The GadgetMatch team got to spend an entire day with the OPPO Find N. Naturally, we have opinions we want to share whether you like them or not – but seeing as you’re here reading, it probably means you’re curious. So, let’s get to it.

Thoughts on the OPPO Find N’s size?

Rodneil: Love, love, love the size. It really does feel like an actual phone when folded versus the comically tall screen on The Galaxy Z Fold when folded. Spread it open and it’ll feel like you are holding a proper, landscape mini tablet.

Size-wise, the OPPO Find N appears like it’ll be welcoming to more people. Those with smaller hands will appreciate the overall footprint, while those with bigger hands should have little trouble getting used to the form factor.

MJ: It’s adorbs! I could probably write the same things I said about the Galaxy Z Flip3, Samsung’s clamshell foldable. But the OPPO Find N has its unique allure that you can only understand when you get your hands on the compact foldable. That je ne sais quoi is what makes me admire this stunner.

If anything, the Find N felt like the Galaxy Z Fold3 in a compact body, meshed with an experience close to the Galaxy Z Flip3.

Vincenz: At first glance, I honestly thought it looked weird(ly cute) because it’s wider and shorter than the competition. But when I actually saw and held it up close, I immediately loved it.

For someone who has big hands, I love how it fits right in my palms. Even holding it one-handed feels better than the Galaxy Fold and Z Fold series — which I’ve managed to try for a decent amount of time.

Is it just a Samsung Galaxy Fold copycat? 

Rodneil: I get this sentiment, and really just from the photos alone, it does look like it’s just a smaller Galaxy Fold. But there’s more to it. Other than the size, the aspect ratios are different lending to a really different viber overall despite the really similar look.

That said, it is using Samsung tech for the screens. The crease, though, is less visible, and despite the similarities, it really feels like its own thing, all things considered. I mean, most phones look-alike anyway. Let’s not split hairs about how they fold now.

MJ: While I thank Samsung for paving the way for foldables, it’s lame to call the Find N just a copycat. It’s an alternative to those who’d love to get their hands on a foldable experience such as the Galaxy Z Fold3, but gets intimidated by its size.

Sure, there’s a Galaxy Z Flip3 for those who prefer it compact and light, but it’s a clamshell. The fold-out form factor is what people are after, and I’m glad OPPO did something that my tiny hands would appreciate. Unless, of course, Samsung decides to crush it in the coming months with a miniature Fold.

Vincenz: Just because it’s a foldable smartphone with a folding screen, it doesn’t mean it’s a total copycat of the Galaxy Fold nor the newer Galaxy Z Fold3 at all. Although I’m giving that crown to the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold because it’s almost as tall and wide as the aforementioned foldable.

Design-wise, the OPPO Find N shines on its own. While I don’t like flashy colors on a smartphone, I really love how elegant and sophisticated the purple colorway is. Going with the white one would be more of my pick even if my personal color choice and wardrobe is full of black.

Does it feel durable?

Rodneil: I don’t know if it’s just the heft, but it certainly lends to a sturdy feeling. At 275g, it’s slightly heavier than the Galaxy Z Fold 3 (271g). But you feel the weight a bit more perhaps because of the more compact body.

Holding it for a while, it certainly doesn’t feel like it’ll break easily. The front screen is also covered with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus so it should stay intact even if you drop it on the pavement or your face.

MJ: Kind of. The phone’s quite hefty, especially when folded shut. But it’s bearable and at the same time, makes you feel secure enough that its body would survive a drop.

Its body is made of glass, though, so you need to be cautious about your grip so it doesn’t fall out of your hands. Although, I’m really curious if it’d survive a certain fall. I’m tempted to throw it away, if only OPPO would give me a unit that can be used for that reason.

Vincenz: If there’s one thing that closely resembles the Find N to the Galaxy Z Fold3, it’s definitely the thickness and overall heft. Don’t get me wrong as it’s not a bad thing. It actually feels sturdy and “premium”.

I also like the inner display of the Find N better because OPPO has managed to make the creases less visible. In my case, I haven’t felt the crease at all basically because it wasn’t there.

I may be ahead of my words because time will tell whether or not OPPO’s foldable display technology is durable enough.

Are the photos good? 

Rodneil: They’re mid at best. They’re not horrible but they also won’t blow anyone away. I first looked at the photos on the phone itself and then saw them on a computer later on and thought they were fine.

I was hoping they would be close to the level of the OPPO Find X3 Pro, but that isn’t the case. Hell, these might not even be Reno level. That said, this is an easily correctable thing via software update.

MJ: It’s a bit of a let down when you scan the photos that the Find N produced, especially when you’ve tried OPPO’s finest — in the form of the Find X3 Pro. Frankly, the Find N’s photos aren’t on par with the best the company has to offer.

But for a foldable that an average user might enjoy? I’d appreciate it. Especially when it comes to selfies!!! (I’m looking at you, Galaxy Z Fold3!)

Vincenz: It’s not my cup of tea. Whether AI is turned on or off, OPPO hasn’t truly optimized their camera software algorithm. Still, they’re pretty decent when you take photos with ample amount of light. The zoom lens is an exception — it keeps getting blurry in moving subjects.

Selfies matter less to me because I don’t take heaps of them. But I like that they decided to place a camera inside. OPPO having a punch-hole camera inside is the better move. Why?

All-display mini-rant incoming

Huawei’s Mate X2 removed it just for the sake of “all-display” monicker. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Under-Display Camera implementation isn’t fully-developed yet but it’s still a good and innovative tech this 2021. I understand that it’s not the best type of front camera but the purpose of UDC is for the user to be able to use the Z Fold3 in video calls. It’s clearly not made for selfies, that’s why the cover front camera exists.

Should OPPO market it outside of China?

Rodneil: Personally, I would really love to see OPPO take a leap of faith and launch the Find N in several markets. I got so many inquiries from friends and acquaintances about getting Samsung’s foldables this year. So, there’s a natural curiosity and interest there.

The main barrier will still be how people perceive OPPO as a brand overall. It’s been years, and they’ve released phones that say otherwise, but the brand continues to be tagged as something for the lower range market. They’re gonna have to double-time on branding and marketing, but I really think they have a legit foldable contender on their hands.

General public not ready?

MJ: Though I was enchanted in the brief encounter with the OPPO Find N, I think it’s still in its early stages. The general populace hasn’t fully embraced, let alone adopted, the concept of foldable phones. And developers are still trying to optimize various apps to suit different aspect ratios. We’ll get there, somehow.

But if OPPO’s pressing on to market the Find N, they’d get away with selling a limited number to gauge the interest of the people.

Vincenz: I live in the Philippines and there are Filipinos who can afford such premium-priced smartphones. Samsung has dominated the tech market though, especially because they have an established user community in this country. Moreover, the elite owners have already tested the “durability” of their products (especially foldables) over time. That factor might affect OPPO’s decision whether or not to market the Find N outside China.

That said, if you’ll ask me and have the purchasing power to buy one, I’d definitely pick this one over the Galaxy Z Fold3. It’s mainly due to its cheaper (converted) price tag that’s closer to the Galaxy Z Flip3 and iPhone 13 Pro’s base pricing. This also means the price of foldables will go down sooner or later because consumers, especially techies, love to try something new. And folding smartphones are one of those devices.

We’re approaching the end of the year soon, but it seems like Infinix just isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. They’ve just recently introduced their newest gaming-focused smartphone — the Infinix Note 11s.

Let’s take a look at what this bad boy has to offer.

Box that stands out 

My first experience with an Infinix device was with their Hot 10s and to be honest, I wasn’t really feeling their previous box design. Infinix had a revamp of their packaging with this more sophisticated and minimalist-looking neon-green color which just pops above the other smartphone boxes you’ll see in smartphone stores. 

Taking the top cover off the box, we’re immediately greeted by the phone, and right underneath it are the accessories.

A clear jelly case, a SIM ejector pin, a USB-C cable, and a 33W fast charger. Unfortunately, no earphones in sight.

Big but not bulky 

The phone itself is shockingly big, sporting a massive 6.95-inch, FHD+, 120Hz refresh rate with a 180Hz touch sampling rate IPS display. That’s just a little shy of a 7-inch device but manages to impressively maintain a relatively slim body despite also carrying a 5,000mAh battery.

You’re still obviously going to need two hands to operate this, but at least the back case is a textured plastic which feels good to grip.

It also has a rather professional-looking design that doesn’t give away the feel of a gaming phone.

In a recent news article I came across, more affordable phones might soon lose the audio jack. Thankfully, we’re still getting that here on the Note 11s, and it’s placed on the bottom of the device beside the USB-C charging port and the speaker grille.

Like its sibling, the Infinix Note 11, we’re also getting a side-mounted fingerprint scanner comfortably placed on the right side of its matte silver frame.

The camera

Just as you would expect from a more premium smartphone, the camera design on the Note 11s looks really good. It rocks a triple camera setup that has a 50MP f1.6 main shooter and a 2MP macro sensor with a 2MP depth sensor. 

And for the selfie camera, Infinix went with a 16MP shooter for this one, and it’s placed right in the middle of the display in a punch hole design.

Quick rundown of the specs

The Note 11s is packing some serious firepower under its hood. It has the new MediaTek Helio G96 chipset baked in it. The new chipset is the successor to the Helio G95 chip, a very popular chipset that has had quite a following because of its exceptionally good performance. A smartphone with the G95’s successor might prove worthy of its promises of performance.

Paired with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB UFS 2.2 internal storage, we’re looking at a phone which can do serious damage for gamers.

I won’t be diving into gaming tests right now, but I’ve already tried it with a few games like Genshin Impact. So far, the results have been very promising, so better watch out for our full review, if you’re interested in knowing more about that.

Price and availability

The Infinix Note 11s is priced at PhP 9,990 and is available in this Mithril Gray or Haze Green color variant.

Infinix is slashing off PhP 800 from its original SRP for its launch promo price of PhP 9,990 to only PhP 9,190 on November 30 and December 1.

realme has a new phone — the realme GT Master Edition — and we’re gonna take it out of the box. We’ll also tell you what we initially think because these are the only things we’re allowed to do. For now.

The company is using all their favorite buzzwords again to generate… well… buzz for the phone. Words like disruptive, game changer, flagship experience — the works. It gets too hypey, but that’s what you gotta do to standout in an industry dominated by the likes of Apple and Samsung. I digress.

Take a look at the realme GT Master Edition specs before we proceed with the unboxing:

• Display — 6.43″ AMOLED, 120Hz refresh rate
• Processor — Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G
• RAM — 8GB + up to 5GB DRE (Dynamic RAM Extension)
• Storage — 128GB and 256GB
• Battery — 4,300mAh, Dual-cell design, 65W SuperDart charging
• Rear Cameras — 64MP f/1.8 main camera, 8MP f/2.3 119° ultra-wide lens, 2MP f/2.4 macro lens
• Selfie Camera — 32MP
• OS — Android 11, realme UI 2.0
• Color Options — Voyager Grey, Daybreak Blue

It came in this cool tiny travel suitcase. It’ll be a recurring theme.

Opening it reveals two boxes safely tucked in between foams for shock absorption.

The left box, as you can see, is just black with the trademark yellow realme logo. On the right side is the box of the actual phone itself.

The left box is filled with different realme items.

Some stickers, keychains, and more.

It also has printed pictures of shots taken using the realme GT Master Edition.

Now, onto the main event — the box of the phone itself.

Opening the box, you’ll see this warm welcoming message.

Inside this, you’ll find the usual documentation — warranty, manual, all that good stuff.

Lift that and you’ll be greeted by the realme GT Master Edition.

Wrapped in plastic with an indicator of where the in-display fingerprint sensor is located.

Lift that layer where the phones and you’ll find the plasticky case.

It looks exactly like the back of the phone except it’s a shade lighter and doesn’t feel quite as good.

Underneath it is the USB Type-C cable.

And as you may have gleaned from the photo above, the SIM tray ejector tool lies under it.

When you life the case, you’ll see the 65W SuperDart power brick.

That’s it for everything inside the box. Now let’s look at the phone.

Here’s a good look at the back of the realme GT Master Edition.

As mentioned earlier, the whole suitcase and travel thing is the main theme of this phone’s design. The horizontal grids were meant to replicate the look of a suitcase to trigger the thought of travel. It’s kind of cruel given the general travel restrictions still imposed on us because of the pandemic. But maybe that’s just me.

Signed by Naoto Fukasawa.

Responsible for the design is Naoto Fukasawa. He even signed the thing on the back. It’s a puzzling move to say the least. I’m fairly certain 90 percent of the people who will end up purchasing this phone will have zero idea who Fukasawa is. But congrats, you have his autograph now!

Fukasawa is a Japanese industrial designer. He is most known for his works with retail company MUJI. Now, I’m sure a lot of you will be familiar with MUJI. Even then, I don’t think the idea of a renowned designer’s signature being on your phone’s back is something you’ll find thrilling or enticing.

realme continues to make these wild choices for back designs. It’s brave and bold which is in keeping with their whole approach. Personally, these aren’t things I find appealing. Then again, an oldie like me is likely not their target market. I just wanted to get that off my chest.

Looks aside, that back feels great

realme says it’s called the concave vegan leather — the first of its kind in the smartphone industry. I’m not gonna pretend to understand the whole process so here’s an excerpt from realme’s infosheet explaining the thing:

“realme has adopted a more challenging way – the polymer material is turned into an initial three-dimensional shape through the injection molding process, and then use the hot pressing process to synthesize the vegan leather with the substrate, and finally achieve the integrated concave vegan leather shape.”

Did you get that? Basically, all of that was needed to achieve the uneven finish with the feel of leather. It’s a lot to take in but all you need to know is that it feels great to touch and isn’t slippery at all.

Bottom: Speaker grille, USB-C port, and suprise — 3.5mm headphone jack.

Button placements are your usual. Power button on the right side and the volume buttons as well as the SIM card tray on the left side.

Here’s the realme GT Master Edition with the case on.

It mimics the look of concave vegan leather but feels nowhere near it. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend using this case if you want to preserve that leather feeling. Really wish realme came up with vegan leather case too.

The phone’s wallpaper looks like a pavement.

Points for consistency, I guess? It’s running Android 11 with a coat of realme UI 2.0. If you’re an OPPO user, this UI going to feel familiar. It’s almost like ColorOS which isn’t a bad thing. The whole UI feels clean and easy to navigate.

What’s surprising are the overwhelming number of apps pre-installed. Sure, you have ones that you’ll likely install like Facebook, Messenger, and Netflix. But for every one of those useful apps, there’s a couple more that’s just flat out bloatware. There are also incessant notifications about apps you can download from their App Market. I know “disrupting” is their thing but maybe not like this?

Cameras to die for?

realme made a big deal about the back design and just as much as they did, they also said the cameras on this thing are fantastic. Hence, the inclusion of printed photos taken with it in this special unboxing package. We have no samples to show you just yet. We’ll take a step outside, observing health and safety protocols of course, to see if we can come up with stunning images ourselves.

The realme GT Master Edition (that’s a mouthful) is a decently-sized smartphone with concave vegan leather for its back that feels absolutely fantastic. It has an overall clean UI that’s bogged down a little bit by bloatware. We’ll explore its performance and camera prowess in the review. By that time, we’ll also know how its price so watch out for it.