Flip phones are having a bit of a renaissance, and Oppo is right in the thick of it with the Find N3 Flip.
Building on last year’s Find N2 Flip, Oppo has doubled down on its vertical cover display, steering away from the super-sized screens favoured by rivals like Samsung and Motorola.
Instead, they’ve upgraded the software, making the smaller display surprisingly practical. It’s like having a smartwatch that’s been to finishing school – useful, sleek, and not overly distracting.
the good, the glam, and the busy.
At first glance, the Find N3 Flip brings a lot of personality to the table. Its vertical cover screen remains compact but makes room for a three-camera array, a first in the clamshell category.
Oppo’s new “cosmos ring” camera bump gives the back a distinctive look, though it does veer into the “busy” territory, especially with all the branding. Between the Hasselblad logo and Oppo’s own stamp, it feels like the phone is trying to tell its life story at a glance.
On the plus side, Oppo’s thoughtful additions shine through. The alert slider, borrowed from its OnePlus sibling, is very useful.
The curved edges, combined with a fresh palette of black, gold, and light pink (my test unit’s colour), add to the phone’s elegant charm. However, the raised cover screen feels slightly out of place, a repeat offender from the N2 Flip.
The Find N3 Flip now boasts an IPX4 splash-resistant rating, which is a welcome upgrade. But compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s IPX8 (submersible), Oppo lags behind in durability.
small but mighty cover screen.
If the Find N3 Flip’s design is all about flair, its cover screen is where function takes centre stage. Despite staying modest in size at 3.26 inches, Oppo has made the cover screen incredibly useful.
Swipe up for notifications, down for quick settings, and left for third-party apps like Gmail, YouTube, and Spotify. This is a seamless mini-screen experience that’s perfect for quick interactions without flipping the phone open.
However, the magic fades when moving from the main screen back to the cover screen. Apps don’t carry over seamlessly, requiring you to reload them on the smaller screen. It’s a slight flow disruptor.
Typing is another limitation. The narrow vertical screen simply doesn’t have space for a full keyboard. While I’d forgive the omission, a speech-to-text feature would have been a game-changer for on-the-go replies.
hinge and crease.
Inside, the Find N3 Flip sports a 6.8-inch AMOLED display that’s impressively free of creases. Under certain angles and bright light, the crease becomes visible, but it’s barely noticeable during everyday use like binge-watching or scrolling.
The screen’s wider dimensions (75.78mm) offer a bar phone-like experience, making it more comfortable for reading, browsing, and streaming. One-handed use is trickier, but the trade-off is a more immersive display.
Thanks to Oppo’s FlexForm mode, you can prop the phone open at an angle for hands-free selfies or video calls.
a triple threat.
The Find N3 Flip’s 50MP main camera, 48MP ultrawide, and 32MP telephoto lens make it the only clamshell foldable with three rear cameras. That’s a big deal in a market where most competitors stop at two.
Daylight shots were vibrant and detailed, with the telephoto lens shining in portrait mode. Night photography, however, was hit-or-miss. Images sometimes came out fuzzy, especially in challenging lighting conditions.
Selfies, though, are where this phone truly shines. Using the rear cameras and the cover screen as a viewfinder, you can capture group shots with ease. Oppo’s FlexForm mode added versatility for hands-free snapping.
performance and battery life.
Under the hood, the Find N3 Flip packs a Mediatek Dimensity 9200 chipset and a 4,000mAh battery. Performance was smooth for everyday tasks like scrolling, light gaming, and video calls. While it doesn’t match the raw power of Samsung’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the Find N3 Flip holds its ground for casual users.
Battery life impressed me the most. The phone easily lasted a full day of moderate use, and the 44W fast charging got me from 0% to 58% in just 30 minutes. A full charge took about an hour.
should you flip for it?
The Oppo Find N3 Flip is a stylish and capable contender in the foldable market. It’s not without flaws; the cover screen’s usability could be improved, and it lacks the durability ratings of its competitors. However, its triple-camera setup, elegant design, and functional cover screen make it a standout.
With plenty of style and substance, it’s a solid choice for anyone looking to stand out (literally) with a flip phone.
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