OPPO Find N3 Review: A Foldable Masterpiece?

Today, foldable smartphones no longer receive the same curious stares from bystanders as they might have four or five years ago. On the contrary, they’re actually becoming increasingly popular as companies continue to refine and perfect their offerings.

Case in point, the OPPO Find N3 series released in October 2023 are among the most well-refined models to date. Combining the immense speed and power of modern smartphones with the versatility of foldable (and flip) screens, their unique designs mean they offer additional advantages that might not be apparent at first glance. Plus, the latest additions to the OPPO family tree actually stack up very well against their counterparts from Apple and Samsung, and that’s just one reason why we’re taking a closer look at them today.

What’s great about the OPPO Find N3 series?

Overview: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Immense screen real estate for efficient multitasking (Find N3)
• Wider variety of third-party app support for cover screen than Samsung (Find N3 Flip)
• Excellent camera performance even in lowlight situations
• Creaseless design for seamless experiences
• Highly durable Flexion Hinge (good for up to 10,000 folds)

Cons

• Lack of stylus pen/support for use with the larger screen (Find N3)
• Small cover screen not ideal for long periods of use (Find N3 Flip)
• No wireless charging
• Lower water resistance rating compared to other foldables (IPX4 vs. IPX8)
• Processor performance pales slightly compared to Samsung counterparts

The OPPO Find N3 series features two different models - the foldable OPPO Find N3 and the flip-style OPPO Find N3 Flip.

Designed with both elegance and utility in mind, the OPPO Find N3 sports the sharpest and brightest displays of any foldable smartphone to date, and it’s also the first one to incorporate professional-grade imaging technology. This, along with OPPO’s highly advanced ColorOS 13.2 software, creaseless display, and a multitude of productivity features, like Boundless View and Canvas Shift come together to make it one of the most competent foldables available.

Meanwhile, the OPPO Find N3 Flip has also seen vast improvements from its predecessor. It is the first flagship flip phone to feature a triple camera format and telephoto lens – both of which pair well with its optical image stabilisation and a vastly improved zoom range (between 2x and 5x). On top of that, the Find N3 Flip also offers expanded third-party app support for its cover screen, plus other nifty functionalities like DV Recording, Mini App, and Quick Reply.

We’ll delve into the details shortly (for both their shared and unique features), but let’s start off with a simple comparison table showing some of their key characteristics.

Shared Features

Even before the OPPO Find N3 series was released in October, the company has been quite vocal about their camera capabilities, and rightly so. Tech sites like Can Buy or Not and TechGoondu have lavished praise on its various aspects in their reviews, and this is particularly noteworthy because foldable smartphones tend to fall short in this department.

Vitality Imaging Triple Camera System

Headlining the OPPO Find N3’s spread of camera improvements, the Virtual Imaging Triple Cameras promise unparalleled captures and imaging capabilities.

Supported by an array of intelligent algorithms, the new rear cameras come paired with features like Stacked Pixel Architecture for better image presentation, Image Quality Booster to enhance details, and the Lighting Restoration Engine for picture-perfect lighting control.

In particular, Can Buy or Not’s Vincent Chang praised the Find N3’s performance in lowlight environments and its excellent handling of colours. Coupled with the other features, he was more than impressed with how pictures and videos turned out, earning the Find N3’s camera setup his vote as “the best you’ll find in a foldable phone this year”.

Multi-Angle FlexForm Camera

Have you ever had that great photo idea in your head that you couldn’t quite capture properly? Well, say goodbye to such troubles with the Multi-Angle FlexForm Camera.

With it, you’ll be able to position your camera exactly as you need to, and this opens up numerous avenues for new angles and hands-free photographic concepts. Better still, you can be both the photographer AND the star with the handy Dual Preview functionality – this allows you to confirm a shot before you snap away. Say cheese!

Hasselblad Image Tuning

Every good photo can be turned into a great one with some graceful editing, and famed camera brand Hasselblad is here to help with that.

Renowned for its expertise in delivering top-shelf colour and image quality, users can now doll up their shots using the Find N3 series’ in-built Hasselblad imaging technology, which includes features like Hasselblad Colour Recognition, XPan Mode, and Portrait Mode.

Alert Slider

As far as physical designs are concerned, the OPPO Find N3 is (surprisingly) more similar to the OnePlus Open than the preceding OPPO Find N2, and one of the new hardware introductions coming in from the OPPO subsidiary is the nifty Alert Slider. This allows for easy switching between ring, vibration, and mute modes. Plus, the slider itself has also been made slimmer from previous iterations. 

OPPO Find N3

Boundless View

Suppose you’re creating a presentation on Google Slides for an upcoming meeting and need to refer to a set of digital notes you previously made.

On a conventional smartphone, you’d have to switch back and forth between different apps manually, but with the Find N3, that won’t be an issue. Boundless View allows you to have up to three side-by-side apps on the screen simultaneously, which HardwareZone’s Cheryl Tan found “an incredibly elegant and refined feature”, be it for reviewing work documents or cross-referencing online walkthroughs for mobile games.

Canvas Shift

This handy function allows users to customise the size of apps displayed on the split-screen with simple controls, making them easier to see or to focus on other, more important ones. It helps you maximise the utility of the foldable screen and works well in tandem with Boundless View. You can also pair this with the App Library or File Pocket, letting you hop between different apps and files as needed.

To top it off, for those worried about the potential eyestrain, don’t be. With Smart Split Screen, the foldable is capable of automatically optimising app layouts, making every experience a seamless one.

OPPO Find N3 Flip

Mini App

The versatile cover screen of the Find N3 Flip is undoubtedly its main selling point, and the Mini App makes perfect use of it. This feature allows you to directly access your most frequently used apps without the need to unfold your phone. Play music, jot down a quick note, or even check the weather – it’s all accessible there (and fully customisable too!).

DV Recording

Shooting a video has been made easy (and retro!) with the OPPO Find N3 Flip. Fold the phone in half and it can be used like a camcorder. It’s fun, classy, and more efficient for taking videos especially when you’re walking or moving around.

Quick Reply

In the digital age, the capability to respond swiftly to messages and notifications is a staple for any smartphone, and the Find N3 Flip takes it one step further with Quick Reply. Offering speech-to-text, short text and emoji access – all without unfolding your phone, responding to your friends’ messages even on the go was never this easy.

Choosing the best OPPO foldable phone for you

Now that we know what each model brings to the table, how do you know which one is the better pick for you? Broadly speaking, the OPPO Find N3 is better suited if you need more screen real estate for both work and play, while the Find N3 Flip is better if you value portability.

• OPPO Find N3: Office executives, entertainment fans and content creators

Although both the OPPO Find N3 and the Find N3 Flip have their own unique set of advantages, those who need to multitask often or review documents on the fly, like busy office executives will get excellent mileage out of the former.

The improved screen real estate along with the Boundless View feature makes it easier to view, refer to, and use multiple apps even when you’re on the move, so you’ll be able to stay productive regardless of the situation. Plus, it also offers better entertainment experiences, which are only made better with the Find N3’s Dolby Atmos-enhanced spatial audio – imagine watching your favourite Netflix series on a screen double the size of your average smartphone!

As for content creators, there is also a case to be made here for the Find N3’s camera capabilities. Although the Find N3 Flip is presumably better for selfies, the Find N3 offers comparatively sharper cameras that some content creators might find useful.

• OPPO Find N3 Flip: Photographers, Hikers, and Frequent Travellers

Meanwhile, the Flip model emphasises portability. It is extremely easy to carry around, and you’ll have no trouble with shallow pockets either due to its size, which is a common issue faced by larger smartphones. This is great for those who enjoy travelling, backpacking or even hiking, since the last thing you’ll want to lug around on your escapades is a bulky smartphone.

Speaking of which, the clamshell design of the OPPO Find N3 Flip also means it’s quite adept at taking waist or table-level shots. Conventionally, these can be a troublesome angles to use for photography because it is difficult to position the camera properly, but this phone makes it an absolute cinch. As such, it’s no stretch to think that both casual and pro photographers will get great returns out of it.

Is the OPPO Find N3 better than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5?

Now this is a tough one.

Frankly, even when stacked up against key competitors such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5, the OPPO Find N3 series easily holds its own or even outshines them in some respects. Yet, it doesn’t fare as well in others, such as waterproofing.

As a matter of fact, even seasoned reviewers are having a hard time putting one above the other. For example, HardwareZone’s Liu Hongzuo struck up a comparison between the external displays on both phones, noting that “Despite the Flip5’s external display being better for personalisation, it’s the Oppo one that supports 30 third-party apps on the Cover Screen at launch.”.

So, would you trade greater customisability for a smaller spread of compatibilities? You might, or you might not. This neck-to-neck competition makes it frustratingly hard to provide a concrete answer, because at the end of the day, it boils down to what each user prioritises more for their smartphone.

Of course, that’s good news for consumers like us because it shows how competent OPPO’s latest foldables are. Outside of direct comparisons, many reviewers have had lots of good things to say about the Find N3 and Find N3 Flip in general - the aforementioned Can Buy or Not, HardwareZone and TechGoondu have all noted how well these phones perform in a vacuum, especially when it comes to their camera capabilities and overall build quality. In fact, OPPO themselves have priced the phones relatively close to their Samsung counterparts, showcasing their immense confidence in them.

Naturally, this doesn’t mean there aren’t any gripes along the way to account for. The lack of wireless charging options or lower water resistance ratings (the OPPO Find N3 only has an IPX4 rating against the Z Fold5’s IPX8) are just some examples, but fortunately, none of them adversely affect user experiences in the long run.

Essentially, OPPO has all of the important boxes checked off for the Find N3 series, and there’s no doubt that these rank among the company’s best smartphones to date. They’re excellent alternatives that actually give Samsung a run for its money in more than one area, and as such should definitely be on your list if you’re looking to give foldable smartphones a shot.

Pick up the OPPO Find N3 at great prices with StarHub

As always, our StarHub Online Store is never more than a click away, and you stand to save big on these smartphones (and more!) with our Festive Sale this December.

Not only can you enjoy massive discounts with our no-contract SIM only Star Plan – up to $350 off the Find N3 series, you’ll also get 6 months of Premier League access to enjoy with your friends and family with the Find N3.

All images provided courtesy of OPPO.