Foldable phones like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Oppo Find N5 have redefined smartphone design. But ultimately, what most people want to know is: How good are the cameras?
I snapped photos on both book-style foldables to see how the cameras compare. Each phone had its strengths, from sharpness to texture to life-like colors, and they took turns claiming the “winner” title.
In general, you won’t find the best phone cameras on foldables because of their design. A thinner phone calls for a smaller sensor and lenses, meaning even the best foldable cameras will be a step behind those on regular candy bar devices like the Pixel 9 Pro XL or Galaxy S25 Ultra. Still, if you’re set on buying a foldable, you’ll at least want to ensure you’re getting the best camera possible. That’s where this comparison can help.
First, let’s start off with some camera specs. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a 48-megapixel wide, 10.5-megapixel ultrawide and 10.8-megapixel 5x telephoto camera, along with two 10-megapixel selfie cameras, one for the inner screen and the other for the cover screen. It starts at $1,800.
The Oppo Find N5 has a 50-megapixel wide, 8-megapixel ultrawide and 50-megapixel periscope telephoto camera, and two 8-megapixel selfie cameras, one for the inner screen and another for the cover screen. It costs $2,499 Singapore dollars, which converts to roughly $1,870 — but it isn’t available in the US or Europe. Aside from camera specs, one of the biggest selling points of the Find N5 is how thin it is. While the Pixel clocks in at 10.5mm thick when closed, the Find N5 is just 8.93mm.
It’s important to note that more megapixels don’t automatically mean better photos, so I tested these phones’ cameras in the real world. Here’s what I found.
Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Oppo Find N5 photo comparisons
One of the biggest differences between photos on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Oppo Find N5 is that the latter depicts more vivid colors. In these shots of tulips, you’ll notice the reds and yellows of the petals in the Find N5 picture are brighter, as is the pool in the background. Even though there are slightly more shadows in the Pixel photo, you get more texture, especially in the petals and the bricks in the foreground.
This boils down to personal preference, and each photo has its strengths. The Find N5 adds vibrancy, but the Pixel does a better job of showing more true-to-life colors and details. So I will award this one to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
In these portrait mode shots of my friend Raneem, you’ll see the biggest difference is that the Pixel crops in closer, which I’m not particularly crazy about, but it’s how the phone achieves that blurred background. Both phones do a great job with that bokeh effect, and my friend’s face looks well-lit and clear in each.
This one’s a tossup, but ultimately, I like the more even tones and slightly cooler colors on the Pixel photo. At the same time, I like the sharpness of Raneem’s features on the Find N5 photo. So I’ll give a point to each here.
These photos were taken in the early afternoon in the bright California sunshine. Again, the Find N5 brightens things up more than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, but the Pixel maintains a more true-to-life tone, especially with the grass.
Overall, both pictures are crisp, but you’ll notice more subtle details like the tree branches in the Pixel shot being sharper and the blades of grass being more discernible too. So I think the Pixel wins here.
These nighttime images taken in my living room show how each phone deals with harsher shadows. You’ll notice how much deeper the dark colors are on the Find N5, like the writing on the accent pillow and the shadows around the lamp and in the lower left corner by the pink chair. I think the Pixel 9 Pro Fold does a better job evening out those shadows and creating a more consistent overall shot, so that’s getting my vote here.
Now onto zoom range. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold features .5x, 1x, 2x and 5x optical zoom, while the Find N5 has .6x, 1x, 2x, 3x and 6x optical zoom (zoom levels achieved partly thanks to sensor cropping). Again, the Find N5 tends to brighten up shots and reduce shadows, and I appreciate having a 3x zoom option for when you want to get close, but not too close.
Here’s how the Pixel 9 Pro Fold performs at each zoom level:
And here’s how the Oppo Find N5 performs — the 6x zoom shot is my favorite because of how bold and vibrant the petals are:
Lastly, selfies were taken on the cover screen cameras on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Oppo Find N5, respectively. The biggest thing that stands out is how much more the wood door’s staining is amplified in the Find N5 shot, which is a bit excessive for me. You’ll also notice the pink flowers on my jumpsuit pop more.
Both phones do a good job depicting my skin tone and adding a nice overall smoothness to my features. But again, I think the color balance throughout the Pixel 9 Pro Fold image puts it on top.
Final thoughts
Camera comparisons are equal parts critique and personal preference. I like how the Oppo Find N5 brightens up some shots, but generally, I prefer the more true-to-life and even tones served up by the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, especially with images of people. The Pixel also tends to do better with low-light photos by minimizing shadows.
The good news is you’ll get clear, well-lit shots with both phones — which you’d certainly hope for, given their hefty price tags. Whether you’re zooming in, snapping a selfie or tapping into portrait mode, each phone has a lot to flex, beyond those foldable screens.
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