Three years ago, I probably wouldn’t recommend anyone getting a foldable smartphones which weren’t only overpriced, but were also bulky, heavy and buggy as compared to a regular slab phone. However, advancement in manufacturing process and software improvement had made those concerns a thing of the past.
The new OPPO Find N3 which I’ve been actively using during my recent trip to Hong Kong isn’t just easy to wield with, but also offers unbeatable productivity and entertainment experience with apps and widgets that are well-optimized to work on both screens. What’s more important is that we finally have flagship-class cameras on the Find N3 that makes it even more versatile than before.
However, it’s a matter of fact that the phone does cost you a small fortune. This brings us to the question whether it’s S$2,399 is justifiable. To find out, read on our full review of the new OPPO Find N3.
Sleek & Lightweight Design
OPPO smartphones are known for their sleek and lightweight design and the new Find N3 is no exception in this regard. It has an incredibly slim profile measuring just 5.8mm when unfurled which makes it easy to grip the phone with one hand when watching shows. Likewise, it feels also as light as a regular flagship phone despite having an additional screen.
Even when folded, the Find N3 is only a tad thicker than a regular slab phones at 11.7mm. For someone like myself with medium-sized hand, I still find it pretty comfortable to hold and use the phone with one hand without having the impression that the phone may slide off my palm. That’s partly thanks to it’s flat edges which makes it easier to get a firm grip on the phone.
It’s cover screen is a 6.39” OLED display which has a 20:9 tall aspect ratio that feels very much like a regular smartphone. Unfurling the phone will instantly transform the phone into a productivity powerhouse with a spacious 7.82” OLED display that offers an uncompromised, tablet-like experience on the device.
Speaking of productivity, the new ColorOS 13.2 that runs on the Find N3 is also specially designed to take multi-taking to a greater height. It comes with features like Smart Split Screen which allows you to work with up to three apps simultaneously on the same screen without having to strain your eyes as the software automatically delivers optimal layout based on the apps.
And to make it easier for user to launch new apps or files, ColorOS 13.2 also introduces new features such as App Library and File Pocket within the global taskbar that allow user to simply drag and drop the desired apps or files into the main screen. This greatly improves efficiency since you no longer need to exit the current screen whenever you want to open a new app or file.
Besides looking sharp and vibrant, the Find N3’s inner display also has one of the least visible crease among all the foldable phones. In fact, it’s pretty much invincible when you look at the screen face-on. I’m sure this may sounds exaggerating, but I can hardly tell it’s presence when swiping across the middle of screen as the crease itself is too minimal to actually even stimulate the neurons on my fingertip.
This impressive feat is made possible by OPPO’s third-generation Flexion Hinge which also allows the phone to fold at various angles that fit your purpose. For instance, I can easily take hands-free selfies by simply propping the phone at an angle and have it placed at a distance when taking group selfies since the hinge system itself acts as a tripod to stabilize the camera.
All The Power You Need Under The Hood
Sitting at the heart of the phone is none other than Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform that’s able to provide all the power for work and play. Regardless whether I was editing a 4K video or playing graphics-intensive game titles like COD Mobile at high graphics setting, I didn’t encounter any form of slowdown even after prolonged usage.
It’s ability to deliver smooth and consistent frame rate in mobile gaming is partly attributed to it’s advanced cooling technology which makes use of multidimensional directional insulation technology that cools and reduces temperatures inside and out. This eliminates the risk of thermal throttling which would otherwise result in lagginess.
Pairing up with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset is an ample 16GB LPDDRX5 RAM which allows seamless multi-tasking across dozens of app. In fact, my own testing shows that the phone holds up well even with more than 30 apps running in the background including memory-consuming ones like web browser, instant messaging and ecommerce apps.
Other than that, the Find N3 is also backed by a respectable 4,805mAh battery which typically last for around 1.5 days under moderate usage. That’s pretty impressive considering that I was actually using the larger screen more than two-third of the time.
In the event that the battery runs out, the phone can also be recharged quickly via it’s bundled charging brick which supports 67W SUPERVOOC fast wired charging that’s able to deliver a full charge from 0 to 100% in just slightly more than 40 minutes. The only gripe I had here is perhaps the lack of wireless charging support which I felt is something nice to have on a phone that costs this much.
Top-notch Photography Experience
Finally onto the most exciting aspect of the OPPO Find N3 – it’s pro-grade camera system co-developed with Swedish photography giant Hasselblad. It features a total of three cameras at the back including a 48 megapixels (f/1.7 aperture) main camera, 64 megapixels (f/2.6 aperture) telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, as well as a 48 megapixels (f/2.2 aperture) ultra-wide camera.
This impressive setup pans out well in real life as the cameras never fail to deliver exceptional results across different environments. In fact, after using it as my “photography camera” during my recent trip to Hong Kong, I can safely say that the Find N3 has the best camera system among all the foldable phones I’d tested so far.
As you can probably tell from the photo samples, the OPPO Find N3’S photography style tend to lean on the more natural side of things with true to life colors that closely resemble what we see with our own eyes. This is definitely a good news for people like me who prefer more realistic-looking photos rather than those that look overly vivid.
Apart from it’s accurate exposure and color reproduction, the cameras are also able to capture aplenty details which remain sharp and legible even with pixel-peeping. This basically means the photos will remain sharp even when you’re viewing it on a large monitor screen or a Smart TV.
What I really love most about the Find N3’s camera system is the fact that both the main and ultra-wide cameras are actually able to deliver the same impressive results with consistency in colors and details. This isn’t something we typically see in smartphone cameras including those on the higher-end models.
@playfuldroid OPPO Find N3 120x Zoom Test ? #OPPOFindN3 #OPPOFindN3Series #OPPO #Smartphone ? Mission Impossible (Main Theme) – Favorite Movie Songs
Likewise, it’s also worth heaping praise on it’s highly capable telephoto camera that’s able to capture great photos with 3x lossless zoom that are comparable with those taken by the main camera in terms of photo quality. Speaking of zooming, the Find N3 is also able to support up to 120x zoom with digital cropping (check out the above video to see it in action!).
Verdict
The new OPPO Find N3 is no doubt one of the best, if not the best, foldable phone you can get in the current market which sets a new benchmark in terms of design and mobile photography. Even though it may not be the cheapest foldable in the market, but it’s definitely a phone that’s worth every penny.
For those who’re interested, the OPPO Find N3 is priced at S$2,399 in Singapore, and is available for purchase through OPPO Online Store, OPPO Concept stores, OPPO’s Official Online Store on Lazada, Shopee, Amazon, KrisShop, iShopChangi, Qoo10, Tik Tok, as well as electronic retailer Best Denki, Courts, Challenger, Gain City and Popular.
