Oppo uses "3D liquid printing" to solve the foldable crease – here's how

I've had the Oppo Find N6 in my possession for the last few weeks. It's been burning a hole in my pocket, quite honestly, because there's so much cool stuff to talk about in this new folding phone.

The one feature that's been most widely "leaked" – and I say so in inverted commas, because Oppo itself has step by step been revealing the information – is the new "no crease" hinge.

You know what I'm talking about: the central fold across the centre of a folding display has the inherent trouble of presenting a little divot, like a canal that doesn't sit quite flat against the rest of the surface.

Well, the Oppo Find N6 solves this problem with a new process. And, I must say, it's rather ingenious. I've been testing the phone for some time and this mitigation of crease – do note that, from a visual perspective, it's not totally gone though – is highly effective in terms of feel.

So, just how has it been achieved? Oppo's "2nd Gen Titanium Flexion Hinge" – yes, it's got quite the name, hasn't it? – is the core component, a trim piece of mechanical engineering that's impressive in its own right.

But this hinge still presents some creases between itself and the surface. So, for every single Find N6 produced, Oppo uses a laser-scanning technique to create a 3D map of where areas aren't fully flat.

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This map defines where a "3D liquid printing" process will be applied, adding layers of polymer to fill the uneven areas. This is then hardened using Ultraviolet light. The scan, print and hardening process is repeated 20 times, ensuring the best possible finish.

Furthermore, Oppo has used what it calls "Auto-Smoothing Flex Glass" in the Find N6. It's 50% thicker than its predecessor's was, meaning it's better at resisting deformation and recovering to its original shape after folding.

Compared to the Find N5 of last year, the Find N6's purported result through this material choice and printing processes makes the crease 82% less visible from generation to generation. It's a believable statistic, too, given the dramatic difference – as you can see in my pictures.

The Find N6 is also TÜV Rheinland tested, with an assurance of up to 200,000 folds. That's a whole lot of folding. Oppo suggests that even after 600,000 folds, however, the Find N6 will barely deviate from its original, factory-fresh form.

But there's a bit of a problem for most of us around the globe: the Oppo Find N6 will only launch in Asia-Pacific markets. That means no UK, no Europe, no USA. Only China, Japan, Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand will be in with the opportunity to buy one.

For a device so stand-apart from its peers, I find it disappointing that availability is so limited. There seems to be a dwindling in folding phone availability, with OnePlus seemingly cancelling its forthcoming device.

There are alternatives out there, of course, from the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold to Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Honor Magic V5. But none of those can present a "zero crease" solution as convincing as Oppo's 3D printed solution.