Google’s Pixel Fold will be the bigger Oppo Find N2 – should it?

It’s no secret at this point that there’s a Google Pixel Fold in the works, and all signs point to the device being quite similar to the Oppo Find N2. Is this the right choice? Personally, I have mixed feelings.

What we know about the Pixel Fold’s design

The Google Pixel Fold has gone through a lot of work behind the scenes, but at this point we have a pretty clear picture of what could arrive as soon as May 2023.

Related: Third time magic: Everything we know about the Google Pixel Fold

As it stands today, we know the Pixel Fold will have a design that looks like a mix of the original Oppo Find N and the current Pixel 7 series. But the big The thing to consider is its size.

It appears that the Google Pixel Fold will measure 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.7mm when unfolded. For comparison, the Oppo Find N2 measures 132.2 x 140.5 x 7.4mm when opened, while the Galaxy Z Fold 4 measures 155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3mm when opened. Accordingly, it will be Google’s first foldable app bigbeing much wider than the Fold 4 while slightly longer than the Oppo Find N2.

The Pixel Fold is the Find N2’s largest

When you look at them all side by side, it’s pretty clear what we’re getting — the Pixel Fold is basically just a bigger Oppo Find N2. To illustrate, we’ve put together a quick 3D model that shows the dimensions of each phone side by side.

The Pixel Fold is the widest of the bunch by a long shot, at around 20mm (~0.78in) wider than the Oppo Find N2 that is 10mm (~0.4in) wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Thankfully, it won’t be as wide Surface Duo 2, which measures 184.5mm when opened.

This is definitely notable, as it offers a completely different experience compared to Samsung’s fourth-generation foldable. For one thing, it will have a lot more screen real estate. While the Fold 4 isn’t exactly small with a 7.6-inch screen, the nearly square shape isn’t always perfect. It’s not two phones side by side, it’s 80% of two phones. The wider aspect ratio chosen by Oppo and soon Google, allows apps to breathe fully even in split-screen modes.

But they may not all be perfect.

Possible issues with the Pixel Fold design

The consensus that has been formed by many about foldable smartphones so far has been that Samsung’s aspect ratio, while not bad, might not be the “right” design for a foldable phone. The almost square interior leads to a very narrow and tall outer screen that’s hard to get used to, while apps on the inner screen don’t always display a tablet-focused interface because the OS is considered to be in a “picture” orientation. It’s a valid criticism, and Samsung has worked on it over time.

The shift from the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 wasn’t huge by any means, but it did see Samsung adjust aspect ratios to offer a marginally wider outer display, and a shorter but wider inner display. This has led to many, but still not all, apps to be treated as tablet apps.

Meanwhile, the Oppo Find N2 has a range excellent A wide inner screen always powers the tablet interfaces, with a tiny outer screen about the same width as your average smartphone. But in active use, I find it hard to think of the experience over Oppo’s form factor better than you get on the Galaxy Z Fold series. There are pros and cons all around, and I’m somewhat worried the Pixel Fold will see some of the same issues.

For example, the YouTube app is a vastly better experience on an Oppo device. Every page in the Find N2 is optimized for tablets and shows a lot more content, while in the Fold 4 you get a booby-trapped phone interface that can really only show one video at a time in searches or recommendations.

YouTube on Oppo Find N2 (L) and Galaxy Z Fold 4 (R)

But on the other hand, there is the Reddit app. The official Reddit app has many quirks and issues, but one thing that completely ruined the experience on the Find N2 for me was that videos were forced to full screen, and the wide aspect ratio broke all controls. Trying to display comments on a post with a video is impossible, but it works fine in collapsible 4.

Then you have the current big trend of vertical videos. Foldable devices are perfectly suited for content consumption, but those vertical videos would be wasted on foldable tablet-like displays. On the Find N2, more space is wasted by TikTok-style videos (Instagram Reels in my case), as you can appreciate the extra screen height on the Fold 4 in this case.

However, a lot of these two examples come down to simple optimization. TikTok itself, for example, has made great strides in improving its design on foldable devices.

Instagram reels on Oppo Find N2 (L) and Galaxy Z Fold 4 (R)

There are other downsides to the wider aspect ratio. On the Find N2, there is much less room for content when typing. Gmail offers a great example here, where after taking into account the keyboard and the /to/subject fields, there isn’t much room to show the content you’re typing.

Gmail on Oppo Find N2 (L) and Galaxy Z Fold 4 (R)

Of course, the Google Pixel Fold might be able to bypass a lot of the Find N2’s problems just by its sheer size. The Pixel is going to be a lot bigger than what Oppo is working on, and that alone might fix a lot of my qualms about apps.

There is also a clear benefit in multitasking. Apps have more room to breathe in the Find N2’s screen display. It’s a small difference, but it really could be it better On the larger Pixel Fold screen.

Chrome and YouTube on Oppo Find N2 (L) and Galaxy Z Fold 4 (R)

But at the same time, the larger version of the Oppo Find N2 is likely to be cumbersome on a physical level. The open folding element in this shape is always a hands on experience. But over time I’ve found Samsung’s form factor to be more forgiving in this regard. It’s a device I can hold and do some basic navigation with one hand—maybe flipping through a recipe while cooking or flipping between a video and an article. The Find N2 is a little trickier to use in the same way because I can do it with one hand barely You reach the center of the screen. It’s a minor point, sure, but it could be greatly exacerbated by using the same form factor at a larger size on the Pixel Fold.

No one has mastered it yet

It’s really a matter of preference. The Find N2 is better in some applications, while the Fold 4 is better in others. Each aspect ratio has its advantages and disadvantages. But after using both of these phones and their predecessors, I kept coming up with the same result. At this very moment, I feel Samsung’s form factor is best suited to handle the transition from traditional phones to foldable devices.

This may change over time, and the Google Pixel Fold could play a huge role in that. Google’s Pixel devices aren’t the best-selling smartphones, but they help developers go the extra mile to improve apps and experiences for the general public; This may come at the expense of early Pixel Fold users who weren’t satisfied with the app’s experience on their phones.

What’s your opinion? Do you prefer the Pixel Fold that copies the Oppo Find N’s design, or is it closer to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4?

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