The OnePlus Open is now official, having been announced on Thursday. The device is the first foldable for OnePlus, which has been considered a market disrupter since 2014. Its initial series of smartphones transitioned from affordable models with flagship specs to being on par with their high-end equivalents in western markets. Soon OnePlus introduced more cost-effective lines to keep its premier numbered series as its own flagship. Introducing a foldable to its lineup is a formidable move showing even more that the brand had a long-term strategy of being comparable to its high-end peers. In some ways, the brand has exceeded its biggest aspiration, Apple by releasing its own foldable first.
Having announced the OnePlus Open in Mumbai, India is also a testament to its expanding market and widening global fanbase. The brand noted at its launch event that its Red Cable Club fan community now comprises 40 million members worldwide.
Here are the launch details and my preliminary thoughts on the OnePlus Open.
Design
Though, there haven’t been many generations of foldables across different brands the basic design standard has already formed. The most common is the y-axis style that folds like a book or a hot dog depending on who you ask. This is the style that the OnePlus Open takes on; however, the brand has included its own tweaks that set it apart from other foldables.
Color options include Emerald Dusk and Voyager Black, which both will be available in North America. I got to handle the Emerald Dusk, which is a textured finish that looks like a protective casing. This texture does give it a chunkier look, and it is the slightly thicker option dimensions-wise, both flat and folded. However, it is still decently hand-held.
With open dimensions of 153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8-5.9 mm and folded dimensions of 153.4 x 73.3 x 11.7-11.9 mm, the device is very standard in size. The Emerald is a touch heavier at 245 g, while the black weighs in at 239 g. Still, they would likely feel the same day-to-day. The OnePlus Open folds smoothly with the slightest gap due to a styling continuation of its hinge in the inner part of the phone. It is a dust magnet.
When open, it gives me Google Pixel Fold vibes, likely due to the foldable customized operating system. However, when closed it is unmistakably OnePlus due to the honking circular rear camera module with Hasselblad tuning and branding. The front screen also has the OnePlus nuance with the brand’s typeface and the red coloring in the time.
Display
The OnePlus Open features a 7.82-inch Flexi-fluid AMOLED display for its foldable scream with a 2440 x 2268 resolution, 426 ppi pixel density, 1-120 Hz dynamic refresh rate, 240 Hz touch response rate, brightness up to 2800 nits, SRGB, DCI-P3, and 10-bit color depth support among other specifications. The screen is made of ultra-thin glass certified for TÜV Rheinland Intelligent Eye Care.
The handset hadn’t been in use that long and my time with it was limited; however, there was no sign of folding stress in the center. It would likely take a long-term review to determine the overall due durability of this weak point, but it can also depend on the brand. Sometimes creasing shows up as soon as foldables begin being used, so the fact that the OnePlus Open seems to have accounted for this is notable. As mentioned above, OnePlus appears to have overcome this weak point with bumpers at the folding points where the hinge meets the display. Whether intended to or not, the phone also stands well in a partially folded position.
Viewing-wise, the foldable did decently in a dim environment. While I spent most of my time in photoshoot mode with the flashlights of other phones as makeshift lighting, I got what I needed for the phone quality. Loading a few quick cartoon scenes gave a basic idea of the color depth. OnePlus included a movable crystalline structure as its background, demonstrating not only the functionality of the foldable display but also the high contrast of dark and light colors. The screen itself attracted a lot of fingerprints. I suppose that should be par for the course.
The outer display is a 6.31-inch screen with a 2484 x 1116 resolution, a 20:09 aspect ratio, and a 10-120 Hz dynamic refresh rate. I was especially impressed with the size and aspect ratio of the front display, which can hold its own as a slate phone.
Camera
Many of my images were taken in primarily dimly lit locations or at night, which was apparent. I got a chance to take advantage of brightness settings outside of flash and to get a little artistic with my photography.
The OnePlus Open features a triple rear camera setup, which includes a 48-megapixel main lens with f/1.7 aperture, 24 mm focal length, and an 85-degree field of view, a 64-megapixel telephoto lens with f/2.6 aperture, 70mm focal length, 33.4-degree field of view, 6X in-sensor zoom, and digital zoom up to 120X, and a 48-megapixel ultra-wide lens with f/2.2 aperture, 14mm focal length, and 114-degree field of view.
Its dual front camera setup is a 20-megapixel lens with f/2.2 aperture and 91-degree field of view and a 32-megapixel lens with an f/2.4 aperture and 88.5-degree field of view. Similarly to the front display’s functionality as a slate phone, it holds its own as a solid camera on its own; not just a selfie camera.
Performance
My location was a basement speakeasy somewhere in Manhattan where the connectivity should have been questionable, but I was pleasantly surprised. I was able to sign on to YouTube and load some videos with ease. There were no lags or buffering.
The OnePlus Open hardware specifications include a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, an Adreno 740 GPU, 16GB LPDDR5X with 4GB, 8GB, 12GB RAM expansion options, and 512GB UFS 4.0 storage.
I found the device ran smoothly with no in-system lagging. It transitions seamlessly as you need from tablet mode to the front screen without issue. Moving the cameras from the main screen to the front screen will be a consistent party trick no matter the device, in my opinion. It’s very convenient if you forget which camera you intend to use.
Software
The OnePlus Open features Android 13 with an OxygenOS 13.2 overlay. OnePlus stuffed the device with its usual barrage of apps. It perhaps looked more daunting because of the larger screen real estate on the main screen, but what better way you use it, I suppose? OnePlus includes a number of service perks with the purchase of the device.
Battery and Charging
The OnePlus Open supports a 4,805mAh battery system, which comprises non-removable 3,295 mAh and 1,510mAh cells. The device supports 67W SUPERVOOC wireless charging, which allows it to go from one to 35 percent in 10 minutes. Additionally, it supports reversed-wired charging. However, I’d require a long-term personal review to test its battery life and charging claims myself.
Price and Availability
The OnePlus Open will be available for preorder starting Thursday, with a $1,699 pricing. Customers can get a pair of OnePlus Buds Pro 2 for free as a preorder deal. The foldable will hit the market on October 26. The brand is offering trials of Google One, YouTube Premium, and Microsoft 365 alongside the purchase of the device.
OnePlus is also offering guaranteed trade-in deals starting at $200 for any phone in any condition. Values cap at $1000.
Verdict
OnePlus continues to challenge its competitors on the market, pricing the OnePlus Open slightly below its other North American counterparts that sit at around $1,799 in starting price. The Flagship Killer has become more of a flagship snipper. Without Apple as a reference, the brand has taken ideas from its market companions, such as Samsung, and Google, in addition to International options such as Oppo, and others. Not only in design references but also in marketing. Its services, accessories, and trade-in options are indicative of the Android side of the market.
Still, OnePlus has clearly done its best to maintain its own brand identity among many foldables that are beginning to look identical after only a few generations. There is no mistaking that the device for anything other than a OnePlus model. For a first dip into the foldable space, it’s a solid effort. But if anyone asks, you didn’t hear it from me!
