There was a time when I used to write on technology for my site and various publications. One of the early blog posts I ever did on my site when I got my domain was on Nokia’s music store, a very long time ago. When I was submerged in that world, I had the opportunity to attend many a tech launch, particularly for smartphones, even getting to travel to launches and tech experiences internationally. I got to visit CES in Las Vegas, tour the Google offices in San Francisco, go dogsledding and to see the northern lights in Sweden, and attend a smartphone launch in Paris, amongst others.

After a while, the launches blend into each other as the tech companies try to find ways of entertaining and exciting beyond the actual technology on display. Flashing lights, loud music, dancers … I have seen it all…

Recently, I had the opportunity to both work on and experience the South African launch of OPPO’s Find N2 Flip and it was a breath of fresh air. And I am not saying that because I was a participant or because of the beautiful venue. The event was structured and scripted as a live talk show, of which I was the host, and interviewed Avashnee Moodley, Head of Marketing at OPPO South Africa, Rich Mnisi, who is OPPO’s new brand ambassador, respected tech journalist Nafisa Akabor, and Bradley Young, Head of Training at OPPO South Africa.

We explored OPPO’s focus on partnership, which include with the SA rugby team, the Springboks, PSL team Orlando Pirates, UEFA, SA Fashion Week and Google. I got to delve into the design philosophy behind the Find N2 Flip and how it fits into the day-to-day from a features, specifications and ‘life’ perspective. And I was able to extract insights from Rich in terms of his approach to designing accessories for the Find N2 Flip, marrying his aesthetic and craft with that of OPPO’s.

Nafisa had the opportunity to experience the device at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and wrote a review of it HERE.

Bradley delved into the more technical aspects of the design and functionality of the device.

The shift to foldable phones has, largely, passed me by. I came up in the era of flip phones and have been relatively uninterested, until now. The Find N2 Flip is beautifully designed, light and compact with the largest cover screen to date which means you can navigate messages, calendar updates and the like without having to open the phone. Also, you can take selfies (if that’s your thing) with hand gestures using the back facing camera without unfolding it. And the fold means you can prop the phone up half unfolded to take pictures, stream video or take video calls.

OPPO has been working hard on their cameras and, with the Find N2 Flip, the cameras have been developed in partnership with Hasselblad, the Swedish company known for medium format cameras, photographic equipment and image scanners.

For full specs and an overview of the device, click out OPPO Find N2 Flip.

In all honesty, the one feature that stands out for me with the Find N2 Flip and other OPPO phones (like the Reno8 5G, which I am using) is the battery and the fast charging. According to OPPO, the Reno8 takes 11 minutes to charge up to 50% while the Find N2 Flip takes 23 minutes. With scheduled blackouts the order of the day in South Africa and our dependence on our smartphones, this is very handy.