Oppo returns with the new foldable and discovers that the N5 is an impressive balance of thin and powerful technology. The company skipped the entire unfortunate fourth thing (technically, it was the fourth iteration of discovering foldable), and the company claims its latest book style foldable is the thinnest 8.92mm in the world. This is no much thicker than a typical flagship phone. Still, the Find N5 has a 6.62-inch external display and an 8.12-inch internal screen, which Oppo says has multiple durability improvements, flanked by new titanium hinges.
For clarity: While you may not have purchased, used or even looked at Oppo phones, the company is the same as OnePlus. Last year’s discovery N3 foldable ended in the U.S. with OnePlus opening, so you might see discovery N5 receiving similar re-additions. If so, it ends up being open to 2, then you won't see it this year. OnePlus announced that it will not land until 2025.
In an early briefing, my first impression of finding N5 was Very Thin, high quality foldable. Expand, one side is only 4.21mm – thinner than the headphone jack. (This is a huge excuse for lacking one.) It is so slim that Oppo has to strengthen and enhance the edge of the USB-C port found in the N5, which has only razors – with only thin borders around it. Ring Camera Array – Still Looks Something a lot of – Also shaved 20%.
Apart from the thinner curve, this seems to be a 2025 trend for the phone, the N5 is found to weigh 229 grams (8.07 ounces). Two grams higher than the single-screen iPhone 16 Pro Max and 10 grams less than the N5's main competitor – the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Foldable.
In fact, due to its sharp silhouette and light weight, it feels like any other non-foldable phone when using its external screen. A 6.62-inch screen is bigger than most phones I use regularly, so browsing and watching things before I unfold, the N5 feels like a treat.
Despite its thickness (or lack of thickness), OPPO ensures it is very powerful and comes with a Snapdragon 8 elite processor and a 5,600mAh battery. (For comparison, Samsung's latest Galaxy Fold has a 4,400mAh cell.) Unlike the OnePlus Open, the Find N5 is compatible with a wireless charger, which is most important in the 50W AirVooc if you have Oppo's own wireless fast charger.
With the included fast charger, you'll get an impressive 80W wired charging speed. I can fully charge the Discovery N5 in less than an hour. But like many other recent Android phones, the device isn't ready for Qi2. Oppo believes its proprietary wireless charging technology is faster, adding that the device will be sold when it launches. (Oppo does include a non-magnetic box that can cover the back of the device with a phone.)
With its Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, the Find N5 is the first foldable Qualcomm's most powerful mobile chip to fold, with a significant power efficiency increase compared to the older Snapdragon 8 Silicon. The Snapdragon 8 Elite was surprised by the improved battery life of Samsung and OnePlus devices, and Oppo continued the trend. Combined with a large battery, this foldable usually lasted nearly two days in my tests before it needed to charge.
One of the biggest challenges facing the folding style is durability, and to solve this problem, Oppo upgraded to discover the N5's hinge and screen toughness. The hinge is now made of titanium alloy and 3D printed to maintain material strength while reducing the size of the hinge by 26%. At a London press conference, the company decided to hang a 44-pound kettlebell over its new foldable 44-pound, two tables. I'm not sure what this translates into real-world resilience, but it's an impressive spectacle. Next time, put your latest thousand-dollar device somewhere near a three-year-old – let's see how hard it is real yes.
Oppo said the smaller external screen is made of nanocrystalline glass, which includes an outer layer of ceramics to improve scratches and reduce resistance. The company also said the internal screen was strengthened by a new shock film that absorbs the impact, increasing shock resistance by 70%.
Find N5 also comes with a direct waterproof list: IPX6 (for powerful water jets), IPX8 (water resistance to water accumulation deeper)) and IPX9 (for powerful, drug resistance, drug resistance, high temperature water jet). If you think at least one of them must be redundant, I agree.
The N5 was found to be the first to claim all protections. However, there is no dust rating, which may involve existing foldable users who have been using to get little dust on their years-old smartphone screens.
The focus of camera improvements is the periscope telephoto shooter, which has been upgraded from 32MP on the discovery N3 to a 50MP sensor. Finding the N5 can now hit it into a 3x optical zoom, starting at 2x its predecessor. There is a lossless 6x zoom that can tap into AI to sharpen the details, but as usual, your mileage may vary. I find that the lossless choices on most phones are usually too smooth (turning most zoomed faces into nightmare), but at least one option.
The periscope telephoto camera also has access to macro mode, which means you can shrink closer and maintain clear focus and detail. Macro photography with a typical smartphone is not always available. Your phone will cast a shadow on your subject, or maybe your camera won't be close enough. On the Find N5, the four-inch focal length makes this increasingly problematic, and early images are promising. This is not the first time we have seen the feature (the Huawei P60 Pro and Vivo X100 Ultra have telephoto macros), but it's rare in most devices that make it westward. We usually have to do it with macro mode on the super camera and hopefully the best.
The camera also has many familiar features: portrait mode (with the help of Hasselblad) and lightning snapshot bursts. Oppo's keen and sharpened attitude towards AI enhances the latter. Folding AI eraser and disassembler, it can be used with the recent Samsung and Google flagship stores toe.
Multitasking is similar to OnePlus Open with some improvements. The version of Oppo, called “Infinite View”, now has multiple features to access from three dot icons, where you can transfer the second or even the third app into a shrinkable window. By tapping the top bar above one app, you can automatically expand it, but place a slider in another app, making it easier to switch between them.
One smart touch is that Finding N5 will evaluate your multitasking, providing prompts when switching between two applications to use them in split-screen mode. As someone who doesn't use book folding style, I find this a good reminder of the practicality of this form.
Another software addition is the O+ app, where you can manage files on your phone, and even hang them on your Mac. In the briefing, one Oppo Exec showed how easy it is to transfer photos across devices, which is not an easy task. (Think about all the cloud options we have in 2025)
However, it was the MAC control that surprised me. With the support and half folding of the Find N5, Oppo spokespersons used the on-screen trackpad and keyboard to interact with their Mac. This feature works with Intel and Apple Silicon-based Macs, so I was able to test it with an aging Intel MacBook Pro. Does anyone remember the pine tree that can slide into the jeans pocket? No? just me? just me. Anyway, it feels like using it. You won't work from it every day, but it's functional and impressive if there are files or some simple tasks that need to be done in Photoshop or other PC programs.
It's not as easy or seamless as Apple's own continuity features, as you have to install the app on your Find N6 and Mac. OPPO promises future updates that allow you to transfer files to the MAC from the native file application that looks for N5 without having to intervene in the remote Mac controls.
wrap up
With the help of discovering N5, Oppo used the hardware to go to town. It feels and looks more advanced than the company's previous foldable material, but has a big spec bump when many smartphones seem to have some iterations. (Yes, Samsung, you.) The interesting part is, if the OnePlus Open 2 doesn't happen in 2025, will the device be delivered to the U.S. entirely? Will all these upgrades be impressive if they do appear next year?
Discovering N5 launches globally today, Oppo will announce pricing as this embargo breaks. If you are in the right country, you will be able to order directly from the company's website.
This article originally appeared on Engadget
