Oppo attacks Samsung with its first folding smartphone in France
After its initial success in China, Oppo is preparing to sell its first foldable smartphone in France. Find N2 Flip is a flip phone designed to appeal to the general public.
Will 2023 be the year of foldable smartphones? This question, which we seem to ask every year since 2019, is decorated with a good argument this time. For the first time since the arrival of these new types of devices, Samsung will compete with the main players (no disrespect to Huawei and Motorola, who never had the same ambitions as the Koreans). In the first quarter of next year, the Oppo Find N2 Flip, a foldable smartphone designed to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, will be launched. Later, Google is also expected to enter this segment, but that is another matter. the story.
Folding smartphones are already here in China
The foldable smartphone category launched by Samsung in 2019 is still very elitist. If the clamshell format has allowed it to gain market share (thanks to a familiar format and more affordable prices), foldable smartphones are still far from a big hit. Except for China, where Huawei, Vivo, Xiaomi and Oppo lead with their exclusive products. In early 2022, Numerama was able to test the Oppo Find N for a few days, even if it never went on sale in Europe.
Oppo Find N2 Flip, Samsung’s best enemy?
On Thursday, December 15, Oppo is announcing two new foldable smartphones:
- the Find N2Direct successor to Find N. It’s still a tablet that can be folded in half to get the size of a small phone.
- the Find N2 Flip, is the first in its category. It’s essentially a copycat of Samsung’s Z Flip, with a clamshell design that should appeal to people who lived through the pre-iPhone era. It takes the shape of a regular smartphone with a large 6.8-inch display. When folded, the screen becomes a small vertical square measuring 3.26 inches. A record for this format.
Unfortunately, only the Find N2 Flip will be available in France. Oppo probably thinks the European market is too timid to launch the overpriced Find N2. On the other hand, he believes in the potential success of the flip phone.
The target of the Find N2 Flip will probably be more people who are looking for a cool and stylish device, rather than the fancy ones. Available in two colors (black and purple), this device aims to make smartphone use fun. The possibility of taking a selfie by folding it in half or using the cover screen is emphasized, as in Samsung.
One of the strengths of the Find N2 Flip compared to its Korean rival is that the fold in the middle of the screen is virtually invisible thanks to a slightly different hinge (even if the screen is also manufactured by Samsung). We’ll have to see what happens in real life, as Numerama has only been able to manipulate the Find N2 for now. It is really hard to distinguish the layer on this device.
When it comes to specifications, the Oppo Find N2 Flip emphasizes autonomy with a 4300 mAh battery versus 3700 mAh for its Samsung rival. Its processor, MediaTek Dimensity 9000+, is also optimized for long-lasting performance. Here again, it is better not to crawl too quickly. The future will tell if Oppo will really succeed.
Finally, what about the price? At the moment, Oppo wants to keep the surprise (which is normal, an announcement now can make the launch of the smartphone in Europe less interesting in a few months). However, the brand promises to study the market well, while warning that it will not lower prices, as this has never been its way. For comparison, let’s note that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 was launched by Samsung at the price of 1109 euros. To be successful, Oppo should ideally be able to drop below €1,000. Will we see early 2023 for the real start of foldable smartphones?
