Meet the new blueprint for book-style foldable phones

Can book-style foldables get any slimmer than this? I’m not sure they need to. The Oppo Find N5 is a barely-there 4.2mm when open, not counting its slight camera bump, and is as skinny as a non-folding flagship when folded. It makes the Galaxy Z Fold6 look positively portly.

While still a teensy bit narrower than a traditional bar phone, the 6.62in outer screen has a more natural-feeling aspect ratio than Samsung’s slender effort, so apps feel far less cramped. The OLED panel is glorious, with 120Hz smooth scrolling and brightness that gets more than a passing grade.

It’s the 8.12in inner screen that’s the true star of the show, though. The almost-square ratio gives it more surface area than the latest Apple iPad Mini – comfortably enough for two apps side by side. Even with letterboxing, videos eclipse the largest of non-folding flagships. And the anti-reflection film protecting the flexible AMOLED panel underneath does a more convincing impression of glass than other foldables I’ve used, though it’s just as quick to pick up fingerprints.

Hardware: flitting

There’ve been a few compromises in pursuit of size zero, but only minor ones. Its Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset has one less CPU core than usual, but aside from a few multi-threaded benchmarks, you’d struggle to tell any difference. My usual mix of web browsing, photos, video playback, gaming, music streaming and email didn’t suffer in the slightest.

A colossal camera bump would have scuppered the N5’s “world’s thinnest” claims, so Oppo hasn’t gone overboard on sensors. You get a 50MP lead lens and a periscope zoom good for ‘lossless’ 6x shots and telemacro close-ups, but the ultrawide has dropped to a more modest 8MP. Oppo’s stellar image processing makes up the deficit, with fantastic results across the board. It artificially brightens dark scenes, which not everyone will appreciate, but sharpening is kept in check and noise is almost non-existent. I give it the edge over both Samsung and Google’s foldable efforts.

Software: splitting

Oppo also maintains its lead on the software side, thanks to the brilliant Boundless View multitasking. No rival makes splitting the screen and rapidly swapping between multiple apps as easy as this. The generous selection of own-brand apps all make great use of the inner screen, including the AI-enhanced ones; part-fold the phone and the foreign language translator can show both talkers a conversational view. The only downer is the four years of Android updates, versus Google and Samsung’s seven.

Squeezing a 5600mAh slice of silicon-carbon cells inside the N5 has given it monumental lasting power: going for a day and a half between charges takes little effort. Wireless charging (at a rapid 50W) returns after being absent on the last-gen model, while wired refuelling is at a nippy 80W.

The crying shame here is that getting hold of one of these will be tricky: rather than doubling up with stablemate OnePlus, Oppo is going it alone – and only in Asian territories. But importing one would absolutely be worth the hassle. This is the best book-style foldable phone yet.

£1799 approx (Singapore) / go.stuff.tv/FindN5

Key specs

● 6.62in 2616x1140 120Hz OLED outer, 8.12in 2480x2248 120Hz OLED inner

● Snapdragon 8 Elite

● 512GB

● 50+50+8MP rear, 8+8MP front

● 5600mAh

● 161x74x8.9mm folded, 161x146x4.2mm open, 229g

STUFF SAYS No other foldable can top this Oppo’s appetising blend of skinny dimensions and standout specs ★★★★★

NOW ADD THIS..

LOGITECH KEYS-TO-GO 2

This ultra-slim, feather-light Bluetooth keyboard is a foldable phone’s ideal productivity partner. The coin-cell battery is good for 3yrs of typing, and the springy keys are satisfying. £80/logitech.com

. Slider way

There might not be a OnePlus Open counterpart this time, but Oppo has kept the alert slider pioneered by its sister brand.

Even glow

This is the closest we’ve come yet to a crease-free foldable. You’ll only spot it if it catches the light just right.

On the reach

Left-handers might find the side-mounted power button and fingerprint sensor combo a little tricky to hit consistently. FLAGSHIP PHONE FRENZY

OVER THE HORIZON

Here are the best book-style handsets and clamshells set to arrive in the coming months…

MOTOROLA RAZR 60 ULTRA

A full-width outer screen will help this flip phone stand out; dual cameras and faster silicon should keep it competitive. (due April)

SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD7 & FLIP7

Slimmer dimensions, more powerful internals and a double dose of Galaxy AI are promised here. (due July)

GOOGLE PIXEL 10 PRO FOLD

Some mild camera tweaks are really all Google needs to do to keep its third book-style foldable near the top of the pile. (due August)