As a first iteration, the Oppo Find N serves as a great foldable smartphone that underlines how the segment is maturing at a fast pace.
It is no great achievement, but I have over the few years held almost all foldable phones in my hands. It is only this past year that I have finally held a foldable phone that gave me a sense of confidence that these would be devices that would last and be practical. Now, maybe I have held a foldable phone in my hand which I think is the best iteration of this form factor yet.
Summary of the post
1. A better fold
Oppo has a legacy of making high-quality top-end phones, even though in a market like India this value has been diluted in the quest to push more affordable phones to the masses. I still remember how I was awed by the Oppo N1 rotating camera phone when it came to India many years ago. This is a company that can take on the best in terms of both innovation and build quality. The Oppo Find N just underlines this legacy.
From a form factor perspective, the Oppo Find N is similar to what Samsung has been doing with its Fold. But there are a few reasons why I think the Find N is a better foldable.
2. A better hold
This year Samsung perfected its fold on the Fold series. The crease was almost gone and the folding process too felt smoother. But on the Find N there is no crease at all — remember, this is the first version of this phone. Oppo has had the advantage of others getting things wrong so that it did not have to. The result is a foldable screen that is seamless and does not show even hints of a fold when you hold it at different angles. That’s quite an achievement.
3. Better as a folded phone When folded, the Oppo Find N has a proper front screen with thinner bezels. (Image credit: Nandagopal Rajan/Indian Express)
The folded Samsung Fold has a slightly awkward screen size with a vertical orientation that users are not very used to. The Find N has a proper front screen thanks to thinner bezels making it a more natural phone to use while fully folded. This screen is what you expect with a proper smartphone and ensures you don’t have to open up the phone unnecessarily. It is large enough for you to watch a video on, send mails and even quickly check out a spreadsheet when needed.
