia.
There are two small camera holes on the top left corner of the foldable screen and in the center on the smaller outer screen. Finally, because both screens are from the AMOLED family, text and images on the screen can be seen clearly even under bright sunlight.
A notable drawback at this time is that the 7.1″ screen uses an almost 1:1 screen ratio that is too boxy. It doesn't cause any issues when watching videos but makes browsing the web or certain apps like it's cut in half. In a game like COD Mobile, the game's view space becomes too narrow.
See the picture below where some lines are missing when browsing the our site. Opening Instagram, the picture is only half visible to be seen in full. For those who want to write when outside the office, there is not enough space to type comfortably as only two lines are visible on the WordPress interface for example.
To solve this issue, ColorOS 13 has a feature to force apps to display at a 16:9 ratio on a 7.1″ screen. The negative effect is that there are black bars at the top and bottom of the application anyway. Like the Letterbox effect of watching a 16:9 DVD on a 4:3 CRT TV two decades ago.
Design
We said a few paragraphs above that the N2 is like using two iPhone SEs simultaneously. In closed mode it is still comfortable in the hand due to its compact size. In open mode, it is still comfortable to use like an iPad Mini. The power button and audio controls are placed on the "right wing" of the N2. The audio adjustment button is on top and the power button is on the bottom. There is a fingerprint scanner built into this power button.
The fingerprint scanning system on the N2 is incredibly fast with the screen unlocking in the blink of an eye. For those who want a faster unlocking system, facial recognition can also be activated. But because there is no infrared emitter, facial recognition only works in bright conditions. Performance as good as Face ID is not here.
We just don't like the position of the audio control buttons that are too high. To change the sound volume is a little difficult. The speaker is also placed at the bottom which is actually a smart decision. In our experience with foldable screen devices, when the speaker is placed sideways the grille is often closed by hand. With the speaker firing down the audio is rarely accidentally obstructed.
The tray for the nano-sized dual SIM is also placed at the bottom of the right wing where it clamps the USB-C port and the audio grille. There is no space for a micro SD card so the buyer has to decide what size of storage they want to use while the device is in use. The lack of expandable memory has been a disappointing trend on Android flagships for the past four years.
On the back there is a large square-shaped bump that houses three cameras – 50MP wide-angle f/1.8 , 48MP ultra-wide-angle f/2.2 and 2MP telephoto f/2.o that supports 2x optical zoom and up to 20X digital zoom.
This year's camera configuration is no longer three vertical like on the original Find N. The size of the wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses is large. No gimmicky macro camera system here. There is also no periscope camera system. What is available is the Hasselblad camera system with Oppo continuing its collaboration with this Swedish photography company. The large bump makes the Find N2 impossible to place flat on the table.
The back finish of the Find N2 is made of vegan leather with a texture similar to that found on digital cameras. When used without a frame, the surface of this back pen is textured but still soft to the touch. It doesn't feel cold when held like glass and metal panels. We quite like this finish because it makes the device feel exclusive, not slippery when held and not easily dirty. A little sad when the supplied frame is installed, this beautiful panel is hidden behind a plain polycarbonate frame.
The battery provided is 4520 mAh which is bigger than Z Fold4 (4400 mAh) but smaller than Magic Vs (5000 mAh). Impressively, the Find N2's small body can accommodate a larger battery compared to the larger Z Fold4. Amazingly there is support for faster 67W wired charging. The only downside is no wireless or reverse charging support.
The combination of a compact body, a small but still easy-to-use external screen and a foldable screen that doesn't have a noticeable crease made us instantly fall in love with the Find N2. This is something that we ourselves did not expect because we always felt that the Z Fold4 was the pinnacle of foldable screen device design. One of the most significant advantages we realized is that because of its small size and not so thick, Find N2 can be used on the device holder in the car without having to buy a new one.
In short, the Find N2 design is not only the most comfortable we've used so far for a foldable screen device, but also the most practical. The downside is that it doesn't have any official waterproof capabilities whereas Samsung's foldable screen devices this year pass the IPX8 standard.
Interface And User Experience
ColorOS 13 operating system based on Android 13 is used. This brings better customization and widget support. Android 12L components specifically for tablets are also included. Use of the Find N2 is smooth and fast as expected for a premium flagship device. The reviewed model only comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage but we didn't encounter any issues downloading apps from the Play Store and running them post-installation.
No issues at all even though the device is actually using a Chinese version of the ROM. Installation of Google Play Store can be done without complicated process. Good news for those looking to buy N2 units directly from China before the global level offering.
There is a feature to add RAM up to 8GB virtually if needed. Tablet-specific functions on the foldable screen are also provided by Oppo. Among them doing two fingers from top to bottom will automatically launch dual-window mode. This window can then be resized as needed. In addition, the mode of displaying the application in a floating window can also be used.
Because not all apps are designed for foldable screens, Oppo provides a feature for users to choose to launch apps at a more normal smartphone-like ratio or force them to use the entire screen. We are more comfortable using Instagram without it being forced to be big for example. YouTube is easier to use on a wider screen. Users can set themselves which applications they want to force or not.
Flex Mode can also be used but at this time it is limited to some applications from China only. As we mentioned above, the reviewed Find N2 uses a Chinese ROM, so YouTube and Netflix application support has not yet been provided.
Based on early-stage usage, ColorOS 13 works smoothly and offers a variety of interesting additional features in tablet mode. However, features like Taskbar Z Fold4 are not on Find N2 because the intellectual property may be held by Samsung. In our opinion, Taskbar should be a standard feature on all foldable screen devices because it speeds up the process of switching between applications as if it were a desktop operating system.
Last week Oppo confirmed that the Find N2 and N2 Flip would be the first devices to receive four versions of Android updates and five years of security patches. For those who want to buy Find N2, this device can be used for up to half a century without issue.
Bench mark
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip used by scores as below. Lower than the Galaxy Fold4 and ASUS ROG Phone 6 which also use the same processor. As an additional comparison, we also put the Apple A16 Bionic benchmark scores from the iPhone 14 Pro Max below.
Geekbench 5
Oppo Find N2 – 1039/3513
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 – 1298/3963
ASUS ROG Phone 6 – 1312/4191
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – 1875/5469
Antutu 3D
Oppo Find N2 – 899,379
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 – 980,346
ASUS ROG Phone 6 – 1,099,5132
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – 974,941
Wild Life Extreme
Oppo Find N2 – 2752
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 – 2798
ASUS ROG Phone 6 – 2786
Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max – 3373
Although the score recorded was not as high as it should have been we did not feel any shortage when running various main applications. The first COD Mobile, Diablo Immortal and Genshin Impact can be played on high settings. After a few rounds no overheating issues. Our theory is that the performance of the processor chip is slightly reduced to prevent this issue from occurring. The score may be low compared to the competitors but the impact we can't really feel or see in daily use.
Telephony, GPS, WiFi
Find N2 is not yet officially listed as a 5G supported device in Malaysia but we can enjoy this network without issue using Digi SIM. Even without 5G, 4G VoLTE and VoWiFi networks can be used. Voice calls are clear and bright again depending on the telco you are using.
GPS is also accurate with Waze mapping application can locate our location in the middle of Kuala Lumpur in less than two seconds. WiFi 6 support is provided for the fastest download capabilities if you have a router at home.
Camera
Some sample photos that were taken during the short period of time the device was used by us . Cameras with the Hasselblad XPan system are given to take more cinematic photos at elongated ratios. Like the Oppo Find X5 Pro, the Find N2 also has a MariSilicon X chip which is an independent ISP made by Oppo to improve photography performance.
Overall, the Find N2's photography capabilities are very satisfactory for a smartphone, not just limited to the foldable screen phone category. Vivid colors, excellent dynamic range and sharp images even at night.
XPan mode may seem like a gimmick but we love using it especially in monochrome mode. Every picture taken is exactly a classic Cinerama film from the 50s. Another thing we would like to praise is the selfie portrait mode which is able to detect the background with the subject quite well.
Our gripe is that there is no quick shortcut to XPan mode. Every time we want to use it we have to go to the side menu, then select XPan on the mode option. A quick shortcut should be placed because Xiaomi puts the Leica mode directly as one of the main options. This shortcoming can definitely be fixed through an update of the Oppo camera app only.
Audio
There's a pair of stereo speakers with both firing down when the phone's screen is open. When held in this orientation, the audio goes directly to the user's body level which makes the audio quality very satisfying. The issue of manually closing the audio grille does not occur either. The sound produced is also clear with satisfying thumping bass and clear treble.
Battery
The Find N2's 4520 mAh battery is bigger than the Galaxy Z Fold4 (4400 mAh) but smaller than the Magic Vs (5000 mAh). It's amazing how much larger batteries can fit in this small body.
On heavy usage the device lasts up to almost 13 hours with a SOT of almost 7 hours. Meanwhile in more moderate use the device lasts 25 hours with SOT almost 10 hours. This is achieved with the Find N2 relying on WiFi almost all the time.
Battery recharge time is less than an hour via the included 67W SuperVOOC charger. Only wired charging is possible. No wireless charging support or reverse wireless charging included.
In the box
Here is what is received in the box with purchase.
1x Oppo Find N2.
1x USB-A to USB-C charging cable.
1x 67W Charger.
1x Manual.
1x Polycarbonate frame.
1x SIM Pin.
Conclusion
The Find N2's design makes it the first foldable screen smartphone that's easy to use with one hand. Because of this we don't use the internal screen very often except for watching videos, running a browser and reading large documents. There are many tablet-specific functions included such as two-finger gestures to launch simultaneous dual-application mode. Another strength of the Find N2 is the camera, which in our opinion is the best on a foldable phone ever seen in the our labs.
There are no performance issues as the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is still a good processor with up to 8GB of virtual expandable memory. Also making us fall in love with the Find N2 is the battery life which is also very good supported by fast charging.
The only downside is that the folding screen has a too boxy aspect ratio that makes some apps unusable in full screen mode and there is absolutely no waterproof capability.
At the time the review was written Oppo had not given any indication that the Find N2 would be marketed outside of China. As we said at the beginning of this review, this needs to be done soon because they have a device capable of giving the strongest competition to the Galaxy Z Fold series in Malaysia.
Pro
The 5.45″ 120Hz screen is small but comfortable to use with one hand.
The large 7.1″ 120Hz foldable screen inside has no noticeable creases.
High specification Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 with memory up to 16GB RAM.
The finish of the outer panel feels like luxurious leather.
Large main tri-camera with optical zoom.
Long-lasting 4500 mAh battery with 67W charging.
Oppo Pen support.
Cons
There are no waterproof standards.
Flex Mode on ColorOS 13 is limited to some Chinese applications only.
The position of the audio adjustment buttons is a little awkward.
There is no Flex Mode option for external screens.
The 7.1″ screen has an almost 1:1 aspect ratio making it incompatible for all applications.
