Almost every smartphone with spectacular cameras has claimed to be the only device you’ll need for your travels.

That may be true if it was 2018 when smartphones seem to have peaked in their slate form factor. Think: boxy, bezel-less (sometimes curved) smartphones equipped with monster lenses that can probably see the depths of your pores. That, or you’ve got skin as smooth as a mannequin.

Everything changed when the fire nation attacked, err when smartphone manufacturers experimented with unique form factors. The advent of foldables, especially flip phones, paved the way for a new travel companion.

New challenger alert

OPPO Find N2 Flip in Astral Black and the Galaxy Z Flip4 in Bora Purple.

If you haven’t seen it by now, you’re probably scrolling on the wrong side of TikTok and Instagram.

OPPO has a new foldable named the Find N2 Flip that rivals the king of flip smartphones, the Galaxy Z Flip4. Now, this is what we all know too well. I mean, Samsung hasn’t kept its mouth shut about reviving flip smartphones for the past three years or so.

But when I saw the Find N2 Flip for the first time (and definitely not through renders), I was bewildered.

It’s in equal size and shape the same as the Galaxy Z Flip4 yet with still distinct dissimilarities from the get-go. The two most evident features are the bigger lenses and monumental screen that the Find N2 Flip has over its competitor.

Now, I have certain biases since I’ve perpetually used the Galaxy Z Flip ever since it was first announced. I even wrote some sort of love letter a few moons ago. I’d say that the Galaxy Z Flip4 felt more sturdy and durable, and it even made me feel posh and luxurious.

However, the OPPO Find N2 Flip is a first-gen device that’s only getting started. In a way, the Find N2 Flip delivers a much more accessible experience.

And more than a month of bringing the compact smartphone to my adventures, it gave me enough reasons to love it and even call it the ~quintessential~ travel smartphone.

For the DIY gals and pals

Imagine a picturesque skyline that would make the perfect scenery for your next ‘gram. You can visualize how you’d pose with a stunning backdrop, only to woefully remind yourself that you’re alone, shy, and have ~absolutely~ no one to take your photos. (No, ma’am. I wouldn’t strike up a conversation with a stranger unless I’m in an emergency.)

As a frequent solo traveler from a few lifetimes ago, I still got the tricks up my sleeve and still produce best-in-class photos that I can brag on the ‘gram. But not everyone is blessed with my radiance, wit, charm, and ability to endure the sufferings of taking your photos on your own.

This adversity has been solved when I used the Find N2 Flip’s monumental 3.26-inch cover screen. I was able to maintain my pride and dignity as a strong, independent acid snake in a skinsuit of a strong, independent human, like Vicky from the Emmy-nominated primetime show, The Good Place.

Taking selfies, recording myself and my surroundings, and even propping up the flip phone to take Instagrammable photos came easily when using the Find N2 Flip’s cameras in tandem with the cover screen.

You can set a timer, use gestures, and quickly record using the volume rockers — all on your own.

Take a look at my fabulous photos taken by using the Find N2 Flip part-folded.

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And here are some spectacular selfies and groupies I’ve captured.

Inside the punch hole, you can find the 32-megapixel Sony IMX709 lens with f/2.4 aperture. I find it unappealing, but it will make do for some people.

Hasselblad cameras

A greater part of my phenomenal captures is attributed to the Find N2 Flip’s MariSilicon X Imaging NPU, boosting an incredible dynamic range on both 4K Ultra HDR and 4K Ultra Night video.

While it’s not my cup of tea, as most frequent flyers alike, knowing that the Find N2 Flip has an excellent imaging experience makes it attractive to photographers, videographers, and content creators.

What I like the most are the two, huge lenses housing the 50-megapixel 1.156-inch Sony IMX890 main sensor and the 8-megapixel Sony IMX355 ultra-wide camera. All the travel photos I took are crisp, textured, dynamic, and highly detailed.

To see is to believe, so here are a few more shots I took in Barcelona.

Putting small but terrible in another twist

The Find N2 Flip is as compact as it gets. It fits in my pockets — whether in my jeans, denim jacket, trench coat, and even in my Ralph Lauren blazer.

It’s pocketable, making it a handy daily driver to use during your travels. Especially in Europe where most tourist spots such as Barcelona, Paris, and Rome, are flocked with sneaky thieves.

Apart from feeling secure, there’s a sense of relief — and assurance, perhaps — knowing that the Find N2 Flip can get you through your day.

When I was in Barcelona, I start my day writing and working at 5 in the morning. I know, that was too early by European standards. I should’ve listened to Sylvie from Emily in Paris.

My phone, the Find N2 Flip, of course, was fully charged by the time I woke up. By 7 in the morning, the gym opens for early birds (who don’t like catching any worms) like me.

I use the phone to record my training so I can send it to my coach while also playing my workout playlists on Spotify.

An hour later, I prepare, take a bath, and eventually eat my breakfast either at a hotel’s lounge or the nearest brunch café.

Afterward, depending on my schedule, I go on a walk across Rambla de Catalunya or sit at a restaurant while I eat and do my work.

Having a flagship experience on its belt, the Find N2 Flip allowed me to multitask to my heart’s content.

With you, through and through

With mobile data turned on most of the time, I was expecting the Find N2 Flip to drain quickly. However, I kept forgetting that it has a 4300mAh battery capacity.

Even with constant usage of social media apps, updating my beau about my whereabouts, connecting with my colleagues to get work done, and using the device as a mobile hotspot, I made it last for ten hours before the battery dropped to 10 percent.

Charging it would be quick if I was using the 44W SuperVOOC. It easily reaches 50 percent in less than half an hour. However, I trust my power banks to supply me with the energy that I need to stay connected, especially since I go back home around 9 or 10 in the evening. (Past midnight, if I have to go out for a drink)

Is this your GadgetMatch?

Travel smartphones have already redefined, especially in 2023 and beyond. The OPPO Find N2 Flip is proof that having exceptional cameras aren’t the only requirement to call a smartphone a travel companion.

It needs functionality — the way the Find N2 Flip allows multi-angle shooting in its FlexForm mode or even using it à la camcorder, reminiscent of the shooting mode in the 90s.

The OPPO Find N2 Flip is certainly my GadgetMatch, and it could be yours, too. It has flagship experience, exceptional imaging capabilities, flexibility in use cases, and versatility as a travel camera.

There’s something remarkable about this smartphone that will make you want to have it. Maybe it was the bigger battery, faster charging, better hinge, insane set of cameras, or the vibe of having a first-gen device that you’d like to brag about.

But for me, it has an appeal that only you would experience if you have your hands on it. That certain allure can keep you hooked, just like how I can’t keep it off my hands.

The OPPO Find N2 Flip comes in two colors: Moonlit Purple and Astral Black. It retails for PhP 49,999 in the Philippines, SGD 1,299 in Singapore, GBP 849 in the United Kingdom, and EUR 1,199 across countries in Europe.