Oppo has unveiled Find N5, which it claims it the world's thinnest foldable smartphone, as the Chinese company beefs up push into research and development to push forward technological progress.

Oppo said at just 8.93 millimeter, Find N5 is the world's thinnest book-style foldable flagship smartphone. The Find N5 is slimmer than any of its foldable rivals, including the Honor Magic V3 and Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold, and thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro.

Pete Lau, senior vice-president and chief product officer at Oppo, said Find N5 unlocks the potential of folding phones, putting tablet and laptop experiences in consumers' hands. More importantly, foldable phones should be as thin as bar phones.

Xiao Xu, a director at the Beijing Enterprise Reform and Development Research Association, said the new Oppo phone showcases the development trends of waterproof, ultra-thin, and durable foldable phones, which will also drive industry enterprises to accelerate research and development in hinges, materials, and other aspects to pursue innovation.

The foldable phone market is showing robust growth momentum. Market research firm International Data Corp predicted that the compound annual growth rate of foldable phone shipments in the Chinese market will reach 37.5 percent by 2027.