OPPO’s Third Foldable Phone Marks Potential Turning Point for Screen Manufacturers

On August 29th, OPPO released the new generation of vertically folding screen smartphone Find N3 Flip, starting at a price of $933.

OPPO Find N3 Flip continues the vertical large external screen design that OPPO is known for, with an external screen of 3.26 inches and a border of 0.3mm. In the “Any Window” function on the external screen, OPPO has customized as many external screen applications as possible, such as hailing a taxi, managing car keys, browsing Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book), controlling the media player, taking photos, using WeChat, Weibo, Douyin (TikTok), Bilibili, etc., allowing users to obtain information and operate applications without opening their phones.

In terms of imaging, the OPPO Find N3 Flip inherits the flagship imaging capabilities of the Find X6 series and introduces a professional portrait lens for the first time in a small folding phone. In addition, the Find N3 Flip is equipped with a 50-megapixel OIS wide-angle camera and a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera.

OPPO Find N3 Flip is equipped with the MediaTek Dimensity 9200 5G mobile platform, supporting 44W SuperVOOC Flash Charge and a 4300mAh battery. Pete Lau, Chief Product Officer of OPPO, refers to it as the ‘only small foldable device that can serve as a flagship phone’.

The goal of all foldable screen manufacturers is to target the mainstream market. With advancements in hinge and screen technologies within the domestic supply chain, the prices of foldable screens from major manufacturers have now reached a level comparable to that of flagship flat-screen phones. This has led to a rapid increase in sales of foldable screens. According to CINNO Research data, foldable screen smartphone sales in the Chinese market grew by 72% year-on-year in the first half of 2023.

SEE ALSO: OPPO Find N3 Flip Foldable Clears China Compulsory Certification

Unlike horizontally folding screens that are larger in size and weight, vertically folding screens have become the main models attracting female users to join the foldable screen camp due to their lighter and more fashionable characteristics. Among “Huami OV,” OPPO is also the manufacturer that updates most frequently in the field of vertically folding screens, having already released three generations of products.

This also allows OPPO to take the lead in the small foldable market. According to Counterpoint’s report on the foldable smartphone market in the first half of the year, OPPO Find N2 Flip ranked first in the small foldable market with a 31% market share. Its competitors include Huawei Pocket S, vivo X Flip, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, and others.

Since the launch of foldable screens, most manufacturers have faced periods of losses due to high research and development costs. Liu Bo, President of OPPO China, has also stated that “it is not easy to make money from foldable screen phones right from the start. It will take at least two or three generations of product investment and market validation before it is possible to talk about making money.

In the 9th year since foldable screens appeared in the Chinese market, smartphone companies focusing on foldable screens are waiting for a turning point: achieving a balance between profits and investment once sales reach a certain scale. However, before that happens, the sales of foldable screens still need to be further improved.