I've been using OPPO's new Find N3 foldable for a few days now, and while I'm not ready to write a full review yet, I sure have a lot of initial thoughts. Here's my take so far.
What we like about the OPPO Find N3 so far
Killer design. The Find N3 has the most polished design of any foldable to date. To start, the form factor is a hell of a lot more practical than what Samsung's doing with the Galaxy Fold family. Instead of a weirdly tall and narrow external display, the Find N3 is just like any other phone with a rather conventional 6.3-inch screen.
I've consistently fought against Samsung's external displays when using a Fold, whereas the Find N3's is just like any other phone - in a good way. It doesn't make you relearn how to use your phone or find ways to get around its shortcomings to make it work for you.
When you unfold the Find N3, the internal display is all but creaseless. You can still feel a small imperfection in the middle of the screen and notice it if you're looking at the phone aggressively off-axis, but the crease may as well not exist in terms of day-to-day usage. This is a massive step up over where Samsung is at. While crease prominence isn't the be-all and end-all, I'd definitely take less crease over more.
The overall look and feel of the Find N3 are also really schmick. It feels impossibly thin when unfolded and surprisingly balanced in the hand. The huge camera bump will almost certainly be divisive, but I'm a fan.
Promising cameras. I haven't had the chance to extensively test camera capabilities yet, but I've found the Find N3 very promising so far. I was able to get stunning portrait mode shots at a dark launch event, I've gotten very sharp photos of my dog with boundless energy, and you get lovely depth of field when shooting food.
Extreme low light can be challenging for the Find N3 however, and I've needed several attempts to get sharp photos of an unlit room, for example. Motion blur from moving subjects also becomes more likely as you lose light.
I've barely scratched the surface with the Find N3 camera, so stay tuned for further testing.
Multi-tasking seems real neat. The Find N3 has a nifty multi-tasking mode where you can have up to three apps open at one time, and swipe to slide between them. This gives the app you're currently focusing on more prominence, rather than just having them open in split-screen. You could be working on a document, and slide in Slack to respond to a message, and then hide it away, for example.
What we dislike about the OPPO Find N3 so far
It's expensive. Unfortunately, sky-high prices are inevitable with tablet-style foldables. The Find N3's asking price of $2,699 will simply be more than many can justify spending on a phone. It is however $100 cheaper than the equivalent Galaxy Z Fold 5 with 512GB of storage. Samsung's starting price is slightly more affordable at $2,599. At this stage, we also don't know if the Find N3 will be available on a phone plan. OPPO's Find N2 Flip wasn't, and if that's the case here too, it would mean a big outright purchase is the only way to get the Find N3.
Limited water-resistance. Durability is a natural concern with a phone as expensive as the Find N3. While OPPO has some impressive claims about the handset's ability to survive up a million folds, it hasn't gone as hard on water-resistance. The Find N3 is rated IPX4, which makes it splash-resistant. As such, it should comfortably withstand a bit of sweat at the gym or getting caught in the rain. This does however fall short of the IPX8 rating on Samsung's recent foldables, which allows them to withstand full submersion.
OPPO Find N3 - First Thoughts
The Find N3 is a really promising alternative to the Galaxy Z Fold 5 if you're interested in a tablet-style foldable. You don't have to compromise on having a handset that also feels like a normal phone when it's not unfolded, and if you're spending $2,699 on a phone, you shouldn't have to. Couple that with clever multi-tasking software and great cameras, and you've got a compelling pitch.
The high price tag means there's inherently a limited audience for this phone, but I'm a fan of what OPPO has done with the form factor. I'll have my full review of the Find N3 in the coming weeks.
Update 10/11/23: Read our full OPPO Find N3 review here
Disclosure: This author travelled to Singapore as a guest of OPPO Australia for the global launch of the Find N3
Alex Choros
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