Oppo's Find N6 will be released on Tuesday, March 22.

Find N6 phone (image from a video by Oppo)

Oppo unveils the world's first foldable phone with a crease-free screen.

Six months before Apple is expected to unveil its first foldable iPhone, a Chinese competitor has solved the biggest problem these devices have faced so far: creases. This is the case with its new flagship phone, the Find N6.

Oppo's new hinge technology makes the screen crease virtually invisible by flattening the noticeable drop in the screen surface where the fold is made. This is a long-awaited achievement, something companies have promised repeatedly over the past seven years since the advent of foldable phones, according to a Bloomberg report. Oppo's flagship foldable phone with this technology is the Find N6, which will be released on Tuesday.

Foldable phones may be a rare bright spot in a smartphone market expected to decline by 13% this year due to component shortages. Although its adoption remains limited due to price, durability, and camera concerns, Apple’s foldable phone is expected to drive global growth and awareness by 2026.

IDC analysts predict that phone manufacturers will focus their efforts on encouraging consumers to purchase premium devices—such as foldable phones—to offset revenue losses resulting from lower unit sales. Samsung and Huawei were pioneers in this sector in 2019, later moving on to larger, more expensive tri-fold devices.

Oppo’s phone will be launched on March 22.

(foldable phones closer to mature smartphone designs)

Oppo’s progress indicates further refinements that bring foldable phones closer to mature smartphone designs, demonstrating the feasibility of engineering a fully flat, flexible screen when unfolded. The new Find N6, whose full specifications and dimensions will be revealed at this week’s event, is no thicker than a regular phone.

Given Oppo’s track record of closely aligning with local rivals like Vivo and Xiaomi, Apple can expect fierce competition for its foldable iPhone when it launches in China. Shenzhen-based Honor Devices has also joined the ranks of ultra-thin foldable device manufacturers with the launch of its Honor Magic V6 at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this month.

Oppo’s screen-leveling solution involved taking a 3D scan of each hinge individually, applying polymer droplets to the uneven areas, and then fixing them with UV light. The company says this process reduced the unevenness at the bottom of the screen by 75%, giving it a virtually crease-free look and feel.

Ahead of the launch of its Android-powered Find N6, Oppo announced that the phone would showcase its partnership with Alphabet’s Google Cloud service. The phone will be available with Oppo’s AI-powered stylus, which will leverage Gemini Pro technology to allow users to transform their handwritten notes into organized charts. 

In addition to the smart charts feature, the smart image processing tool built on Google's "Nano Banana" AI model will allow simple drawings to be transformed into more detailed artwork or specific artistic styles to be applied.