Oppo Find N3 Flip Review: Flipping Samsung the Bird

Back in 2019, Motorola ushered the era of the folding flip phone with the nostalgia-infused (but ultimately flawed) Moto Razr. The next year, the company followed suit with the Moto Razr 5G, and Samsung refined the idea with its Galaxy Z Flip and Z Flip 5G. But it wasn’t until Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Flip3 in 2021 that the folding flip design finally gelled.

Since then, Samsung has seemingly dominated the folding flip phone market with the Galaxy Z Flip4 and Z Flip5. Along the way, other companies joined the party, including Oppo with the Find N2 Flip and now the Find N3 Flip. Together with Moto’s Razr+ and Razr (2023), these appear capable of giving the Galaxy Z Flip series a run for its money – at least on paper.

I just spent a couple of weeks using the Find N3 Flip, and frankly, I’m smitten. Not only does this handset have better cameras than its folding flip competitors, but it also boasts a sleek design and excellent specs. So what’s new? What compromises remain, if any? Is this the Galaxy Z Flip5 slayer you’ve been waiting for? Find out in my full review.

Oppo Find N3 Flip Hardware and Design

When open, the Find N3 Flip looks and feels like a premium glass and aluminum flagship with a 6.8-inch AMOLED display. The party trick is that this phone folds in half like a makeup compact, thanks to a flexible ultra-thin glass screen and a special hinge.

Once closed, the N3 Flip reveals a second, 3.26-inch AMOLED cover display next to a trio of shooters in what is now the front of the handset.

Camera setup aside, this design is identical to the N3 Flip’s predecessor, the N2 Flip. With the phone folded, the front glass panel is split vertically, with the left 3/8 covering the second screen and the rest housing a dual LED flash plus a trio of shooters in a fancy, raised circular camera pod.

My Misty Pink review unit comes with a rose gold aluminum frame and hinge — the other colors are Sleek Black and Cream Gold.

Oppo Find N3 Flip Device Gallery

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

As a whole, the Oppo Find N3 Flip’s design is extremely sophisticated and polished. Open the phone again, and you’ll see a punch hole for the selfie camera in the top center of the main display, along with an earpiece inside the even, protective plastic bezel.

Unlike the flat edges of the N2 Flip, the N3 Flip’s sides are slightly curved where the glass panels meet the aluminum frame for a better in-hand feel.

Speaking of edges, with the handset open, there’s a volume rocker and power / lock key with an integrated capacitive fingerprint reader on the right side and a OnePlus-style alert slider on the left.

You’ll find one of the speakers, a USB Type-C port, a primary microphone, and a SIM tray along the bottom edge, plus another mic and speaker on top. When the N3 Flip is closed, the volume rocker and power / lock key are on the top half of the right side.

Unlike Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip5, which is IPX8 water resistant, the Oppo N3 Flip is only IPX4 splash resistant. Note the X, though, which means neither the Z Flip5 nor the N3 Flip is dust resistant.

By contrast, Moto’s Razr+ boasts an IP52 rating, making it somewhat dust-resistant. So keep this in mind if you enjoy hitting the beach. Overall, we love what Oppo’s done with the N3 Flip — this handset is incredibly hot.

Oppo Find N3 Flip 11 5G Display

The Oppo Find N3 Flip packs identical screens to the N2 Flip. Inside, you’ll find a 6.8-inch 21:9 FHD+ (2520 x 1080 pixels, 403ppi) folding LTPO AMOLED panel with a 1-120Hz dynamic refresh rate and HDR10+ support. Colors are vibrant, black is deep, viewing angles are wide, and at 1600 nits (peak), it’s bright enough to read in direct sunlight.

It’s a gorgeous display, but what’s even more impressive is how minimal the crease is vs. the competition. This, combined with an anti-glare coating, makes this screen extremely pleasant to look at. As for the cover display, it’s a lovely 3.26-inch 17:9 (720 x 382 pixels, 250ppi) AMOLED panel with a 60Hz refresh rate and 900 nits (peak) brightness.

Oppo Find N3 Flip 11 5G Camera

When it comes to imaging, the Find N3 Flip basically inherits the OnePlus 11 5G’s rear shooters. These consist of a 50MP f/1.8 1.0-micron main sensor (1/1.56-inch Sony IMX890) with omnidirectional PDAF and OIS, a 48MP f/2.2 0.8-micron 115-degree ultrawide with AF, and a 32MP RGBW f/2.0 0.8-micron 2x telephoto with PDAF (but no OIS).

In front, there’s a 32MP RGBW f/2.4 0.8-micron selfie camera.

Like other Oppo handsets, the N3 Flip offers a variety of shooting modes. These include portrait, night, pro (manual), 50/48/32MP high-res, panorama, long exposure, text scanner, and sticker.

Night mode supports all four shooters, and pro mode works on all three rear cameras. Like Apple’s multi-frame ProRAW, Oppo’s 12-bit RAW+ option combines the benefits of RAW and computational photography.

Oppo Find N3 Flip telephoto (2x)

Besides pro mode and its RAW+ option, Hasselblad-specific features include “Master Style” filters (Radiance, Serenity, and Emerald) and XPAN mode, which replicates the company’s iconic 45mm shooting experience with a 65:24 aspect ratio.

The Hasselblad-inspired orange shutter button is another nice touch. It’s also worth noting that there’s a macro mode that uses the autofocus-equipped ultrawide.

Zoom samples: Ultrawide, Main (1x), and Telephoto (2x, 5x, 10x) 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

On the video front, all three rear shooters capture stabilized video (with stereo audio) at up to 1080p 60fps and 4k 30fps. Selfie videos max out at 4k/1080p 30fps. Video modes include ultra-stable (ultrawide, 1080p 60fps only), movie (manual, 21:9, 4k 30fps), slow motion (main, 1080p 240fps and 720p 480fps), and time-lapse (1080p 30fps).

The camera interface is intuitive and similar to other Oppo and OnePlus handsets.

Low Light Samples: Ultrawide, Main (1x), and Telephoto (2x) Using Night Mode 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

I’ll expand on this further in the software section, but the camera supports FlexForm mode, where the (half-open) phone becomes its own tripod.

You can also mirror the viewfinder on the cover display so others can see what you’re shooting, or use the cameras when the N3 Flip is closed, to take higher quality selfies. Just double-press either volume button, and the viewfinder appears on the cover screen.

Selfie Samples: Auto Selfie Cam vs. Portrait Selfie Cam vs Auto Main Cam vs Portrait Main Cam 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

So, how do the N3 Flip shooters perform? As you’d expect, this phone takes beautiful, detailed pictures with accurate exposure and superb colors.

The 50MP main, 48MP ultrawide, and 32MP telephoto cameras all use 4-to-1 pixel binning by default for better dynamic range and low-light performance, resulting in 12.5MP, 12MP, and 8MP images (with 2.0, 1.6, and 1.6-micron binned pixels), respectively.

Oppo Find N3 Flip Sample Photo Gallery

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Oppo Find N3 Flip’s 2x telephoto lacks OIS, which is unfortunate but benefits from sensor fusion. As such, 5x results are fine, and even 10x shots are still usable. But anything beyond that (up to 20x) starts looking crunchy.

Selfies are lovely, and the video performance is pretty good too. I’ve been a fan of Oppo’s camera tuning and color science for years now, and while Hasselblad’s role is less obvious here, the N3 Flip continues to impress.

Oppo Find N3 Flip Reception and Sound Quality

I used the Oppo Find N3 Flip on T-Mobile and Telus’ sub-6GHz 5G and 4G LTE networks in San Francisco and Vancouver (Canada) and didn’t run into any problems with calls or data speeds.

While the N3 Flip works on T-Mobile (and related MVNO’s, like Mint Mobile), it’s not compatible with AT&T and Verizon’s networks.

Data actually works on AT&T, but without VoLTE, you can’t make calls. AT&T will even send you a text message to warn you about this and will quickly disable your SIM if you don’t move it to another phone.

You’ll then have to call AT&T with the IMEI of a compatible device to re-enable your SIM. In other words, it’s a major PITA. Verizon is just a no-go.

On the audio front, the Oppo Find N3 Flip features stereo speakers (with Dolby Atmos) that are surprisingly loud and clear and sound fantastic.

While this handset lacks a headphone jack, it works with both analog and digital devices over USB Type-C. In addition, the N3 Flip supports spatial audio, plus LDAC and aptX HD for high-quality wireless sound over Bluetooth.

Oppo Find N3 Flip Performance and Battery Life

The Find N3 Flip pairs MediaTek’s Dimensity 9200 flagship SoC with 12GB of LPDDR5x RAM and 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage (there’s no microSD support).

As you’d expect, this phone feels pleasantly fast and responsive no matter what you’re doing. It ran my standard collection of entertainment and productivity apps without breaking a sweat, and the dynamic 120Hz refresh rate kept everything buttery smooth.

The rest of the specs are quite familiar and include sub-6GHz 5G (SA / NSA), CAT 24 LTE, tri-band WiFi 7 (802.11be), Bluetooth 5.3 (LE), NFC, and dual-band A-GPS / GLONASS / BDS / GALILEO / QZSS positioning.

In addition, the N3 Flip comes with the usual assortment of sensors, a quality linear vibration motor for superior haptics, and a side-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor that’s quick and reliable. Ditto face unlock.

With twin cells split between the two halves of the phone, the N3 Flip’s battery capacity is a respectable 4300mAh. That’s one of the largest batteries currently fitted to a folding flip phone. And while the N3 Flip’s battery life still lags behind today’s best flagships, it’s competitive.

Based on my usage patterns, I’m pretty confident that for most people, this handset will easily last a day or more on a charge with normal use.

On the charging front, the N3 Flip supports 44W wired fast charging via Oppo’s proprietary SuperVOOC tech, along with USB-PD. This makes it one of the fastest-charging folding flip phones available today.

Better yet, there’s a 67W SuperVOOC charger in the box. Sadly, the Oppo Find N3 Flip lacks wireless charging, which is a major omission.

Oppo Find N3 Flip Software

The Find N3 Flip runs ColorOS 13.2 on top of Android 13. Oppo’s software is similar to OnePlus’ OxygenOS.

While it isn’t as minimalistic as Moto’s lightweight skin, it also isn’t as heavy-handed as Samsung’s OneUI. Basically, I have no complaints – ColorOS delivers a wonderful user experience. It’s fast and polished and offers helpful customizations without deviating too far from stock Android.

FlexForm mode is interesting. Apps that support FlexForm mode can split their interface into custom top and bottom halves when the N3 Flip is partially open.

For example, in FlexForm mode, the camera app will switch from a full-screen viewfinder with settings on top and controls on the bottom to a viewfinder on the top half and all the settings and controls on the bottom half. Same with YouTube.

But I’m more excited about the N3 Flip’s cover screen. While it’s smaller than the outer display on Moto’s Razr+ and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip5, it still delivers a ton of functionality.

Besides offering a simplified camera interface for selfies, it gains a number of features that make the N3 Flip easier to use when closed. By default, the cover screen shows the date, time, and battery level, plus a notification count.

Press the power / lock key or double-tap on the outer display, and it comes to life, showing a customizable home screen. Swipe down from the top edge for quick settings, swipe up to see a list of notifications, or swipe left to see the app tray.

You can also tap and hold the home screen to switch between (and customize) home screen layouts, which include a bunch of super fun animated pets. As you can tell, I’m a big fan of the purple cat.

Customizing home screens can also be done in the settings under Foldable Features -> Cover Screen Styles. In addition, you can swipe individual notifications to dismiss them (or clear them all) from the list of notifications.

Tapping on individual notifications expands them and gives you the option to dismiss them, respond (in some cases), or launch the matching app on the N3 Flip’s inner screen.

In the app tray, you’ll find mini apps from Oppo (camera, weather, recorder, timer, wireless earphones, event reminders, and to-dos) alongside full Android apps that have been optimized for the cover screen.

These include a few Google apps (Calendar, Gmail, News, Keep, Maps, Messages, and YouTube Music) plus third-party apps like Twitter/X and Telegram. Finally, GameSnacks brings a bunch of super fun games to the outer display.

Once inside an app, you can swipe up from the bottom edge to return to the home screen. The layout of the app tray can be changed by moving the app icons around.

Obviously, some Android apps are a little cramped on the cover screen, especially when the keyboard is active. Still, the overall experience is excellent, and the ability to triage notifications and respond to messages on the outer display is a game changer.

While I welcome Oppo’s commitment to providing 4 years of OS updates and 5 years of security updates, I’m less happy with the amount of bloatware that came pre-installed on my review unit.

Besides Oppo and Google’s familiar apps, my N3 Flip came with a dozen third-party apps and games pre-installed, including Amazon Shopping, Genshin Impact, LinkedIn, Netflix, and TikTok; that’s simply too much.

Oppo Find N3 Flip Price and Competition

At the time of writing, Oppo hasn’t shared pricing or availability for the Find N3 Flip, but I’ll update this review once I find out. The Find N2 Flip cost £849 ($1045) at launch in the UK, so I expect similar pricing for the N3 Flip. In fact, the Chinese version of the Oppo Find N3 Flip is on Giztop for $999.

Its main competitors are Moto’s Razr+ (regular $999, currently $799) and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip5 ($999). Both have larger cover screens and wireless charging but worse cameras than the N3 Flip.

Verdict

Let’s not mince words here. I really, really like the Find N3 Flip. This folding flip phone is delightful to use and ticks almost all the right boxes when it comes to design and specs. It’s a stylish handset with beautiful displays, superb audio, solid performance, and decent battery life. But what really stands out here is the impressive camera system, which delivers the same quality and flexibility as a proper flagship – a first for a folding flip phone.

Of course, the N3 Flip isn’t perfect. The lack of wireless charging is disappointing, and the smaller outer display feels a little cramped. It’s also unfortunate that the cover screen only supports so few Android apps.

But ultimately, there aren’t a lot of compromises here, so kudos to Oppo for making a truly special device. If you’re looking for a folding flip phone that stands out — and gets the job done — I highly recommend the Find N3 Flip.

The Oppo Find N3 Flip pricing and availability are currently TBD.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I like: Stylish design; Beautiful displays; Impressive cameras; Solid performance; 44W wired fast charging; Charger included in the box; Clean and responsive software

What needs improvement: Not available in the US; Limited US band support; No wireless charging

If you’re interested in watching the global launch of the Oppo Find N3 Flip, you can see it here on Thursday, October 19, at 2:30 pm GMT+8.