Just when you think folding smartphones have hit their limits, Oppo took the concept out of your pocket and turned it into a ”smart umbrella.” Meet the Find U-a tongue-in-cheek creation that blends flagship gadget ambition with pure engineering whimsy.
According to the spoof, the Find U borrows the Flexion Hinge from Oppo’s Find N6 foldable phone, rated for 600,000 folds. The inside of the canopy supposedly sports a leather-like material that doubles as a 4K display, letting you interact with its interface even in the rain. The umbrella ”runs” on a fictional Android Umbrella OS.
The list of features reads like a sci-fi pitch: long-press the handle to change the umbrella’s color, built-in cameras to snap photos, and fingerprint unlocking to keep things secure.
But Oppo’s prank doesn’t stop there. The Find U also ”supports” a Solar Mode that converts the canopy into a solar charger, a self-drying function using 60,000 Hz vibrations, and a wind stabilization system with tiny motors that nudge you forward against gusts.
Adding to the joke, the umbrella boasts three different IP ratings-IP56, IP58, and IP59-as if one waterproof certification wasn’t enough.
Even Oppo CEO Pete Lau weighed in, joking, ”I don’t recall approving this.”
The final giveaway? The ”launch” date: April 31st-a date that doesn’t exist. This, along with the outlandish specs, confirmed the Find U as an elaborate April Fools’ gag.
Oppo’s prank is a cheeky reminder that smartphone makers are pushing foldable tech to its limits-and sometimes beyond. While rival companies like Samsung and Huawei focus on foldables transforming phones and tablets, Oppo took the joke literally outside the pocket. The Find U may never show up in real life, but it highlights the creativity (and occasional absurdity) of today’s gadget innovation race.
Keep an eye on Oppo’s actual foldable devices to see if they’ll try to push the boundaries again-hopefully within the realm of practicality this time.