I tried the Z Fold 8 and the Fold 8 Ultra. This old folding beats both

But despite all these attractive features, I won’t be buying either phone for myself when they go on sale in a few weeks. And that’s because I’ve had all the foldables I could ever want in my pocket since March.

I have used it Find the OPPO N6 since it first arrived about four months ago and I haven’t needed to switch to any foldables that have been launched since then. I expect it to stay on even after unpacking. We’ll have to wait for a full review of the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra before we can come to a final conclusion, but it’s already clear from the specs that OPPO is ahead.

For starters, Samsung is doing a great job with the Z Fold 8 Ultra’s 200MP main camera and a new 50MP ultra-wide camera. But the Find N6 matches that, offering a 50MP 3x telephoto camera to Samsung’s 10MP sensor – plus higher-resolution 20MP front-facing cameras instead of 10MP. Megapixels aren’t everything, but they’re also a strong indicator of photographic performance.

Both the Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra displays are rated at 3,000 nits of brightness – new highs for Samsung’s foldable devices. But that’s a number that the Find N6 already matches, while also having small advantages in screen size, both open and closed.

Samsung has equipped the new Z Folds with the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the same high-end chipset used by the Find N6. Samsung may have a slight power advantage thanks to the unique, higher-speed “For Galaxy” variant of this chip, but the difference will likely be negligible when using apps or playing games.

I’m glad to see that Samsung has finally improved the charging speed and battery capacity of its foldable devices with the Z Fold 8 series. The 5000mAh and 4800mAh capacity on the Ultra and standard models, respectively, and 45W and 20W wireless charging are big upgrades for both. However, the Find N6 still comes out on top with a 6,000mAh capacity and 80W wired/50W wireless charging for refueling. There is simply no competition here.

OPPO has also retained a feature that Samsung left behind for its foldables: stylus support. Even if you’re not a dedicated doodler, getting the most out of the Find N6’s internal display is easier than the Z Folds thanks to OPPO’s Free Flow Window system. It lets you open and resize app windows like a proper laptop, rather than Samsung’s static split-screen options into two or three apps.

It would be wrong if I didn’t mention the price. Samsung is charging $1,900/£1,700 for the Z Fold 8 and $2,100/£1,900 for the Z Fold 8 Ultra, in line with its previous pricing for the Z Folds. The Find N6, however, is noticeably cheaper. The OPPO phone, which retails for around 11,000 yuan (about $1,625) in China, is actually closer to the Z Flip 8 than the Z Fold.

The fact that I should mention the Chinese price first reveals the Find N6’s key catch: it’s not available through regular retailers or carriers in Europe or North America. Importing the phone is an option, but that removes the price advantage.

In terms of actual devices, Samsung’s improved slimmer design with new Flex Titanium components means the Z Fold 8 Ultra is lighter and slightly thinner than the Find N6. That fractional difference is good enough for Samsung to claim bragging rights, but in terms of the actual capabilities of the two phones, the Find N6 is still ahead.

Availability issues alone (pending reviews) could be enough of a deterrent to mean that the Z Fold 8 or Z Fold 8 Ultra might still be the best foldable option for you. But considering the improvements and refinements Samsung has made to this year’s lineup of foldables, you can and should expect more — and the OPPO Find N6 certainly alleviates the remaining limitations of the new Z Folds dramatically.