During Samsung’s high profile Galaxy Unpacked event in August 2023, it was the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 that was the showstopper. Samsung’s launch calendar now features two major events that includes its flagship reveal (the Galaxy S23 Ultra for 2023) during the first quarter of the year and its big foldable unveil typically in Q3. Around the launch, Samsung claimed that it had cornered 75 per cent of the global foldable sales, driven by the popularity of the Z Flip phones. In India the flip-type foldable is heating up with offerings from the likes of Motorola and Tecno. But it’s OPPO’s Find Flip series that’s probably the most formidable rival for the Z Flip.
OPPO launched the Find N2 Flip in March 2023 in India and followed it up with the Find N3 Flip in time for the year-end festive season. Both the Z Flip 5 and OPPO’s flip device take a different approach with their cover display and it’s what makes this an interesting showdown. It’s time to judge a book by its cover and we pit these two formidable flip phones in an epic showdown after using them for a while:
Design
Both designs exude a premium vibe. OPPO comes in Cream Gold (it’s also available in Sleek Black) that showcases the design of the Find N3 Flip with a smooth satin-like finish. The Cosmos ring that adds a premium element to the rear camera. The Z Flip 5 comes in a wide range of pastel shades including a new limited edition yellow and a beautiful shade of purple. It’s also more ready for the elements with its water resistant certification . The Z Flip 5 is lighter than the OPPO in your hand largely because of the more robust battery on the Find N3 Flip. These are easily the best looking flip-type foldable smartphones you can buy right now in India.
Display
If there’s one feature that distinguishes these two flip phones, it’s the display. Samsung rejigged the Z Flip 5 by expanding the cover display from 1.9-inches on the Z Flip 4 to 3.4-inches. OPPO has opted for a 3.26-inch cover display that’s quite similar to its predecessor. But there’s one key difference. OPPO opts for a vertical approach for its cover screen that allows you to check out apps in their native resolution. The switch from the cover display to the main display is much more seamless and the display is almost ‘creaseless’. We prefer OPPO’s approach to the cover display although Samsung has the edge with its brighter main display.
Camera
The Find N3 Flip is positioned as the only flip-type foldable with a triple rear camera. It aces portraits thanks to the Hasselblad connection. We think the selfie camera performance might boil down to personal preferences. Lowlight performance is quite evenly matched between both smartphones while we prefer videos shot on the Z Flip 5. This choice might boil down to your camera use-case scenarios. OPPO has the clear advantage with portraits.
Battery performance
Battery performance is extremely subjective with foldable smartphones. It comes down to your usage of the cover display vs. the main display. OPPO has the more robust battery and generally lasted longer in our tests. We also like the fact that OPPO has bundled a 44W fast charger in the box
Performance
We’re partial to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor that powers the Z Flip 5. Both devices deliver stellar performance. OPPO packs it’s flip device with more RAM compared to the Z Flip 5 while Samsung offers two hardware storage options that also includes a 512GB variant. We prefer Samsung’s UI that’s easier on the eye. Overall, we think the Z Flip 5 scores in this department.
Samsung was first off the blocks in the foldable space. That’s one reason the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 (Rs 99,999 onwards) delivers a great foldable experience with a seamless blend of hardware. It features a more capable processor under the hood and offers a fluid user interface. The OPPO Find N3 Flip (Rs 94,999) scores with its cover display, battery performance and sharp portraits. Both devices are elegantly designed, land in the similar price zone and are evenly matched in this flip faceoff. This one’s really down to your brand performance.
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