Opo finds N2
MSRP $1,150.
"The Oppo Find N2's compact size, atmospheric camera, long battery life and handy screen protector make it desirable, but the software doesn't lend itself to use outside of China."
advantages
- Reasonably sized screen protector
- Open screen is great for videos
- Useful multitasking features
- Two days of autonomy
Unpleasantries
- No waterproofing
- No wireless charging
- The software is not reliable outside of China
Using the Oppo Find N2 as my main phone for the past few weeks has been a rewarding and confusing experience. I was struck by the excellent compact proportions, close-in usability and ability to engage the open screen.
But I also really want to take out the SIM card and put it in another phone. Why can a phone be so good on one side and so boring on the other? Therefore.
An important note about our Find N2 review
I should explain why the Oppo Find N2 has caused such controversy before going into the details of the device, because it's important to understand that the problems aren't exclusively related to the phone. All of my frustration lies in the software, and partly because the Find N2 will only be released in China. Installing Google Play is easy, but it requires a lot of additional settings for the phone to work properly. But even then, it doesn't feel like you're using a phone that's directly made in the US or UK.
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 you want the phone to be your everyday device. The fact that the Find N2 is only for China and I had to adapt the software for this should be taken into account when reading the test.
Oppo Find N 2 theme
When folded, the Oppo Find N2 isn't tall and thin like the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but wider and shorter. It's a more traditional shape, but it's still as thick as two phones when folded, so it's still a 'compromise' compared to a bulky phone. But is it really a compromise? No, and it's a more practical front display.
It's a fairly large 5.54-inch AMOLED display with thin bezels and (at least for right-handers) a curved, ergonomic corner that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand and makes it very comfortable to use when closed. It's a big phone but that's the only compromise you make if you prefer a chunky phone, now the screen protector is so convenient to use. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 requires setup time and patience to use when locked, but not with the Find N2. Of course I used it from the start.
The phone also snaps flat, meaning it's the same thickness and the rear camera module doesn't protrude too much. Despite being 14mm thick when closed, it's surprisingly compact. There is a fingerprint sensor on the power button, but unlocking the phone was complicated and slow. It often misreads my finger or toggles the screen on and off when I accidentally press a button while trying to unlock the phone.
Open the Find N2 and you'll see the 7.1-inch main screen, encased in a sturdy plastic frame but with no visible creases when viewed head-on. You can see this when the screen is off and the phone is well lit, and you'll also feel a slight bump when you swipe across it. It's minimal and I don't find it annoying, but it's still there. The phone is well balanced and can be held with one hand while reading or watching videos, but it weighs 237 grams.
I used the Find N2 with a faux leather back which gives it class and also feels very warm and comfortable. An all-glass alternative is available if the eco-leather option isn't for you, and makes the phone a bit lighter if desired. If I were to release the Find N2 I'd be concerned about the all-glass body, plus it doesn't have an IP or water resistance rating, which is a big plus for the Galaxy Z Fold models. 4 and Z Flip 4. Ruggedness aside, the Find N2 is an attractive, compact and extremely lightweight foldable smartphone that's equally easy to use both closed and open, and it's a device I'm proud to show off. It's also a significant step up from the original Oppo Find N and a key foldable smartphone for the industry.
Oppo Find N2 app
The Find N2 runs ColorOS 13, but it's a Chinese version of the software, meaning it doesn't include Google Play or related services. To get around this problem, I used the Oppo Clone Phone app, which comes pre-installed on the phone and is also available on Google Play. I used it to transfer all my apps and data from another device, in this case the Nothing 1. It only took a few minutes including Google Play.
There are many pre-installed programs and almost all of them are not relevant for anyone outside of China.
Before that, you could sign into a Google account on the Find N2, but there's no Google section in the settings menu and don't expect features like Digital Wellbeing. You can connect to the Oppo HeyTap cloud service offered by Find My Phone and you can easily install Google Wallet and use Google Pay. Oppo's Breeno virtual assistant can also be replaced with Google Assistant.
There are many pre-installed apps and almost all of them are irrelevant to anyone outside of China and you need to spend time cleaning them. At the same time, you have to change the default program for many services, including the keyboard and browser, and get used to various programs and menus that lead to pages with Chinese text, and also quite a lot of notifications in Chinese . Google Discover is absent, and the left side of the home screen contains a bunch of widgets and services that mostly apply to people using the phone in China.
That's to be expected, and most can be fixed with a few hours of patient work, but many other problematic issues remain - the worst being ColorOS' refusal to send notifications from some apps. For example, WhatsApp regularly sends notifications to the Find N2, as do Outlook and Twitter. I thought ColorOS' aggressive power management was to blame, but even after delving into the settings and asking them not to throttle apps, the issue wasn't finally resolved.
However, you can expect a lot of notifications about performance-hungry apps, as well as ads disguised as notifications and notifications from default apps or pre-installed apps you don't already have. ColorOS is the Find N2's biggest user, constantly asking for input, and the preloaded apps and associated app stores are annoying.
Notification issues, endless customization options, and a lack of handy services like Google Discover make the Find N2 a frustrating device to use every day. While experimentation and patience can ultimately make things happen outside of China, it shouldn’t be taken for granted and it’s doubtful it’s really worth the effort.
After a week of messing around with things, mine isn't quite right and I'm still manually checking apps to see messages I've missed because the phone refuses to tell me about them.
Oppo Find N2 multitasking and big screen
Oppo says it won't be releasing the Find N2 globally because not all apps and services will work on the open big screen - and certainly not all will be compatible. WhatsApp sits in the center of the screen with bars on the sides, while others like Instagram and YouTube are stretched to size. All the apps I've tried work, but don't always look great. Things are looking a lot better on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, with more apps designed to work on the big screen.
Multitasking is awesome. Two applications can be launched side by side and a third placed over them as a floating window. Again, not all apps work with multitasking, and if you look at your open apps from the helicopter, you can quickly see which apps you can use. Interestingly, Oppo splits the open home screen into two parts, allowing you to take separate screenshots of both sides of the screen while running two apps at the same time.
There's also an unusual horizontal split-screen mode, but it doesn't seem to work with apps other than Oppo apps, so its use is limited. Half-close the phone gives you a split-screen camera mode, showing the controls on the bottom half and the viewfinder on top, allowing you to use the camera hands-free without special assistance. It also works with YouTube where the video appears at the top of the screen when half open which is very handy.
Aside from having to play around with the software to get it working the way you want it, you'll need to spend some time learning the many keyboard shortcuts and gestures associated with the Find N2's multitasking modes. They're not particularly complicated, but the many options won't always be relevant to you, so you need to understand them and remember which ones are available.
Multitasking isn't as powerful or as easy as 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. Also, due to the size and usability of the screen, I tended to use the Find N2 closed rather than open, except when reading or watching videos.
Oppo Find N2 camera
There are three cameras on the back of the Find N2: a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilization, a 48MP wide-angle lens, and a 32MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom. There's also a pair of 32-megapixel selfie cameras, one in the protective screen and the other in the home screen notch. Hasselblad worked with Oppo to optimize the camera's performance.
The Find N2 camera doesn't have any special features or modes to shout about, instead relying on Hasselblad's tweaks to get the most out of their camera lineup. The results are great, and it's nice that you don't have to figure out how to use an unnecessary feature only to get frustrated with it. Here it is enough to take a picture and admire the result.
Photos taken with the main camera show excellent tonality in the right conditions, with really attractive use of color balanced with effective shadow and exposure levels. This is really the first time I've seen a Hasselblad camera take photos that have a look of their own, and that's pretty good for the OnePlus 11, which uses essentially the same camera.
The camera of the Find N2 is impressive.
Unfortunately, there's not much consistency between the main and wide-angle cameras, which can lead to over-saturation of colors for a less realistic tone. I still like the photos it takes, but it feels more generic than a distinctly separate primary camera. The telephoto lens is also disappointing with faded colors in less than ideal conditions. Portrait mode for selfies looks great, but make sure you turn off Skin Trim before taking photos as it's on by default.
By adding unnecessary gimmicks and making the most of Hasselblad's color setting, the Find N2's camera impresses despite its lack of consistency. I've enjoyed shooting with it and I'm happy to see that after a few tries, Hasselblad seems to have put its stamp on photos taken with cell phone cameras.
Oppo Find N2 battery and performance
I have no complaints about the battery and the overall performance of the phone. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is a powerful and efficient processor, and although it's been replaced by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, you don't have to worry about the latest games and multitasking.
The same goes for the 4,520mAh battery, which is more than enough to get you through a heavy-duty day. With moderate use, it easily lasts two full days. The 67W wired charging system promises to fully charge the battery in around 45 minutes, but I couldn't confirm that as the charger is made for China and inverters aren't always reliable. Past experience with Oppo phones tells me that in due course it will.
Unfortunately, the Find N2 lacks wireless charging, another area where it loses to the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and a surprising omission when it comes to high-end smartphone specs.
As far as I can tell , my UK sim connected to the network with no problems. It may have missed out on a better 5G connection, it may have lost a connection when the UK-supplied phone broke down and while calls are fine some network features may 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 rated for your country's carriers.
Is the Oppo Find N2 worth it?
In China, the Oppo Find N2 costs the equivalent of 1,150 US dollars and is already on sale there. It's possible to import a phone into the US and expect to pay around $1,500 depending on the deal and factors like the exchange rate, but is it worth it? Probably not. After about a week I've had more than enough issues with the software and I highly doubt I've encountered all the issues the phone will have if it's forced to work outside of China. Expect more than what I've outlined here as our usage will certainly vary. It is free from connectivity issues, call performance and import guarantees.
The Find N2 has very few bugs apart from the software which isn't a bug of the phone at all but is due to the fact that I'm using it outside of China. The lack of an IP rating and lack of wireless charging are the only major downsides to the available Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. The fact that the Z Fold 4 is so much easier to buy makes it our recommendation if you're after one looking for large screen foldable phone and not living in china.
However, this is evident as Samsung really has no competition. It's actually the Z Fold 4 or nothing. For that reason, it's disappointing that the Find N2 isn't more widely available with software that works for an international audience. It differs enough from the Z Fold 4 to tempt those unconvinced by the Samsung phone's unusual size, great camera and performance that rivals the best non-folding flagship phones.
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