Oppo’s flagship Find N2 Flip is built for imaging enthusiasts
Unfolding the new era of flip smartphone.
Oppo does not call itself a high-end smart device manufacturer. It was something that never completely understood until I attended its Find N2 Flip launch extravaganza in Singapore. Don’t get me wrong: every detail of the trip, from our stay at Park Royal Marina Bay Sands to the truffled pizza at the lavish after launch party, was hedonistic. But as I dug deeper into the brand’s ethos, I discovered that this is a technology label where creativity and aspiration thrive in an open, diverse and tolerant environment – where innovation, culture and craftmanship form its core philosophy, manifested in the way Oppo continuously marches to the beat of its drum whether through its smartphone devices, earbuds, and tablets, or even the parties it hosts.
This philosophy was celebrated at the Find N2 Flip event where it showcased its latest state-of-the-art clamshell smartphone at the grandeur of Singtel Waterfront Theatre. With keynotes from the influential affiliates of the brand including Peter Lee, Head of Find Product Line, the official Find N2 Flip’s SEA take off featured a product experience space – filled with LED lights, mirrors and many, many Instagram-friendly corners – where guests were invited to get a closer look and demonstrate the spectacular technological features brought in by the new flagship model.
For all the talk of testing, certification and experience, our verdict won’t clinch until we got the device to ourselves for a closer inspection. And dare we say after almost two weeks of flipping through the Find N2 Flip, the foldable smartphone arena is about to be shaken by this newbie. The first question that came into my mind when I unfolded the Find N2 Flip was “where is the crease?” Rather than a U-shaped curve, Oppo has gone with a teardrop-shaped curve which in turn leads to both a narrower area that is creased and a reduced amount of curve over specific parts of the screen. The result? An almost flat FHD 6.8-inch display which lump is only felt on your finger or thumb as you scroll through. With the current hinge technology, that’s a given.
Like many other Gen-zs, the ultimate element that matters to us in a smartphone is its camera, and oh-boy the Find N2 Flip’s are massive! Built with dual superlative rear camera setup at the front – main camera in 50MP with Sony IMX890 sensor, f/1.8 aperture, and ultra-wide camera in 8MP with Sony IMX355 sensor, f/2.2 aperture and a 112 degree field-of-view – Oppo wants you to capture every possible detail in every shot. Selfie or ‘we-fie’ can be done effortlessly via these front cameras as the preview of capture snapshots can be seen clearly from the AMOLED cover screen that sits enormously next to these two cameras. And if photos are taken from afar, a small wave gesture would be enough to activate the timer for a single or group shot. The fun doesn’t stop there, there is also a Dual Preview functionality which allows the subjects to take a look at themselves via the rear screen before the shot is taken. Meaning, you can now direct your photographer on how you want your photo to be taken. How cool is that?! Achieving a cinematic shot from a low or a waist level dynamic angle is also so facile, thanks to the FlexForm Mode which allows the Find N2 Flip to hold its position mid-fold between 45 degree and 110 degree.
But what I am really impressed with what the Find N2 Flip cameras have to offer is its pro-grade colour coordination. Finely tuned by legendary camera manufacturer Hasselblad, the full-featured Pro mode open creative opportunities for imaging enthusiasts, and with the Hasselblad-inspired XPAN mode you’ll get a panorama shot like you have never seen before. Adding to its photography championship, the Find N2 Flip holds remarkable NPU, MariSilicon X that boosts night video to capture ultra-clear 4K footage in low light, and you can even hold it in the ‘camcorder’ mode when recording videos of which is a delightful throwback.
Apart from previewing photos, the 3.26-inch Find N2 Flip’s cover screen panel also includes powerful widgets and offers enough screen space to showcase meaningful information, including as many as six notifications besides enabling quick replies to messages in apps like messenger, Slack, Telegram, and WhatsApp, toggle settings, record a voice note, or answer a call without opening your phone.
The smartphone operates on MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chip which performed fantastically especially during multitasking. However, I found it a bit stutter here and there in some graphically intensive games. Battery life was very good for a folding phone, in fact according to Oppo the Find N2 Flip sets a new benchmark for flip phones with a massive 4,300mAh battery. The phone lasted up to two days between charges when used mostly on Wi-Fi with the main screen on for about five hours plus a couple of hours used on 5G while out and about.
Retail at RM3,999, Oppo Find N2 Flip excels at putting a large screen with sophisticated camera system into your pocket in a compact folding package. Like many other foldable smartphones, that are some rooms to work on but I am continuously optimistic with what the next generation of Oppo’s flip phone has to offer.
Visit www.oppo.com to find out more
