Samsung has enjoyed the limelight when it comes to folding smartphones for about four years, ever since the launch of its first Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Flip smartphones. While Huawei too started off around the same time, the company has lost major ground in the global market because of its inability to offer Google services on its devices. While there’s still some time before we see Apple’s first foldable device, there’s plenty of competition coming from Chinese smartphone brands such as Motorola, Vivo and Oppo.
Oppo is currently the only brand challenging Samsung’s long-standing dedication and supremacy when it comes to foldables on a global level with its newly launched Find N2 Flip. We decided to do a head-to-head comparison between the only two clamshell foldables available in India.
Can Samsung’s experience in this space help it win, or will Oppo’s design aesthetics help it take the top spot? We’ve used and tested both of the devices for weeks and here’s what we think.
Oppo Find N2 Flip vs Samsung Z Flip 4: Pricing and variants
The Oppo Find N2 Flip is available at Rs. 89,999 in India for the sole 8GB RAM and 256GB storage variant. The clamshell foldable is available in two finishes which are Astral Black and Moonlit Purple.
The standard model of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 is available in Bora Purple, Graphite, Pink Gold and Blue finishes. It’s available in two variants, with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage priced at Rs. 89,999, and a 256GB storage variant priced at Rs. 94,999. The second (and highly customisable) Bespoke Edition model of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is only available with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage and is priced at Rs. 97,999.
Both, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and the Oppo Find N2 Flip are priced similarly
Between the two foldables, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the pricier option, but you do have to keep in mind that it comes with additional features such as wireless charging and an IP rating. The Oppo Find N2 Flip lacks both these features, but somewhat makes up for it by offering more storage at a lower price.
Oppo Find N2 Flip vs Samsung Z Flip 4: Design
The Oppo Find N2 Flip has a more rounded appearance which is comfortable to hold, with both the rear panels having a glass layer with curved edges. You will have to decide between a rougher matte-finish of the Astral Black, or a glossy smooth one of the Moonlit Purple variant, as the finish of the clamshell’s panels are dependent on their colour. I preferred the Astral Black finish as it better resists smudges and fingerprints, and also offers a solid grip when used one-handed.
Oppo’s Find N2 Flip (right) has a proprietary “Flexion” hinge which makes it easier to open and close
However, the Find N2 Flip has a polished aluminium frame which provides a certain level of grip when unfolding this foldable, and is susceptible to smudges and fingerprints. The outer portion of the hinge has a finely engraved texture, which is resistant to smudges and looks quite interesting. Both halves of the clamshell foldable lie flat against one another when folded thanks to the Flexion hinge, which leaves little to no room for dust and lint to settle on the inner display.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a modern and minimalistic look. It feels quite premium with its smooth matte-finished rear panels, but isn’t as comfortable to hold because it has more defined edges all around. While it appears chunkier than the Find N2 Flip, it is a lot more compact thanks to its narrower width, when held vertically. It’s also lighter at 187g compared to the Find N2 Flip’s weight of 191g, despite packing a wireless charging coil in the lower half. Samsung surely deserves an applause for packing so much into such a compact form factor.
Oppo’s Find N2 Flip (right) has a gapless fold compared to the Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 (left)
The hinges on both foldables are vastly different. Oppo’s “Flexion” hinge in the Find N2 Flip is said to produce a less noticeable crease on the inner display, and when compared to the one on the Galaxy Z Flip 4, the latter feels more like someone folded a sheet of cardboard and then unfolded it before use. While you can still feel the crease on Oppo’s foldable, it’s a lot wider, and not as deep or defined as on the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 (left) has a deeper and more noticeable crease compared to the Oppo Find N2 Flip (right)
While Samsung’s rigid hinge makes it possible to angle one half of the display at any degree, Oppo’s hinge has a sweet spot for keeping the display upright. It can stand upright on its own anywhere between 45-110 degrees. Anything before or after this sweet spot and the upper half of the foldable either slams shut or opens flat. I really preferred this implementation over Samsung’s as it felt very much like a regular clamshell or a flip phone. Oppo’s hinge design also makes it easier to close the device shut with one hand compared to Samsung’s hinge which needs quite a bit of effort to open and close.
Oppo Find N2 Flip vs Samsung Z Flip 4: Specifications
The more recent Oppo Find N2 Flip uses a MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ SoC, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. Both devices offer flagship connectivity options which includes support for several 5G bands, but they do have some notable differences.
The Find N2 Flip packs Wi-Fi 6E with tri-band support (2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz bands), Bluetooth 5.2 and support for two nano-SIM card slots. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 on the other hand offers Wi-Fi 6 (dual-band), Bluetooth 5.2 and only one physical nano-SIM card slot in its SIM tray. However, the phone does offer eSIM support, so you can technically use two 5G connections on one device.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 has an official IPX8 rating for water resistance, but nothing for dust protection. Even though the Oppo Find N2 Flip doesn’t get an official rating, it is said to have basic water-repellent seals in place. You can even see one of them around the SIM tray, but Samsung wins this one for offering a proper rating.
Both smartphones have fingerprint scanners embedded into their respective power buttons and both worked reliably.
Oppo Find N2 Flip vs Samsung Z Flip 4: Displays
The Oppo Find N2 Flip and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 offer 120Hz LTPO displays which allow their respective refresh rates to drop to 1Hz when needed. This is necessary because battery capacity on both smartphones are smaller than regular flagships. The Find N2 Flip has a 6.8-inch full-HD+ foldable AMOLED panel which is a bit bigger than the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED panel with the same resolution, on paper.
However, hold them side by side and it’s easy to tell how much broader the Find N2’s folding display is, making it as functional as a regular smartphone when opened up. The Galaxy Z Flip 4’s display feels narrower in comparison, which feels a bit cramped while typing.
The Oppo Find N2 Flip (left) has a noticeably wider inner display compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 4 (right)
Both inner folding displays get quite bright and can easily tackle bright sunlight on a sunny afternoon, but I did find Samsung’s display to be slightly brighter. This could be down to the panel’s glossy and rather reflective surface, which is also a fingerprint magnet. In comparison, Oppo’s panel has a slightly matte ultra-thin glass (UTG). The display’s screen protector also sits very close to the bezel, so it’s not as noticeable as the one on the Galaxy which has a noticeable gap near the edges of the bezel, that also traps plenty of dust. Its cutout for the selfie camera also makes it a rather rough experience when sliding inwards from the inner display’s bezel.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4’s (left) screen protector has a very noticeable gap when compared to the one applied on the Find N2 Flip (right)
This slight matte finish also makes the Oppo Find N2 Flip’s inner display a bit delicate as even the slightest contact with your fingernail when tapping the display can lead to permanent marks. Since I also used the phone to test Call of Duty: Mobile, I did notice plenty of marks from my fingernails where both my thumbs made contact on the display. I didn’t face this issue when testing the same game on the Galaxy Z Flip 4. Samsung’s UTG solution seems a lot tougher with day to day use but can also get quite reflective when used outdoors due to its glossy nature.
The Oppo’s Find N2 Flip’s inner display is prone to damage if you’re not careful when using it
Oppo’s outer display measures 3.26 inches and is rather large compared to Samsung’s 1.9-inch display, which is more on par with most smartwatches these days. Oppo’s outer display, apart from being larger, is also far superior in terms of brightness when used under bright sunlight.
Another deal-breaker with Samsung’s outer display is that it’s not as touch sensitive as Oppo’s, which responds much better to swipes and gestures. Again, you also have to double tap the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s outer display to begin using it which is an extra step. On the Oppo, all you need to do is either enable face unlock (which is not reliable) or unlock the device via the fingerprint scanner on the side and the interface is ready for use.
Oppo Find N2 Flip vs Samsung Z Flip 4: Software and usability
Both devices run the latest version of Android 13 but are based on vastly different skins. The Oppo Find N2 Flip uses Oppo’s ColorOS 13 while Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 uses One UI 5.1. I won’t get into all the details here as the two operating systems have already been discussed in their respective reviews but, I do want to focus on the software experience instead.
Oppo’s ColorOS 13 is laser-focussed with a lot of customisation and is far more customisable than Samsung’s One UI 5.1. You can customise the shape of the icons, adjust the style of the font and the outer display also comes with some fun, cute pets with animations which mimic what you are doing on your smartphone. Samsung’s One UI is more practical and while it does offer some minimal customisation options, it focuses more on the performance aspect.
One UI feels fluid and smooth without a hint of stutter, whether you are browsing through the app drawer, multi-tasking, or scrolling through apps such as the Play Store. ColorOS, which I found to be fluid on the Oppo Reno 8 Pro 5G, did not seem as smooth or fluid on the Find N2 Flip and this could be down to some aggressive battery optimisations. Enabling ‘performance mode’ (in Battery settings) also did not make any noticeable difference. Samsung has clearly got its software basics covered.
Coming to the outer displays, Oppo does a far better job than Samsung even though it is not completely utilising this bigger display to its fullest potential yet. The interface is widget driven but you also get access to the usual toggles and notifications which work. You also have reply buttons very similar to what you get with a regular smartphone notification when using the main display.
The widgets aren’t the same ones that are available on the homescreen and are fairly limited in number, but a recent update did add a Spotify widget and a beta WhatsApp widget, letting you navigate both apps using the outer display.
Oppo’s outer display is a lot more useful compared to Samsung’s when it comes to dealing with notifications
With regular notifications on the outer display, I could view and delete mails in Outlook and Gmail or reply to a WhatsApp message via speech-to-text feature. Samsung’s outer display is a far-cry in terms of usability as it has even less functionality than a Wear OS smartwatch. You can view notifications, but cannot reply or do anything with most of them. However, speech-to-text for messaging apps is available. Add to this, its laggy interface and inadequate touch sensitivity which means you are better off opening the phone’s main display and getting things done.
Oppo Find N2 Flip vs Samsung Z Flip 4: Performance
Both devices have equally good capability when it comes to gaming. However, I found the Oppo Find N2 Flip to be a better choice for those who are into serious gaming as its display offers better touch sensitivity, which can also be adjusted using its built-in gaming tools.
This comes in handy in games such as Call of Duty: Mobile, where both smartphones managed ‘Very High’ graphics and frame rate settings well. Gameplay on the Samsung Z Flip 4 suffered a bit due to lower touch sensitivity, making it hard to aim accurately. This is something I even noticed when reviewing the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Heating is not a problem with either Oppo’s or Samsung’s foldables while playing games indoors, but both devices do get hot when using their respective cameras outdoors.
Battery life ideally depends on how often one opens up the main display. In the Oppo Find N2 Flip’s case, I did not need to open the main display often. However, even with such a large display on the outside, the power savings wasn’t the best.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 (left) lasts a lot longer than the Oppo Find N2 Flip (right) when it comes to battery life
With daily use, which involved a few hours of video streaming, calls, two email accounts on sync, casual social media browsing, and Slack and WhatsApp constantly pinging notifications, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 was a clear winner. This is a bit odd because the Oppo Find N2 Flip offers a bigger 4,300mAh battery versus the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s smaller 3,700mAh battery. I guess software optimisations and the choice of SoC seems to have worked in Samsung’s favour.
Where the Find N2 Flip loses points with battery life, it makes up for with charging speeds. The device comes bundled with an 80W SuperVOOC charger which charges the phone in about an hour. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 does not come with a charger in the box, and is quite slow taking close to two hours for a full charge. At the same time, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 does offer both standard Qi wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.
Oppo Find N2 Flip vs Samsung Z Flip 4: Cameras
Both smartphones offer a wide-angle primary camera and an ultra-wide-angle camera on the rear. However, there is a noticeable difference in quality between the images from both of these cameras, across both devices. I found the images from Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 to be superior overall, although not by a large margin.
Oppo Find N2 Flip vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Daylight main camera samples (Tap to see full size)
Oppo Find N2 Flip vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Ultra-wide camera samples (Tap to see full size)
Oppo’s colour processing and shot-to-shot consistency was not very reliable as some photos looked quite saturated at times. Samsung managed better resolved detail in all kinds of lighting conditions with slightly sharper images compared to the Find N2 Flip.
Selfies captured from the front-facing camera on the inner displays also appeared sharper, more detailed and well exposed on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.
Oppo Find N2 Flip vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Low-light camera samples (Tap to see full size)
Coming to video, Samsung comes out on top once again. It offers 4K 60fps video recording on both front and rear cameras. Oppo’s Find N2 Flip maxes out at 4K 30fps with the rear camera and is limited to 1080p 30fps when using the front facing cameras.
Basically, if I had to pick one smartphone before heading out on a vacation and I had just these two foldables to choose from, I would pick Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Verdict
Clamshell folding smartphones are indeed the go-to choice for buyers looking for something exciting in their next smartphone. They check all the right boxes from a novelty standpoint, as there’s a second display to fidget with apart from the ability to open and shut it, thereby adding a mechanical element to the user experience. In 2023, more than ever, we are expecting more vertical folding smartphones to join the party as Motorola also seems to be bringing its Razr back to India. For now, it’s between the Oppo Find N2 Flip and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4.
In my opinion, Oppo’s Find N2 Flip nails the clamshell foldable experience. Its hinge mechanism and implementation is very refined and feels closer to the flip phone experience from back in the day, because it’s so much easier to open and close. Its larger outer display is also a delight to use and Oppo seems committed to adding more functionality with new updates. However, I found the durability of Oppo’s inner folding display or at least the protective layer over it to be a bit questionable, even though it does offers better touch sensitivity for gaming.
Samsung’s head-start with foldables is clearly evident in the Galaxy Z Flip 4. The phone offers a rigid hinge, an IP rating, a more compact form factor (which some may prefer), and wireless charging. Its outer display probably needs one more iteration (Galaxy Z Flip 5?) till it gains some true utility. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 offers a better camera system and software experience between the two, and this makes it a better choice in my books, both in terms of overall performance and value.