OPPO Find N3 Fold – the most advanced foldable smartphone in 2023 (deep-dive review)

The OPPO Find N3 Fold is the foldable smartphone class leader in almost every way. Better internal and external screens, performance, RAM, storage, battery, camera, and user interface make this the fold to covet.

We are not critical of its competition – in terms of fit for purpose, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 does the job admirably. Samsung leads with Qi charging, IPX8, and its DeX Android desktop.

 OPPO really took the opportunity to address every aspect of the Foldable format and got it 99% right. You can get a quick overview of the differences OPPO Find N3 Fold First-look – reader FAQs answered.

Update: Availability

  • Exclusive pre-sale with JB Hi-Fi Online: Starting from November 8th, 2023
  • Official on-sale date in Australia: November 16th, 2023
  • Available for purchase through the OPPO Australia online store and as a JB Hi-Fi online exclusive starting from November 16th, 2023

Why a fold?

I was of two minds with Samsung’s Fold5. I have been looking at more screen real estate, and its fourth attempt was interesting but not compelling. Read Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 2023 – It is an open-and-shut case.

Similarly, the Flip format (Samsung, Motorola Razr, and OPPO Find N2 and now N3 – not coming here yet) was even less compelling. OPPO’s Find N2 got it ‘more right’, and the latest ColorOS 13.2 upgrade gives it a real advantage with App functionality on the external screen. But all of these have lower battery life, low speced cameras, and our consumer review panel didn’t warm to them.

The panel felt you could get far better features and value from the Samsung Galaxy S23/+/Ultra or OPPO Find X5/Pro. Their major issues with the fold format were:

  • Do we trust the screen to last 400K folds?
  • How noticeable is the crease, and does it affect usability?
  • How functional is the external screen? Does it reduce the need to open the fold?
  • Battery life and charge times were below average for the price.
  • The ongoing concern is that Samsung uses an 8-bit/16.7 million colour screen where 10-bit/1.07 billion colours are necessary for accurate picture preview and Dolby Vision (which Samsung cannot do).

Enough preamble. This hands-on deep-dive review results from over 70 exhaustive and probing tests and two weeks of intensive use. Result: The OPPO Find N3 Fold is the class leader, and I want one!

Australian review: OPPO Find N3 Fold Model CPH-2499 16/512GB, Dual sim and e-SIM

WebsiteProduct page
Price$2699
ColoursClassic Black Vegan leather
FromOPPO Online*, Harvey Norman, Amazon AU,  and approved retailers.
Warranty2-years ACL
Country of OriginChina
CompanyOPPO is #2 in Australia for Android smartphone market share. It has achieved that through excellent product and after-sales service.
MoreCyberShack OPPO news and reviews

We use Fail (below expectations), Passable (meets low expectations), Pass (meets expectations), Pass+ (near Exceed but not class-leading) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below.  You can click on most images for an enlargement.

* Grey Market

OPPO has a huge unauthorised grey market selling non-Australian certified models. The usual culprits (Kogan/Dick Smith/Etoren, Phonebot, Bludiode, Buy2Fix, NextBuying, Handstore, Techcart and many more online stores) sell it.

Also, OnePlus (owned by OPPO) has an identical ‘Open’ model sold in specific markets. It has OxygenOS instead of ColorOS and is not approved for Australian use.

You can find if it is genuine certified Australian stock by looking on the box for the R-NZ C-Tick or by going to Settings>About Device>Regulatory>, and you will find the R-NZ C-Tick. Only approved devices carry an Australian warranty and use Australian 5G, Wi-Fi 6 and 6E frequencies.

First Impression – Far thinner than expected – Pass+

At 153.4 x 143.1/73.3 x 5.8/11.9 mm (flat/folded) x 232g its considerably lighter than Samsung Fold5 at 154.9 x 129.9/67.1 x 6.1/13.4 mm x 253g. OPPO fits larger 7.82/6.31” screens (Samsung 7.6/6.2” into a smaller body by using a 20:9 external screen (Samsung 23.1:9) and smaller bezels. It feels terrific in your hand and your pocket.

I have the nanocrystal glass front/back gold colour for review, but Australia gets the Classic Black Vegan leather version.

Let’s start at the back with the humongous round camera bump. It’s a distinctive look and may not be to everyone’s taste. It is necessary to house the three large camera sensors, including the periscope prism telephoto and a photo colour sensor. The bump has a nano-crystal glass covering to protect the lenses, and the bottom edge provides a useful finger rest when open or closed.

Power and volume buttons are on the right side, and a new ring/vibrate/off slider is on the left.

The bottom has dual speakers, a mic, a SIM slot, and USB-C. The top has dual speakers and dual mics. There is an invisible earpiece slit on the top outside screen that has a new Sound-Sealed Call facility to enhance phone call privacy.

Overall, it is quite pocketable compared to an OPPO Find X5 Pro (163.7 x 73.9 x 8.5mm x 218g) or Samsung S23 Ultra (163.4 xx 78.1 x 8.9mm x 233g).

Screen – Exceed

OPPO uses 10-bit/1.07 billion colour, 120Hz adaptive LTPO Gen 3.0 AMOLED screens (internal and external), reaching 2800 nits (Samsung 8-bit/16.7 million colours, 1750 nits). The result is pure, bright colour, and it can play and record Dolby Vision (DV) videos with superb HDR details and stream 2160p HDR10+/DV. It is also vital for accurate colour photo/video image previews. Samsung does not play Dolby Vision, only HDR10+ content.

The internal 7.82” screen’s daylight readability is excellent, and its Automatic Light sensor is responsive and quick. You can also adjust colour temperature, Tone, Colour Boost, and Brighten HDR even further.

Coupled with the Qualcomm SD8 Gen 2, it should be an excellent games device, but we warn you that foldable AMOLED (any brand) needs care, and you won’t want to use this as a gamepad! OPPO has a replaceable pre-applied self-healing plastic layer over the UTG carbon fibre-supported AMOLED panel.

The 6.31” external screen has the same characteristics and maintains the ‘9’ widescreen ratio for video streaming. It has an Ultra-thin Nanocrystal (likely DragonTail Star 2), allegedly stronger than Gorilla Glass Victus and has a Mohs hardness of 6.

OPPO has addressed OLED flicker caused by Pulse Width Modulation Dimming (PWM). Where Samsung is 120-240Hz, which can cause headaches and eyestrain, OPPO has ramped the frequency to 1440Hz for an imperceptible flicker.

Screen Summary: Both OPPO screens are the epitome of excellence. 10-bit/1.07 billion accurate colours, exceptional brightness, and an invisible crease rated for over 1 million folds put this well ahead of the competition. Photo preview is accurate, and Dolby Vision movies have excellent HDR definition.

Processor – Qualcomm SD8 Gen 2 – Exceed

This is 2023’s fasted Android processor. Samsung uses a slightly overclocked version ‘for Galaxy’, but our testing revealed some interesting points.

Samsung appeared to have higher Geekbench single/multi-core results of 2000/5251 compared to OPPO at 1549/4876. We discovered that OPPO has a High-Performance Mode (off by default) that took the score to 1999/5309.

Similarly, Throttling was interesting.

ItemSamsung Galaxy Fold5OPPO Find N3 FoldHigh-Performance Mode
Maximum GIPS362,558356,574392,101
Average GIPS311,799343,024378,769
Minimum GIPS259,591313,071359,164
Throttle22%7%6%
Rear temperature45-47°37-40°40°

Both OPPO’s standard and high-performance modes are significantly faster and throttle far less than the overclocked Samsung for Galaxy version in the Fold5. OPPO has excellent thermal management.

RAM – Exceed

It comes with 16GB of LPDDR5X (fastest) RAM and can have up to 12GB of virtual swap RAM (uses SSD), so this is never going to be laggy (Samsung 12GB and no swap). OPPO has developed a Dynamic Computing Engine to improve fluency and stability and keep over 40 apps open in the background for a smooth-running phone even after years of use. It is a multi-tasker’s dream, and we opened 40 Chrome browser tabs and ten other Apps without any performance hit.

Storage – Pass+

It has 512GB of UFS 4.0 (fastest) storage (Option on Samsung). CPDT (measures sustained sequential read and write) was 1185/977MBps – like Samsung. We used a new test that measures peak speeds, and it was 2133/1204MBps, which is very close to PCIe NVMe 3 x 1 SSD speeds.

Now for the Pass+ instead of Exceed explanation. It supports an external SSD/Flash (at least 2TB) in OTG cut-and-paste mode. Data transfer is fast over USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 5Gbps (same as Samsung).

Vloggers and videographers love mountable live storage and must live without this on the Oppo Find N3 Fold and Samsung Fold5. I spoke to OPPO at the launch, and the explanation has something to do with Digital Rights Management, but they will investigate it. At least OPPO has 512GB standard.

Processor summary: OPPO offers more usable power in both standard and high-performance modes with significantly less throttling.

Comms – Pass+

The Qualcomm SD8 Gen 2 is capable of Wi-Fi 7, but it ships with Wi-Fi 6E AXE enabled. A later firmware update will allow 7. It has excellent Wi-Fi speeds to about 10 meters before returning to Wi-Fi 5.

It has dual Wi-Fi acceleration unique to OPPO that can aggregate two different Wi-Fi networks (on the same or different routers) simultaneously for over 300% download speed improvement and nearly 50% faster website loading. It can also combine Wi-Fi and mobile data networks (Android feature).

USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 supports Alt DP 1.4 for audio/video/data/HID/upstream power to connect via USB-C to HDMI or Display Port for screen mirror. Android 13 has a beta Android desktop (think Samsung Dex or Motorola ReadyFor) that can access Windows remote desktop and 365 and support a mouse and keyboard (HID device). Android Desktop is a work in progress.

4G/5G – Exceed

Both OPPO and Samsung use the Qualcomm X70 5G modem with DSDA (Dual SIM, dual active). Both are not surprisingly excellent for city, suburbs, regional and rural areas with strong signals over 7pW and finding all four towers. OPPO has a few more 4G and 5G bands, making it an actual world phone.

OPPO has a dual SIM and eSIM (Samsung single SIM and eSIM).

Battery – Exceed

OPPO has a dual 4.5V batteries (3295/1510 = 9V/4805mAh/43Wh) in serial (Samsung 4400mAh).

It uses its patented SUPERVOOC charging (67W inbox) that fills the batteries simultaneously, resulting in 42 minutes (Samsung is 25W for 1 hour 26 minutes – no charger supplied) for a 100% charge using lower voltage and creating less heat. Should you not have the SUPERVOOC charger, you can use any PD 3.0 or earlier charger, but it takes longer.

It does not have Qi wireless charging (Samsung does) and provides reverse 10W cable charge (like a power bank – Samsung has 4.5W reverse Wireless Charge). Qi can be a deal breaker for some. But OPPO’s Battery Health engine intelligently charges – you can leave it on the charger overnight, and it will gradually fill to 80% and top up as you wake (based on past use).

The most significant difference is that OPPO has 1600 full battery recharge cycles (minimum 80% charge) versus Samsung at 500 (according to the Guardian).

Tests – Adaptive screen, standard performance mode (Samsung in brackets)

  • 1080p Video loop: 18 hours (12 hours 31 minutes)
  • Accubattery: 18 hours 12 minutes (17 hours 38 minutes)
  • GFX Bench Manhattan games use: 215.1 minutes (Would not run)
  • GFX Bench T-Rex 1080p game: 608.5 minutes (343.4 minutes)
  • mA idle: 200-250 (250-300)
  • mA 100% load: 1500-1600 standard and 2000-2200 high-performance (2650-3000)
  • 100% drain screen on: 4 hours 45 minutes standard mode (4 hours 39 minutes)

Battery Summary: Typical users will easily get a 24-hour day. These tests were all with the internal fold screen on, and we expect 20% better battery life for the external screen. If you use performance mode, expect a 20-30% drop in battery life. Full marks to OPPO for including a 67W fast charger inbox (Samsung no).

Speakers – Exceed

This is the best smartphone sound I have ever heard. Why?

First, OPPO has a sound heritage, and it knows good sound. It does not rely on Qualcomm’s technology. 

Second, it has four speakers (two on each side in landscape mode) driven by four amps. It has a separate stereo amp for the earpiece/s and hands-free use.

Third, its sound signature is neutral (audiophiles standard), allowing the Dolby Atmos EQ to recess any frequency for various music genres.

Fourth, it gets very loud at 84dB and is perfect for hand-free and music.

Add to that BT 5.3 and 16-bit/44100Hz, SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX TWS, and LDAC codecs (Samsung will not pay for the aptX codec suite using its scalable codec instead).

The three mics allow for stereo recording and noise reduction. Hands-free is excellent.

The sound stage is wider than the phone, and there is some 3D height with DA content.

Sound Signature – Exceed

Gold line above – Mid-bass starts at 50Hz and quickly builds to 80Hz, where the sound signature is flat (neutral) to 20kHz.

It is the strong mid-bass that gives some ‘oomph’ to the Blues Brother’s jazz, and the strong treble gives sparkle to Manhattan Transfer synth and instrumentals.

It is perfect for everything from music to clear voice, and the Dolby Atmos EQ has an automatic setting to select the genre you need.

Build – Pass+

The build quality is exceptional. ‘Titanium alloy, carbon fibre, and more. Built to the hilt with aerospace materials – with no expense spared’.

Its use of nanocrystal glass means at least the same drop ability and hardness as Gorilla Glass Victus. OPPO quote ‘Nano Ceramic Guard screen protection is up to 20% more impact-resistant than Victus glass’.

It has IPX4 (Samsung is IP X8), which is rain resistant. The Flexion Hinge has a minimal area that could collect dust but does not impede it or the screen’s operation.

OPPO has an independent TÜV Rheinland rating for over 1,000,000 folds (Samsung claimed 400,000 folds but has stopped advertising this).

Stylus – Pass

It supports the OPPO Pen for Find N2 and N3 and has 4096 pressure levels and a 13-hour magnetic charge battery. No price or availability yet.

Android 13 – Exceed

OPPO has ‘at least’ a four-year OS upgrade (Android 17) and a five-year security patch policy from the launch date in October 2023. (Samsung is the same from July 2023).

OPPO has the ColorOS 13.2 user interface, which has many customisations for a tablet and smartphone in one. The external 20:9 screen is the same as most smartphones, and it is a seamless transfer from external to internal.

The internal screen uses the Golden Ratio 9.79:9, which maintains the ‘9’ widescreen ratio when playing video content. It is best for displaying Word and Excel. Samsung has 21.6:18.

In tablet mode, it has a dynamic Global taskbar that shrinks icons in size as you open more (File pocket). We won’t go into detail, but it has

  • Boundless view: Two Apps side by side and one app under, giving an effective 15” scrolling view area.
  • Canvas Shift allows three apps side by side to be accessed via a left/right swipe. You can adjust each app’s display size.
  • Smart Split screen allows two or three Apps to split and hide on each side.

OPPO has resisted pre-loading bloatware and focuses on Google Apps and a selection of OPPO Apps. The Australian version does not require an OPPO Hey Tap account.

Security – Exceed

Android 13 has a privacy dashboard (applies to all Android phones), but OPPO takes several steps further to protect your data.

We have mentioned the AON selfie cameras (internal and external) can security use facial recognition. It can also be used to detect third-party snooping over your shoulder. Most other Android phones use 2D insecure facial recognition unless equipped with an IR sensor (like Windows Hello) or IR ToF sensor.

OPPO uses a dedicated security chip named GSEA0, which holds the prestigious SOGIS CC EAL 5+ and OSCCA Level2 certification. It stores your encrypted data. You can also enable an encrypted Private Safe to keep anything – files, images, passwords, etc.

It also has Sound Sealed Calls (for phone call privacy).

Samsung has Secured by Knox.

OPPO Find N3 Fold Rear Camera

This is a rather unique camera setup never seen on a smartphone (well, except for its OnePlus Open brother).

  1. 53MP (cropped to 48MP) Sony LYTIA  LYT-T808 dual-layer stacked primary sensor. It effectively doubles light capture and details, rivalling a 1” DSLR sensor. Sony says it offers more diverse shooting scenes and purposes than any existing sensor. In layman’s terms, it has excellent colours, better HDR details, and low-light ability. It has OIS (optical image stabilisation in all modes), EIS (electronic image stabilisation – some modes), a bright f/1.7 aperture, autofocus and a closed loop focus motor. It can take 48MP images or bin to 12MP with 1.12um large pixels. Preliminary reviews say that the IMX808 significantly beats Samsung’s 50MP GN2 for accuracy, colour, low light and HDR details.
  2. 64MP Periscope telephoto using an Omnivision OV64B sensor. It has a 3X Optical zoom, 6X Lossless zoom (in-sensor binned to 16MP, f/2.6, 1.4um) and up to 120X digital zoom. It has OIS/EIS for stability and microlens phase detection autofocus (ML‑PDAF). This sensor captures at least six times the detail and colour information than Samsung’s Fold5 (10MP Periscope for 3X Optical and 30X digital zoom – not really usable over 10X).
  3. 48MP Ultra-wide/macro using an OPPO/Sony developed IMX581 (F/2.2, binned to 12MP 1.6um) with Autofocus and EIS. It takes excellent Ultra-wide colour-matched (to other sensors) and macro shots down to 3.5cm. Samsung’s Fold5 has a 12MP, F/2.2, 1.12um sensor.
OPPO Find N3 Fold

OPPO Camera tech

  1. OPPO has incorporated MariSilicon technology into the Qualcomm SD8 Gen 2 NPU SoC. This is more about OPPO’s camera prowess and smarts for post-processing.
  2. Hasselblad Aspherical lens elements ‘Features an internal focusing design and aspherical elements to minimise chromatic aberrations and provide greater overall image sharpness’.
  3. Industry-first Hasselblad Portrait Mode that can bokeh the background and foreground.
  4. Hasselblad Colour Recognition in Pro Mode
  5. Hasselblad’s classic XPan camera, the 65:24 aspect ratio panorama
  6. FlexForm and Dual preview screens provide tripod-like stability and highly accurate ‘what-you-see-is-what-you-get’ photo and video previews on the 10-bit/1.07 billion screen (Samsung uses 8-bit/16.7 million colour screens).
  7. Video is a maximum of 4K@60fps, but the best is 1080p@60fps with both OIS and EIS. It also shoots Dolby Vision video 4K@30fps – another industry-first

DXO rating

Samsung Fold5 DXO camera rating is 128. The OPPO Find N3 Fold is yet to be rated, but given that the OPPO Find X6 Pro shares some of the new camera technology and scored #4 at 153 points, we expect it to be over that. To put this in perspective, it should be in the top three spots, and Samsung Fold5 is ranked at #49.

OPPO Find N3 Fold Selfie camera – two

It has an internal 20MP, f/2.2 (sensor unknown, but we suspect it is either a cropped OV32c or, more likely, the Sony IMX476) with AON facial recognition. Typically, face recognition is 2D and can be fooled by photos of the owner. That is why you often see Face ID is insecure and won’t activate Google Pay, etc.

OPPO uses AONService – AI-based facial recognition that uses the TCS3720 Ambient Light, dual colour and proximity in-display sensor to track your interaction with the Face ID sign-in and decide if you are real. It may also assist with air gestures where you can scroll up or down, answer or mute calls and play/pause YouTube videos.

The external selfie is a 32MP Omnivision OV32c. It is unique because it uses RGBC (Red, Green, Blue, Cold), is always on (for AON) and bins to 8MP, 1.4um, f/2.4. It has AON facial recognition and gesture control as well.

Photo conditions – smoke hazy day

  • 1X Day Primary sensor – the colours are accurate/ natural and have great dynamic range. There are good details in the background, shadows, and highlights.
  • 2X Day Telephoto: Perfect shot as per 1X using 2X optical zoom.
  • 6X Day Telephoto hybrid optical/digital zoom: – terrific colour and detail and the barest hint of background noise.
  • 10X Day Telephoto: digital zoom – good details in the foreground, but the background shows softness and some noise.
  • 20X Day Telephoto: Excellent colours and foreground detail. The background is starting to show noise.
  • 40X Day Telephoto: Probably about the useful limit.
  • 60X: Surprising detail
  • 120X: Bragging rights only
  • Ultra-wide: Good dynamic range, details and colours almost match the primary lens.
  • Macro: Good shots taken at approx. 4cm off the primary sensor
  • Indoor office light: Perfect/ crisp details/ bright shot and accurate colours
  • Bokeh Depth: The subject is colour-accurate and bright, and the background is suitably blurred.
  • Dark <40 lumens: The standard (not night mode) takes great shots with good colour and details.
  • Night mode improves the detail without adding much noise.
  • Selfie: It has a 20MP internal and 32MP external selfie that takes bright yet natural skin tones, details, and a range of filters to enhance any image.

Video (we are not video experts):

  • Rear: 4K@30fps, but there is no OIS
  • Rear: 1080p@30/60fpswith OIS/EIS
  • External Selfie: 4K@30fps or 1080p/30fps default with EIS
  • Internal selfie: 1080p@30fps

Overall camera comments. At $2699, you expect the best. It has one of the most versatile smartphone point-and-shoot cameras. Exposure, dynamic range, colour, autofocus, and textures are all above par for this phone level. Subjectively rated against the Samsung Fold5 50+12+10MP rear and 4+10MP selfie, it has far better specs, exceptionally accurate image preview, and better images.

CyberShack’s view – OPPO Find N3 Fold is the class leader

The OPPO Find N3 Fold is the first (and probably not the last) to excite me. Sure, Samsung got there sooner with Galaxy Z Fold (2019), Fold 2 (2020), 3 (2021), 4 (2022) and 5 (2023), but, in my opinion, it did not meet my needs, especially for the camera.

The review proves that on paper, OPPO leads in every class, in all but Qi charging, IP rating and range of colours.

Which Fold should you consider?

It is not an easy choice for those who can afford a fold.

  • Value: OPPO is $2,699 for the 16/512GB version, including a 67W charger and case. Samsung is $2799 for its 12/512GB and excludes the charger and case. On value alone, OPPO wins. But Samsung has various trade-in options and Telco plans that may sway you.
  • Performance: Not a lot between them. OPPO has a distinct edge in thermal management.
  • Battery: OPPO offers 1600 recharge life cycles, faster 42-minute charging and a 67W SUPERVOOC 2.0 USB-C charger inbox. Samsung has one hour 26 minutes, 25W UCB-C charging (not supplied), 15W Qi charging and 500 battery recharge cycles.
  • Camera: Both OPPO and Samsung produce excellent day and night photos, and you will be happy with either. But OPPO’s camera specs are much higher than Samsung’s if you want more.
  • Comms: Not a lot between them
  • LTE/5G: Not a lot between them
  • Android/warranty/upgrade/patch/service: Same 2+4+5
  • IP rating: OPPO has IPX4, and Samsung has IPX8.

Rating

  • Features: 95 – Apart from Qi and IPX8, it has more features than Samsung.
  • Value: 95 – It has 16/512GB, charger and case inbox.
  • Performance: 95 – OPPO has excellent thermal management and provides more raw power than Samsung. Its multi-tasking ability for 40+ apps is superb.
  • Ease of Use: 95 – ColorOS is easy to use and offers substantial value over pure Android. Add the 2+4+5 warranty/OS/patches, and it’s a keeper.
  • Design: 100 – The Golden ratio has solved the mismatch between internal and external screen sizes, and the imperceptible screen crease and 1-million-fold test take this to the top.

Pro

  • OPPO design, build quality, warranty and OS/security policy
  • Both displays are 10-bit/1.07 billion colour – the best in class by a long way
  • Excellent Pro class cameras, picture and video quality
  • 24-hour battery life and 42-minute charger inbox
  • ColorOS makes a Fold a content consumption and a productivity tool

Con

  • No Qi charging
  • IPX4 is basic and should be higher at this price
  • External SSDS/Flash is not mountable
  • Not as well-known as Samsung

CyberShack Smartphone comparison v 1.10 (E&OE)

OPPO Find N3 Fold

BrandOPPO
ModelOPPO Find N3 Fold
Model NumberCPH-2499
Price Base16/512GB $2699 includes charger and case
   Price base16/512GB
Warranty months24
 TierFold
WebsiteProduct page
FromOPPO On-line and approved retailers from Mid-November 2023
Country of OriginChina
CompanyOPPO is now #2 in Australia for Android smartphone market share. It has achieved that by excellent product and after-sales service.
MoreOPPO publishes most specifications, and these are verified by testing.
Test date23 October to 1 November
Ambient temp20-35°
Release45200
Other models not for Australia (Don’t buy)Australia gets the Classic Black Vegan leather version – not the gold version. Look for the RCM C-Tick on the box and under Settings, About Device and Regulatory. It is specifically tuned for Australian 5G and Wi-Fi 6E bands.

Screen

ScreenInternal/External cover display
Size7.82″/6.31″
TypeAMOLED LTPO/same
Flat, Curve, 2D, 3DFlat
Resolution2440×2268/2484×1116
PPI426/431 ppi
Ratio9.7:9/20:9
Screen to Body %89.6/91.8%
Colours bits10-bit/1.07 billion
Refresh Hz, adaptiveInternal Adaptive 1-120Hz
External Adaptive 10-120Hz
Or select 60 or 120Hz fixed.
Response 120HzNot disclosed
Nits typical, testNits typical
Internal 600 (Test 610)
External 600 (Test 612)
Nots High Brightness Mode (HBM)
Internal 1400 (test 1389)
External 1400 (test 1399)
Nits max, testDolby Vision 1% APL (Average Pixel Level)  of screen. We can’t test 1%  but can give 2 and 10% windows.
Internal 2800 (2200/2400)
External 2800 (2215/2420)
ContrastInfinite
sRGB100% Natural
130% Vivid (over saturated)
DCI-P397% of 1.07 billion colours on Pro D5 (6500°K) setting for pure white. This is close to Rec 2020.
Rec.2020 or otherRGB Temperature adjustment.
Plus, Nature Tone Adjustment in response to the Ambient Light sensor.
Plus Video Colour Boost and Bright HDR mode,
Delta E (<4 is excellent)Blue Light Control
HDR LevelHDR10+ and Dolby Vision/same
SDR UpscaleYes
Blue Light controlYes
PWM if known1440Hz – too high to cause headache or eyestrain. FYI: Values below 500Hz are an issue for most.
Scheduled Bedtime mode removes Blue Light from sundown to sunup.
Daylight readableYes – superb
Always on DisplayYes
Edge displayYes/Yes
AccessibilityFull suite
DRMWidevine L1 2160p HDR10/+/Dolby Vision
GamingGame mode, but the screen is too soft for games use. A fingernail can scratch it.
Screen protectionInternal: Self Healing over UTG
External: Nanocrystal.
CommentBoth screens are the epitome of excellence. 10-bit/1.07 billion accurate colours, exceptional brightness, and an imperceptible crease put this well ahead of the competition. Photo preview is exceedingly accurate and Dolby Vision movies have excellent HDR definition.

Processor

Brand, ModelSD8 Gen 2
All tests are in standard power mode unless noted as High-Performance Mode.
nm4
Cores1×3.2GHz & 4 x 2.8GHz & 3×2.0GHz
ModemX70 5G supports DSDA – both active SIMS
AI TOPSOver 30
Geekbench 6 Single-core1549
1999 High-Performance mode
Geekbench 6 multi-core4876
5309 High-Performance mode
LikeCurrently the most powerful SoC. Samsung Galaxy overclocks the prime core to 3.36GHz but makes little difference.
Benchmarks
GPUAdreno 740 719GHz
GPU Test
Open CL8482
9320 High-Performance mode
Like
Vulcan9136
9443 High-Performance mode
RAM, type16GB LDDDR5X (current fastest) plus up to 12GB virtual swap RAM.
Storage, free, type512GB UFS 4.0 (fastest)
micro-SDN/A
CPDT internal seq. Read MBpsCPDT measures the average sustained speed, and Jazz Disk the maximum speed. Either way, the results are impressive and the fastest to date.
1185 (Jazz Disk Benchmark 2133.33)
CPDT internal seq. write MBps977 (Jazz Disk Benchmark 1204.71)
CPDT microSD read, write MBpsN/A
CPDT external (mountable?) MBpsSupports an external SSD in OTG mode, meaning you can cut and paste it but not mount it as live external storage.
CommentStorage is not mountable (neither is Samsung), but comes with 512GB standard.
The Dynamic Computing Engine improves fluency and stability and keeps over 40 apps open in the background for a smooth-running phone.
Throttle test
Max GIPS356574
Average GIPS343024
Minimum GIPS313071
% Throttle0.07
CPU Temp50°
CommentThis is the best, lowest CPU throttle for an SD8 Gen 2 and reflects OPPO’s excellent thermal management. While its Maximum GIPS is lower at 356,574 (Samsung 362,558), its average GIPS is 343,024 (Samsung 311,799), and Minimum GIPS 313071 (Samsung 259,591) it offers more usable power.
OPPO has to modes – standard and high power – we use standard.

Comms

Wi-Fi Type, modelWi-Fi 7 Tri-band (may need firmware update after release). It presently supports Wi-Fi 6E tri-band.
Test 2m -dBm, Mbps-19/2401
Test 5m-34/2410
Test 10m-48/2401 (15m -60/1201 5G)
BT Type5.3 BLE
GPS single, dualDual <3m
USB typeUSB-C 3.1 Gen 1 5Gbps supports OTG (not mountable)
ALT DP, DeX, Ready ForSupports ALT DP 1.4 external screen mirror over USB-C to USB-C or HDMI/DP. For Audio/Video/Data/HID (mouse etc) and upstream/downstream charge.
NFCYes
Ultra-widebandNo
Sensors
   AccelerometerYes
   GyroYes
   e-CompassYes
   BarometerYes
   GravityYes
   PedometerYes
   Ambient lightYes
   Hall sensorYes
   ProximityTCS3720 ALS dual colour and proximity in-display.
   OtherPhoto
CommentWi-Fi 6E AXE keeps a strong 6GHz signal to 10m and then drops to 5Ghz. This has every imaginable sensor!

LTE and 5G

SIMReview mode has dual SIM and eSIM
   ActiveDSDA – Dual SIM both active.
Ring tone single, dualSingle
VoLTEYes
Wi-Fi callingYes
4G Bands1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/25/26/28/30/32/38/39/40/41/46/48/66/71
CommentWorld phone
5G sub-6Ghzn1/2/3/5/7/8/12/20/25/28/30/38/40/41/66/71/75/77/78
CommentWorld phone
mmWaveNo
Test Boost Mobile, Telstra
   UL, DL, ms82/36/21ms (excellent)
   Tower 1 -dBm, fW or pW-84/7.6pW (excellent)
   Tower 2-87/2-4pW
   Tower 3-90/2-4pW
   Tower 4-93/500fW-1pW
CommentThis has 12 antennae (excellent) and finds all four towers are very good strengths. Its strongest signal was 7.6pW (picoWatt), which should earn it a Telstra Blue Tick. Excellent for city, suburbs, regional and remote use. Note the strongest signals are with the fold open.
The New Sound-Sealed Call feature can partially prevent eavesdropping.
Alert Slide external switch – silent, ring, vibrate.

Battery

mAh4805mAh typical 4680 (rated)
2 x 4.5V batteries in series = 9V
Battery 1 – 12.88Wh/3295mAh
Battery 2 – 5.9Wh/1510mAh
Can charge at up to 80W.
Charger, type, supplied67W SUPERVOOC inbox provides 5V/2A/10W or variable 5-11V/6.1A/30-5-67W.
Initially, it charges at 10V/6A/60W over two channels each 5V/3A/30W to charge far faster. As it fills the Battery Health Engine varies the wattage.
 PD, QC levelPD 3.0 9V/2A/18W
Qi, wattageN/A
Reverse Qi or cable5V/2A/10W reverse cable charge
Test (60Hz or adaptive screen)Adaptive
   Charge % 30minsNot relevant
   Charge 0-100%42 minutes
   Charge Qi, W
Using Belkin Boost Charge 15W fast wireless charge
N/A
   Charge 5V, 2AApprox 5 hours
   Video loop 50%, aeroplane18 hours
   PC Mark 3 battery14 hours
Accubattery 18 hours 12 minutes
   GFX Bench Manhattan battery215.1 minutes (3.59 hours) 3445 frames
   GFX Bench T-Rex608.5 minutes (10.14 hours) 3357 frames
   Drain 100-0% full load screen on4 hours 45 minutes
   mA full load1500-1600 battery optimised mode.
2000-2200 High-performance mode
   mA Watt idle Screen on200-250
   Estimate loss at max refreshTested on Adaptive mode.
   Estimate typical useTypical users will easily get a 24-hour day. These tests were for the internal fold screen, and we expect 20% better battery life for the external screen.
If you use performance mode expect a 20-30% drop in battery life.
CommentOPPO Battery Engine ensures that it would still hold 80% battery capacity after 1600 charges (that if you fully discharge and charge every day for 4.38 years).

Sound

SpeakersThree
Earpiece
Left Right stereo x 2 on each side.
TuningOPPO
AMP3 x TDFA98 Stereo amps (2 x 12W)
One for the earpiece speakers
Two for dual speaker stereo left/right channels
Dolby Atmos decodeYes downmix to to speakers
Hi-ResUHQ upscaler and can accept 24-bit/96kHz audio.
3.5mmNo, but has an FSA4480 USB Type-C port to pass USB2.0 signal, analogue audio, sideband use wires and analogue microphone signal. No DAC is required.
BT Codecs16-bit/44100Hz, SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, aptX Adaptive, aptX TWS, and LDAC.
MultipointYes
Dolby Atmos (DA)Yes – auto, movie, music, voice and games mode
EQUses DA EQ
Mics3 – two top and one bottom
Test dB – all on EQ flat DA off
   Volume max84
   Media (music)75
   Ring80
   Alarm80
   Notifications80
   Earpiece55
   Hands-freeThree mics offer stereo recording and decent noise reduction for hands-free use.
   BT headphonesExcellent left-right separation. DA content really shines.
Has new Live Caption mode switch (uses Google services)

Sound quality

Deep Bass 20-40HzNo
Middle Bass 40-100HzStarts at 50Hz (excellent) and flattens from 80Hz
High Bass 100-200HzFlat (good)
Low Mid 200-400HzFlat
Mid 4000-1000HzFlat
High-Mid 1-2kHzFlat
Low Treble 2-4kHzFlat
Mid Treble 4-6kHzFlat
High Treble 6-10kHzslight dip to avoid harshness
Dog Whistle 10-20kHzFlat
Sound Signature typeNeutral sound signature – nirvana. This is a hugely powerful setup. It natively decodes Dolby Atmos and has a DA EQ. It also has spatial audio for headphones. Volume is 84dB maximum with minimal distortion.
   SoundstageExcellent wide soundstage with some 3D height for DA content.
CommentThis is the audiophile nirvana – neutral – where an EQ can recess any frequency. It is by far the best smartphone sound we have heard.

Build

Size (H X W x D)153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8 flat
154.3 x 73.3 x 11.9 folded
Weight grams232
Front glassSelf-healing layer over UTG
Rear materialGorilla Glass Victus
FrameAluminium/Titanium, and Carbon fibre
IP ratingIPX4 – one of the few areas that OPPO does not class-lead. X means it has not been tested for dust ingress. 4 means waters splashing against the enclosure from any direction for 10 minutes shall have no harmful effect, e.g., rain. The Flexion Hinge has a minimal area that could collect dust but does not impede it or the screen’s operation.
ColoursClassic Black Vegan Leather
Pen, Stylus supportIt supports an OPPO Pen for Find N2 and N3 and has 4096 pressure levels, a 13-hour magnetic charge battery. No price or availability yet. https://www.giztop.com/oppo-pen-for-oppo-find-n2.html
In the box
   Charger67W
   USB cableYes
   BudsNo but has USB-C DAC for direct connection
   Bumper coverYes
CommentAmazing build quality and 67W charger inbox

OS

Android13
Security patch date45170
UIColour OS 13.2
OS upgrade policy4 years
Security patch policy5 years
BloatwareOPPO Alternatives to Google suite but otherwise clean.
Other
CommentGreat upgrade and security policy.
Security
Fingerprint sensor location, typeOn power key
Face IDAON AI Face ID
OtherDedicated security chip
CommentOne of the most secure Android devices

 OPPO Rind N3 Fold rear camera

Rear PrimaryWide
  MP48MP bins to 12MP (actual sensor size is 53MP)
   SensorSony LYTIA
   FocusDual Pixel PDAF
   f-stop1.7
   um.6 bins to 1.12
  FOV° (stated, actual)72.9-85.5°
   StabilisationOIS
   Zoom
Rear 2Ultra-wide and Macro
   MP48MP bins to 12MP
   SensorSony IMX581
   FocusFF
   f-stop2.2
   um.8 bins to 1.6
  FOV (stated, actual)102-114.2°
   StabilisationOIS
   Zoom
Rear 3Telephoto
   MP64MP
   SensorOV64B
   FocusPDAF
   f-stop2.6
   um1.4
  FOV (stated, actual)
   StabilisationOIS
   Zoom3X Optical
6X Lossless
120X Digital
   Video max4K
   Flash1
   Auto-HDRYes
Hasselblad Camera for Mobile, Nightscape,
Dolby Vision
Smart Scene Recognition
Portrait Mode
Pro Mode
Panorama
Tilt-Shift mode
Long Exposure
Dual-View Video
Retouch
Movie Mode
XPan Mode
Focus Peaking
Raw file, Raw Plus file
Filters
Super Stable
Video Nightscape
Video HDR
Focus Lock
Time-lapse
Google Lens
   QR code readerYes Google Lens
   Night modeYes

OPPO Find N3 Fold selfie

  MPExternal 32MP/Internal 20MP
   SensorOmnivision OV32C/Sony IMX476 (or maybe the OV32c cropped).
   FocusFixed focus/Fixed Focus
   f-stop2.4/2.2
   umBinned to 8MP, 1.4um/Binned to 5MP, 1.4um.
  FOV (stated, actual)88.5/91
   StabilisationEIS/EIS
   FlashScreen fill
   ZoomNo
   Video max4K@30fps
    FeaturesFace Unlock
Nightscape Selfie
Selfie HDR
Time-lapse
Dual-view Video
Screen Flash
Comment• 1X Day Primary sensor – the colours are accurate/ natural and have great dynamic range. Good details in the background, shadows, and highlights.
• 2X Day Telephoto: Perfect shot as per 1X using 2X optical zoom.
• 6X Day Telephoto hybrid optical/digital zoom: – terrific colour and detail and the barest hint of background noise.
• 10X Day Telephoto: digital zoom – good details in the foreground, but the background shows softness and some noise.
• 20X Day Telephoto: Excellent colours and foreground detail. The background is starting to show noise.
• 40X Day Telephoto: Probably about the useful limit.
• 60X: Surprising detail
• 120X: Bragging rights only
• Ultra-wide: Good dynamic range, details and colours almost match the primary lens.
• Macro: No dedicated macro but good shots taken at approx. 4cm off the primary sensor
• Indoor office light: Perfect/ crisp details/ bright shot and accurate colours
• Bokeh Depth: The subject is colour-accurate and bright, and the background is suitably blurred.
• Dark <40 lumens: The standard (not night mode) takes great shots with good colour and details.
• Night mode improves the detail without adding much noise.
• Selfie: It has a 20MP internal and 32MP external selfie that take bright, yet natural skin tones, details, and a range of filters to enhance any image.

Ratings – OPPO Find N3 Fold

Features95
Apart from Qi and IPX8, it has more features than Samsung.
Value95
It has 16/512GB, charger and case inbox
Performance95
OPPO has excellent thermal management and provides more raw power than Samsung. Its multi-tasking ability for 40+ apps is superb.
Ease of Use90
ColorOS is easy to use and offers substantial value over pure Android. Add the 2+4+5 warranty/OS/patches, and it’s a keeper.
Design100
The Golden ratio has solved the mismatch between internal and external screen sizes, and the imperceptible screen crease and 1-million-fold test take this to the top.
Rating out of 1095
Final commentOPPO has taken the Fold format to a higher level – and then some. This will dent Samsung Fold5 sales for those who understand specs and features.

OPPO Find N3 Fold, OPPO Find N3 Fold

OPPO Find N3 Fold

$2699
9.6

Features

9.5/10

Value

9.5/10

Performance

9.5/10

Ease of Use

9.5/10

Design

10.0/10

Pros

  • OPPO design, build quality, warranty and OS/security policy
  • Both displays are 10-bit/1.07 billion colour - the best in class by a long way
  • Excellent Pro class cameras, picture and video quality
  • 24-hour battery life and 42-minute charger inbox
  • ColorOS makes a Fold a content consumption and a productivity tool

Cons

  • No Qi charging
  • IPX4 is basic and should be higher at this price
  • External SSDS/Flash is not mountable
  • Not as well-known as Samsung

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