OPPO Find N5: The First Flagship Foldable of 2025, Perfectly Blending Slim Design with Flagship Specs

OPPO Find N5: The First Flagship Foldable of 2025, Perfectly Blending Slim Design with Flagship SpecsOPPO remained relatively quiet in the foldable phone market in 2024, with the Find N3 and Find N3 Flip failing to compete effectively against numerous new releases. However, OPPO hasn't abandoned the foldable segment; instead, it's set its sights on 2025, proactively planning a comeback with the Find N5

OPPO Find N5: The First Flagship Foldable of 2025, Perfectly Blending Slim Design with Flagship Specs

OPPO remained relatively quiet in the foldable phone market in 2024, with the Find N3 and Find N3 Flip failing to compete effectively against numerous new releases. However, OPPO hasn't abandoned the foldable segment; instead, it's set its sights on 2025, proactively planning a comeback with the Find N5. News of the Find N5 began surfacing late in 2024, with an expected late January or February launch, potentially making it the first foldable phone of 2025. Recently, Zhou Yibo, head of OPPO's Find series, hinted on Weibo that the specific launch date will be announced next week, likely after the Chinese New Year holiday, putting it in direct competition with the Xiaomi 15 Ultra. While targeting different product lines, the Xiaomi 15 Ultra's high profile will still pose a challenge to the Find N5's market performance.

As an iterative product released over a year after its predecessor, the Find N5 boasts a completely redesigned philosophy and upgraded specifications. Based on leaked information, we can get a glimpse of this flagship device.

The Ultralight, Ultrathin Strategy: OPPO Find N5's Pursuit of Thinness

"Lightweight" and "thin" were undoubtedly the buzzwords in the 2024 Chinese foldable phone market. Almost every month saw claims of "world's thinnest" or "world's lightest." The Find N5, as the first heavyweight foldable of 2025, aims to take this "thin and light" competition to the extreme. According to leaks on Weibo and CoolAPK, the Find N5 will utilize a 3D-printed titanium alloy hinge, resulting in a folded thickness of under 10mm. Some reports even claim it will be the world's thinnest large-screen foldable, thinner than the Magic V3's 9.2mm.

While thinness isn't the only selling point for large foldables, market sales reveal consumer preference for lighter and thinner models. Honor's success in China and Europe stems from its range of thin large and small foldables at various price points, with the Magic V3 boasting high international visibility. Currently, Honor is the only manufacturer capable of employing a "sea of phones" strategy in the foldable market. Furthermore, the vivo XFold3 series also received positive market feedback for its near-slab-like thickness and weight.

Since the inception of foldable phones, most Chinese manufacturers have focused on creating thinner large-screen foldablesOPPO being a notable exception. Users familiar with the Find N1, N2, and N3 will recognize OPPO's unique understanding of foldable phone user needs. The Find N1 and N2 were known for their smaller sizes, featuring 7.1-inch inner screens and 5.49-inch and 5.54-inch outer screens, respectively, distinguishing them from the prevalent 8-inch+ inner screen foldables.

While the Find N1 and N2 garnered praise from niche segments, market feedback wasn't ideal. "Small screens" weren't a universal demand, leading OPPO to increase the Find N3's inner screen size to 7.8 inches, aligning with mainstream dimensions. However, the Find N3, launched late in 2023, didn't excel in thickness and weight, only slightly edging out the vivo XFold2, despite a six-month launch gap.

Therefore, after three underwhelming large-screen foldable releases, the OPPO Find N5 represents a pivotal comeback attempt, vying for the "world's thinnest and lightest" title. Given its titanium alloy construction and 3D printing, the Find N5 might also deliver surprising weight reductions.

Powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy: Balancing Performance and Thinness

Besides its slim profile, the Find N5 will feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, potentially making it the only foldable phone in the first half of 2025 to boast a flagship Snapdragon chip. Many speculated that the Find N5 would debut with the Dimensity 9400, given the Find X8 series' use of this processor. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy typically appears in ultra-premium models, making OPPO's choice to premiere it in a foldable surprising.

As the only foldable with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, the Find N5 will attract performance-oriented users. Performance, especially the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy's behavior in a foldable, is a key concern. However, effectively managing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy's power consumption within such a slim chassis will require significant optimization from OPPO.

Furthermore, the Find N5 will support wireless charging and include a massive battery nearing 6000mAh, surpassing all current flagship large-screen foldable phones. Considering the Magic V3's 5150mAh battery, the Find N5 represents a significant leap in battery technology.

In terms of imaging, the Find N5 will boast a Hasselblad triple-camera system, likely featuring a 50MP main sensor + 50MP periscope telephoto + 50MP ultra-wide-angle lens, all boasting high-resolution capabilities. Given the Find X8 series' imaging capabilities, the Find N5's photographic performance is highly anticipated.

Although the Find N5's release precedes other 2024 flagship foldables by several months, its specifications and design suggest OPPO is well-prepared, poised to kick off the 2025 foldable phone market war. In the first half of the year, the Find N5 might enjoy an unchallenged reign.

Shifting Tides in the Foldable Market: Some Withdraw, Others Double Down

Despite OPPO's early 2025 launch of the Find N5, overall expectations for the foldable market aren't optimistic. Counterpoint data shows a decline in global foldable phone shipments starting in Q3 2024, marking the first year-over-year decrease since tracking began. Research firms predict this trend may continue into 2025.

While the global foldable market slowdown hasn't significantly impacted China, domestic growth has also slowed, prompting manufacturers to approach foldable phone launches with greater caution. Reports suggest some manufacturers might delay their next-generation foldable phone releases in 2025, extending the sales cycle of existing models to reduce losses and refine more competitive products. While the specific manufacturers remain undisclosed, we'll likely have to wait until Q2 or Q3 for confirmation.

However, some manufacturers are retreating while others are doubling down. The OPPO Find N5 is a prime example, signaling OPPO's return to the flagship battlefield, which will undoubtedly impact its competitors. Additionally, significant information has emerged regarding Xiaomi's upcoming small foldable phone, expected in Q1 or Q2, potentially launching simultaneously in European markets. As a 2024 foldable bestseller, the faster-than-expected iteration of Xiaomi's small foldable reflects the company's high priority on its foldable product line.

Leaks from digital bloggers like Digital Chat Station suggest small foldable phones will be a key battleground in 2025. The Huawei Pocket 3, Xiaomi MIX Flip 2, and Honor Magic V Flip 2 might launch around the same time, but only the Xiaomi MIX Flip 2 is slated to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, while others might use previous-generation flagship processors or Kirin chips. The 2025 small foldable market will be incredibly competitive, with almost all major manufacturers planning releases, and many exploring the "affordable" small foldable segment, adding significant market variability.

Price: The Biggest Hurdle to Foldable Market Adoption

Foldable phone functionality and design have largely matured. Physical limitations imposed by USB-C port thickness mean that the pursuit of thinness is nearing its limits (unless non-USB-C designs are adopted), leaving weight and battery life improvements, and price reductions, as the main areas for future development.

For most consumers, the price of foldable phones remains prohibitive. Bringing prices down to the level of ultra-premium flagship phones would significantly boost consumer demand, a possibility some manufacturers might be considering. OPPO's Zhou Yibo's Weibo comment "This product is amazing enough" hints at a potential surprise in pricing.

The OPPO Find N5's arrival is a strong start to the 2025 foldable phone market; whether other manufacturers can keep pace remains to be seen.

(The closing paragraph about CES 2025 has been omitted as it's irrelevant to the main topic.)