Oppo Find N2 Review: The Z Fold 4 Rival We Need, But Cant Easily Buy
oppo find n2
$1150 MSRP.
"The Oppo Find N2's compact size, atmospheric camera, long battery life and practical screen protection make it desirable, but the software is not suitable for use outside of China."
Profit
- Reasonably sized screensaver
- The open screen is ideal for videos
- Useful multitasking function
- Battery life is two days.
less
- No water resistance
- No wireless charging
- This program is not reliable outside of China
Using the Oppo Find N2 as my primary phone over the past few weeks has been a rewarding and confusing experience. I was blown away by its incredibly compact size, ease of use for close-ups, and immersion in open screens.
But I also want to take out my SIM card and put it in another phone. How can a phone be so good on the one hand and so annoying on the other? for this reason.
An important note on the Find N2 review
I have to explain why the Oppo Find N2 has caused so much controversy before going into the details of the device, as it is important to understand that the problem is not completely related to the phone. All of my frustration is with the software, in part because the Find N2 was only released in China. Installing Google Play is not difficult but it requires a lot of advanced settings for the phone to work properly. However, it doesn't look like you're using an out-of-the-box US or UK-released phone.
Unless you're a "craftsman" by nature, the process of making the Find N2 suitable for everyday use outside of China can be lengthy and often frustrating, and not ideal if the phone is your device of choice . days. The fact that the Find N2 is only for China and I had to change the software should be taken into consideration while reading the review.
Oppo finds the N2 design
The Oppo Find N2 is not as tall and thin when folded as the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but it is wider and shorter. The shape is more traditional, but it's still as thick as two phones when folded, so it's still "sticky" compared to older phones. However, is this really a compromise? No, and it's a more comfortable front screen.
It's a large 5.54-inch AMOLED display with slim bezels (at least for the right hand) and ergonomic curved corners that fit comfortably in the palm of your hand, making it incredibly comfortable to use when closed. It's a powerful phone, but that's the only compromise you make when choosing a quality phone, and now the screen protector is very comfortable to use. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 takes some time to set up and some patience to use when closed, but not the Find N2. I have used it normally since the beginning.
The phone also folds flat, meaning it has a consistent thickness, and the camera module on the back doesn't protrude too much; So even though it's 14mm thick when closed, it's surprisingly compact. The power button houses the fingerprint sensor, but I found the phone unlocking process cumbersome and slow. I often mistype my finger or turn the screen on and off if I accidentally press a button while trying to unlock the phone.
Open up the Find N2 and you'll notice that the 7.1-inch main display has a hard plastic bezel around it, but there are no visible creases when seen in person. You can see it when the screen is off and the phone is in the right lighting, and you'll also feel a slight boost when you swipe it. It's very minimal and I don't find it intrusive, but still present. The phone is balanced and can be held in one hand while reading or watching videos, but still weighs 237 grams.
I'm using the Find N2 with its faux fur back panel, which makes it look classy, plus it's very warm and nice to touch. An all-glass alternative is available if the "faux leather" option isn't your thing, and it also makes the phone a little lighter if you prefer. I was concerned about the glass body if I dropped the Find N2, and it's also not IP-rated or water-resistant, which is a big plus for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 models. It's an easy foldable smartphone. to use both closed and open, and it's a device I'm proud to show. It is also a significant step up from the original Oppo Find N and a foldable smartphone in the industry.
Oppo Find N2 software
The Find N2 uses ColorOS 13, but it's a Chinese version of the software, which means it doesn't have Google Play or related services installed. To get around this, I used the Oppo Clone Phone app, which comes pre-installed on the phone and is also available on Google Play. I use it to transfer all my apps and data from another device, in this case a Nothing 1 phone. It only takes a few minutes, including Google Play.
There are tons of pre-installed apps, and almost all of them are irrelevant to anyone outside of China.
Previously, you could log into your Google account on the Find N2, but there's no Google section in the Settings menu, and you wouldn't expect a feature like Digital Health. You can access Oppo HeyTap cloud service, which provides Find my phone, you can also easily set up Google Wallet and use Google Pay. Oppo Breeno virtual assistant can also be replaced by Google Assistant.
There are tons of pre-installed apps and almost all of them are irrelevant to anyone outside of China and you need to spend some time cleaning them up. At the same time, you should change the default applications for different services, including the keyboard and browser, and you should also familiarize yourself with the various applications and menus that lead to pages with Chinese text and a small amount of Chinese. also notification. There is no Google Discover, and on the left of the home screen, there are tons of tools and services that mostly apply to people using phones in China.
All of this is to be expected and most can be fixed with a few hours of patient work, but the most annoying problems remain: the worst of these is ColorOS' refusal to push notifications from some apps. For example, WhatsApp sends notifications to Find N2 from time to time, as do Outlook and Twitter. I thought ColorOS' aggressive power management was to blame, but even after digging into settings and asking not to limit apps, the problem wasn't permanently fixed.
However, you can expect a lot of notifications about power-hungry apps as well as ads disguised as alerts and notifications from stock apps or pre-installed apps that you haven't uninstalled yet. ColorOS needs the Find N2 much more, as it constantly asks for some kind of input, and the pre-installed apps and associated app stores are annoying.
Notification issues, endless customization, and a lack of useful services like Google Discover make the Find N2 a frustrating device to have on a daily basis. While experimentation and patience may ultimately improve things outside of China, don't take it for granted, and it's debatable whether it's really worth it.
After a week of fiddling with things, I wasn't right and kept manually checking the app for missing messages because the phone refused to notify me about them.
Oppo Find N2 multitasking and big screen
Oppo says it won't release Find N2 globally because not all apps and services run on the big open screen, and certainly not all are supported. WhatsApp sits in the center of the screen with the sidebar, while others like Instagram and YouTube stretch to just the right size. All the apps I've tried work, but they don't always look good. Everything is much better on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 because there are more apps designed to work on the big screen.
Multitasking is great. Two applications can run side by side and a third application can be placed on top as a floating window. Again, not all apps support multitasking, and looking at the apps you open from the helicopter, you'll quickly see which ones can be used. Interestingly, Oppo splits the open home screen into two, allowing you to take separate screenshots from both sides of the screen while running two apps simultaneously.
There's also the unusual horizontal split-screen mode, but it doesn't seem to work with any app other than Oppo, so it's of limited use. Flip the phone halfway and you get a split-screen camera mode with controls at the bottom and a viewfinder at the top, letting you use the camera hands-free without a special stand. It also works with YouTube, where the video appears at the top of the screen when semi-open, which is handy.
Likewise, you'll need to play with the software to get it to work the way you want, and you'll need to spend some time learning the many keyboard shortcuts and gestures associated with the Find N2's multitasking mode. It's not very complicated, but the many options don't always work for you, so you need to look into them and keep that in mind.
Multitasking isn't as powerful or easy as it is on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but the phone's size and design mean it's less about productivity and work and more about media and entertainment. Given the size and convenience of the screen, I also use the Find N2 more often when it's closed than when it's open, except when reading or watching videos.
Oppo Find N2 camera
On the back of the Find N2 are three cameras: a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilization, a 48MP wide-angle lens, and a 32MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. There are also a pair of 32MP selfie cameras, one on the protective screen and one on the main screen. Hasselblad is partnering with Oppo to transform camera performance.
The Find N2's camera lacks any special features or modes to stand out, relying instead on Hasselblad's settings to get the most out of its camera suite. The results are great, and it's nice not having to learn to use useless features just to make them frustrated. Here you just have to take pictures and enjoy the results.
Images taken with the main camera have good tone under the right conditions, with a very appealing use of color offset by effective levels of shadows and exposure. It's actually the first time I've seen a Hasselblad camera take a picture with its own view, and it's very good for the OnePlus 11, which uses essentially the same camera.
The Find N2's camera is excellent.
Unfortunately, there isn't much consistency between the main and wide-angle cameras, which can lead to oversaturated colors for unrealistic tones. I still like the photos it takes, but it feels more generic than the single main camera. The telephoto also disappoints with washed out colors in less than ideal conditions. Portrait mode for selfies looks great, but be sure to disable skin smoothing before taking photos, as it's enabled by default.
Adding in no-nonsense gimmicks and making the most of Hasselblad's color settings, the Find N2's camera is impressive even if it lacks consistency. I enjoyed taking photos with it and was pleased to see that, after a few tries, Hasselblad seems to have made its mark on photos taken with their cell phone cameras.
Oppo Find N2 battery and performance
I cannot complain about the battery and the overall performance of the phone. Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is a powerful and efficient processor, and even though Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 has replaced it, you don't have to worry about tackling the latest games and multitasking.
The same goes for the 4,520mAh battery, which has enough power to take on a day of heavy use. With moderate use, it can last for two full days without any problems. The 67W wired charging system promises to fully charge the battery in around 45 minutes, but I can't say for sure since the charger is made for China and the adapter isn't always reliable. Previous experience with Oppo phones tells me they will stick to the stipulated time frame.
Unfortunately, the Find N2 lacks wireless charging, which is another area where the Galaxy Z Fold 4 falls short, and a surprising omission from the high-end smartphone's specs.
As far as I know , my UK SIM card connects to the network without any problems. You might miss out on a better 5G connection, you might lose a connection when a phone sent to the UK doesn't work, and even if the call goes well, some network features might not work. I'll never know until I find out the hard way, and that's a big risk with a phone that isn't designed for carriers in your country.
Is the Oppo Find N2 worth it?
In China, the Oppo Find N2 costs the equivalent of $1,150 domestically and is readily available for purchase there. It's possible to import a phone into the US and expect to pay around $1,500 depending on the store and factors like exchange rates if you do, but should you? Most don't. After about a week I had more than enough software issues and I highly doubt I had all the problems a phone might encounter if forced to work outside of China. Expect to find more than I've described here, as our usage is sure to be different. This was before the connection issues, call performance, and import guarantees.
There are very few flaws with the Find N2, other than the software, which isn't the phone's fault at all, but a consequence of my use outside of China. Lack of IP rating and lack of wireless charging are the two main features missing from the affordable Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. The fact that the Z Fold 4 is much easier to buy makes it our recommendation if you're looking for a foldable smartphone with big screen and you don't live in China.
However, this is obvious because Samsung really has no competitors. It's actually Z Fold 4 or nothing. So it is very disappointing that Find N2 is not widely available with working software for international users. It's different enough from the Z Fold 4 to appeal to those who aren't sold on phones with incredible sizes, impressive cameras, and performance that rivals Samsung's best non-folding flagship phones.