A big Android player is lining up to challenge Apple for the “wide fold” crown. Instead, according to industry gossip and a Smartprix report, Oppo has a staggered foldable strategy which could see Find N6 appear first up – following a familiar playbook that puts out the non-widescreen handset before opting for something wider (Apple is also reportedly prepping a passport-style wide-fold phone) with Find N7.
Oppo’s Two-Device Foldable Strategy Takes Shape
The blueprint is straightforward, but canny. Oppo stays true to its tried-and-true book-style approach with the Oppo Find N6, sporting a tall cover display and a bigger canvas inside, while the Find N7 reverses those proportions of the inner screens to open up into more squarish tablet territory. That second device is the one to keep an eye on if Apple busts out a plus-plus-size first-ever outing, as long rumoured by sources and analysts in the supply chain.
A two-pronged approach also matches what we’re hearing about Samsung, which is said to be developing a regular book-style foldable as well as a wider one. In other words, Oppo wants to be a member of the first fleet of “wide fold” combatants, not one who jumps into the fray and scrambles after its rivals have left them in the dust.
Why a Wider Fold Matters for Usability and Design
Aspect ratio is not something you can decide nonchalantly — it’s what defines the experience. Broader inner displays make split-screen multitasking feel more natural, provide a balanced canvas for content creation and shrink pillarboxing when it comes to video. They can also give you a more phone-like outer screen that’s easier to type on (which is part of why the original Find N was so well liked for its passport-esque ergonomics).
The trade-offs are real: a wider chassis can stress hinge engineering, amplify crease visibility and add grams. Though, the industry has been running toward lighter, thinner builds. OnePlus Open is around 239g, Galaxy Z Fold 5 would be approximately 253g and Pixel Fold would possibly weigh about 283g — if the speculated weight of the new foldable from Oppo comes in at all true to rumoured form at 224g or even lighter, this will set it apart, especially with a larger battery.
Rumours of Serious Hardware in Oppo’s Next Foldables
Early specifications for the Find N6 sound like they could be a spec-sheet flex: a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 with up to 16GB RAM, a cover panel measuring 6.62 inches AMOLED and an inner display of about 8.12 inches and has a resolution of 2K LTPO with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Imaging is expected to be ambitious with a 200MP main, 50MP telephoto and a 50MP ultrawide — that would stand toe to toe with the best camera systems on foldables today.
That 6,000mAh battery with 80-watt wired and 50-watt wireless charging you mentioned would shatter the current type of foldable capacity bar without slowing down how quickly it recharges. That combination, in a body that’s rumoured to be 225g, hints at aggressive materials engineering and hinge work. The broader Find N7 should be similar in many respects, but with a different body.
Market Context and What a Wider Fold Trend Means
Foldables remain a fast-growing niche. Global shipments of foldables have exceeded 20 million units and continue to increase according to Counterpoint Research, with volumes increasing by 25% YoY. DSCC has cited consistent gains in panel yield and cost reductions as being critical to the expansion of OLED use. Apple’s entry could put a spotlight on the category for mainstream consumers, which could help speed up app optimisation and retail visibility.
A foldable that’s larger from Oppo also makes good strategic sense for two reasons. For one, it lands the brand right in what consumers will soon be talking about — wide versus tall — rather than chasing a single design philosophy. Second, it addresses genuine user pain points: outer screens that feel constrained and inner canvases that don’t totally substitute for a small tablet. Should Oppo get the software polish just right — as in reliable app continuity, crafted split-view presets, strong Flex-mode behaviours — its hardware benefits each day will show.
What to Watch Next as Oppo’s Wider Fold Plans Unfold
Three factors will decide if Oppo indeed steals thunder. The first is weight-to-battery balance — a 6,000mAh battery would be groundbreaking for a book-style foldable and a real point of difference. Another would be camera consistency across lenses; megapixels make headlines, but computational tuning and thermal stability determine outcomes. Finally, the software: Oppo’s foldable-specific tweaks in ColorOS will have to keep up with the hardware ambition and make that greater form factor feel like second nature.
With both Smartprix and supply chain sources pointing to a staggered launch — Find N6 first, wider Find N7 down the line — Oppo looks genuinely poised to do battle with Apple and Samsung on the battleground where this next wave of foldables will be won: not just how a phone folds, but how wide it dares go.