OnePlus may not be quite the household name it many of us expected it to be by this point, but the company has proven in 2025 that it is still capable of producing some rather impressive phones.

With two major flagship launches in North America, it seemingly pushed battery technology to new heights, offering the largest batteries in a smartphone in North America. The company has also managed to keep up on the software and AI fronts, which are becoming increasingly important as companies race to offer the best integration and most robust feature set.

As we look to 2026, how can OnePlus build on the momentum of two impressive flagship launches in one year? Here's what I expect and hope to see from OnePlus in the coming year.

Don't fall behind

Phones like the OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 15 are among the most impressive we've seen from Android OEMs, with large batteries and fast charging speeds, and we'll likely see the latter model take the helm as OnePlus's focus throughout 2026. However, the OnePlus 16 will likely launch toward the end of the year, and there are a few upgrades we hope to see that could make or break the phone for some consumers.

With the Pixel 10 series sporting built-in Qi2 magnets, we've come to appreciate the convenience of magnetic charging, including the various accessories you can pair with your phone. While we always recommend a smartphone case, it's also nice not to have to rely on one to use the latest MagSafe accessories.

But perhaps the biggest change we'd love to see (aside from the return of the alert slider) is a better camera system. While the OnePlus 15 is impressive and technically better than the OnePlus 13, its sensors are inconsistent and fall behind the competition, such as the Vivo X300, making it tough for the company to compete in markets like Asia, where we often see some of the best smartphone cameras.

OnePlus should bring the Nord series back to the U.S.

Outside the U.S., OnePlus offers a wide selection of models, including its flagships and more affordable Nord series. However, in the U.S., the company has only focused on its highest-end model and slightly cheaper R-series, opting for a dual phone launch strategy.

However, the price point makes OnePlus a bit hard to reach for many consumers. This is where the Nord series comes in; its absence has been felt, as budget Android phones seem to be dominated solely by Motorola and Samsung.

OnePlus has proven that it can make a compelling budget phone, but the absence of the Nord series in the U.S. in recent years has been a curious omission to me. After all, a good-looking phone like last year's OnePlus Nord 4, with decent specs, a larger battery, and faster than a flagship like the Galaxy S25 but at half the price, sounds like a phone many consumers would like to buy.

That sentiment also extends to OnePlus watches like the new OnePlus Watch Lite. If OnePlus can bring a watch like this to the States, running Wear OS, I imagine it would be an instant hit at a time when smartwatch prices keep going up.

OnePlus is still lacking in market share and consumer mindshare

Part of the problem with OnePlus only selling flagship phones is that they're beyond the reach of many consumers. But an even bigger problem OnePlus needs to address in 2026 is more or less the same one I was hoping it would overcome in 2025: its lack of carrier presence.

As capable of a company as OnePlus is, it still strikes me as odd that it no longer works with carriers in the U.S. to sell its phones. The U.S. is an important market, ruled mostly by carriers, and without presence in brick-and-mortar stores or even on their online storefronts, OnePlus continues to risk fading into irrelevance.

I would love to see OnePlus return to the U.S. in a big way that doesn't require well-informed consumers to visit a OnePlus website or Amazon. Having its phones available with carriers, rather than just supporting them, will help attract more eyes, which could ultimately lead to more sales.

It also makes it more appealing to consumers who may be deterred by the high price of a flagship phone, which OnePlus seems insistent on focusing its efforts on in the U.S. Buying through a carrier allows consumers to break up that high cost, which makes it easier to purchase expensive phones since you're not fronting the entire $899 at once.

That said, this would mean working with more than just one company. Carrier exclusives are mostly a thing of the past and severely limit the reach of an otherwise great phone. No one is switching carriers just to get their hands on a phone, so OnePlus needs to get all major U.S. carriers on board to get its phones in more consumer hands in 2026 and beyond.

Give us the OnePlus Open 2

As IDC points out, foldable phones are having their moment, especially as companies make them thinner and add more folds. However, the U.S. market is still quite small, with only three major players: Samsung and Google with book-style foldables, and Motorola with flip phones (alongside Samsung).

We've been hoping for a OnePlus Open 2 for some time, especially after the highly praised OnePlus Open. It would be the perfect time to return to the foldable space in 2026, and not just with a OnePlus Open 2, but also with a flip phone.

Oppo has proven that it can offer a thin and compelling foldable, and I also loved its last flip phone. Given their close relationship, it shouldn't be difficult for OnePlus to take another stab at the foldable market to show U.S. consumers what they've been missing out on.

What you need to know

• The OnePlus Open is picking up a new update with the March 2025 security patch via OxygenOS 15.
• The changelog details a security improvement for user data, as well as a couple of home screen customization updates.
• The OnePlus Open 2 is still of interest, especially after a teaser earlier this year, which suggests it will be pencil-thin like the OPPO Find N5.

OnePlus is currently starting to roll out its latest OxygenOS update for its book-style foldable.

The update notice was posted on the Community forums, stating its rollout bears vCPH2551_15.0.0.700(EX01) for OnePlus Open users in India. Those with the device are in for quite a few improvements, beginning with the phone's privacy and security. According to OnePlus, the latest OxygenOS 15 update "Improves the process for resetting your privacy password." The patch notes add that users will be prompted to link their "privacy password with their account."

It seems this is designed to help users regain access if they've forgotten their credentials. OnePlus states users can reset their password through their account.

Elsewhere, the March 2025 security patch is rolling alongside these changes. The Chinese OEM is also improving the music player controls of Spotify's Live Alerts. OnePlus adds it's bringing a slight home screen customization change for folders and widgets. For folders, users can resize them to be 1x2 or 2x1 on the home screen.

The update for widgets is said to facilitate more "visual consistency" as foldable users now receive a 2x2 size option for third-party widgets. It says users will find this new appearance choice in Settings > Home Screen & Lock Screen > Optimize Widget appearance.

The remainder of the changelog is as follows:

• Adds an option to rename an app group by touching and holding its shortcut on the Home screen
• Improves the widget design for Zomato and Blinkit in Shelf to better communicate the app status
• Improves Wi-Fi network switching and mobile data roaming for a more seamless experience

As previously stated, the update has been announced for India; however, it's expected to hit other regions (like the U.S.) soon. It may appear for users later this week or next week. Regardless, you can continue to manually check your device for the patch if you wish.

The OnePlus Open's latest major update arrived around the holidays last year as the company rolled out its Android 15 upgrade. Under the guise of OxygenOS 15, the update brought several animation tweaks to the foldable, which made things feel more consistent and smooth. Additionally, OnePlus worked on improvements for users utilizing third-party applications. As AI is all the rage, the company brought a few tools, such as AI Retouch and AI Reflection Eraser. Both were aimed at reducing the amount of blur and/or unfocused imagery in user photos.

Like today's update, the Android 15 initially started in India before hitting global regions a week later.

While you may not want to hear it, we're still waiting on the OnePlus Open 2, despite its sheer number of delays. The device is expected to be a more global-oriented device based on OPPO's Find N5, which looks incredibly pencil-thin. There's still a lot of uncertainty about when the device will be released, so it's best to play things by ear for now.

When you've used as many phones as I have over the years, there are some that tend to stick in your memory better than others. Apple's release of the iPhone 3GS sparked my love for smartphones, while jailbreaking laid the foundation for when I would later join the world of Android and rooting. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 was my first experience with a foldable phone, and now I don't leave home without one.

Although I had been hoping for Google to release a foldable phone, the original Pixel Fold didn't quite do it for me. Instead, the OnePlus Open captured my heart as it set the standard for what I think a book-style foldable phone should offer.

At the time, it was thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 5 with larger screens while offering better battery life, faster charging, better cameras, and the list goes on. Sure, it lacked wireless charging, and I had to jump through hoops trying to find the right stylus. But hey, it got everything else right. So much so that I didn't want to stop using it even as newer and more powerful phones came my way.

Unfortunately, not all dreams are meant to be granted, and this is the case with the OnePlus Open 2. Following the news that it would not launch in 2025, I was rather dejected and wanted to figure out how to get my hands on the Find N5. But without carrier subsidies to rely on, paying extra just to have it imported isn't currently on the cards.

So, instead, I wanted to see if the Open was still as good as I thought or if I was just living in the proverbial "reality distortion field."

Fast forward a week or so, and I think I've found myself stuck between fantasy and reality. From a hardware perspective, it's a pretty tight race between the OnePlus Open and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. That's a testament to both OnePlus and Google, as the Open was released in October 2023, while the 9 Pro Fold feels incredibly more modern than its predecessor.

The Open didn't fall short in terms of performance, which, again, is no surprise. It's powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and includes 16GB of RAM. Would I have wanted to see a OnePlus foldable with the Snapdragon 8 Elite? Absolutely, but that's more of a feeling rooted in me wanting the fastest and most powerful phone possible.

As for the software, well, it's exactly what you'd expect from a OnePlus or OPPO phone. All of the "normal" stuff works fine, but I didn't come away feeling the same about multitasking. Don't get me wrong, I think the Open Canvas is fantastic in a lot of ways, especially on the OnePlus Pad 2. However, I also think that I still prefer Samsung's split-screen approach because of the way that I use foldables.

When it comes to the cameras, not much has really changed, as I still think it beats Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 in that regard. It's not better than the Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 16 Pro Max, but it's right up there with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Of course, these all fall short when compared to foldable phones released in regions that aren't the U.S., but I digress.

There was one thing that's really left a thorn in my side since I started using the Open again — battery life. It's just bad. Initially, I thought it was because I was switching over from the Galaxy S25 Ultra. That's a new phone with a new battery, while I was switching to a phone from 2023 with a battery that has really been put through the wringer.

But then it got worse. Since moving my spare SIM over to the Open a little over a week ago, I've been unable to make it through an entire day without needing to recharge before bed. I don't mean that the phone's running out of juice an hour or two before. I mean that I take it off the charger between 7-8 AM in the morning, and I'm down to 20% or lower by 4-5 PM.

It's reached the point that I actually couldn't wait to be done using the Open so I could flip a coin and go back to either the Pixel 9 Pro Fold or the Galaxy Z Fold 6. And for the first time in who knows how long, I actually wish a modern phone had a user-replaceable battery. Just let me swap it out or take it somewhere to be done in a day or two, and everything would be golden. Which isn't exactly something that I'd expect to say in 2025.

When it's all said and done, I think that at that moment, the OnePlus Open was the best thing since sliced bread. In a lot of ways, it still holds up, to the point that I'd be happy even if OnePlus were to just re-release it. Oh right, that already kind of happened with the Apex Edition that you can no longer buy.

For as much as I wanted to fall in love with the OnePlus Open again, that "spark" just isn't there for me. Maybe I will try to figure out a way to replace the battery and give it another shot. Or maybe I'll just wait and see if the Galaxy Z Fold SE Z Fold 7 finally delivers what I've wanted from Samsung for the past couple of years.

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The OnePlus Open was a revelation; the sleek design, terrific camera package, and standout battery life meant that the device was a viable alternative to Samsung's foldable efforts. Even though OnePlus didn't launch a successor in 2024, the Open held up incredibly well against the Galaxy Z Fold 6 — which tells you a lot about Samsung's strategy.

I was excited for the Open 2, but the foldable has been put on ice — indefinitely. OnePlus announced on its forums that it will not launch a foldable this year, with OPPO instead taking the lead with the Find N5. "At OnePlus, our core strength and passion lie in setting new benchmarks and challenging the status quo across all product categories. With that in mind, we’ve carefully considered the timing and our next steps in foldable devices, and we have made the decision not to release a foldable this year."

OnePlus says it isn't exiting the category entirely, but even if it were to launch a device next year, it would effectively have to start from scratch, and I don't understand why the manufacturer isn't debuting the Find N5 in global markets as the Open 2. This is what it did with the Open — which was a rebranded Find N3 — so to not do the same in 2025 feels short-sighted.

OnePlus is basically ceding ground to Samsung in this category, and with the Open 2 not launching this year, there isn't a meaningful rival to the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 outside the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. I really like the Honor Magic V3 and Vivo's X Fold3, but neither foldable is available in North America. Availability in the region was what gave the Open a distinct advantage, and OnePlus is losing out on that this time.

OPPO has good presence in Asia and is once again starting to sell its products in select western markets, but it doesn't have a foothold in North America — the region was seen as OnePlus's territory within the BBK conglomerate. While I'm excited to use the Find N5 — it promises to be the thinnest foldable yet — it won't be sold in anywhere as many regions, and that's annoying.

OnePlus's strategy just doesn't make any sense to me. Obviously, the Open wouldn't have sold in nearly as many numbers as the OnePlus 11 and OnePlus 12, but it built a strong foundation for the manufacturer, and to not expand on that is the wrong move. If anything, the Open 2 was set to be the biggest challenger to Samsung's dominance in North America, and as the device isn't launching now, there's even less incentive for the brand to introduce any meaningful changes with the Z Fold 7.

I wasn't keen on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 when it launched; I didn't like the boxy design, and there weren't many useful upgrades. But after using the phone, I changed my initial assessment — the specs may not have changed, but the device feels better to use, and it is a decent enough choice — particularly now that it is down to $1,317.

But that isn't the best foldable you can buy right now. That honor goes to the OnePlus Open; while the phone is over a year old, it continues to be a terrific choice. Notably, it wins out in key areas against the Galaxy Z Fold 6; the in-hand feel is much better, the crease in the middle isn't anywhere as noticeable, the cameras take better photos, the battery lasts longer, and doesn't take as long to charge.

While the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is technically the better phone if you just look at the spec sheet, it doesn't measure up in real-world use. Having used both phones next to one another, I recommend the OnePlus Open without any hesitation. The best part is that the Open is now on sale for just $1,199, $500 less than its retail price. That's for the 512GB edition — the same model of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will set you back to the tune of $1,514.

✅Recommended if: You want a foldable with an elegant design, usable inner and outer panels, barely any crease, great cameras at the back, and the best battery life in this category.

❌Skip this deal if: You need long-term software updates — Google and Samsung offer twice as many Android OS updates.

Samsung racked up an early lead in the foldable segment, but the brand didn't deliver meaningful upgrades in recent years, and that has allowed its rivals to catch up. OnePlus didn't even bother launching a foldable this year, but it did enough with the Open to outmatch what Samsung has to offer with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, a phone that launched nine months later — that's the scale of Samsung's inaction in this segment.

The OnePlus Open has a gorgeous design with a leather back (on the black model), and it just feels better to use. The hinge has smoother articulation, and the crease isn't anywhere as noticeable as the Z Fold 6. What I also like is that the outer screen is just the right size; while Samsung made amends in this area, the outer panel on the Z Fold 6 still feels awkward to use.

While the hardware is a year old, I don't see any issues in daily use, and the Open manages to hold its own in demanding games. The cameras are terrific as well, and the phone takes outstanding photos in challenging situations. I easily get a day's worth of use out of the Open even with heavy use, something that just isn't feasible on the Z Fold 6. And when it comes to charging, the 67W charging tech takes just under 45 minutes to charge the battery.

The software is quite good too, and while there are annoyances — there's still no 5x6 grid on the home screen — it has been smooth sailing. The interface is packed with useful multitasking features, and the Android 15 update is rolling out soon, bringing a ton of AI features to the device.

So even though the Open is a year old, it still has plenty to offer, and if you're interested in a foldable, this is the one to get during Black Friday — the discount to $1,199 makes it that much more enticing.

One of the most common complaints about foldable phones is that they are just too expensive. With Black Friday upon us, there's never been a better time to save big on one of these beasts. For example, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, my current daily driver, is down to its lowest price ever!

Normally, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold costs about $1,800, but that price has been slashed by $300, bringing it down to $1,499. While that's for the 256GB model, if you need more storage, you'll be able to save $300 on the 512GB version too!

✅Recommended if: You want one of the most complete foldable phone experiences while saving some money at the same time.

❌Skip this deal if: You want or need a bit more software flexibility in a foldable phone.

The Pixel 9 Pro Fold takes a completely different approach compared to its predecessor. Google ditched the passport-style from the original Pixel Fold in favor of one that's a bit more intuitive.

It starts with the outer screen, which is the same size as the Pixel 9 Pro. This provides a more traditional smartphone experience while the phone is folded, which has been a sticking point for some.

When you unfold the phone, you're presented with a beautiful 8-inch Super Actua Flex display. Combined with the redesign, the inner screen makes for a more comfortable multi-tasking experience, as you can have a full-size app on either side of the screen.

Even if the Pixel 9 Pro Fold isn't the phone for you, it's not the only foldable phone on sale for Black Friday. We're also tracking deals for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and OnePlus Open, not to mention the variety of deals for flip phones like the Moto Razr Plus.

What you need to know

• OnePlus is beginning to roll out OxygenOS 15, which is based on Android 15, to OnePlus Open users.
• The update is now rolling out in batches in India, and will come to North America, Europe, and global markets next week.
• After first updating the OnePlus 12 and OnePlus Pad 2 to OxygenOS 15, the company continues a run of speedy Android 15 updates.

The OnePlus Open, arguably the best foldable available in North America in 2023 and 2024, is getting better. OnePlus announced today that it's beginning to roll out OxygenOS 15 for the OnePlus Open in India, with the update coming to North America, Europe, and global markets next week. Based on Android 15, the OxygenOS 15 upgrade includes plenty of new features and changes, and it comes at a time when the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is still waiting for One UI 7.

Google is changing up its Android release schedule, but this year, Android 15 had a disjointed debut. Some manufacturers, like Samsung, are still scrambling to release it. Others, like Vivo, actually beat Google to the punch delivering Android 15. While OnePlus isn't the first to release the upgrade, it has been ahead of the curve with OxygenOS 15. The OnePlus 12 and OnePlus Pad 2 already received the update, and now, the Open joins that list.

The general features and changes OxygenOS 15 brings apply to all OnePlus devices, but there are a few that will especially benefit foldable devices. Starting off small, OnePlus changed the animation and rendering effects used in OxygenOS. The changes are intended to make the entire OS feel "consistently smooth and seamless," and improve optimization for third-party apps.

There are also a handful of AI tools, including AI Retouch and AI Reflection Eraser. These will both use artificial intelligence to improve the quality of blurry or unfocused images. There's an AI Notes feature, too, which adds a set of writing tools that leverage generative AI to improve your writing quality throughout OxygenOS 15.

For foldable users, the new gestures for split screen views and floating windows will be most impactful. Notification banners can now be pulled down to open their respective apps in floating windows. You can pull down to open a floating window in full screen, or swipe up to close it entirely.

In India, the OxygenOS 15 update for the OnePlus Open carries a build number of CPH2551_15.0.0.200(EX01). You can read the full release notes for the update here.

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Earlier this year, I wrote about how I hoped to see the Android equivalent of an iPad Mini. While we have plenty of options to choose from if you want a powerful tablet with a big screen, smaller tablets are usually packed with less-than-impressive specs. More recently, I've wondered whether a small and powerful Android tablet is really necessary, given that I always carry a foldable phone with me.

In terms of performance, foldables take the cake, and it's not even close. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the OnePlus Open uses the 8 Gen 2, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold relies on the Tensor G4. Sure, the Pixel might fall short of the other two foldables I mentioned, but it's no slouch.

As for tablets, there just aren't that many options if you want flagship specs but a screen under 10 inches. Lenovo is really the only game in town, as the Legion Y700 sports an 8.8-inch screen and is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. That presents a different problem, however, as the Y700 isn't officially sold in the States, meaning that you have to go through Giztop or AliExpress to get one.

The smallest flagship tablet that I've come across that is readily available, is the recently-released RedMagic Nova Gaming Tablet. It too makes use of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 but comes with a 10.9-inch screen. While Samsung ditched the 11-inch model with the Galaxy Tab S10, the Tab S9 and its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is still available. But even then, we don't know how long that will be the case, and it's still too large.

All the while, foldable phones offer screens that fall right within the size range that I would want. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is one of the smaller ones with its 7.6-inch display, while the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro offers up an even larger 8.03-inch panel. Unfortunately, Vivo's foldable presents the same problem as the Y700, as you can't just pick it up in Best Buy or on Amazon.

With all of that being said, do I really need to jump through a bunch of hoops just to get a powerful tablet? Or are foldable phones simply the better overall option for those who either have one or are considering one?

The short answer to this question should be fairly obvious. But there are a few wrinkles that have kept me from coming to a definitive conclusion.

Foldable phones are mostly the better option, simply because they're both a phone and a tablet in a single device. With the work that Samsung, Google, and OnePlus have been putting into the software, the experience is also largely the same between each company's foldable phone and tablet offerings.

The biggest difference comes in the form of multi-tasking, at least to a certain extent. Many of the best Samsung phones and tablets include the ability to use DeX Mode, essentially turning your device into a Chromebook. However, unlike the Galaxy Tab S9 or Tab S10, the only way to use DeX on the Fold 6 is to either plug into an external display or connect to one wirelessly. Meanwhile, you can just tap a button on the Galaxy Tab keyboard and switch over from the traditional tablet interface to DeX mode.

This isn't the case when looking at the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the Pixel Tablet. Even while running the latest Android 15 beta, I'm unable to do anything but mirror the screen from the 9 Pro Fold, which is simply disappointing. My disappointment is further compounded by the fact that you can use desktop windowing on an external display with the Pixel 9 Pro XL but not the Pro Fold.

On the bright side, after enabling the "Freeform windows" toggle in Developer Options, I can have up to four free-floating windows on the Pixel Tablet. Things work surprisingly well, and Google has done an excellent job of making things look more aesthetically pleasing than in the days of old. The only downside is that this isn't a feature that's enabled out of the box, but I expect that to change sooner rather than later.

Although OnePlus doesn't have a specific desktop mode for its Pad 2 or the OnePlus Open, it has another trick up its sleeve. You can actually use your phone from the Pad 2, bringing Phone Mirroring to a tablet, which is something I didn't have on my bingo card. Much like the experience is largely the same with Samsung devices, the various features and multitasking options are pretty similar between the OnePlus Pad 2 and Open.

One area where all of the tablets mentioned have an advantage is when using a stylus. Samsung includes one in the box, Google doesn't sell one at all but relies on the USI 2.0 standard, and while OnePlus does offer one, you have to buy it separately. But that's not the advantage that I'm talking about.

Excluding the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which lacks stylus support, you'll have to contend with the crease on foldable phones. It's fine for the most part and is a lot better than it used to be, but the crease can still be a source of frustration. None of those problems exist with the slabs of glass on a tablet. Drawing a straight line is entirely dependent on your ability to actually draw a straight line.

On the flip side, you don't exactly want to whip out the 14.6-inch Galaxy Tab S10 Ultra while you're waiting in line at the store and want to turn a picture into a meme. The same sentiment rings true even with the OnePlus Pad 2 and Galaxy Tab S9. Meanwhile, provided that you have the S Pen Fold Edition or Oppo Pen you can do exactly that with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or OnePlus Open.

There's no arguing or denying that foldable phones are more versatile compared to the best Android tablets or even phones. However, there is one argument to be made, and it's the most important one of them all — price.

Without taking trade-ins or deals into consideration, you could import the 16GB/512GB model of the Lenovo Legion Y700 2024 from Giztop for about $600. Heck, you could even go so far as to toss in the official leather case, Legion Gaming Controller G7, and Lenovo's Stylus Pen, and you would be looking at around $760.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 starts at $1,899, which includes 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. If you want to match up the storage, the 512GB model will set you back just north of $2,000. Samsung doesn't offer the Fold 6 with 16GB of RAM, and that doesn't include the S Pen or case.

You're looking at another $60 for just the stylus or $100 if you want the official S Pen case. At that price, I could buy two Y700 tablets, complete with accessories, and still have money left over to snag a couple of different controllers or an external SSD to house my ROM collection.

Now, there's a good chance that you might be swayed into changing your mind in the very near future. The 2024 holiday shopping season is already underway, with Black Friday right around the corner.

If Prime Day was anything to go by, then I suspect that we'll see some pretty incredible deals pop up for both foldable phones and tablets. With that in mind, don't just jump at the first deal that you see just for the sake of it. Even still, I'm hoping to see some steep discounts on foldable phones, but I suspect there will also be plenty of tablet deals to be had.

For as much as I want foldable phones to take over the world and replace the slabs of glass that we've been reliant on for years, we're just not there yet. Frankly, I don't know if we'll ever actually get there with book-style foldables as flip phones continue to rise in popularity.

Simply based on the price alone, and ignoring all of the convenience that foldables offer, tablets are still better. Now, I just need companies to release these small and powerful tablets in the U.S., so I don't have to pay extra just to get one imported.

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What you need to know

• Rumors suggest OnePlus is interested in making the Open 2 even thinner than the first model, which could bring it contention with Honor's Magic V3.
• The device is "expected" to feature a 9.Xmm thinness when folded with a circular triple camera array, and a 2K Plus high-definition display.
• Honor's Magic V3 is incredibly thin and durable as the company stated it measures 9.2mm when folded and 4.3mm unfolded.

New rumors claim consumers could have an interesting competition brewing between OnePlus and Honor following its thin Magic V3 foldable.

Known Weibo tipster Digital Chat Station (DCS) posted some rumors about the OnePlus Open 2, which purported its new thinner mentality. The information was recently edited away; however, the folks at Android Authority snapped a screenshot of it. According to the original rumor, DCS states a key aspect of OnePlus' design for the Open 2 is to make it "even thinner and lighter."

Supposedly, the Chinese OEM is interested in producing a foldable with a thickness of 9.Xmm. This is rumored to be "expected" as development of the device continues. The tipster didn't give a specific number, though it should be relatively thinner than Honor's recent book-style foldable if it wants to beat it.

Other rumors claim the phone could feature a Sony 50MP primary sensor within its triple camera array. It's suggested that a periscope camera will join this. Additionally, it seems OnePlus is sticking with the large, circular array that its previous iteration offered.

Lastly, a "2K Plus full high-definition" foldable screen is rumored for the Open 2 alongside the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4.

The idea of a thinner foldable, especially one within the 9mm range, gets us thinking about the Honor Magic V3. The company detailed how it made its ultra-thin foldable, which measures 9.2mm when folded and 4.3mm unfolded. Honor stated that it invested heavily in the R&D side of its battery technology, implementing a 5,150mAh silicon carbon battery.

The company honed in on durability, an aspect of the previous model that consumers complained about. With the Magic V3, Honor added an additional set of "swing arms" for its hinge to boost its durability and longevity.

It remains to be seen just how much of a challenger OnePlus will be with the Open 2 against Honor. Rumors so far suggest it will be thinner than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold at 10.5mm and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 at 12.1mm.

Other OnePlus Open 2 rumors claim the device could feature a beefed-up 6,000mAh battery. The current claims double down on the theory of Qualcomm's upcoming flagship SoC being featured within the device. Elsewhere, the Open 2 may not arrive this year as originally speculated. A tipster's post on X suggested that the next OnePlus foldable could arrive during Q1 2025.

The reason is supposedly due to OPPO, a OnePlus sister company, delaying the launch of its Find N5 until next year. Both foldables are likely to mirror one another like last year.

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There are a decent number of foldables available today, and Samsung continues to lead its rivals in this area by a considerable margin — at least when it comes to market share. But the Galaxy Z Fold 6 doesn't bring sizeable upgrades, and this is where devices like the OnePlus Open have a distinct advantage. Although the Open is older, it is still a fantastic device, and if anything, I think it is the one to get instead of the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. OnePlus Open: Design and displays

Samsung has proven that it doesn't like changing the designs of its flagships since the Galaxy Z Fold 6 looks nearly identical to its predecessor. While they did widen the width of the cover panel to make it less annoying to use, it still ends up being too narrow.

Outside of that tweak, the Z Fold 6 has no meaningful design changes. Samsung was able to reduce the weight by 14g, and at 239g, the foldable is easier to hold and use. That said, the hinge isn't as smooth as the best foldable, and the crease is still immediately noticeable. There are areas that Samsung needed to address, but it decided not to bother.

Coming to the Open, OnePlus managed to deliver one of the best-looking designs in this segment. The leather back looks elegant next to the oversized camera housing. The foldable has ideal dimensions, and the cover panel is much better to use—most of the time, I don't feel the need to unfold the device at all.

While I like the Open's design much better, the foldable lacks water resistance; with just an IPX4 rating, it can only withstand water splashes. The X in the rating means that the manufacturer didn't test the phone for dust resistance, but it doesn't necessarily mean it doesn't have any.

The Open takes the lead in the displays; the 6.31-inch OLED cover screen has stunning colors and is bright enough for outdoor use, and the sizing is just right. The 7.82-inch inner AMOLED panel is noticeably larger than what Samsung is offering, and it also has standout colors. Both panels get 120Hz dynamic refresh and are a smidgen brighter than the Z Fold 6 in HDR content.

Samsung has a 6.3-inch cover panel and a 7.6-inch inner screen, both of which have 120Hz dynamic refresh and good visibility outdoors. My main issue is that the cover panel is still too limiting to use, which inhibits the device's potential.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. OnePlus Open: Hardware

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, while the Open has last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Having used dozens of devices powered by both chipsets, the only noticeable difference in daily use is efficiency. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 6's 8 Gen 3 processor can deliver performance levels equivalent to those of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 while consuming less power.

That said, that's nullified in this scenario as the Open has a larger battery. The 4805mAh battery on the foldable easily lasts a day, and even with heavy use, I wasn't anxious about the battery running out. The Z Fold 6 also consistently lasts a day, but if you push the device too much, you might need to charge it before the day's over.

Unfortunately, Samsung is sticking with a slow 25W charging speed, outdated in 2024. Plus, you won't even get a charger in the box. The Open doesn't have that problem. It charges at 67W, taking only 44 minutes to juice up fully. And unlike Samsung, OnePlus includes that 67W charger in the box.

Like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with 256GB of storage on the base model, and you'll need to shell out an additional $120 to get the 512GB model. The Open has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage on the base version, and a new 2024 edition of the device has 1TB of storage.

Both phones are fluid in daily use and hold up just as well in demanding games. They tend to throttle earlier than regular flagships, but you don't notice any visible jitter, and there isn't much in the way of overheating.

Switching over to the cameras, Samsung hasn't made any changes to the hardware. As such, the Z Fold 6 has the same sensors as last year: a 50MP primary camera, 10MP 3x zoom lens, and 12MP wide-angle lens. Samsung is instead turning to tweaks in its camera algorithms to deliver better photos, and the foldable manages to do a marginally better job than its predecessor.

That said, it still doesn't match what the Open offers. The foldable has a 48MP primary camera, 64MP 3x zoom lens, and another 48MP wide-angle lens, and it takes the best photos and videos in this category outside of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. OnePlus Open: Software

Samsung has a distinct edge in the software, and that's purely because it offers seven Android OS updates to the Z Fold 6. By contrast, the Open will pick up just three OS updates, which isn't close enough. I'd say that OnePlus needs to change its stance, but the Chinese manufacturer clearly stated that it isn't interested in offering long-term updates.

On the software side, the Z Fold 6 runs One UI 6.1.1 based on Android 14 out of the box. Like the Galaxy S24 devices, it comes with Galaxy AI, a utility suite that relies on AI to streamline daily tasks. My issue with Galaxy AI is that it is predominantly limited to Samsung's apps; I don't use Samsung Internet or Samsung Keyboard, and outside of the image-editing features, I don't get much utility out of Galaxy AI.

The Open also has AI-assisted utilities, but they're not as extensive as Samsung's offering—that's a good thing. The image editing feature is similar to Google's offering on the Pixels, and audio transcribing gets a decent amount of usage. I like the multitasking-focused software features; the Open makes it effortlessly easy to pull up windows side-by-side to maximize real estate, and it gets a lot right in this regard.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. OnePlus Open: Which should you buy?

The biggest change with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the price; the foldable costs $100 more than its predecessor, and I'm not really sure why that is the case. Samsung isn't offering any meaningful upgrades, and while the Z Fold 6 is lighter and has a marginally wider cover panel, there isn't a good enough reason to pick it up over last year's Z Fold 5.

The Open, on the other hand, is an easier recommendation. It has a better design, two screens that you'll actually use, better software features, and longer battery life in daily use. You also get one of the best camera packages on a foldable, and there's 67W charging.

The best part is that the Open doesn't cost anywhere as much as the Z Fold 6; the 16GB/512GB edition costs $1,399 in the U.S., and you can buy the new 1TB model for as low as $1,599, and you get the terrific Keyboard 81 Pro bundled with the package. The Z Fold 6, meanwhile, costs an absurd $2,019, and it just isn't worth it.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. OnePlus Open: Design

The original Pixel Fold was a showcase of Google's ambitions, but it was too heavy, and wasn't available widely. Google is rectifying both issues with the introduction of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold; the foldable is 26g lighter than its predecessor, and is significantly thinner. While it isn't the thinnest or lightest foldable — Honor and Vivo claimed those niches — it is thinner than the Z Fold 6 and OnePlus Open, and Google is using that to its advantage in North America.

Coming to the design itself, Google did a good job maintaining the same design aesthetic as the rest of the Pixel 9 series, and the dual-stacked camera housing at the back looks great. That said, the defining design feature is the side profile where the cover screen meets the metal chassis, and this is similar to the Open — but a little more prominent.

I like the overall design, but coming in at 257g, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is 18g heavier than the Open while having a smaller battery. Google went with an aluminum frame and upgraded hinge, and while it gets to claim that the foldable is thinner than its rivals, the added weight isn't ideal. That said, the one area where the foldable has an advantage is water resistance; with an IPX8 rating, it is able to withstand water ingress — the Open only has an IPX4 rating that covers splashes.

But the Open isn't without its wins. The foldable has a faux leather back that's great to hold, and it has a hinge with one of the best articulations in the segment. The crease is barely noticeable in the middle of the inner panel, and OnePlus nailed the design basics.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. OnePlus Open: Displays

Google clearly liked what OnePlus was doing on its foldable, because it went with a similarly-sized outer panel on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The foldable has a 6.3-inch OLED panel with a 20:9 ratio, and the width makes it just as usable as the regular Pixel 9 Pro. In fact, Google went with the same dimensions, and if the foldable looks like it has the panel of the Pixel 9 Pro up front, that's by design.

While the Pixel 9 Pro has a QHD panel, the foldable uses an FHD+ resolution (2424 x 1080) on the outside, but it still gets 120Hz dynamic refresh and decent brightness levels. The inner OLED panel is interesting as well, as the 8.0-inch size is one of the biggest on a foldable. Like other devices in this category, the inner panel has a plastic layer protecting the screen, and it also goes up to 120Hz and hits the same brightness levels.

Talking about brightness, the device is able to go up to 2,700 nits in HDR content, and that's double that of its predecessor. I'll update this post once I start using the foldable to gauge how bright it gets in regular use, but there shouldn't be any issues in this area.

The Open is a known quantity, and it has a 6.31-inch cover panel and 7.82-inch inner screen. Both panels get 120Hz refresh with dynamic refresh, have a higher resolution than what Google is offering, and excellent color vibrancy and brightness levels. I used the Open extensively over the course of the last year, and didn't see any issues with either panel.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. OnePlus Open: Hardware and cameras

Google has a unique take on the hardware, and while the Tensor G4 platform is technically new, it doesn't differ too much to the G3. It isn't as fast as what Qualcomm is offering, but that's not the point; Google chooses to focus on the AI side of things, as it sees that being a bigger differentiator.

Although the Open is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, it is still able to deliver outstanding performance in demanding titles. It is optimized to take advantage of the hardware, and doesn't have any lag in daily use. While both devices come with 16GB of RAM, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold only has 256GB of storage on the base model, and you'll need to pay an additional $120 to get the 512GB edition. The Open doesn't have such shortcomings, and the foldable has 512GB of storage as standard.

The Open also has a larger battery, but where it has a sizeable advantage is the charging tech; the foldable goes up to 67W, and you can easily charge the battery in under 50 minutes — Google still relies on 21W charging on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The Open comes with a 67W charger as well, and that's an added bonus.

I'm not going into much detail on the cameras, as I'll still need to get the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and see how it measures up. That said, Google knows how to deliver standout cameras on its devices, and while the foldable isn't using the latest sensors, it should take great photos and videos.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. OnePlus Open: Software

Google has a sizeable lead on the software front, with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold slated to receive seven Android updates. The foldable launched with Android 14, and it will pick up the Android 21 update whenever that becomes available at the end of the decade. By contrast, the Open will get just three software updates, and as it debuted with Android 13, it won't go beyond Android 16.

Okay, so the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will technically be usable until the end of the decade, but what about the software itself? Google is the only Android brand that has a clean software without any bloatware, and that makes a difference. The Material You design has a decent amount of customization, and the bright accent colors are great to use. It may not be to everyone's tastes, but I prefer it to other Android skins.

I'll admit that OnePlus did a good job on the software side of things. Although OxygenOS has a cluttered interface, you get a lot of unique software features designed to maximize the real estate of the inner panel, and multitasking is a breeze. You get a few AI features as well, and they aren't gimmicky.

But when it comes to AI, no manufacturer comes close to Google. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has a slate of new features in this regard, with the likes of Pixel Studio allowing you to create stunning imagery in a matter of seconds. There are lots of other Google-focused utilities that rely on AI, and most of it is handled on-device.

On the whole, if you want a clean UI with AI features you'll use daily, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the device to get.

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. OnePlus Open: Which should you buy?

This is an easy one to sum up: if you need a new foldable, you should get the OnePlus Open. It may be a year old, but it's still one of the best foldables around. It has a gorgeous design, the leather back is great in daily use, and you get a smooth hinge with no visible crease. The cameras are terrific, there are no issues with battery longevity, and it charges at 67W.

The only point of contention with the Open is that it will get just three Android OS updates, and having launched with Android 13, that means it won't be updated beyond Android 16. That just isn't enough in this category, and to put things in context, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will get the Android 21 update when that rolls out at the end of the decade. Obviously, you're not going to use the device that long, but long-term updates absolutely make a difference in the resale market.

To its credit, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold gets a lot right; I really like the design, the OLED panels are brighter than its predecessor, and it has decent hardware. The biggest selling point is the software and cameras; Google's clean interface combined with the latest suite of AI features make the Pixel 9 Pro Fold a true powerhouse, and while it may not have the latest sensors, the foldable should take standout photos and videos.

There's the cost to consider as well. You can get the 16GB/512GB version of the OnePlus Open for $1,399 in the U.S. and ₹1,39,999 ($1,667) in India, and the same model of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold costs a ridiculous $1,919. Google doesn't even sell the 512GB model in India; the 256GB version is available for ₹1,72,999 ($2,061), and you can get the 1TB OnePlus Open and have enough left over to buy a swathe of accessories.

I wasn't keen on the OnePlus Open when it launched back in October 2023; while the design was terrific, the software wasn't polished out of the box, and it was irksome to use. But I went back to the device following an update to Android 14, and it was an entirely different beast. In fact, it was so good I ended up using the device as my primary phone for several months, and nearly a year after its release, it continues to be one of the best around.

This would be the time when OnePlus normally released a new model, but the Chinese manufacturer is doing things differently in 2024. Instead of the Open 2, the company is introducing a new version of the foldable with a few tweaks, dubbed the OnePlus Open Apex Edition. This particular model comes in a gorgeous new Crimson Shadow color variant, gets 1TB of storage as standard, and includes a dedicated security chip that's similar to what Google offers on its Pixels.

Essentially, the Open Apex Edition inherits the same great features as the regular model: a gorgeous design, terrific cameras, smooth hinge with a crease that isn't noticeable, and decent battery life. On the flip side, it retains all of the foldable's foibles; it won't get as many updates, there's no meaningful water resistance, and it misses out on the latest hardware.

Is the Open Apex Edition a worthy choice against the best foldables? Let's take a look.

OnePlus Open Apex Edition: Pricing and availability

OnePlus unveiled the Open Apex Edition on August 7, and the foldable is now on sale in all regions where the standard model debuted last year, including India, the U.S., U.K., and Germany. It is available in a single variant with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage, and it costs $1,899 in the U.S. and ₹1,49,999 ($1,786) in India.

It isn't as good a value in the U.S. — particularly considering there's no carrier backing — but it is a decent showing in India. Vivo's X Fold3 Pro is available in the country for ₹1,59,999 ($1,910), and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 retails for ₹1,76,999 ($2,112). OnePlus managed to undercut both of these devices, and while the hardware isn't the latest, it still holds up incredibly well in 2024.

OnePlus Open Apex Edition: Design

It goes without saying that the most striking feature of the OnePlus Open Apex Edition is the color. Officially dubbed Crimson Shadow, this burgundy red color is exquisite, and it attracts attention a lot better than the regular Voyager Black model. OnePlus went with the same faux leather finish at the back, and that's a good choice — it is much better to hold and use than a standard glass pane.

The switch to a bold red hue makes the camera island that much more distinctive, and this in part because of the matte red band that encircles the outside of the housing. OnePlus says the design of the camera housing is meant to mimic luxury watches, and that is evident. The cameras within the housing are slotted within individual rings, and the stylized Hasselblad logo is on the right.

The overall design is elegant, and the red leather back contrasts well with the polished metal sides. OnePlus says the red hue used on the device is an homage to Hasselblad's 503CW 60 Years Victor Red Edition, and while I don't know anything about that camera, I can say that the hue looks really good on the phone, and it gives it a lot of character.

One of the biggest positives on the design front is the size; the foldable is shorter than its immediate rivals, and that makes using it much more comfortable. The cover screen in particular is a delight to use, and most of the time, I didn't have to unfold the device.

The chassis of the Open Apex Edition is made out of the same combination of cobalt, molybdenum, and titanium alloys, and it ends up being lighter and more durable than steel. It has the same 239g weight as the standard model, and while that's on the lower end of the scale, it isn't the thinnest or lightest foldable around.

Vivo's X Fold3 Pro, Honor Magic V2 (and the upcoming V3), Xiaomi's Mix Fold 4 are all thinner and lighter than what OnePlus is offering, and even Samsung managed to bring the weight of the Z Fold 6 down to the same as the Open. OnePlus clearly had the edge in this regard when the Open debuted, but a year of innovation in this area means it doesn't have an advantage anymore.

That said, the hinge is still one of the best around, and switching from the X Fold3 Pro, there were no issues. It has a smooth articulation, doesn't need much force to open, and if my usage of the standard model is anything to go by, it is clearly built to last. The alert slider is also intact, and it picks up a new VIP mode. The slider itself has been redesigned and features a better texture and an orange accent that makes it stand out just a bit more than the one on the regular model.

OnePlus Open Apex Edition: Hardware

OnePlus isn't making many changes to the hardware itself, so I'm not going to spend too much time talking about it. The Open Apex Edition has the same 6.31-inch cover screen and a 7.82-inch inner panel as the standard model. Both AMOLED panels go up to 120Hz, offer Dolby Vision, and use LTPO 3.0 to dynamically adjust the refresh according to content on the screen.

You get vibrant colors and excellent contrast levels, and the same level of customizability as the OnePlus 12. I didn't see any issues in outdoor use, and the foldable has adequate brightness levels. Built-in sound is great too, and it is among the loudest in this category.

Coming to the internals, the Open Apex Edition is powered by last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Its still just as fluid and performant as the 8 Gen 3, but it doesn't quite manage to deliver the same efficiency figures, and that's evident in the battery life. I still managed to get a day's worth of use consistently between charges, but with heavy use, you will need to plug in the device before turning in for the night.

It uses the same 80W charging tech, and it takes just over 45 minutes to fully charge the 4805mAh battery. With the latest slate of foldables offering bigger batteries, the Open no longer has the edge in this area. That said, you don't miss out in terms of connectivity, with the device offering global 5G bands, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, USB-C 3.1, and the entire suite of AptX codecs.

The biggest difference with the Open Apex Edition is the storage; the foldable now comes with 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage, and that's in line with the highest-storage variant of the Magic V2 and Z Fold 6. You still get 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and in my use, there wasn't any scenario where I felt the RAM wasn't adequate.

Also new is a Goodix GSEA0 security chip that is powered by Arm's SecurCore SC300 platform. This chip debuted in last year's Find N3, and with the commingling of OnePlus and OPPO, it is now making its way to the Open. The chip oversees the VIP mode that limits access to the mic and camera, and while its efficacy may be limited in daily use, it is a novel addition nonetheless.

Rounding out the hardware, the Open Apex Edition has the same cameras: a 48MP main camera based on Sony's LYT-T808 module, a 64MP OmniVision OV64B telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 48MP wide-angle lens that uses the Sony IMX581. There's a 32MP camera on the cover panel, and a 20MP module on the inside.

While the camera hardware hasn't changed, OnePlus rolled out a series of updates to the phone over the course of the last year, and they make a sizeable difference in the caliber of photos and videos. I still prefer the X Fold3 Pro, but there's no arguing the Open is a close second, and it easily outshines the Z Fold 6.

That's true in other areas as well. Although the hardware isn't the latest available, the Open Apex Edition holds its own in demanding games, and I didn't see any lag or slowdowns whatsoever. It would have been nice to get the 8 Gen 3, but the 8 Gen 2 still has plenty to offer.

OnePlus Open Apex Edition: Software

What I like the most about the Open Apex Edition is that it has one of the best multi-tasking capabilities of any foldable today, with OnePlus adding a ton of utilities to maximize the available real estate. It's incredibly easy to launch split-screen mode, and you get the ability to stack windows and change orientation without any hassle.

The foldable runs OxygenOS 14.1 based on Android 14, and while the interface is similar to OxygenOS 14, there are new AI-based image editing features similar to Magic Eraser on the Pixels. The interface is fluid and doesn't have any lag or slowdowns, and there's extensive customizability.

The biggest change in this area has to do with the alert slider; you still get the ability to switch between ring and silent profiles, and there's now a new VIP mode that's designed to safeguard your privacy. In this mode, app access to the mic and camera is disabled, and no app is allowed to take photos, videos, or record audio.

You can still use the camera to take photos and videos in this mode and share them within an app like Instagram or WhatsApp, but if you want to access the viewfinder within Instagram, that isn't possible. You'll get a dialog box stating that camera access is disabled, and you'll need to exit the VIP mode to be able to use it.

The feature made its debut in the Chinese build of ColorOS at the start of the year, and I put it to good use on the Find X7 Ultra; with OxygenOS differing in name only, it's no wonder that OnePlus is adding this feature to its devices. That said, I don't think it deserves a slot on the alert slider; it isn't something that most users need (or would consider using), and it would have been better to include it as a tile in the notification pane.

Now, the main problem with the foldable is that it won't get long-term software updates. OnePlus is guaranteeing three Android OS updates and four years of security updates — same as the standard model. That just isn't enough in 2024, and what's particularly annoying is that the mid-range Nord 4 is slated to get more software updates than the Open Apex Edition. The Nord 4 will pick up the Android 18 update, while the Open won't go beyond Android 17.

OnePlus Open Apex Edition: The competition

Obviously, Samsung isn't a contender this year, and the Z Fold 6 doesn't really have anything meaningful to offer. But Vivo's X Fold3 Pro is thinner, lighter, has better cameras, and is more powerful than the Open Apex Edition. The biggest differentiation is the battery life, with Vivo's foldable able to last well over a day even with heavy use.

OnePlus Open Apex Edition: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if:

• You want a foldable that's easy to hold and use
• You need good cameras
• You want meaningful software extras
• You want an elegant design

You shouldn't buy this if:

• You want long-term software updates
• You need the latest hardware
• You want the best battery life

With the Open Apex Edition, OnePlus is showing that it doesn't need to release a new phone yearly to stay relevant. Other manufacturers should consider going the same route, because at the end of the day, the Open still has a lot going for it, and it holds up well against its 2024 rivals.

The only issue with the foldable is the lack of long-term updates; OnePlus needs to roll out more updates to the phone, because as it stands, it is outmatched by the Nord 4, which costs four times less. As I'm picking out flaws, IPX4 water resistance doesn't measure up in 2024, and with other foldables now offering IPX8 as standard, the Open is on the backfoot.

Outside of that, I can't really find any faults with the foldable. It has a ton of useful multitasking features, the design is easily one of the best — if not the best — and the burgundy red color option is utterly gorgeous. If you care about the design and want a foldable that looks as well as it performs, the Open Apex Edition is a great choice in 2024 and beyond.

What you need to know

• On X (formerly Twitter), OnePlus has started teasing an "Apex Edition" of its Open foldable phone.
• The new edition sees the phone reimagined in a fiery red colorway, though its specs and pricing will remain hidden until its August 7 debut.
• We're still eagerly awaiting the OnePlus Open 2, however, rumors claim it won't arrive in 2024.

OnePlus is gearing up for a product variant reveal as teasers ramp up regarding its first foldable.

The Chinese company posted a teaser on X for an "Apex Edition" for the OnePlus Open (via PhoneArena). OnePlus calls the new red leather backing a "stunning Crimson Shadow," that aims to complement the pre-existing Emerald Dusk and Voyager Black colorways.

The post adds that the full reveal of the OnePlus Open Apex Edition will take place on August 7. Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until then for its price and tech specs. We know generally how the OnePlus Open looks and performs from our review, but it's possible OnePlus could differentiate its special edition with extra RAM or storage, as the site speculates.

OnePlus also specified that the Apex Edition will be granted three major Android OS releases and four years of security updates from launch. That's one year less than the OnePlus Open's other two colorways at launch; the Apex Edition's support will expire at the same time.

We don't know what OnePlus will charge for the Apex Edition, but a price increase is likely. It originally launched for $1,699 / CA$2,299 / ₹139,999.

While this Apex Edition teaser is exciting in its own right, we're still left waiting on the OnePlus Open 2. Rumors suggest that the foldable successor might not launch in 2024 due to OPPO taking a step back about launching the Find N5 series. Considering OPPO and OnePlus are sister companies under BBK Electronics, their devices (at times) overlap in terms of internal components and the like.

Those rumored continued to say the OnePlus Open 2 may rock Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, which would see it rolling out no sooner than late 2024, or more likely early 2025.

Taking that extra year could help push the OnePlus Open 2 into the limelight once again as the company looks to beef it up. We'll have to wait and see what it looks like, so for now, we have the Apex Edition to look forward to. The current-gen Open is already one of the best foldable phones on the market.

The OnePlus Open is old at this point, but it continues to hold its own against the Galaxy Z Fold 6. That's a testament to the device's design, cameras, and battery tech, and while I wasn't initially keen on using the foldable, that changed once it picked up a few software updates.

However, OnePlus has confirmed that it will not launch the Open 2 this year, and that's a letdown. The Open is the only viable alternative to Samsung's foldables in the U.S. outside of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and not having the device available in the region means customers will miss out on one of the best foldables of 2025.

Why is the Open 2 not launching, you ask? This time, OPPO is taking the lead with the foldables, and the Find N5 is the de facto option. While the Open was identical to the Find N3, OnePlus decided to launch the device in global markets — including the U.S., India, and U.K. — but in 2025, we are just getting the Find N5.

That comes with a few limitations; while the Find N5 is coming to select Asian regions, it won't head to the U.S. or U.K., and that's annoying. I used the foldable for just over two weeks, and it is the best device I used in this category — the ultra-thin design and powerful cameras combined with long-lasting battery give it a distinct edge. Although we aren't getting the Open 2, this is what you need to know about the Find N5.

OPPO Find N5/OnePlus Open 2: Review

I published my Find N5 review on February 20, which is when the device debuted globally. I enjoyed using the foldable quite a bit, and I gave it 4.5/5 and called it my favorite foldable of 2025:

"The Find N5 is thinner than any other foldable today, and that fact is evident once you unfold the device. At just 4.21mm, it is just a smidgen wider than the USB-C port, and using the tablet-sized 8.12-inch OLED inner panel is an absolute joy. The outer 6.62-inch OLED panel on the outside is among the best of any foldable, and thanks to the ultra-thin design, it feels like you're using a regular phone. You also get the best internals of any foldable, the best battery life, the best charging tech, and class-leading ingress protection. Oh, and the cameras are better than any other foldable I used until now. Combine all of that with fluid software and meaningful multitasking features, and it's no wonder than the Find N5 is now my favorite foldable phone."

OPPO Find N5/OnePlus Open 2: Design

The most notable feature on the Find N5 is the design; by delivering a foldable that's just 4.21mm when unfolded, OPPO is clearly making a statement in this area. Even when it's folded, the device feels just like a regular phone, and that makes it fantastic to hold and use.

I didn't have any issues with the design in the two weeks I used the device, and if anything, I like the overall aesthetic of the Find N5 over the Honor Magic V3.

The new titanium-based hinge has a smoother articulation, and it stays unlocked at any angle beyond 50 degrees, unlocking interesting use cases when shooting photos. But the biggest differentiator is the crease; the Find N5 has a crease that's nowhere as visible as the Z Fold 6.

OPPO Find N5/OnePlus Open 2: Specs

The Find N5 has one of the best packages in its category, and it features Qualcomm's latest silicon, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, and a massive 5600mAh silicon battery. In short, this is the fastest foldable around, and having used all other devices launched in the last 18 months, I can say with some confidence that it is fantastic in daily use.

I didn't see any issues in gaming, and while the device isn't quite as good as the Find X8 Pro in this area, it still has stable framerates in demanding titles, and that's what you need. The foldable also gets IPX9 ingress protection, and it charges at 80W, taking just under 50 minutes to charge the sizeable battery.

OPPO Find N5/OnePlus Open 2: Cameras

With 2025 phones pushing the boundaries of camera tech — the Vivo X200 Pro and Find X8 Pro all have sizeable gains — I was excited to see what the Find N5 brings to the table.

Thankfully, the foldable manages to hold its own in this regard, and the trio of lenses at the back do a great job with photos and videos. The only quibble is that the wide-angle lens is average, but the general quality of photos and videos out of the Find N5 are better than just about any other foldable I used.

OPPO Find N5/OnePlus Open 2: Availability

The Find N5 is now available, but it is launching in selected global regions, and that's annoying to say the least. The device won't make its way to the U.S., and while that was always going to be the case, it won't even debut in the U.K. and most western markets.

Basically, the Find N5 is limited to select countries in Asia, where it will be available at the equivalent of $1,867. That puts it in line with the Z Fold 6 in these countries, and while it is arguably the better device — by a sizeable amount — the fact that it isn't available in most countries is a huge limiting factor.

Following our Galaxy Z Fold 6 initial review, a suggestion was made that I see how the phone stands up to taking pictures in the rain. Part of the reason is that this is the first Samsung foldable to sport an IP rating, as the Fold 6 is equipped with an IP48 rating. 

I have a tendency to try to wait for the "perfect" conditions to take pictures. This applies to both product photos and camera samples, as I just enjoy the way pictures look with the sun shining. But the new IP rating on the phone gave me a different opportunity. 

Seeing as I've been moaning and complaining about Samsung's inability to do anything with the cameras, it was the perfect storm to try and compare the Z Fold 6 to the OnePlus Open. There's some irony in that previous sentence, and you'll soon learn why. 

Using the Main cameras

As I mentioned previously, the original idea was to try and see how the Z Fold 6 stood up in the rain, but Mother Nature decided to hold out for a bit. Thankfully, the skies didn't clear up, providing cloudy backdrops for the majority of the pictures I took. 

Kicking things off, it's important to note that I didn't make any adjustments to the pictures, using only the default settings within each device's camera app. From here, it seemed as though the Z Fold 6 gave a bit of a blue-ish tint to its pictures, whereas the OnePlus Open offered a bit more "life." 

This continues throughout a lot of the pictures between these two foldable phones. But I don't necessarily think that's a detractor for the Fold 6 and instead comes down to more of a personal preference. However, I do think that there's a bit more detail in the images taken by the Open. 

There are a couple of key differences, such as in the first image in the gallery above. To my eye, the Z Fold 6 takes more "moody" pictures, but for whatever reason, the roles are reversed in the photo of the birds flying away. I actually prefer the Z Fold 6 here, as it looks more natural, whereas the Open slightly oversaturates the rocks on the shore. 

Telephoto cameras

If there's one thing I'm a sucker for, it's having a good telephoto lens. For reference, my preferred "big camera" lens is 100mm, so I can get close-up product photos without needing to actually move closer. Both of these devices offer telephoto lenses with a 3x optical zoom, but the Open has an extra trick up its sleeve with the 6x "in-sensor" zoom.

Unfortunately, in the picture of the bird above, it's pretty obvious that the Z Fold 6 takes the better photo. I'm not exactly sure what happened here, as not only is the picture darker, but it lacks details when looking at the bird. However, I will give the Open props, because it actually managed to capture a heron flying in the background. 

With the image above, comparing the 10x preset of the Fold 6 to the 6x preset of the Open, it doesn't take long to notice a big difference. No, I'm not talking about the darker hue of the Open's picture. It's that Samsung's processing starts to rear its ugly head and in a big way.

There's very little accuracy in the way that the water looks, as a lot of it just looks smoothed over. Needless to say, I'd rather have the picture from the Open, and would just make some adjustments in Lightroom to make it a bit brighter. 

Ultrawide and Macro

Admittedly, I didn't put much of a focus on the ultrawide cameras between these two devices. Part of this was just because of the location as there wasn't much of a point, but really, it's just not something that I personally use all that often. 

That being said, we have another role reversal, as the Fold 6 provides the moodier shot of the two, while the Open is brighter. It's almost like there's some type of haze over the picture from the Fold 6, while the Open is punchy and vibrant. 

Another benefit of the ultrawide cameras for both of these devices is that they can double as macro lenses. You just have to stick your phone as close to the subject as possible, but it's still a pretty cool option to have. 

In the image above, I think it's a bit of a coin flip. The colors are slightly punchier with the Fold 6, but the Open slaps back by offering more details. If you look really closely, you can see a cameo being made by an ant in the middle of the Open's picture. 

Super Zoom at 30x

As it turns out, this little trip down to Point Lookout State Park offered an unexpected opportunity. There was a massive cargo ship off the coast, providing an excuse to check out the ultra-zoom capabilities of these phones. Seriously, the ship was so massive that you can see in the standard 1x zoom, something that isn't always the case. 

The first thing that I'd like to point out is that it's incredibly annoying to try and use the 30x zoom without a tripod. I was just standing on the beach using two hands for stability and holding my breath just to try and get the ship in focus. That being said, neither of these pictures is good, and it's more of a parlor trick than anything else. 

Stuck in the rain

The original point of this comparison was to see how the Galaxy Z Fold 6 would stand up in the elements. Mother Nature had other plans in mind as the weather started to clear up and I jumped in the car to head back home. 

However, as I got closer to home, I saw a storm system was coming my way, so I decided to make one more last-ditch effort to get pictures in the rain. Unfortunately, as I got out of my car to head down to the shore, I quickly realized that I had locked my keys in my car. 

This resulted in me spending an hour and a half in a downpour trying to use a coat hanger to unlock the car. After getting some help from a family that was sitting in the parking lot waiting out the storm, I successfully got back into my car. Unfortunately, by that point, the park was closing meaning that I wasn't able to actually take any of the pictures that I had in mind. 

What I did learn is that despite being drenched from head to toe, the Fold 6 and Open were completely unphased. I honestly was a bit worried about what would happen, but was pleasantly surprised. 

So the moral of the story is, don't listen to Jerry Hildenbrand and quadruple-check that your keys are in your pocket. Otherwise, you might get stuck in a thunderstorm at a park and have no shelter from the elements. 

What you need to know

• Tipster Digital Chat Station has come up with some interesting details about the next foldable phone from Oppo.
• The upcoming foldable from Oppo will likely be available as OnePlus Open 2 in select markets.
• According to the tipster, we might see a huge battery improvement in the upcoming foldables from OnePlus and Oppo.

OnePlus introduced its first foldable, the OnePlus Open, last year. Its successor is one of the company's most anticipated devices, yet to be released, and until now, very little is known about the handset. However, new information from a prominent tipster reveals what to expect from the OnePlus Open 2.

Before getting into the leak, one should know that OnePlus and Oppo share the same design elements for most premium devices, especially with foldables. For instance, the Oppo Find N3 and the OnePlus Open turned out to be the same handsets, including what they pack underneath; however, they were catered to different regions.

According to tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo (via 9to5Google), Oppo's next foldable release is aimed for Q1 2025. It is also expected to pack the next Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, which will likely be unveiled at Snapdragon Summit later this year. The other interesting element is the massive 6000mAh battery, which is rumored to power the next foldable from Oppo.

As mentioned, this translates to the OnePlus Open 2 packing the same specs as Oppo's upcoming foldable. While it's interesting to have some insights about the forthcoming book-style phones, it is worth noting that Digital Chat Station didn't specifically mention the aforementioned handset in the Weibo post. 

Instead, it was hinted at amid Huawei's next triple foldable handset's discussion on the Weibo post. The tipster mentioned a blue-green phone, presumed to be Oppo's and hence the Find series, which is presumably the OnePlus Open 2. As 9to5 points out, it is worth considering the speculation mentioned earlier with a grain of salt.

Nonetheless, if the above rumor is accurate, we might see a promising foldable phone from the company that can compete with the latest Galaxy Z Fold 6, Honor Magic V3, Mix Fold 4, and the upcoming Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

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Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 is largely identical to what we saw last year (and the year before), but you'll need to shell out $1,899 to get your hands on one. That's a ridiculous amount of money towards a foldable, and if you're having second thoughts, there is a much better alternative available: the OnePlus Open.

The Open launched last October to much fanfare, and it combined a stellar design with top-of-the-line hardware, versatile cameras, and a large battery with 67W charging — better than any other foldable to date. The foldable debuted at $1,699, but you can get it for $1,299 right now as part of Prime Day, a sizeable discount of 24%. There really isn't another device that offers the same set of features at that asking price, so if you need an excuse to switch to a foldable, you now have one.

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I didn't like the Open initially; while the design and hardware was terrific, there were annoying software issues out of the box. Thankfully, those have been resolved after a few weeks, and when I switched to the foldable following its Android 14 update, it was almost an entirely different device. OnePlus added a ton of customizability, and you get plenty of useful multitasking features on the software side of things.

But my favorite thing about the Open is the size; the outer screen is just the right size, and while it is smaller than the Z Fold 6, it is wider — and as a result, much more usable. Both the inner and outer screens go up to 120Hz, and the panels are among the best you get in this segment.

You don't miss out on any of the basics either; the foldable gets IPX8 water resistance, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 along with AptX codecs, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage as standard, and a 4805mAh battery with 67W charging. The cameras are among the best of any foldable, and that includes the Z Fold 6. The main 48MP camera takes magnificent photos in just about any lighting, and the 64MP 3x optical zoom comes in handy if you need to get close to a subject.

✅Recommended if: You want a foldable with incredible hardware and outstanding cameras. Both the inner and outer screens on the Open are usable, and the hinge has a smoother articulation than what you get on the Z Fold 6. The crease in the middle of the inner screen isn't as noticeable, and the software has extensive customizability.

❌Skip this deal if: You want to buy a carrier-backed model instead of unlocked, and you need seven years of software updates. OnePlus doesn't have any carrier partnerships, and while the device has the requisite bands for use in the U.S., it may not connect to all carriers. 

Ultimately, the Open is my go-to choice if you need a new foldable phone in 2024. It offers all the best qualities of the foldable design and form factor, and you get amazing cameras at the back with plenty of versatility. Outside of a few extras like dust resistance and longer software updates, the Z Fold 6 doesn't measure up to the Open in any meaningful way, and if you're using a regular phone and want to upgrade, now is the time to do it.

What you need to know

• OnePlus 12 and OnePlus Open get the June Android security patch this week.
• Additionally, the latest update has several improvements, new features, and bug fixes.
• While the OnePlus 12 receives the latest firmware in multiple regions, including the U.S., the firmware release for the OnePlus Open is currently limited to India.

OnePlus has started rolling out its June Android security patch update for its premium handsets, including the latest OnePlus 12 and the OnePlus Open. Both phones are getting the OxygenOS 14.0.0.810 builds. However, they differ significantly when it comes to their change logs.

The build to the OnePlus 12 is being rolled out extensively with regions including the European Union, India, and North America. It brings several new Touch Control improvements, such as app icons that are promised to respond faster when users tap them on their home screens.

Similarly, overall touch responsiveness will see improvements when opening/closing apps. The company notes in the accompanying community post that the animations are also said to be optimized when opening and closing multiple apps and when dragging them on the home screen.

Widget showcasing on the Home Screen is likely seeing improvements as well. Besides, there are several animation upgrades with the latest build on the OnePlus 12, which comprise:

• Adds Gaussian blur effects when opening and closing app icons on the Home screen.
• Adds a transition animation when opening and closing Home screen widgets.
• Adds a transition animation for clock widgets when the screen is turned off.

The other system-wide improvements on the OnePlus 12 involve Lock Screen Pin/Pattern tracking, which means users can choose to turn off animation tracking while entering their Pin or Pattern while unlocking the device. 

The Fluid Cloud feature, which is popular with OxygenOS 14, will now showcase music controls. There was a bug that would display a volume slider in Quick Settings and another one while hitting the physical volume rockers simultaneously. This is supposedly addressed with the latest firmware on the OnePlus 12. 

The new release incorporates the June Android security patch and improves gaming stability. A fix seems to address the screen turning black in some instances while gaming on the OnePlus 12. These and the volume slider fixes are the common issues shared and addressed with the firmware update released to the company's first foldable phone, the OnePlus Open.

OnePlus notes in the post that security improvements are included on the OnePlus Open with the latest OxygenOS build. These include minimal-level permission grants for the Calendar app to provide maximum information security. The latest firmware release also improves clipboard privacy. It will automatically detect privacy information on the clipboard and prevent unauthorized app access without users' consent to "minimize the risk of privacy leaks."

Other system-wide changes include music controls displayed in Live Alerts on the foldable phone. The firmware release addresses an issue where system data is taking up more storage space. Issues causing unexpected screen rotation "when switching a video app from the cover screen to the main screen" are also being fixed.

The OnePlus 12's builds are rolling out in batches for the aforementioned regions, and the OnePlus Open firmware release is currently confined to the Indian region.

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What you need to know

• Huawei was the leader in global folding phone shipments for the first time in the first quarter of 2024.
• The company overtook Samsung, which was the previous shipment leader, amid concerns that Samsung is becoming complacent with its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip brands.
• Honor and Motorola found success outside of China, signaling that North American brands are struggling to attract buyers. 

According to the latest reports from analyst firms Counterpoint Research and IDC, the smartphone industry appears to have fully recovered following a down period. The overall market is expected to grow by four percent year-over-year, and foldable phones are particularly seeing widespread shipment growth. The interesting part of the data, which is based on the shipment results of Q1 2024, is that the biggest foldable players in North America aren't the ones growing. 

If you've been following the folding phone market in the U.S., that probably isn't all that surprising. Samsung was the only major manufacturer making folding phones widely available in North America for years, and that only recently changed with the emergence of Google and OnePlus last year. To call the sector competitive might not be entirely true. OnePlus reportedly has no plans to release a OnePlus Open successor any time soon, and the Google Pixel Fold is still a flawed device. Then you have Samsung, a company that seems to be resting on its laurels with the Z Fold and Z Flip brands.

With that context in mind, it makes sense that other brands are overtaking Samsung in terms of foldable shipments and growth. For the first time, Huawei is the leader, which may be shocking to North American users. Foreign brands aren't just winning in China, either. Companies like Honor and Motorola are finding success in other regions. All of this will put a lot of pressure on brands working in the North American market to improve, specifically Samsung with the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 series. 

What the numbers say

The figures for foldable shipments in Q1 2023 and Q1 2024, provided by Counterpoint, paint two completely different pictures. Last year, Samsung dominated the first quarter, representing 58% of all folding phone shipments worldwide. This is important to remember because Samsung's downturn in Q1 2024 can't be attributed to the Z Fold and Z Flip release cycles. Even though Samsung will likely see success following the launch of the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, the company performed far better under the same conditions last year. 

Flash forward to the first quarter of this year, and the situation is completely flipped. Foldable phone shipments from Samsung decreased 42% year-over-year, and the company represented just 23% of global shipments in Q1 2024. By comparison, Huawei's shipments grew a whopping 257% year-over-year, allowing the company to claim the spot with a 35% share of global shipments. 

Aside from the movement among manufacturers, the type of foldable phones being purchased is also shifting. In Q1 2024, book-style foldables represented 55% of all folding phones shipped. It's the first time since 2021 that book-style foldables accounted for more sales than clamshell foldables. Put together, all the data points to consumers worldwide buying foldables other than those sold in North America. 

Honor and Motorola are winning outside of China

Huawei is an interesting case because while we can't discredit the company's success, it's impossible to talk about it without considering government sanctions. Tensions between the U.S. and China have made it difficult or impossible to buy and use Huawei devices outside of China. In some ways, it's more impressive that Huawei is succeeding in spite of trade restrictions. However, in this context, Huawei isn't really competing with North American brands. 

Honor and Motorola, on the other hand, are finding success outside of China. Both companies have seen expansive growth between Q1 2023 and Q1 2024. Motorola's folding phone shipments are up a staggering 1,473% year-over-year, driven by last year's Razr Plus and Razr 2023 devices. Honor's shipments are 460% year-over-year, which is still a wildly impressive figure. According to Counterpoint, Honor's Magic V2 foldable was the best-selling foldable phone in Western Europe in Q1 2024. 

Samsung's Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 are both natural competitors to the Honor Magic V2 and the Motorola Razr, respectively. The fact that consumers are shifting to Honor and Motorola phones instead just goes to show how Samsung is falling behind. 

This isn't surprising, considering the state of North American foldables

Samsung was the first to really make folding phones mainstream, and it has been the market leader in foldables from the beginning. However, it's clear that Samsung foldables don't offer the most cutting-edge technologies anymore. The last time we really saw an upgrade from a Z Fold device was with the Z Fold 3, as the Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 5 were both iterative improvements. Other phones have completely caught up, with the Honor Magic V2 offering a form factor about as thin as a slab-style phone. 

There's no better example of this than the OnePlus Open, which entered the U.S. market as basically a carbon copy of the OPPO Find N3. The OnePlus Open is widely considered the best folding phone in the U.S., and that's thanks to OPPO's tech. If Samsung—the South Korean electronics giant that has dominated the North American foldable market—wants to return to the top, it'll need to make future foldables competitive with those from Chinese brands. 

Foldable phone deals are back, this time with the premium OnePlus Open. The unlocked OnePlus Open is currently $300 off at Amazon, effectively bringing this pricy phone to its lowest price ever. Despite the steep price tag, you'll definitely be getting what you pay for with this device. The OnePlus Open boasts an impressive set of cameras, powerful performance, four Android OS updates, and over a day's worth of battery life per charge. It's also well-liked for its huge 6.31-inch cover screen, and its vibrant 7.82-inch inner screen.

✅Recommended if: you can afford to get a phone at this price point and are looking for a good deal; having a powerful, sturdy phone with a bold, unique design is a priority to you; you frequently use multi-tasking features on your phone.

❌Skip this deal if: you're looking for a phone that's capable of wireless charging; you can't imagine spending over $1,000 on a smartphone; you're looking for a phone you can game on at higher than 60fps.

The OnePlus Open is definitely a premium phone, featuring a fold-out design that leaves hardly any visible crease between the inner screens. This phone offers 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, along with beautiful inner and outer screens, four Android OS updates, and excellent performance. People also appreciate the OnePlus Open's impressive set of cameras and its more than a day of battery life.

Some of the downsides to this phone include the fact that it doesn't include wireless charging, and it can't run games above 60fps. It's also a pretty expensive phone normally, though that makes this deal look pretty good if it checks all your other boxes.

It probably got lost in the wave of AI announcements during Google I/O, but a report also came out regarding the next OnePlus Open. Unfortunately, those who were hoping for OnePlus to release a Galaxy Z Fold 6 competitor this year may be disappointed. But I don't think that's a bad thing, so let's talk about why.

Before getting in the weeds, the reason for the lack of a OnePlus Open 2 in 2024 is simple — OPPO reportedly isn't going to release a Find N5 this year. On X, @That_Kartikey stated, "Oppo will not release the Oppo Find N5 Series this year thus no OnePlus Open 2 as well!" In a reply, @chunvn8888 followed up, stating that it's "scheduled for next year instead, uses 8 Gen 4."

Nothing is confirmed, as neither company has revealed its next foldable plans, so for now, we should take this with a grain of salt. However, as someone who has a deep affinity for my OnePlus Open, I have to admit that I was bummed to see this. I was hopeful that a OnePlus Open 2 would be released this year, which would implement proper stylus support, along with updated cameras. But here's the thing — there's not really anything that warrants an upgraded model right now.

My only real complaint about the OnePlus Open is the hoops I had to jump through just to get a stylus. Since then, it's been pretty smooth sailing. OnePlus even partnered with Google so you can get the Android 15 Beta on the Open, along with the OnePlus 12.

The Open isn't perfect; no smartphone is. But for foldable phones, it's about as close as it gets. This idea of switching to a two-year release cycle is something that would be beneficial for the market, as there's definitely a bit of fatigue in the space. It's even the case with foldable phones, considering that Samsung has been content with re-packaging the Galaxy Z Fold 2 design for the past few years. Of course, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is rumored to buck that trend, but I won't hold my breath.

Instead, moving to a bi-yearly release allows OPPO and other OEMs to put more thought into the product. This also goes for things like software and other features to help phones to stand out from the pack, instead of just recycling the same ideas and slapping on a different name.

Back in early 2023, I wrote that "Google shouldn't release the Pixel 8." This was early in the year, just a few months after the Pixel 7 launched. The premise of that article was the same as why I think the OnePlus Open 2 being delayed to 2025 isn't a bad thing. It was also coming at a point when the global smartphone market saw a decline of 17% in Q4 2022 and a decline of 11% in "full-year" shipments.

As of April 2024, a report by the IDC shows that there's a bit of a rebound taking effect, as "global smartphone shipments increased 7.8% year over year" in Q1 2024. While that might seem great on paper, the report goes on to share that Samsung, Apple, and OPPO all saw a decline in shipments YoY.

I could dive into some of the nitty-gritty about performance, comparing the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to the Gen 3. There's definitely a significant jump between generations, but let's be honest—are you really going to notice?

Maybe if you're heavy into emulation, but that's a niche within a niche anyway. It's not like OnePlus offers a desktop solution when you plug the Open into a monitor like Samsung DeX. So, in reality, outside of some potential camera upgrades and having a newer battery, an updated OnePlus Open doesn't really scratch any itch.

Wait a year, see what Google does with the rest of Android 15, and implement any necessary changes. Be one of the first to hit the ground running when the final version is ready, and then smooth out any kinks until the Open 2 is ready. By then, maybe Google will have progressed enough with its native Desktop Mode that it can be another selling point. Or, take what Google is already doing and turn it into a true DeX competitor.

That's what I hope OPPO/OnePlus will do.

Unfortunately, there's still a path where we don't see any significant upgrades. Instead, we could end up with what may essentially be a OnePlus Open 1.5 in 2025, resulting in the same feeling that we already get with slab phones and tablets. Or maybe OnePlus will still release the Open 2 later this year and opt for another iterative release instead of building on the momentum.

I'm really keeping my fingers crossed that Oppo doesn't get complacent, as it really has a good thing going with the Open.

What you need to know

• The second-generation OnePlus Open may not be released in 2024, possibly due to the delay in the launch of the OPPO Find N5.
• Given that OnePlus and OPPO are sister companies, their product launches are often interconnected.
• It is also possible that the OnePlus Open 2 might feature the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset instead of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

The OnePlus Open turned heads as a fan-favorite foldable phone last year, and many thought OnePlus would quickly follow up with a sequel this year. But it looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer for its successor.

As per a post by Kartikey Singh on X (formerly Twitter), it looks like the OnePlus Open 2 might not be launched in 2024, supposedly because the OPPO Find N5 is also taking a rain check on its launch for this year (via Notebookcheck).

Both OnePlus and OPPO are sister companies under the same parent organization, so their product launches can sometimes be interrelated. If the Find N5 is delayed, it's possible that the Open 2 might face a similar fate.

The OnePlus Open 2 is hyped up as the eagerly awaited follow-up to its well-loved predecessor. It's widely speculated that the Open 2 will probably follow the same path as its predecessor, being essentially a revamped version of the upcoming OPPO foldable device, just as the first OnePlus Open was pretty much a clone of the OPPO Find N3.

A reply from another X user seems to confirm the delay. Adding fuel to the fire, the post suggests that the OnePlus Open 2 could be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset.

With the original Open having debuted in late 2023, skipping a year feels like a missed opportunity. Typically, companies refresh their phone lineup annually, so it's a letdown to consider that the OnePlus Open 2 might not make its debut this year.

In addition to the OnePlus Open 2, there have been rumors swirling about OnePlus venturing into the clamshell foldable segment. The mysterious OnePlus Flip device has been whispered about, but details are scarce. Speculation suggests it could be a rebranded version of the Oppo Find N5 Flip, which has reportedly been canceled.

OnePlus did seem to take its sweet time before jumping on the foldable phone trend. But if the company is holding off on launching the second model to fine-tune or beef up its features, it's probably worth the wait.

What you need to know

• OnePlus is rolling out a new AI feature that aims to simplify image editing and lets users substitute unwanted objects in the image with the image background.
• AI Eraser made its debut in global markets on the OnePlus 11, OnePlus 12, OnePlus 12 R, OnePlus Open, and even the most recent Nord CE 4. 
• COO Liu stated that OnePlus devices will gain more AI features, which are set to appear this year.

AI is something that people hear a lot lately, with most smartphone companies leveraging the generative AI software and pushing it into every aspect of customers' lives. While Google and Samsung have taken the help on the smartphone front, OnePlus is entering the game with its own AI feature, and it 

On Wednesday, April 3, OnePlus announced that it will be rolling out a new generative AI feature dubbed "AI Eraser" to several of its smartphones. This feature allows users to edit or erase unwanted elements in a photo. 

"AI Eraser represents the first step in our vision to liberate user creativity through AI and revolutionize the future of photo editing, empowering users to create remarkable photos with just a few touches," says Kinder Liu, president and COO of OnePlus.

Similar to the Magic Eraser, which first debuted on Google Pixel phones, OnePlus users can manually select and remove unwanted objects from images in the Photo Gallery. Once the user highlights certain objects, such as pedestrians or imperfections in the image, the tool analyzes the selected area and automatically creates a replacement background that blends into the surrounding environment.

This isn't the first AI feature we've seen from OnePlus. Earlier this year, OnePlus rolled out an AI Call Summarizer as part of an OxygenOS update, which listens to your phone call and summarizes it for your reference.  However, this feature was only available to OnePlus 12 users. The AI Call Summarizer could extract "times, places, action items and other key information" from your conversation, according to the changelog.

There's also Breeno Touch, allowing users to scan their screen for content and make suggestions for related services based on their search.

Nicole Zhang, general manager of AI products at OnePlus, says that "all OnePlus AI features are built from genuine user needs, and we will continue to invest heavily in developing more revolutionary AI-based features that move us closer to our vision for a more convenient future for all."

Liu also stated that OnePlus devices will gain more AI features that are set to make an appearance this year.

OnePlus will be rolling out the AI Eraser to the OnePlus 11, OnePlus 12 and 12 R, OnePlus Open and even the most recent Nord CE 4 across the globe.The company said that this feature will show up gradually in April to the above mentioned devices, however they have not specified an exact date.

It's nice being able to pick and choose what phone I want to use on a daily basis. Usually, whenever I get a new phone, that becomes the "standard" for a while. That was the case with the OnePlus Open until the Galaxy S24 Ultra arrived, giving me a reason to go back to a "slab" phone.

Leading up to that point, I had already gotten a little bored of the Open, but not because of the phone itself. That's just the nature of the beast when it comes to someone who plays around with new phones and technology for a living. Boredom is probably the best way to describe it. So, honestly, the Galaxy S24 Ultra arrived at the perfect time.

Fast forward to now, and the Galaxy S24 Ultra lasted a little less than two months before I decided that enough was enough and that slab phones no longer interested me.

For a little bit of context, I have been using the OnePlus Open in tandem with my iPhone 15 Pro Max ever since it was announced. That's a little over three months, squeaking past the two-and-a-half months I spent with the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Over the past few years, I've learned that the majority of the time spent using foldable phones is from the cover screen. So why would I want to go back to a foldable phone when the Galaxy S24 Ultra's display is way better than that of the OnePlus Open or Z Fold 5? Well, it's a simple and obvious answer — it doubles as a pocketable tablet.

This has been the thing that keeps drawing me back to foldable phones, even as I've grown tired of Samsung refusing to upgrade anything but the processor on the Z Fold lineup. I can go from scrolling Reddit or logging the latest poopy diaper on the outer screen to trying to get some work done in just moments. 

Not to mention the multitasking capabilities of having multiple app windows open at the same time without feeling overly cramped. This is somewhat of a testament to OnePlus' unique Open Canvas feature, letting you use three apps in full-screen and switching between them. But, it's also still quite nice being able to just open more than just two apps and actually use them. 

While the OnePlus Open kind of saved me, it's not without flaws of its own. OxygenOS continues to be janky from time to time, such as the taskbar getting in the way of me tapping into the text field within Telegram. Not to mention that Android 14 for the Open just arrived here in the U.S. after only being available in India for some time. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S24 Ultra launched with Android 14 out of the box, and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 received its update in November of last year.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that outside of the foldable form factor, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is a better phone in pretty much every way. The cameras alone are enough of a reason why this is the case, not to mention the new and improved display that looks so darn impressive.

I don't even have a ton of complaints when it comes to One UI, although a few things are missing that I still don't understand. One such example is that there's no Conversation Widget available on the Galaxy S24 Ultra, despite being made available when Google released Android 12. Surprisingly, it's there on the OnePlus Open, and I've been grateful for that.

After coming home from the hospital with a newborn in tow, I quickly realized how cumbersome and awkward it was to play finger gymnastics with only one free hand. Yes, I have a MagSafe case with a PopSocket on the S24 Ultra, but that doesn't quite solve the problem in most instances. So, I decided to give the OnePlus Open another shake, and while it's almost the same size, the differences are such that it's simply more comfortable to use.

While the Open is definitely a hefty device to use while closed, it's a half-inch smaller than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. That makes one-handed use much easier, as I don't have to try and strain my fingers trying to reach one of the corners. Which is quite important when the little one wants to take a nap on your chest. Most of the time, I just have to give up doing what I was trying to do on the S24 Ultra until I can use my other hand.

I've even been thinking about giving the Galaxy Z Fold 5 another go, as the narrow cover screen, which I like to complain about, is practically perfect. At this point, I might just go back to the Fold 5 to see whether much has changed. I know it really hasn't, but in my head, there's a chance that I might fall back in love with the Fold 5.

I'm also in this weird space of wanting to pay super-close attention to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 rumor mill. This might finally be the year that Samsung revamps the hardware, giving us proper cameras and an inner display crease that doesn't do its best Grand Canyon impersonation. At this point, I couldn't even tell you what the rumors are suggesting. It's been a practice of tempering my expectations, which is quite a difficult task for me.

There's really nothing wrong with the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It's the best Android phone that money can buy, at least if you're in North America and don't want a foldable. Even with the camera "side-grades" and the exorbitant price tag, you'd have a tough time finding a more complete package.

While we might not have as many options as those living abroad, I'm still thankful that there are at least some options to choose from. And before we know it, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be here, potentially complicating my decision. For now, I'll be sticking with the OnePlus Open and maybe giving the Z Fold 5 another chance.

What you need to know

• OnePlus is finally rolling out OxygenOS 14, which is based on Android 14, to OnePlus Open users.
• The company made the OxygenOS 14 update available to some users at the end of January, but it was a very limited rollout.
• Now, the OxygenOS 14 update is widely available, and OnePlus Open users can try out new features such as File Dock and Smart cutout.

Android 14 has been available on select devices since October 2023, but the OnePlus Open hasn't widely received the update until now. Starting today, OnePlus is making the OxygenOS 14 operating system — which is based on Android 14 — available to all OnePlus Open owners in the U.S. Now that the OnePlus Open can run the latest version of Android, it remains competitive with other Android foldables in yet another way. 

OnePlus Open owners who check for a software update in their phone's settings app today will find the 2.54GB OxygenOS 14 update waiting for them (via 9to5Google). After updating, Open users will get all the benefits of Android 14, as well as a few OnePlus-exclusive perks. Though it took about five months for OnePlus to make OxygenOS 14 available for the OnePlus Open, the far-reaching release of this update will be appreciated by owners of the company's first folding phone. 

OxygenOS 14 first became available for the OnePlus Open in a limited fashion starting at the very end of January. OnePlus announced the narrow rollout on its community forums, acknowledging that it would be limited to select users in select regions. At the time, the company said that OxygenOS 14 would be "gradually pushed to more users."

It took a few more weeks for that to happen, but it appears OnePlus is finally making OxygenOS 14 widely available to Open users.

Aside from default Android 14 features, the OxygenOS 14 software update also includes the February 2024 security patch for the OnePlus Open. Additionally, it brings a few unique features to the OnePlus Open. 

The big three new tools available in the update are File Dock, Content Extraction, and Smart Cutout. File Dock lets you drag and drop things between different apps and devices. Content Extraction can automatically detect and extract both text and images that are on your display with a single tap. Finally, Smart Cutout is OnePlus' version of subject detection, and it allows users to separate and pull out multiple subjects from a photo, which can then be copied or shared.

Here are all the new features and changes that OxygenOS 14 will bring to the OnePlus Open:

• Adds Aqua Dynamics, a way of interaction with morphing forms that allows you to view up-to-date information at a glance.
• Adds File Dock, where you can drag and drop to transfer content between apps and devices.
• Adds Content Extraction, a feature that can recognize and extract text and images from the screen with one tap.
• Adds Smart Cutout, a feature that can separate multiple subjects in a photo from the background for copying or sharing.
• Improves Shelf by adding more widget recommendations.
• Improves photo and video-related permission management for safer access by apps. 
• Improves system stability, the launch speed of apps and the smoothness of animations.
• Upgrades Aquamorphic Design with a natural, gentle, and clearer color style for a more comfortable color experience.
• Adds Aquamorphic-themed ringtones and revamps the system notification sounds.
• Improves system animations by making them even smoother.
• Adds a carbon tracking AOD that visualizes the carbon emissions you avoid by walking instead of driving. 

OnePlus Open owners should check their settings to see if the Android 14 update is available for their devices, particularly those that live in India and the U.S.

What you need to know

• The OnePlus Open has started receiving its OxygenOS 14 (Android 14) update in India but Closed Beta and Open Beta users are first in line.
• The update ushers in "Aqua Dynamics" with morphing forms for viewing notifications, security enhancements, and an Aquamorphic redesign.
• OnePlus previously teased more "foldable-related" features on the way for the Open, which should be present as users begin to install.

OnePlus is finally rolling out its Android 14 software update to its first foldable — but only a select few are eligible to start.

As detailed in a community post, the OnePlus Open is receiving OxygenOS 14 (Android 14) in India as firmware version CPH2551_14.0.0.400 (EX01). The Chinese OEM advises users to have at least 30% battery and 5GB of internal space free before downloading.

The changelog starts by mentioning the addition of "Aqua Dynamics" on the OnePlus Open. It's a new way of interacting with "morphing forms" to see notifications on your phone, similar to OnePlus' Dynamic Island-reminiscent "Fluid Cloud" feature.

OxygenOS 14 also revamps its Aquamorphic design with a more "natural, gentle, and clearer color style" alongside themed ringtones and notification sounds. The company adds the latest software to improve its system's animations for a smoother experience.

A few more key points in the patch notes are as follows:

• Adds File Dock, where you can drag and drop to transfer content between apps and devices.
• Adds Content Extraction, a feature that can recognize and extract text and images from the screen with one tap.
• Adds Smart Cutout, a feature that can separate multiple subjects in a photo from the background for copying or sharing.
• Improves Shelf by adding more widget recommendations.
• Improves photo and video-related permission management for safer access by apps.

Meanwhile, OnePlus aims to boost its system's stability by further improving the speed at which apps launch on the foldable. For "user care," the company states it's included an AOD (always-on display) carbon tracker showing the amount of carbon emissions saved when walking instead of driving.

As previously stated, the OxygenOS 14 (Android 14) update is rolling out now for those in India. However, users who participated in the Closed Beta and Open Beta can get in before it arrives for everyone else in the region. More importantly, the update should start making its rounds to more countries soon after.

The past-gen OnePlus 11 picked up the update in November following a series of betas, and it brought most of what we're seeing the foldable gain today. Moreover, during Android Central's interview with OnePlus, it was stated the company was "working very closely with Google to co-develop foldable-related features."

Most of these features should become apparent once users get their hands on the update.

Elsewhere, the OnePlus Open received its January 2024 security patch, which aimed to solve several display touch problems users have become vocal about.

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What you need to know

• OnePlus Open has started receiving the January 2024 security patch and several fixes.
• OnePlus aims to solve some frustrating touch control problems users have faced and improve the device's overall system stability.
• There's no word yet on the OnePlus Open's Android 14 stable update, however, the company recently began Open Beta 2 for the software in India.

OnePlus Open users are waking up to a new software update as the foldable picks up a late January patch.

As spotted by a user on the OnePlus Open subreddit, the update bears version number CPH2551_13.2.0.301 with a 459MB download size. The software update contains the latest January 2024 security patch and several fixes. One such fix involves "improvements" to the foldable's touch control experience," according to the patch notes.

This appeared to be a pain point for users as comments discussed the difficulty some faced, such as repeatedly tapping on their display to get the device to cooperate. Additionally, the Chinese OEM states "You can now drag to replace the current app with a new one in a three-way split view."

The remaining fixes are as follows:

• Improves System Stability
• Fixes a display issue that might occur in Quick Settings
• The Background stream feature in the Smart Sidebar has been removed
• Improves the Stability of network connections
• Improves camera performance for a better user experience

Google detailed five "High" priority framework fixes and five "High" priority system fixes that users can expect for January in its changelog.

The user on Reddit states they are in the U.K., so it seems the update is beginning to make its rounds in Europe. Owners of the OnePlus Open in other regions should start seeing the update as we go through the week.

The foldable should download automatically, but if you're curious, you can manually check and initiate its download by heading into Settings > About device > OxygenOS > Check for update.

The update is bitter-sweet as users eagerly await OxygenOS 14 (Android 14) for the foldable. The company debuted its latest operating system toward the end of September, packed with several new user additions. A few features include new ringtone sounds and "Fluid Cloud," which changes notification bubbles in the status bar.

It's unclear how long users will have to wait before the Android 14 appears for the OnePlus Open. However, the company detailed that OxygenOS 14 Open Beta 2 has recently started for testers in India. So, it may be a few extra weeks before we receive another update on the software's stable rollout status.

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Powerful, sophisticated, and eminently durable, the OnePlus Open is also far from cheap, which is why we're excited to share this historic deal from the good folks at Best Buy. Purchase and activate this premium foldable through the retailer and you'll get a straight $300 dropped off your purchase, a deal that makes the phone cheaper than its ever been. If you'd rather not activate the phone through Best Buy today, you'll still get a $200 discount, which is the same price drop we saw during the recent Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Obviously, a $1,400 smartphone is still a major investment, but if you like to be on the cutting edge of foldable technology, it's a great opportunity. 

✅Recommended if: you want the most cutting-edge foldable phone without being limited to Samsung or Google; you want a foldable with a nearly invisible crease; you're looking for great battery life and camera tech in a foldable phone. 

❌Skip this deal if: you're shopping on a budget; you want to use a stylus with your foldable phone; you want wireless charging.

We chose the OnePlus Open as the "best premium foldable" in our list of the best Android phones of 2023, and it isn't hard to see why. The phone delivers truly exceptional performance thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, plus you get two outstanding 120Hz AMOLED displays, some useful multi-tasking software features, and four Android OS updates guaranteed. With the OnePlus Open, you're also getting an incredibly smooth hinge with no visible crease down the middle, which is actually quite rare among foldable phones (despite claims to the contrary from a few brands — cough Samsung). Not too shabby for OnePlus' first attempt at making a foldable phone. 

More last-minute Christmas sales — quick links

• Amazon: Up to 50% off smartphones, TVs, and more
• Best Buy: Historic price drops on phones, TVs, tech
• Samsung: Up to $1,000 off TVs, Galaxy S23, Z Fold 5, trade-in offers
• Walmart: Sitewide deals on appliances, games, tech
• Verizon: Up to $1,000 off Samsung, bundle discounts, free phones
• AT&T: Free S23 Plus, Z Flip 5, iPhone 15 with eligible trade-in/new line
• Mint Mobile: $600 off Pixel 7 Pro, plus six months of free wireless
• Lenovo: Up to 77% off PCs, monitors, and more

As I'm sitting down to reflect on everything that's happened in the past year, I feel as though this has been one of the wildest rides I've ever been on. We've seen the rapid decline of one of the most popular social media platforms, AI is rapidly taking over the world, and 2024 is already shaping up to be even wilder.

Originally, I was going to try and put these topics in a certain order, but, I ended up spending too much time going back and forth. Instead, I said, "forget it," and decided to go with the flow. So, without further adieu, these are my favorite things of 2023.

More foldables - OnePlus Open, Pixel Fold

I've been beating the foldable phone drum ever since I got my paws on the Galaxy Z Fold 2, but my interest started to wane a bit. Mainly because Samsung has retained the same design for the past three years, and trying to import any of the cool foldables from overseas isn't exactly fiscally responsible. Thankfully, Google and OnePlus pulled me from the pits of despair, offering two similar, yet completely different, experiences.

For as long as I've been using foldable phones, I've been waiting for the day that Google would release one of its own. The Pixel Fold finally arrived, and I was able to get it on launch day, replacing my broken Galaxy Z Fold 4. It's pretty much everything I wanted from a Google foldable, but I also learned a few things about using non-Samsung foldable phones along the way.

The end of my daily use of the Pixel Fold came courtesy of OnePlus' foray into the market with the OnePlus Open. If you think the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is too narrow and the Pixel Fold is too wide, then the Open is the perfect middle ground. It continues to be the phone I reach for the most, thanks to the incredible cameras and a cover screen that feels more natural to use than the others.

Legion Go, Steam Deck OLED, and gaming handhelds galore

As of late, we've been doing a little bit more coverage in the way of gaming handhelds. This is simply because there are so many fantastic handhelds to choose from, and I'm not just talking about the Razer Edge or Logitech G Cloud. This year alone, Lenovo launched the Legion Go (a Windows handheld), Valve launched the Steam Deck OLED, ASUS came swinging with the ROG Ally, and countless other handhelds were released.

That's not to mention the likes of the Ayaneo Pocket AIR, AYN Odin 2, Retroid Pocket 2S Plus, Anbernic RG35XX Plus, Pimax Portal, and so many more. All of these run some version of Android, making it so you can either load up your favorite emulators or just install the best Android games. All without needing to worry about physically connecting a controller to your phone and worrying about battery life.

Honestly, these gaming handhelds have replaced mechanical keyboards as my current obsession. I just can't get enough, and following Ayaneo's announcement of the Pocket S, I couldn't be more excited to see how much more powerful these handhelds can get.

Framework

Something that I've come to learn in 2023 is that the inner tinkerer didn't actually disappear. I've started spending more and more time outside of Apple's walled gardens and fell right into the arms of Framework. The single Chromebook that I've kept coming back to over the past year is the Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition, but it's gone beyond that.

I'm currently working on either getting a new Framework Laptop or Mainboard. The reason for this has to do with the new Framework Chromebox that I built using the Framework Chromebook's Mainboard and the Cooler Master Mainboard Case. Trying to figure out why I couldn't get it to work ended up taking me down a deep rabbit hole, but when I came out on the other side, it was so refreshing and exciting.

Despite having a MacBook Pro using Apple's M2 Max chip and understanding how much more powerful and efficient it is, I can't help but be frustrated. Nothing about the MacBook is replaceable, so instead, I'm trying to "future-proof" myself a bit by moving to Framework. Because I could write about Framework forever, just head over to my Framework Chromebox piece if you want to know more about why I'm moving away from Apple in some regards.

Chromebooks continue to get better

After years of being stuck in what felt like purgatory, Chromebooks have been thrust into the limelight. While I'd like to sit here and gush about the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, Acer Chromebook Spin 714, and Framework, this isn't the place for that.

Google continued to show its commitment to the platform with the announcement of the Chromebook Plus initiative. Not only does this provide a set of guidelines for Chromebook makers, but it also opens the door for even more useful and exciting features down the line. Google also did the right thing and brought Chromebook Plus features to "older" devices, meaning that as long as the requirements are met, you don't need to rush out and buy one just to get specific features.

ChatGPT, Bard, Claude 2

ChatGPT burst onto the scene late last year and, in doing so, turned 2023 into the "year of AI." The prominence of OpenAI's chatbot was so impactful that it seemingly forced Google to launch its public-facing competitor in Bard. But those aren't even the only two LLMs that are easily accessible, as there are a plethora of options such as HuggingChat, Anthropic's Claude 2, and even Elon Musk's "Grok."

Not to mention that as the platform seemed to stabilize around GPT-4, OpenAI introduced extensions, while Google eventually did the same with Bard. Then, Google surprised many by introducing three new models, bringing Gemini Nano to the Pixel 8 Pro and infusing Gemini Pro into Bard. We're also awaiting the arrival of Gemini Ultra, which could be Google's answer to GPT-4, but that won't come until sometime next year.

So many great games (old and new)

I could have just slotted this into the same section as gaming handhelds, but that would be a disservice. 2023 saw the launch of so many incredible games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur's Gate 3, Starfield, and the list goes on.

But, my passion for retro gaming was reinvigorated, largely due to the various gaming handhelds that have hit the market. Being able to play some of my favorite childhood classics on pretty much any device I want is simply incredible. The best part about it all, for me at least, is that I don't need to use my phone and can just rely on a dedicated device.

From a single device, I can go from playing Baldur's Gate 3 or Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to firing up Super Mario Bros. Wonder or Tears of the Kingdom. Now, the only thing I need to worry about is making sure that my portable charger has enough juice to last until I get home.

AR/XR glasses are a game-changer

Something that reared its ugly head in 2023 was having to deal with chronic headaches. It's not related to my eyes but instead is because of the pressure that I put on my neck when testing out Chromebooks and tablets or playing games on my phone or other devices. However, I've been fortunate enough to be able to mess around with smart glasses such as the XREAL Air 2s and TCL NXTWEAR S.

These largely work with pretty much any device out there, including the best Android phones and Chromebooks. It has come in handy when taking trips and riding shotgun, as the glasses allow me to get work done (or play games) without needing to stare down at my laptop or tablet screen. I've even started using these at the end of the day when I just want to lay down on the couch but want to finish my daily objectives in Call of Duty on my Legion Go or ROG Ally.

The return of the ultrawide monitor (to me)

One of my big WFH purchases after the pandemic started was an ultrawide monitor, as I needed something larger than what I had. Last year, I gave that up in favor of the LG C2, as it offers 4K/120Hz and can be used as a monitor for Windows, macOS, and even ChromeOS. However, my entire home office setup was again thrown into disarray after I laid my eyes on the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9.

This behemoth of a monitor is 49 inches wide, with a 5120x1440 resolution and up to a 240Hz refresh rate, and offers me more flexibility than I even imagined. It gives me the same experience as using two 27-inch QHD monitors without the separation in the middle. Unless something breaks, I don't see myself going back to regular monitors anytime soon.

New tablets in all shapes and sizes

For the most part, I'm still of the belief that if you need a tablet, you should at least consider an iPad. However, the gap between the iPad and the best Android tablets got quite a bit smaller in 2023.

There's the Pixel Tablet that doubles as a smart home hub, even though Google says that wasn't the point. Amazon's Fire Max 11 remains one of my favorite tablets, as long as you get the one that doesn't constantly throw ads in your face. And Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra is almost perfect if you want a laptop replacement.

I'm not sure whether Android tablets will be able to close the gap any further, as there are rumors that Apple is aiming to revamp its iPad lineup in 2024. This potentially includes using OLED displays for the iPad Pro models and introducing the latest M3 chips to certain models. At the same time, rumors also suggest a larger iPad Air getting thrown into the mix. Even still, I'm excited to see what kind of response there will be from the likes of Samsung and, maybe, Google.

A growing family

I don't talk too much about my personal life here or even on the podcast, but there's another reason why 2023 has been such a roller coaster. After years of pleading with me, I finally caved, and we adopted Leia, who has been the most incredible coworker that anyone could ask for. She's a mix of four different breeds and, unfortunately, has a personality that's a mix between my wife and me.

Just a few months later, I took a break from working only to have my wife share the wonderful news that we were expecting! Things have been a whirlwind since then, and we still have a little ways to go before the big day, but I have never been more excited (and afraid) of anything in my life. It's always exciting to start the next chapter of your life, and shortly after the calendar flips into 2024, my next chapter will begin.

2024 is already shaping up to be exciting

When the year started, I didn't expect to end up where I'm at now. Not only have there been some pretty massive changes in my personal life, but 2023 has helped to change the way that I think about everything.

As we get ready to turn the calendar over and start a new year, I'm excited about what we might see. Gemini Ultra should be making its way to us sooner or later, the Galaxy S24 launch is right around the corner, and who knows what the year could hold for Chromebooks and ChromeOS.

More importantly, I'm extremely grateful to be working with the team here at Android Central. You really couldn't ask for a better band of misfits to work alongside, and if this year has been any indication, it's only going to get better from here.

What you need to know

• YouTuber Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything made a teardown video for the OnePlus Open, which is OnePlus' first foldable. 
• OnePlus claimed that the OnePlus Open had a hinge with a "titanium alloy," but only the screws are made of titanium.
• There is actually a carbon-fiber layer underneath the display for added support, though.

OnePlus made a lot of lofty claims about the OnePlus Open, its first foldable phone. It argued that this foldable beats out the rest in a few areas thanks to its "titanium alloy" and "carbon fiber" build. But how much do these so-called "aerospace materials" in the OnePlus Open really matter? Thanks to a teardown from YouTuber Zack Nelson of JerryRigEverything, we finally found out. 

Nelson first checks out the ultra-thin glass inner display on the OnePlus Open, which is covered by a protective layer of plastic. Removing the protective layer and the display doesn't end well for the smartphone, but it does reveal a carbon-fiber backing, which OnePlus claims makes the Open more sturdy. 

Things start to get tricky when Nelson moves to the battery and hinge. The battery is housed in two separate parts, and removing them isn't easy. You need to use isopropyl alcohol and a spudger to pry out the batteries, which OnePlus' own warnings caution against. Considering the battery is one of the few parts of a smartphone guaranteed to wear down over time, this certainly isn't ideal.

Now, onto the phone's hinge. As it turns out, the "titanium alloy" build really just means the screws, Nelson notes. While it's true that the titanium screws in the hinge do make the phone a smidge lighter, it seems to be more of a marketing trick than a real feature. OnePlus gets to say that the Open features titanium materials without having to actually design custom components with the material. 

To be fair, the screws are a pretty prominent part of the promotional image that accompanies OnePlus' titanium alloy claim. However, the company's vague wording could make customers believe the OnePlus Open uses more titanium than it actually does. That's especially true given that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have titanium frames, albeit with an aluminum subframe. 

But since the OnePlus Open uses a considerable amount of carbon fiber — it's also found in the hinge structure — it could have just leaned into that for marketing. Instead, it stretched the truth a bit to get the titanium buzzword on people's radar. However, that doesn't stop the device from being one of our favorite foldable phones to launch this year.

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What you need to know

• The OnePlus Open is starting to receive its December update (OxygenOS 13.2), which includes the November 2023 security patch.
• The company is also correcting an odd blank screen bug that plagues the foldable whenever viewing images.
• When in Photo mode, users can now set a specific exposure level for the OnePlus Open's camera.
• Still no word on when OxygenOS 14 (Android 14) will arrive for the device.

As December gets underway, OnePlus is rolling out a software patch for its first foldable phone. The patch, detailed on the community forum, states that OnePlus Open owners will soon download firmware version EX01. The update improves the system by updating users to the November 2023 security patch.

Google's release notes for last month's update showed six "High" priority system fixes included, with one "Critical" problem solved. For the display, OnePlus aims to fix the problem with an occasional blank screen for the Open when viewing images.

The foldable's camera will now let users set a specific exposure level when interacting with Photo mode.

The rest of the changelog is as follows:

• Improves the stability and expands the compatibility of Bluetooth connections
• Improves the stability of network connections
• Improves system stability
• Improves system performance

This Oxygen OS 13.2-based update should make its rounds to devices as we progress through the week. Your OnePlus Open should automatically download it, but if you're curious, you can manually check by heading into Settings > About device > OxygenOS > Check for update.

The unfortunate side to this update is that it's not OxygenOS 14 (Android 14). OnePlus debuted its latest major OS skin back in September, along with quite a few new additions users will receive once downloaded. Since then, the company's flagship OnePlus 11 received the update, which offers an interesting take on Apple's Dynamic Island function.

Another OnePlus flagship received its Android 14 treatment at the beginning of December, leaving questions regarding the OnePlus Open. The company didn't include its foldable in its OxygenOS 14 roadmap for the final few months of 2023, and it's becoming increasingly less likely it will grab the update before the new year.

As always, things can change, and we will continue to monitor how OnePlus progresses.

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What you need to know

• Zack Nelson, the YouTube personality who runs JerryRigEverything, put the new OnePlus Open through its paces in a durability test.
• The OnePlus Open survived the test, which the Pixel Fold failed. 
• However, the OnePlus Open still has a few durability concerns, like an inner screen that scratches easily. 

OnePlus Open, the latest foldable to debut in North American markets, seems to be the best of both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Google Pixel Fold. But in order to be crowned the king of foldables, the OnePlus Open needs to hold up well over time. Well, if you want to gauge how the OnePlus Open fares, you'll be happy to know that Zack Nelson just gave it the JerryRigEverything durability test. 

There are a few reasons why this durability test is a big deal for the OnePlus Open. First, it's worth mentioning that this is OnePlus' first folding phone. However, since OnePlus borrowed some tech from parent company Oppo, it has a leg up on other first-generation foldables.

There's also the fact that the OnePlus Open merely features an IPX4 water resistance rating. That means it has no certified protection against dust ingress, which could be concerning in a phone with a hinge and other moving parts. The "4" in that rating also signifies that the OnePlus Open is splash-proof and isn't protected against water submersion.

But with all that said, the OnePlus Open managed to survive Nelson's grueling durability test. It's the same one that saw the Z Fold 5 survive and the Pixel Fold fail.

Nelson started with the scratch test, which saw the Open perform on par with other smartphones on the outer display. On the Moh Scale of Hardness, the outside glass was lightly scratched at level six, with deeper cuts at level seven. The inner glass — which is more like plastic — didn't fare as well, though. It scratched with just the press of a fingernail, showing the feebleness of folding "glass."

Although the OnePlus Open doesn't have any official dust protection, it did survive Nelson's dust test. This test involves Nelson spreading dirt and debris across the phone and in the hinge and then seeing if the hinge and display still work properly. For not having an IP rating against dust, the OnePlus Open impressively survives. 

The most important test, especially on a folding phone, is certainly Nelson's bend test. He's managed to tear non-folding phones in half, and infamously destroyed the Pixel Fold in its durability test. 

But alas, the OnePlus Open did not break when faced with a lot of force. The hinge flexed beyond 180 degrees, stretching the plastic display out a bit. However, the Open's display still functioned. The smartphone also managed to still open and close functionally, albeit looser than before. 

So, the OnePlus Open definitely quenched some fears by surviving Nelson's durability test. It still remains to be seen how the Open holds up over time, though. There have already been a few reports of Open display failing on social media early after its launch. And if other foldables have set an example, the real issues may start to surface months or years after the phone's debut. 

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What you need to know

• OnePlus is offering a referral program for the OnePlus Open, allowing Open buyers to share a $100 discount with a friend.
• The person referring a OnePlus Open customer will earn a $100 off coupon for the OnePlus store.
• Only people who have already purchased an Open at OnePlus' website or the OnePlus Store app can participate in the program. 

The OnePlus Open might be the best folding phone you can buy in North America, and early adopters can now participate in a new referral program. As part of the new deal, OnePlus Open buyers will receive a referral code to share with a friend. They'll receive a $100 off coupon to use at the OnePlus Store, and their friend will receive $100 off the purchase of an Open. 

This is the latest deal for the OnePlus Open, which is very competitively priced compared to other folding phones. The Open retails for $1,700, and that's $100 less than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 or the Google Pixel Fold. However, the phone costs $1,500 after the OnePlus trade-in promotion is included. You can trade in literally any phone, in any condition, and get $200 off.

OnePlus has confirmed that this trade-in promotion will run as long as the phone is sold, bringing the de facto price down to $1,500.

And on top of that, you can now save an extra $100 with OnePlus' referral program. Only people who have already purchased a OnePlus Open directly from the company's online store or app will get a code to share with friends. Up to five people can use the code, getting $100 of savings each.

There's a unique caveat to the program, which states that the person referring the OnePlus Open will only get the $100 off coupon once the phone has been delivered. Presumably, this is to make sure that people don't cancel or refuse delivery after already using the coupon for other OnePlus products. There aren't any other restrictions outlined on the OnePlus website, though.

Eligible OnePlus Open buyers should have already received an email containing their referral code. Remember, if you bought a OnePlus Open from a third party like Best Buy or Amazon, you won't be eligible. OnePlus recommends users contact support@oneplus.com for help with the referral program.

OnePlus is likely hoping to capitalize on the growing momentum behind the OnePlus Open launch. Reviewers and customers have raved about the new folding phone, which is a happy medium between the form factors of the Pixel Fold and the Z Fold 5. Another big part of the appeal is the starting price and discounts, and these can get even better with this referral program. 

•  Phone deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Samsung | Amazon | Verizon | AT&T 

If there's one thing that pretty much every foldable phone should have, it's the ability to use a stylus. After it debuted, we were disappointed to learn that the OnePlus Open would not offer stylus support. However, that was later debunked as it's actually possible to pair the OPPO Pen to the OnePlus Open.

The biggest catch, unfortunately, is that the company does not currently have any plans to release a self-branded stylus for the OnePlus Open. Instead, the only way that you'll be able to get a compatible stylus of your own is to import the OPPO Pen from an overseas retailer. 

If you managed to get your hands on both the OPPO Pen and OnePlus Open, we'll walk you through the necessary steps to pair them together. This is all possible thanks to the built-in Bluetooth and battery that the OPPO Pen features, something that even Samsung's S Pen Fold Edition doesn't offer with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. 

How to pair OPPO Pen to OnePlus Open

1. Make sure that the OPPO Pen is charged.

2. Remove the OPPO Pen from the charging cradle.

3. Open the Settings app on your OnePlus Open.

4. Tap Bluetooth.

5. Select the OPPO Pen under the Available devices section.

6. If you want, provide access to your contacts and call logs. This isn't necessary for the Pen to work with the Open.

7. Tap the Pair button.

8. Once paired, tap the Functions button to get an idea of what the OPPO Pen can do. Otherwise, tap the Done button.

How to customize the OPPO Pen with the OnePlus Open

1. Verify that the OPPO Pen is paired with your OnePlus Open.

2. Open the Settings app.

3. Scroll down and tap Additional settings.

4. Tap Stylus.

5. From here, you'll be greeted with a few different settings and options that you can toggle or customize. Here's a list of the various options you have.

• Press the button: Switch between current tool and eraser; Switch between current tool and last used; Show color palette; Off
• Handwriting feedback: Get realistic haptic feedback while using the pencil effect
• Take a screenshot: Double-tap the stylus button to take a full-screen screenshot
• Delay auto lock: Prolong your screen's auto lock time when you use a stylus
• Take a quick note: Swipe from the upper right corner of the screen to the center with your stylus to bring up the Quick note panel
• Auto update: Automatically update stylus firmware when the stylus is connected

We wish it were easier to get

For some, it's easy to dismiss the OnePlus Open, as it's the only folio-style foldable phone here in the U.S. that isn't available through a carrier. But the reality is that if you're even slightly interested in this ever-growing segment of the market, the OnePlus Open might just open your eyes. 

From top to bottom, OnePlus nailed about 99% of the hardware, offering incredible cameras, a display with an almost unnoticeable crease, and unique software. If there's anywhere that OnePlus missed the mark, it's in the lack of wireless charging and not launching the Open with a OnePlus stylus.

Nevertheless, getting your hands on the OPPO Pen is still technically possible, as it can be imported via eBay or GizTop. Whether you've already bought or plan to buy the OnePlus Open, get the OPPO Pen.

Despite not jumping in on the original Galaxy Fold, I've been a strong advocate of foldable phones for years. These are true productivity machines, offering both a phone and tablet experience, all in a device that fits in my pocket. Ever since Samsung brought stylus support to the Galaxy Z Fold 3, it's one of those things that you don't realize you miss until it's not there. Unfortunately, that's sort of the case for the OnePlus Open, but OPPO has a pretty good solution for those willing to wait.

In the past year alone, I've been able to use all kinds of foldables, including the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Pixel Fold, and now the OnePlus Open. If there's one thing that I've taken away from every non-Samsung foldable, it's that stylus support has become essential.

After hearing the rumblings about a potential foldable phone from OnePlus, I immediately got excited, not because of the potential camera benefits or even the almost non-existent crease on the inner screen. Instead, I thought that OnePlus would release a no-compromise alternative to the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed to hear that the OnePlus Open wouldn't include any stylus support. It really kind of felt like a kick to the gut, because if there were any company to really take the fight to Samsung, it would've been OnePlus. I was lucky enough to spend a couple of weeks with the Open before it was officially announced, and that feeling of "there's something missing" just kept cropping back up.

Then, someone over on Reddit debunked everything that we had been told about using a stylus with the Open. This individual found that you could pair the OPPO Pen with the OnePlus Open and use it, giving me a glimmer of hope. Those hopes were somewhat dashed after learning that the only way to get the OPPO Pen was to import it through a retailer like GizTop.

This was a fine solution, but along with a price markup, it wouldn't have actually shown up until the end of November, or early December. Thankfully, I didn't have to go that route, as someone in a Discord group mentioned they had an OPPO Pen, lived in the States, and were willing to part with it.

I also reached out to OnePlus directly in order to get some type of confirmation about whether the OPPO Pen would work or not. The company replied stating "The OnePlus Open does not support OnePlus Stylo. OnePlus will consider having more accessories in the future. However, OnePlus Open can connect with OPPO Pen." Armed with that information, I was able to go ahead and proceed with getting the Pen for myself.

Fast forward a week and a half (thanks, USPS), and my dream scenario for the Open was realized. Unlike the S Pen Fold Edition that Samsung offers, OPPO's stylus actually does include a built-in battery. The pairing process was almost as seamless, with the exception that it relies on a Bluetooth connection.

But here's the real kicker about all of this. Not only does the OPPO Pen work on the inner display, but it also works on the outer screen. Even with being as narrow as it is, this is something that I've been wanting Samsung to implement with its recent Galaxy Z Fold devices. Maybe Samsung's just holding out until it releases a redesigned Fold with a wider cover screen, but it feels like a missed opportunity.

So, what is it like actually using the OPPO Pen with the OnePlus Open? Well, it's pretty much like using any stylus with the device that it's meant to be paired with. But unlike the S Pen Fold Edition, the OPPO Pen does offer a bit more functionality thanks to Bluetooth connectivity.

This means that I'm able to frame a picture with the Open, and not have to worry about setting a timer or anything. I can just click the button on the side of the stylus and have it take the picture when everyone's ready. There are a few other features too, such as drawing a line down from the top right corner to pull up the built-in Quick Notes app. It's also nice being able to press the button and switch between tools when I write something down that looks worse than chicken scratch.

When it comes to writing, I'm still kind of on the fence about how I feel, but there's no denying that it's better than taking notes on the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Since the crease has improved so much, I barely feel it when I'm jotting something down.

You even have the ability to adjust the "handwriting feedback," which is just the stylus vibrating a bit whenever you're writing or interacting with the screen. This has been very hit-and-miss for me, even when turning it all the way up. Very rarely do I get the feeling of using an actual pen, but it's still just slightly better than the feeling of drawing on glass.

There are two things that I've been frustrated about when it comes to this whole experience. The first of which is that you'll need to get creative if you want to have the OPPO Pen with you, wherever you go. This can be remedied with something like the Ringke Pen Holder that I've sworn by for the past few years. But even if you are okay with slapping adhesive on the back of your case, good luck dealing with the enormous camera module.

The larger frustration is that I can't help but feel as though OnePlus just slightly missed the mark, and I can't figure out why. I'm sure people smarter than me have great and well-rehearsed explanations as to why OPPO and OnePlus ship the exact same phone, just with different branding, yet the Open misses out on an "official" stylus.

I can't help but think about how different things might have been if OnePlus announced the Open with a $1,499 price tag, a partnership with at least one carrier, and a first-party stylus solution. That's not even mentioning the built-in IR blaster that OnePlus curiously decided not to tell anyone about.

Instead, you'll have to trade in a phone to get the lower price, hope that GizTop or eBay has the OPPO Pen in stock, and then wait for it to actually show up weeks later. All the while, not being able to go to your local carrier store and pick one up. Granted, the Open is available at Best Buy and Amazon, which is great, but some people would prefer to add the cost of the phone to their bill, as opposed to paying for it all upfront.

I already thought that the OnePlus Open was the best foldable phone of the year, but this feeling is only affirmed with the addition of the OPPO Pen.

I’ve been daily driving a book-style foldable phone for the past few months now, and I don’t want to go back to a traditional candybar phone. Watching videos, reading manga, and browsing the web are all much more comfortable to do on the inner screen of a book-style foldable than on a candybar phone. Unfortunately, my experience with the software on the two book-style foldables I’ve used so far — the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the OnePlus Open — hasn’t been perfect, and it’s not because of anything Samsung or OnePlus has done.

I’m sure you’ve heard reviewers say that many apps aren’t “optimized” yet for foldables, but what exactly do they mean by that?  

Broadly speaking, there are four categories of software issues that I’ve identified while using book-style foldable phones. These include size, layout, awareness, and advantage. I’ll explain what I mean by each of these and also talk about how Google and OEMs are working to address them.

My first issue: Size

If you compare the number of candybar Android phones that are on the market versus the number of large-screen Android devices (which includes tablets, foldables, and Chromebooks capable of running Android apps), you’ll find that the former far exceeds the latter. That’s why it’s no surprise that the vast majority of developers focus on optimizing their Android apps for candybar phones first. If they have the time and resources, they may optimize their app for larger screens, but many developers do not.

Developers that don’t or can’t optimize their apps have two options: Block the app from running on devices with larger screens or lock the app into portrait orientation. The first option would shut out some potential users, so many developers choose not to do that. The second option lets those users access the app, although they may have to flip their device 90° to actually use it. Apps like BeReal, Authy, Venmo, Zipcar, Lyft, Delta, Chase, and Amex lock themselves to portrait orientation, for example.

It’s obviously not ideal that there are so many apps that aren’t optimized for landscape orientation, but forcing developers to tweak their apps to support what may be a relatively small number of users isn’t something Google can justify. Instead, Google found a solution that lets OEMs override an app’s orientation preference while still displaying the app in its intended aspect ratio.

At a system level, OEMs can override an app’s orientation preference, allowing them to be shown in landscape mode. By default, this places the app in a letterbox surrounded by gray bars, but you can stretch the app to fill the screen if you want. In Samsung’s One UI, this is done by going to Settings > Advanced features > Labs > Landscape view for portrait apps. In OxygenOS/ColorOS, this is done by going to Settings > Main screen > Display size. Finally, in stock Android, this is done by navigating to Settings > Apps > Aspect ratio.

While overriding the orientation preference and aspect ratio of an app solves some problems, it leads to other problems or simply doesn’t address some existing issues. These issues have to do with the app’s layout. 

My second issue: Layout

By layout, I’m referring to the placement of UI elements within an app, such as buttons, tabs, text, and images. Many apps designed for candybar phones use a bottom navigation bar, i.e., a row of buttons at the bottom that lets users navigate to different screens in the app. These buttons are close enough together on candybar phones that they’re easy to reach without stretching your thumb, but they’re harder to reach when the app is stretched to fill the screen on devices with much wider screens. The solution to this problem is for the app to switch to a side navigation rail when it’s opened on a device with a larger screen.

Here are some screenshots showing Gmail on a candybar phone with a bottom navigation bar, Gmail stretched to fill the screen of a book-style foldable but with a bottom navigation bar, and finally, Gmail optimized for large screens with a side navigation rail:

In-app navigation isn’t the only layout challenge to consider. Book-style foldables, when unfolded, have enough screen space to accommodate two panes of content, yet most apps only show a single pane of content at a time. Often, this results in text and images being unnecessarily stretched to fit the entire width of the inner display, such as in the case of the X app.

Creating a two-pane layout requires some work on the part of the app developer, of course. Many Google apps, such as Gmail, as shown above, have a two-pane layout, but most apps from other developers do not. 

Some OEMs have implemented features that force select apps to open in a two-pane layout, but this only works with apps that have a multiple-activity architecture, as the system essentially forces these apps to support Android’s “activity embedding” feature. However, these kinds of features have to be specifically coded to support certain apps, so you’ll find that one OEM’s OS can force a two-pane layout in one app while another OEM’s OS cannot. A key example of this is X, which can be forced into a two-pane layout on the Honor Magic V2 but not on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 or OnePlus Open. 

Stock Android, unfortunately, has no solution to this problem. Google’s answer is to provide developers the tools they need to create a two-pane layout, regardless of whether their app follows modern Android development (MAD) guidelines.

Another layout-related issue is that, even if the app on paper does all the right things to support large-screen devices, it doesn’t show users that optimized layout by default. Those Gmail screenshots I shared earlier were all taken on the OnePlus Open, first on the outer display, second on the inner display in its default portrait orientation, and lastly on the inner display when flipped over to landscape orientation. The OnePlus Open, as well as the Galaxy Z Fold 5, has a much narrower inner screen aspect ratio compared to the Google Pixel Fold, which means its natural orientation when unfolded is portrait.

This means you don’t have to flip the phone 90° to deal with portrait-locked apps, but it also means that apps with a large screen optimized layout, like Discord and Gmail, won’t show you that layout unless you flip the phone 90°.

My third issue: Awareness

This next issue is a lot more minor compared to the previous two, but it’s something that’s happened to me often enough that I need to bring it up. There are a few things that apps need to do to become “foldable aware,” and one of them is to handle the change in display size that happens when the user folds or unfolds their device.

Unfortunately, I’ve noticed that some apps, like Discord, don’t handle this configuration change gracefully. For example, I’ve often found that the send button is hidden off-screen when I fold the device while Discord is open. To resurface this button, I have to close out of the app and then reopen it. 

Many foldables also have a hinge angle sensor that apps can listen to to adjust their UI based on the folded state of the device. Very few apps take advantage of the hinge angle sensor, though. YouTube is one example of an app that does. When the device is half-opened, YouTube’s Premium controls are shown at the bottom half of the screen while the video is shown at the top half.

My last issue: Advantage

Speaking of apps taking advantage of features only found on foldables, the last issue I wanted to highlight is that very few apps are taking advantage of the fact that foldables have two displays. The Pixel Fold’s Dual Screen Interpreter mode lets you show translated text on the outer display and the original text on the inner display. This feature wasn’t available on the Pixel Fold at launch, however, as it relies on new capabilities introduced in Android 14.

Fortunately, Android 14 makes it possible for other apps to utilize both screens on a foldable, so hopefully more apps get updated to take advantage of this unique aspect of foldable phones. 

Book-style foldable phones tick all the right boxes for me, and despite these issues, I don’t see myself carrying a regular candybar phone as my personal device anytime soon. Once book-style foldables drop in price and become more mainstream, I’m hoping their increased popularity will encourage developers to optimize their apps.

Until then, if you’re looking to pick up a book-style foldable like the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Pixel Fold, or OnePlus Open, then you should be aware of the issues I mentioned in this article and the potential workarounds that are available or are in development.

Update (Oct 31, 10:45 am ET): Updated with a statement from OnePlus that confirms compatibility with the Oppo Pen.

What you need to know

• Despite being told otherwise, it appears that the newly-released OnePlus Open does support active stylus input.
• An owner of the Open and the Oppo Pen tested the stylus on both the cover and main screens.
• It's a bit unclear whether other stylus pens will work, but the OnePlus Stylo designed for the OnePlus Pad does not. 

The OnePlus Open is an easy front-runner for the best Android phone of the year, if not at least the best foldable. But, it still seemingly lacked a few of the key features that make the Galaxy Z Fold 5 so great, such as being able to use a stylus for input. It seems that OnePlus was keeping a little bit of a secret about the Open. 

As it turns out, the Oppo Find N2 and the new Find N3 both offer active stylus support, with Oppo even selling a compatible stylus. Thanks to u/Rashed341 on Reddit, we've now learned that the OnePlus Open can also be used with a stylus. 

When paired with the Oppo Pen, the Open works just like you would expect, and there was even a firmware update available when the stylus and phone were paired. There are also various gestures that can be performed, such as "double tap on the button for screenshots" or "pull from the upper corner anytime to open notes quickly."

ONEPLUS OPEN HAS STYLUS SUPPORT!!! from r/oneplus

Making things even more interesting is the fact that the Open supports stylus input on both the main display and the outer screen. It's something that Galaxy Z Fold owners have been asking for, but Samsung has still yet to implement. 

The biggest problem in all of this is actually getting your hands on a stylus that works. We tried numerous USI stylus pens, and even Microsoft's Surface Slim Pen 2 to no avail. The Slim Pen 2 managed to connect with the Open over Bluetooth, but that's as far as it got as I couldn't actually interact with either screen using the Pen 2.

ONEPLUS OPEN has also STYLUS support on the outer display! from r/oneplus

Instead, if you picked up the OnePlus Open and want to be able to use a stylus with it, your options are pretty limited. There are quite a few listings on eBay, but you'll need to make sure that you get the Oppo Pen Stylus for Find N2 and N3. An alternative is to import the Oppo Pen via Giztop, but it'll set you back about $130, and no matter which option you choose, it could be at least a few weeks before it arrives on your doorstep.

We've reached out to OnePlus regarding stylus support on the Open and whether or not the company plans to launch a stylus, and we will update this article when we hear back. However, it really feels like this was a missed opportunity for OnePlus to make an even bigger splash. The overall sentiment surrounding the Open is largely positive, but if OnePlus launched the phone and a OnePlus-branded stylus, we imagine that it would entice even more users to switch.

Update

Shortly after this article went live, we reached out to OnePlus to see if it could provide some clarification about stylus compatibility with its first foldable phone. Here's the official statement:

So there you have it! While it seems that OnePlus is content with the current offering of accessories for the Open, it's still disappointing to see that we won't be getting a rebranded Oppo Pen. However, as we stated previously, you can try and import one for yourself. Along with the long shipping wait, you'll also likely end up paying a bit more than if the stylus was available in the U.S.

Update (Apr 4, 12:45 pm ET): Update rolling out in Europe and the U.S. with the April U.S.  2023 patch.

Only one stylus works with the OnePlus Open

When the OnePlus Open was originally announced, there was a lot of excitement as it appeared there was another formidable challenger to the Galaxy Z Fold 5. For some, those hopes were quickly dashed after there was no mention of being able to use a stylus, and in some cases, OnePlus claimed it wasn't compatible.

However, after the Open was launched to the public, it didn't take long for those claims to be debunked. One user on Reddit found that they could use the Oppo Pen with the Open, and even was able to install a firmware update after it was paired.

The Oppo Pen was initially released alongside the Oppo Find N2 but is also compatible with the Find N3. When you consider that the OnePlus Open and Oppo Find N3 are essentially the same phone with different branding, it makes sense that the technology would be there to use a stylus with the Open.

There's always a chance this could change in a future software update, as OnePlus could end up removing this functionality altogether. The other problem is that the Oppo Pen is not sold in every market, and is currently only available from China through either eBay or Giztop. Because of import costs, this also means that the stylus costs about $50 more than if you were to get it directly from Oppo.

Nevertheless, if you can manage to get your hands on the Oppo Pen and pair it with the OnePlus Open, you'll enjoy a much better experience. Not only are you able to use the Pen with the inner 7.82-inch screen, but it can also be used with the 6.3-inch Cover Screen. 

This gives the OnePlus Open an even bigger leg up on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 as the Fold Edition S Pen is limited to being used with the inner screen. Meanwhile, Google's Pixel Fold doesn't offer any stylus support, which was a bit of a letdown after it was finally unveiled.

Even if the Open didn't offer any type of stylus support, there's still an argument to be made that it's now one of the best foldable phones. Between the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 16GB of RAM, and an incredible camera system, the Open is a formidable challenger in the U.S. market. 

Editor's note: A previous version of this article stated that the OnePlus Open was not compatible with a stylus. The article has been updated to reflect the latest information.

What to know about the waterproof rating of the OnePlus Open

The OnePlus Open is an exciting new foldable smartphone from the company, OnePlus’ first in this category and the latest in the growing foldables space. It has a back made of Gorilla Glass 5 and a Ceramic Guard on the screen with proprietary Ultra Thin Glass protective materials on the inner foldable display, so it’s a pretty durable phone overall.

While the IPX4 rating isn’t the best available, with many phones nowadays boasting IP68 or IP67 ratings, it’s still a step in the right direction for OnePlus. The company has historically not assigned any official water-resistant rating to its devices. The OnePlus 10T did receive one, but it was only IP54, which actually involves the same water-resistant rating as the OnePlus Open.

How so? This is because the IPX4 waterproof rating pertains to both dust and water resistance. The letter “X” references its dust resistance, and the lack of a number in this space means it is not rated to withstand dust.

Where the waterproof rating comes into play is with the second number. An IP rating of “4” for water resistance, as noted in the OnePlus Open, means it is resistant to “splashing water:” You can splash water on the phone from any direction, and it won’t have a harmful effect. But you can’t dunk the phone in water, leave it out in the rain, or accidentally drop it in the toilet and guarantee that it will still be OK.

To put this in perspective, a phone with an IP68 rating, like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, would offer “dust tight” complete protection against dust getting into the innards of the phone and can also be immersed in more than a meter of fresh water. A phone with an IPX8 rating, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, offers the same water submersion rating but, like the OnePlus Open, isn’t confirmed to be protected against dust. Meanwhile, a phone with an IP67 rating, like the Google Pixel 7a, could be immersed in up to one meter of water (and is protected against dust).

Consider, however, that OnePlus says it has added some features to help better disperse moisture should the phone get wet. This includes dispersive waterproof protection applied to critical components on the inside of the phone so water doesn't reach the core internal structure. The hinge itself also has drainage holes on both sides of the spindle, so water won’t pool in that area, but rather exit from where it enters. Thus, you might be able to get this phone slightly wet more so than you might other devices with an IPX4 rating. Still, when possible, it’s best to keep it away from water. But if you get more than a splash, don’t panic, as you might still be OK.

Bottom line: don’t go for a swim with the OnePlus Open unless you tuck it into a sealed waterproof bag or place it in a waterproof case (should one be available). Don’t even use it by the pool. While it’ll be fine if you get caught in a rainstorm on occasion, the phone can really only withstand splashes. If having a waterproof housing is of the utmost importance to you, consider a look at the best waterproof phones for alternative considerations.

If it's a foldable you need, the jury is still out on whether the OnePlus Open will rank among the best foldable phones. The phone is still new. But fans and reviewers are eager to try it out and put it to task against the top foldable phones on the market today from Samsung, Motorola, and Google.

Foldable fans were having a heyday in 2023. We saw incredible releases from companies like Samsung, Google, Honor, Xiaomi, Oppo, and now OnePlus with the OnePlus Open.

By all accounts, the OnePlus Open seems to be the most critically acclaimed foldable phone of all time. So, if you're in the market for the best foldable phone, does it still make sense to consider a Google Pixel Fold?

We break down the difference between the Google Pixel Fold and the OnePlus Open and let you know which one is the best value for your money. After all, both phones retail for well over $1,500, so it's important to consider everything before spending your hard-earned dollars.

OnePlus Open vs. Google Pixel Fold: Design and displays

OnePlus and Google have different ideas of what a large foldable should look like and how it should work, and that all starts with the displays. The OnePlus Open and Google Pixel Fold feature wonderfully large, usable outer displays that look more like a regular smartphone.

Both phones also feature large inner screens that work similarly to tablets. However, all of these displays have very different aspect ratios. Google's displays are shorter and wider, while OnePlus's display style is similar to Samsung's taller.

I prefer the shorter, wider displays of the Google Pixel Fold. They allow for more horizontal content, which makes the phone's larger inner display feel more like a tablet and less like two phones placed side-by-side. Plus, being this wide means apps automatically switch to landscape tablet UIs when available.

However, OnePlus's taller, narrower aesthetic is the perfect version of the concept that Samsung has used on phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 5. By that, I mean it's narrower than the Pixel Fold but much wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, sitting in a sweet spot that didn't exist.

Aside from that, OnePlus features superior displays with much brighter panels, newer LTPO technology for extra power savings, and smaller bezels all around. Plus, OnePlus's hinge is rated to last up to one million folds — five times the number Google rates the Pixel Fold at.

That brings me to the rest of the design. While I think Google's rounded edges make it easier to open the Pixel Fold, OnePlus's build quality is second to none. Plus, the leather back on the Voyager Black OnePlus Open colorway is a relic of the past that I never wanted to let go of. Glass-backed phones are completely overrated if you ask me.

There's no way to compare these phones without talking about the display crease on the larger inner display. While both phones still have a crease—engineers haven't figured out how to remove it altogether yet—the OnePlus Open has the best crease of any foldable phone available right now. Even if you have the screen, you still have to look for the crease. It also has one of those hinges that stays in the position you leave it in.

This hinge and crease design is almost certainly borrowed from Oppo, a company that has been making creaseless foldable phones for a few years now.

However, while the OnePlus Open's crease is invisible unless you hold it at an extreme angle, the hinge on the Open isn't as water-resistant as the Pixel Fold. Google's phone sports an IPX8 water-resistance rating, while the OnePlus Open is just IPX4, meaning you can get it a little wet while it's raining, but you won't want to drop it in a body of water accidentally.

OnePlus Open vs. Google Pixel Fold: Performance, battery life, and cameras

If you've been in the smartphone space for the past three years, you've undoubtedly heard about the performance and heat issues that Google Tensor processors often have.

Sure, Google's AI performance is far better than any other company's, and its phones can do some crazy tricks with photography, audio recording, translation, and similar things. However, gaming performance and battery life took a hit because AI performance was prioritized instead.

Meanwhile, the OnePlus Open uses the best processor for most tasks from 2023: the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This processor is several times faster in gaming performance than the Pixel Fold's Tensor G2 and handles everyday tasks much more efficiently.

For example, the battery life of the OnePlus Open is far better than that of the Pixel Fold despite both phones having roughly the same size battery. We've also seen countless reports of folks having overheating issues with their Pixel Fold, even when recording videos or performing other "simple" tasks.

Meanwhile, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the OnePlus Open runs at a far cooler temperature and sips battery compared to the Tensor G2. OnePlus also outfitted the Open with faster charging than the Pixel Fold, making it one of the fastest-charging foldables on the market.

Then there's the discussion of cameras. OnePlus uses the latest camera hardware on the OnePlus Open, but the company's software isn't as mature or advanced as Google's.

That doesn't mean the OnePlus Open's cameras are any slouch—far from it. The OnePlus Open has the single best camera hardware on any foldable and can produce some of the best photos and videos because of it.

Google's real win comes in zoom detail and capturing moving subjects. Pixels are typically the best phones for parents and pet owners because of their innate ability to capture moving subjects better than any other phone on the market. But the Pixel Fold isn't quite as good at this particular niche issue as a regular Pixel is, even if it is slightly better than the OnePlus Open at this singular task.

Google's Pixel Fold is also capable of producing better zoom detail thanks to the 5x optical periscope lens on the back of the phone. In contrast, the OnePlus Open only provides a 3x telephoto lens. That puts it in the same league as Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold series, which is to say it's not bad. Just not as good as Google's efforts.

OnePlus Open vs. Google Pixel Fold: Software

Here's where things get interesting. OnePlus clearly spent a lot of time ensuring the foldable experience was unique, and so did Google. The launch of the Pixel Fold celebrated an exceptional occurrence that I can't ever recall seeing before. In time for the Pixel Fold launch, Google's many software divisions were aligned to deliver meaningful UI updates to its core apps.

Never before in Android's history have we seen this sort of cooperation within Google's many teams, and the experience on the Pixel Fold felt so much better because of it. Plus, the company worked to finally fix Pixel's garbage multitasking UI and offered up a slew of multitasking features that made side-by-side app usage feel more natural than ever.

But OnePlus took things a step further with floating windows, three-way app splits, and more with this custom version of OxygenOS for foldable. Sure, the company's software feels a bit buggy now, but that's not uncommon for a fresh release from OnePlus. Typically, these things get ironed out in no time, and we're left with tons of great features and blazing-fast speed. Let's hope the apps not optimized for the screen will be soon.

If I had to pick any one UI right now, it would be the Pixel UI. But, aesthetics aside, OnePlus's OxygenOS is far more feature-rich and delivers a superior foldable experience in most regards.

OnePlus Open vs. Google Pixel Fold: Which should you buy?

For most people, the OnePlus Open delivers a superior overall experience that shouldn't be ignored. Everything from power users to casual folks will find the OnePlus Open's hardware superior, and even with its current crop of bugs, the software experience is vastly superior to the Pixel Fold.

That doesn't mean there's no reason to choose a Pixel Fold this year. It's got one additional year of software support, complete with the typical Pixel Feature Drops every few months. Google is great about supporting its phones and adding new features all the time, but OnePlus also delivers new features every year when it updates its Oxygen OS.

There's really no getting around how much better OnePlus' hardware is. The hinge is rated to last longer, and the display crease is basically invisible compared to Google's. Plus, the leather-backed Open is a thing of beauty and makes the phone feel great in the hand—so long as missing wireless charging isn't a deal-breaker, of course.

Overall, OnePlus wins this round and proves that its foldable is just as good—if not better—than all the other large foldables available today.

What you need to know

• OnePlus on Weibo has started teasing a new reveal set to occur on October 24, when the world will see a new device with a "historic" display.
• The teaser states this has been made in tandem with BOE, while rumors say it may reach a peak brightness of 3,000 nits.
• While unclear, the upcoming display could be for the OnePlus 12, as it's been rumored to arrive in January 2024.

A "new dawn" is apparently upon us as OnePlus is starting to rev up the teaser engine for an end-of-the-month reveal.

On the social media platform Weibo, OnePlus posted a graphic teasing a "historic moment for Chinese screens" coming on October 24 (via GSMArena). Moreover, it looks like the Chinese OEM's sister company, OPPO, is joining in on this reveal of a new display developed in conjunction with BOE.

Now, while this is vague (on purpose), well-known Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station chimed in with what this reveal could hold. According to the tipster, OnePlus is preparing to debut a device touting a BOE 2K (1440p) resolution display touting 3,000 nits of peak brightness.

The final few rumors speak on the new display's potential upgrade to 2160Hz PWM dimming (which will undoubtedly be a welcome spec for those sensitive to it).

To break things down, the higher the "nit" number is, the brighter the display will be. Google's latest Pixel 8 Pro delivers 2,400 nits of peak brightness while Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra features a display with up to 1,750 nits.

The OnePlus Open, the company's first-ever foldable, was just revealed in full yesterday with a 6.3-inch cover screen and a 7.8-inch internal display that both reach a maximum of 2,800 nits. So, the company's most recent device has shown evidence of its upward trend with how bright it can push a phone's display.

However, the device itself is still currently unknown — but we could have an inkling already. The OnePlus 12 has been bouncing around the rumor mill for a while now, with quite a few intricate details about the phone bubbling up already. The phone has been rumored to arrive with a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 2K resolution and Qualcomm's upcoming Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC.

Additionally, another rumor states the OnePlus 12 could arrive in January 2024. If the company is planning on revealing a device with a "historic" display for Chinese phones, perhaps this lines up well with its upcoming flagship device.

It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, but like many of us here in the Android space, I've been lucky enough to use the OnePlus Open for the past couple of weeks. In that time, there are a few things that continue to stand out to me as someone who's been carrying a foldable phone since the Galaxy Z Fold 2.

Reading some of the various reviews, including our own OnePlus Open review written by Harish Jonnalagadda, there's a recurring theme — this is the best foldable phone in the U.S. right now. The last part of that designation is pretty darn important because if you look at foldable phones across the world, it's obvious that the competition is much more fierce than it is here.

Whether it's due to the control that carriers have over everyone or for political reasons that I'm not getting into, we just don't have that many options in North America. Because of that, Samsung continues to dominate the foldable market despite releasing an inferior device.

For as much as I love the Galaxy Z Fold 5, it's inferior to the OnePlus Open in almost every way. OnePlus' first foldable almost ditches the crease entirely, giving you a cover screen that's as close as it gets to a conventional "slab" phone. OnePlus even went so far as to include the hardware mute switch, which is just something that I never expected. 

Sure, the mute switch gets caught going in and out of my pocket throughout the day, but who cares? I just slide it back into place and call it a day. On top of that, we finally have a foldable phone (in the States) that can charge faster than 30W.

And that's not even to mention the cameras, which OnePlus claims are capable of surpassing "every Pro" (which sounds like a shot at the newly released Google Pixel 8 Pro). You'll have to wait for my full comparison to see whether the Open is able to live up to those claims. But rest assured, it's definitely looking pretty darn good, even against the likes of the Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

So why am I still skeptical about this release?

It's really simple. Carrier adoption. OnePlus doesn't have a bunch of carrier partnerships any longer, and that continues with the OnePlus Open. On the bright side, the Open is coming to both Best Buy and Amazon, along with being available directly from OnePlus.

I really feel like this is a missed opportunity to put pressure on Samsung. It's pretty obvious that Samsung isn't too worried about the competition because it already owns the market, and that trend will likely continue until Apple releases its first foldable phone.

Market stagnation is awful, and it's why I largely prefer foldable phones to slabs because at least there's something exciting to look forward to. Even leading up to the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, I was keeping my fingers crossed hoping for a complete overhaul. 

Obviously, I've since uncrossed my fingers and will try my best to temper my expectations moving forward. That's not to say that all of our hopes for more modern foldable phones rest on the shoulders of Apple. It's a laughable premise to begin with, as I just don't see an iFold coming until the crease is completely gone because Apple is Apple. 

However, while the rest of the world gets to enjoy the fruits of labor from Xiaomi, Honor, Vivo, and even Huawei, I'm not one of those people. I just want the needle to keep moving, and the OnePlus Open moves the needle a lot more than I expected it to. But at $1,699, or even $1,499 if you trade in something like the LG Wing, that's still a tough pill to swallow. At least with carriers, that cost can be subsidized, so you don't have to empty your wallet all at once. 

Until that happens, I'll just keep staring out the window as Ben Sin from XDA gets to enjoy the rest of the foldables of the world.

What you need to know

• OnePlus Open with a massive 7.82-inch foldable screen announced.
• It starts at $1699 and is co-developed by OPPO, which also has a new foldable phone dubbed the OPPO Find N3.
• The device features a triple rear camera setup in partnership with Hasselblad.
• The OnePlus Open is up for pre-order starting today with exciting launch offers.

After sitting tight on releasing a foldable phone, OnePlus has finally introduced its first book-style foldable phone, dubbed the OnePlus Open. The device was simultaneously released with the OPPO Find N3, as both devices were co-developed by the two companies, as confirmed by Pete Lau earlier. The devices share identical design and specs throughout, except for their company's logo placements. 

Speaking of the design, the OnePlus Open sports a trendy look set to take some of the best foldable smartphones, particularly the book-style ones. Aside from the large inner and outer displays, the giant camera visor around the back is the most noticeable aspect of the OnePlus Open at first glance.

The OnePlus Open is coming in Emerald Dusk (green) and Voyager Black colorways; the former will feature a matte-frosted glass rear, and the latter has a vegan leather finish. Another important design aspect is the famous alert slider widely seen in previous OnePlus phones, including the flagship OnePlus 11. However, the company says it is significantly reduced in thickness to complement the OnePlus Open's thickness.

The device measures around 5.9mm when unfolded, and when in the folded state, it measures around 11.9mm. In terms of weight, the OnePlus Open Voyager Black measures 239 grams, and Emerald Dusk weighs 245 grams.

The OnePlus Open sports a sizable 6.31-inch cover screen with a 2K resolution (2484 x 1116) resolution and a dynamic refresh rate of 10-120Hz. The foldable screen on the inside is a Flexi-fluid AMOLED panel measuring 7.82 inches with a 2440 x 2268 (2K) resolution and 1-120Hz refresh rate.

Instead of Corning Gorilla Glass, the company is using Ceramic Guard for protection, and the inner foldable display features an Ultra Thin Glass protective material.

Under the hood, the OnePlus Open is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 coupled with 16GB of RAM, which supports RAM expansion up to an additional 12GB. The onboard storage of the drive includes a mighty 512GB.

For optics, the OnePlus Open incorporates Hasselblad and features a 48MP primary camera, which is a Sony LYT-T808 lens paired with an Omnivision 64MP telephoto camera and another Sony IMX581 48MP ultra wide-angle camera. The cover screen on the front equips a 32MP sensor, and the foldable display features a 20MP sensor. Both front and rear cameras are capable of recording 4K at 30fps.

The connectivity options include Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 7, dual 5G, and NFC. For authentication, the device utilizes a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. The device ships with Android 13-based Oxygen OS 13.2 out of the box, and OnePlus is offering four years of Android version upgrades along with five years of security upgrades. The company also promises to partner with Google to "optimize the user interface and user experience for longer."

To complement the large screen, OxygenOS 13.2 is introducing Open Canvas, which is a desktop-like taskbar placed at the bottom of the screen. It appears quite similar to the dock witnessed on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and allows users to access recent and preset apps easily. 

It also has a "recent" folder to help users view their recent documents, pictures, clipboards, and apps quickly. The software also allows various split window customizations, and the recent files enable users to drag and drop from the taskbar to their favorite apps.

OnePlus is assuring that its patented Flexion Hinge is robust and well-optimized and is made of around 69 parts, making it significantly less when compared to the competition. Per OnePlus's test case, the OnePlus Open can withhold 1,000,000 folds, which translates to 100 folds per day.

The other highlights of the OnePlus Open include support for Dolby Vision video playback. The device features a triple spatial speaker system for audio and is Dolby Atmos-supported.

The OnePlus Open retails at $1699.99 in the U.S. and $2299.99 in Canada. The company is offering an additional $200 off if consumers trade in their existing phones under any condition. The pricing undercuts the Galaxy Z Fold 5's pricing in the country, which could jump-start the sales of the company's first foldable phone. The Open Sale of the device will start on October 26. OnePlus is providing some noticeable launch offers with pre-orders, which will begin starting today.

•  Phone deals: Best Buy | Walmart | Samsung | Amazon | Verizon | AT&T 

Foldables are gaining momentum with every generation, but it’s still only one brand that’s driving a bulk of the sales: Samsung. While Honor, Xiaomi, OPPO, Google, and Vivo make foldables of their own, they don’t sell their devices in most countries, and that has allowed Samsung to gain a sizable market share in this burgeoning category.

OnePlus wants to change that with the introduction of the Open, its first foldable. The device is coming to most global markets where OnePlus sells its phones, including North America. That’s a big deal as it’s only the third foldout-style device to be available in the region, following the Galaxy Z Fold series and Pixel Fold.

The OnePlus Open is the brand's first foldable, but it isn't a solitary effort; the device is identical to the Find N3, which made its debut at the same time. This is by design; OnePlus and OPPO utilize the same engineering teams, and both brands collaborated on creating the Open. So although the foldable uses similar design fundamentals as last year's Find N2, it is considerably bigger and has all-new cameras. 

What's particularly impressive is that the Open has a better design than the Z Fold 5, a smoother hinge that closes fully flat, is lighter, and comes with a bigger battery and faster charging. What I like the most is that the outer screen is a sensible size; I'm not a fan of the narrow cover screen on the Z Fold 5, and that’s not a problem here.

The most notable achievement is the lack of a visible crease — it makes all the difference in daily use. So should you ditch Samsung and switch to what OnePlus is offering? Let’s take a look.

OnePlus Open: Pricing and availability

OnePlus unveiled the Open at a launch event on October 19, and the foldable is now available in global markets. The phone is sold in a single 16GB/512GB variant, and it retails for $1,699 in the U.S. and $2,299 in Canada. Over in India, the phone costs ₹1,39,999 ($1,681), with OnePlus continuing to maintain parity with the U.S. in this regard.

OnePlus is rolling out a suite of offers when you buy the foldable via its website; all purchases come with a limited edition Buds Pro 2 in white, with the number (there will be just 5000 units) engraved on the case. You also get three months of YouTube Premium, six months of Google One (100GB tier), and a $200 credit toward any phone in any condition.

If you want to buy the phone via Amazon, you get a $200 gift card instead with every purchase. If you're thinking of switching from a relatively new device, trade-in offers of up to $1,000 are available — but these are limited to North America. There are no carrier deals, but Best Buy is rolling out $300 to $400 off with new activations.

Before we get started with the review, a few testing notes: I used the OnePlus Open for just over a week as my main phone. It came with OxygenOS 13.2 out of the box (build 13.2.0.90), and made the switch to build 13.2.0.94 with camera and stability tweaks three days ahead of launch; this is the build I used to test the cameras and assess the software.

OnePlus Open: Design

The OnePlus Open is easily one of the best-looking foldables available today. The design is exquisite; from the seamless fusion of metal and glass at the front to the leather back and massive camera island that dominates attention, it’s clear that a lot of thought went into this device.

Of course, this isn’t an all-new design; the Find N2 featured a similar aesthetic, and that’s immediately evident when using the Open side-by-side with OPPO's foldable. But the biggest differentiator is that the Open is considerably larger, and that's down to the larger screens — both inside and out. As much as I liked using the Find N2 last year, I felt that it was too small — particularly the cover screen — and that's not an issue on the Open.

What's commendable is that OnePlus was able to keep the weight low; the Open comes in at just 239g, and that's a full 14g lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 5. In fact, it's only marginally heavier than the Honor Magic V2, which has the distinction of being the lightest foldable around. While the Magic V2 is thinner, the Open is a smidgen shorter and narrower, and that makes it easy to hold and use the device.

That's the biggest positive in terms of the design; OnePlus absolutely nailed the dimensions and weight, and the Open has the best in-hand feel of any foldable. As for the weight, the Open uses a combination of titanium and cobalt alloys in the construction of the chassis and hinge, and that allows it to be lighter while still being durable. 

Then there's the hinge. The OnePlus Open uses the latest iteration of OPPO's Flexion Hinge system, and it is magnificent. The hinge has just 69 parts, is lighter than last year, and closes fully flat. But the biggest achievement is its durability — OnePlus touts a million folds, double that of most foldables.

The hinge is among the smoothest of any foldable, and it stays open at any angle between 45 and 150 degrees, making it that much more versatile. The Open has flat sides, and the matte texture along with beveled edges make it extremely easy to unfold (and fold) the device. It doesn't need as much force to open as the Z Fold 5 or any other foldable, but it still feels durable.

What's particularly great is that there is no visible crease; you still get a thin line in the middle of the inner screen, but it isn't noticeable, and it doesn't affect usability in the least. More than anything else, this is the biggest win for the Open, and the lack of a crease gives the foldable a distinct edge over the Galaxy Z Fold 5 — by contrast, Samsung's foldable feels a few generations behind.

Another positive is the inclusion of the alert slider, a feature that's a mainstay on most OnePlus phones. Of course, the feature is now available on OPPO's phones as well, but that's a good thing. The power and volume button are on the right, and like all foldables, you get a fingerprint sensor that's baked into the power button.

The Open is available in two color options — Emerald Dusk and Voyager Black — I'm using the latter, which has a leather back. The leather feels great to hold, and I prefer it to the glass-backed Emerald Dusk, which is a little heavier. A big talking point is the gigantic camera housing at the back; it takes up a lot of room, affects the weight distribution, and juts out considerably — much more so than other foldables.

The camera island definitely makes the device easily recognizable, but I'm not sure how it would hold up to extended use. Each of the camera modules sits inside a large ring, and you get the Hasselblad logo to the right. I don't like just how big the camera housing is on the device, but I can't deny that it grabs attention.

Rounding out the design, the foldable gets IPX4 dust and water resistance, and while it isn't quite the same as the IP68 standard that you get on Samsung phones, it is a good starting point.

Ultimately, the OnePlus Open ticks all the right boxes when it comes to the design. It has exquisite styling, the size is just right, and the lightweight chassis combined with the invisible crease makes it thoroughly enjoyable to use. I used the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Honor Magic V2, and Xiaomi's latest foldable extensively this year, and I can categorically say that the Open has the best in-hand feel, the best hinge, and a crease that's less visible than any other device.

OnePlus Open: Displays

The best part of the Open is the cover screen; you get a 6.31-inch screen with a 20:9 ratio and resolution of 2484 x 1116, and while it is smaller than what you get on a regular phone, it is fantastic to use. The screen has a normal width — unlike Samsung — and that makes all the difference in daily use. I found myself using the outer screen most of the time, only switching to the inner screen when streaming content, writing emails, or browsing. For shorter interactions lasting up to five minutes, I just defaulted to the cover screen.

That isn't to say the cover screen is bad — far from it. The Open unfurls to a 7.82-inch screen with a resolution of 2440 x 2268, and it is exquisite. Both screens use AMOLED panels and include LTPO tech, which is great to see. The cover screen scales from 10Hz to 120Hz, while the inner screen goes down to 1Hz. I don't really see the benefit of this as you don't get to use an AOD mode on the inner screen, but it lets you conserve battery when viewing static content like photos.

Both screens have a hole-punch cutout for the camera; there's no under-screen tech here, and that's a sensible move. They're also among the brightest screens of any phones I used this year, with both panels able to go up to 2800 nits in HDR content. In regular use, they hit up to 1400 nits, and having used the phone outdoors quite a bit, I didn't see any issues with brightness or visibility under harsh sunlight.

Colors are incredible — as you'd imagine in a phone of this caliber — and you get the usual customization options that let you tweak the color balance; I found the Natural mode to be great out of the box. The inner screen has raised edges on the sides made out of plastic, and there's an ultra thin glass layer over the panel. This layer is thin and doesn't affect usability, and you don't notice it after using the device for a few days.

There's Dolby Vision integration, and you can play back videos shot using the camera or stream shows on Netflix. I don't usually stream a lot of content on my phone, but it was enjoyable on the Open, and other than excessive letterboxing — nearly half the screen real estate is unusable — there were no issues.

The cover screen eschews Gorilla Glass for Ceramic Guard, with OnePlus noting that it is more durable. I wasn't able to test the efficacy of that just yet, but I've only had the device for a week — I'll see how it holds up after a few tumbles and update this section should something go awry.

The Open has four speakers grilles (two on each side), and the foldable has a unique spatial speaker configuration that's meant to deliver immersive sound. There are three speakers on board, and they manage to produce a more detailed sound than any other foldable I've used. They're balanced quite well too, so you get a sense of space — as much as possible from micro-drivers — and it makes streaming videos and gaming that much more engaging.

On the subject of gaming, the Open is locked to 60fps — this is a limitation for all devices running OxygenOS and ColorOS, so even though the hardware is clearly able to deliver high framerate gaming, it's hobbled in the software. That brings me to another software decision that has proved to be infuriating in the time I used the device: lack of home screen customization.

Android has offered the ability to set a 5x5 app grid for a decade now, and that's what I used going all the way back to the Nexus 4. But for reasons I don't quite fathom, OnePlus limits the Open to a 4x4 grid. This has been the single biggest source of frustration with the device, and while it doesn't seem like a big deal, I've had to rework years of muscle memory.

The move inevitably meant that I launched the wrong app by mistake constantly, and while I'd normally just install a custom launcher at this point, I couldn't do so here because you don't get a taskbar if you switch to another launcher. When I asked OnePlus why it decided to not include such a basic feature, here's what the brand said: "It's because of the screen-size, it's relatively pro-sized. We have tried to keep it as close to a Pro screen experience as possible, but it is a real estate limitation. We have folder and recents to make the frequently used apps as accessible as possible." What?

I just don't understand what it means by a pro-sized screen; there are plenty of smaller devices that don't have such arbitrary limitations. The only thing I can think of is design choices; the Open uses a custom resolution on both screens, and it looks like OnePlus wasn't able to scale it to include a 5x5 grid, so they decided to not bother. Last year's Find N2 had a similar limitation, and I'm guessing complacency gave way to user needs here.

This is just the start of the software issues. The Open doesn't do a good job scaling the screen size when switching between the cover and inner screens. There's a handoff mode that lets you seamlessly switch from one screen to the other, but it just doesn't work in normal use; I had to relaunch whatever app I was using because of scaling issues. I didn't see any of these issues on other foldables, so I'm guessing this has to do with OxygenOS.

Overall, I really like the size of the cover and inner screens, but asinine software decisions hold the device back in this area. OnePlus continues to parrot the "fast and smooth" tagline when it comes to its software, but that hasn't been the case for a while now.

OnePlus Open: Performance

Like the best foldables, the OnePlus Open is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It's sold in a single version with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. OnePlus is including Wi-Fi 7 connectivity out of the box, and while I wasn't able to test that out just yet, that's changing soon — I'm switching to the Netgear Orbi 970 shortly.

Thankfully, I didn't run into any issues on the hardware side of things, and the Open offers a similar level of performance as the OnePlus 11. Other than the software glitches, I didn't see any lag or slowdowns in daily use, and the foldable did a great job playing demanding titles. While other foldables tend to throttle a little earlier, that hasn't been an issue on the Open — I didn't have any issues during extended gaming sessions, and while the device got a little warm, there was no overheating.

Connectivity was rock-solid throughout, and I didn't have any issues over Wi-Fi 6 or 5G. The phone has the same set of Sub-6 5G bands in all regions — 1/2/3/5/7/8/12/20/25/28/30/38/40/41/66/71/75/77/78 — and you get Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, dual-band GPS, AptX HD, LDAC, and LHDC codecs, and USB 3.1 connectivity. OnePlus is usually stingy with offering the USB 3.1 standard — the OnePlus 11 uses USB 2.0 — so it's good to see the Open doesn't miss out.

The x-axis vibration motor is quite decent, and while it doesn't deliver the same level of feedback as the likes of the S23 Ultra or the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, it is better than most other foldables I've used. Where things aren't so refined is biometric authentication — it has a mind of its own.

The fingerprint sensor is a standard module that's used in most foldables, but it is just glitchy. It doesn't unlock reliably when I want to, but whenever I'm walking around holding the phone in my hand, I see that the device is unlocked and my fingers have inadvertently launched the camera, started playing music in Spotify, or even pulled up a message window.

Initially, I thought it was the face unlock module that was at fault; I don't know if it's the way OnePlus implements biometric unlock in OxygenOS, but I was never able to use face unlock on OnePlus phones with any degree of reliability, and that continues to be the case here. But even with the feature disabled, I found that the phone would randomly unlock when I'm just carrying it around in my hand, so it had to be the fingerprint sensor that was glitching out.

Anyway, that's likely a bug that will be corrected with a software update, but given OnePlus' chequered history with these things, I'm not counting on a timely fix. Other than that quibble, I didn't have any issues with the device.

OnePlus Open: Battery life

The one area where the Open absolutely demolishes its rivals is battery life. The foldable has a 4805mAh battery that's split into two, with a 3295mAh unit on one side and a smaller 1510mAh battery on the other half, and it uses 67W charging tech. My charging patterns have changed considerably in recent months, and while I used to leave a phone charging overnight, I now plug it in when needed.

The Open easily manages to last an entire day without breaking a sweat, and this is with heavy use involving navigation over 5G, streaming music and videos, and playing games. There's no battery anxiety whatsoever, and that feels wonderful on a foldable. Even with the Z Fold 5, I used to worry about the device running out of charge before the end of the day, but that just hasn't been a problem here.

As for charging, it takes just under 50 minutes to fully charge the battery, and a 15-minute delivers a charge of over 50%, and that's more significant in daily use. You get an 80W charger bundled in the package, and it can be used to charge other devices as well.

Now, the biggest downside in this area is that there's no wireless charging. I honestly don't know what OnePlus was thinking of when coming up with the foldable, but not having this feature on a $1,699 device feels shortsighted to say the least. Sure, you get fast charging tech in general, but there are plenty of use cases where a wireless charger is just more convenient, but you miss out on it here.

OnePlus Open: Cameras

OnePlus is being ambitious with the cameras on the Open, and it's safe to say that the device has one of the strongest camera packages of any foldable. You get a brand-new 48MP Sony LYTIA-T808 sensor with OIS, and that's joined by a 48MP wide-angle lens and 64MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. There's a 20MP camera on the inner screen that can be used for selfies and video calls, and the main selfie camera is on the cover screen — a 32MP module.

OnePlus talked a lot about the new Sony sensor and how it allows for significantly higher light intake in a smaller size, and it definitely has a lot going for it. The phone also gets Dolby Vision video recording (up to 4K/30), and that's another differentiator. Like the best OnePlus phones, you get Hasselblad integration here, and that includes a new portrait mode, custom accents in the viewfinder, unique filters and styles, and the leaf shutter sound.

After using the Open for a week, it's evident that this is one of the best cameras on a foldable yet. The main camera takes incredible shots in just about any situation, delivering excellent detail and dynamic range while still maintaining accurate colors. While initial versions of Hasselblad tuning offered colors that were overly saturated (particularly reds), that isn't the case now. You get true-to-life colors in any scenario, and they look great. Of course, you get the ability to switch up the look of your photos with the custom filters.

What I particularly like is how good the auxiliary cameras are on the device; this has been a pain point on foldables, but the Open's wide-angle and zoom lenses manage to deliver standout shots in challenging scenarios. And as you get Flex Form mode, you can shoot with the Open semi-closed, unlocking a lot of interesting angles. And you have the ability to take selfies with the back camera — you get a live preview on the cover screen.

There are no issues in low-light situations, with the Open managing to produce shots with plenty of detail and good highlights management. There's no visible noise as such, and you don't lose out on minor details even in scenes with little to no artificial light — the night mode comes in handy here.

The Open does a brilliant job with video as well, and the introduction of focus lock makes shooting moving subjects a lot easier — nifty when you have a baby in the house. Portraits are great too, but it doesn't quite manage to come close to the Pixel 8 in this regard.

Overall, the Open offers one of the best camera packages of any foldable. It edges out the Galaxy Z Fold 5 in most situations, and that makes it worthy of consideration in and of itself.

OnePlus Open: Software

I'll say this about the software on the OnePlus Open: you get a lot of custom features that take full advantage of the large screen real estate. OnePlus says it worked closely with Google in this regard, and the biggest addition is a taskbar that sits at the bottom of the screen. You get a dock that holds four apps, an app launcher that's quite convenient to use, and it surfaces the last three apps you used.

The best part is that you can have the taskbar be present at all times — just like on the Z Fold 5 — and a minimized version of it sits at the bottom of the screen when you're using an app, giving you quick access to the dock, app drawer, or an app that's in the background. You can even have recent files show up on the taskbar, giving you the ability to access documents or media seamlessly.

Another nifty trick has to do with multitasking; when you're in an app, just hold and drag any app icon from the taskbar to the screen and you'll go into split-screen multitasking. This is one of the best features on the Open, and it makes multitasking a breeze. You can also launch split-screen mode with a swipe down gesture from the top of the screen, and you can select the second app. A nifty addition here is the ability to add a third app to the mix — just hold and drag an icon from the taskbar anywhere on the screen.

There's definitely a lot to like if you want to maximize the utility of the inner screen. And when you run into the inevitable app that doesn't scale correctly, you can set it to launch in a standard 16:9 mode. The Open runs OxygenOS 13.2 based on Android 13 out of the box, and while OnePlus — err, OPPO — put in a lot of work building out these features, the interface has its share of quirks.

The interface is buggy out of the box, and you get the usual app crashes that's standard on any new device running OxygenOS. But because of the foldable form factor, you get a slate of new issues; the app drawer lets you easily navigate via the alphabet row that sits to the right, and this usually works without any hassle. But on the Open, it just wouldn't do anything — hitting on a letter would either not register, or the drawer would scroll down to the end of the list half the time.

Same with the toggles in the notification pane; they would reset after a few days, so I had to go back in and arrange the tiles to my preferences all over again. Combine that with the scaling issues and 4x4 grid, and it's clear that OxygenOS 13.2 needs a bit of work to get to the same level of polish as Samsung.

As for software updates, the Open will get the same number of updates as Samsung's foldables; you're looking at four guaranteed Android OS updates along with five years of security updates. What's annoying is that the Android 14-based OxygenOS 14 update counts as one of those updates, and the phone should have ideally launched with that out of the box.

OnePlus Open: The competition

Any mention of foldables needs to include the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and while Samsung didn't make too many changes this year, it added a few refinements that make it a better phone than its predecessor. That said, you still get a narrow outer screen that's annoying to use, and the Z Fold 5 has the most noticeable crease of any foldable. You'll also have to shell out a premium, and while there wasn't much in the way of an alternative in the past, that isn't the case in 2023.

That brings me to the Pixel Fold. Google's foldable has its share of quirks, and while it is limited to select countries — even more so than the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro — it is available in North America, and you get decent-sized screens, terrific cameras, and unique software features.

OnePlus Open: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if:

• You need a foldable with a nearly invisible crease
• You want the best hardware and a sleek design
• You need a cover screen that isn't narrow
• You're looking for great cameras
• You want the best battery life and fast charging tech

You shouldn't buy this if:

• You want to use a stylus
• You need wireless charging
• You want hassle-free software

I've been fortunate enough to use all of OnePlus' first-gen products; the manufacturer hasn't shied away from venturing into new categories, so there was plenty to try out in recent years. I used the OnePlus TV Q1 Pro, the OnePlus Band, OnePlus Watch, OnePlus Nord, OnePlus Pad, and the OnePlus Keyboard 81 Pro. A constant theme among all of these devices is that they felt unfinished at launch; it wasn't until several weeks after launch that OnePlus managed to work out all the kinks and they became usable. The only outlier to this is the Keyboard 81 Pro, and that's because it's a rebadged Keychron that doesn't need any custom software.

Given that the launch of the OnePlus Open was pushed back by a few months, I figured OnePlus would take the time to fix any issues and release a device that's trouble-free. However, that is not the case; the Open has the same software foibles and issues that have been plaguing the manufacturer for a while now, and some of these — like the decision to lock the home screen to a 4x4 grid — are self-inflicted.

This isn't a bad phone as such; I used all foldables released this year, and from a hardware point of view, the OnePlus Open is the best foldable you can buy today. The size of the inner and outer screens is just right, the leather back feels great to hold, you get the best hinge articulation of any foldable, there's the alert slider, and terrific cameras with great battery life. All of these combine to create a foldable that is an absolute joy to use, and the lack of a visible crease is a masterstroke. The cameras are better than what you get on Samsung's foldables, as is the charging tech and battery life.

Ultimately, it comes down to the software. I like that OnePlus included a taskbar and several multitasking features, and they make a tangible difference in daily use. But the software still needs a lot of polish, and there are basic features missing that make it annoying to use. The pricing doesn't do the Open any favors either, and the foldable inevitably invites comparison to Samsung.

If you don't mind the software issues and are willing to wait and see if they get sorted out in a timely manner, then yes, the OnePlus Open is an easy recommendation — the hardware really is that good. But if you don't trust OnePlus enough to do the right thing, Samsung is still the de facto choice.

What you need to know

• Michael Fisher visited the OnePlus headquarters to see how the phone is tested.
• The device uses a refined version of the hinge used in OPPO phones, with fewer parts and lighter materials.
• The phone is put through rigorous durability tests that drop, poke, and twist the phone.
• The OnePlus Open launches on October 19.

The OnePlus Open is only days from launching, but Michael Fisher, aka MrMobile, got to spend some time checking out how the company tests the foldable and how it's improved the hinge.

During his visit to the OnePlus headquarters in Shenzhen, China, Fisher got some hands-on time with the Open, showing off the internal folding display (although he couldn't show off any software). He notes how the crease is much shallower than other foldable phones, particularly those you'll find in the U.S. market, like the Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 5.

He compares the reduced crease to the one found on OPPO foldables (the Find N3 Flip, for example, has an impressively shallow crease) and explains that the one found in the Open is a refined version of OPPO hinge, using only a "nice" 69 parts compared to the 100 parts in a current OPPO phone. This is to reduce complexity and weight, which is also helped by using lighter alloys in the hinge and a carbon fiber support layer under the display.

For durability, OnePlus is apparently using a lubricating oil to enhance water resistance and exposed adhesive to capture dust particles. That said, it's still unclear if the Open will have an IP rating, but with all the durability tests OnePlus conducts, it seems likely.

In another facility, Fisher watches the phone go through some rather rigorous tests. One machine drops the phone from one meter onto steel, and the phone will only pass if it survives 30 drops with no cosmetic impairments or 75 drops with no functional failures, a number that increases with another machine that drops it from an even smaller height.

There are also various tests that continuously press the various hardware buttons, plug and unplug from the USB-C port, and simulate sitting on the phone while it's in someone's reach pant pocket. The phone must also survive 10 minutes of water being sprayed onto it from various directions.

The result is a phone that OnePlus is apparently very confident about, especially after more than a year of research and 92 different prototypes. We should learn more about the OnePlus Open when it launches on October 19, but for now, you should definitely check out Fisher's video.

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What you need to know

• OnePlus teases its first foldable, the Open, with an official October 19 date for its reveal set for 10 a.m. ET.
• The company's founder, Pete Lau, sat down for an interview during a hands-on video that shows the existence of an alert slider and its work with OPPO.
• A round of leaked renders further those OPPO callbacks as we see a rather large, circular camera array that mirrors its Find N3.

The wait for OnePlus' first foldable is (almost) over as the company refuels its teaser engine. The OEM revealed via an X post that it will host a OnePlus Open event in Mumbai on October 19 at 10 a.m. EST. The company is going all in on the "Open" moniker as it runs with the tagline "Open for Everything."

OnePlus is ushering interested tech enthusiasts over to its foldable phone's official event landing page. Aside from the brand giving consumers a chance to win a device, there's some information regarding pre-orders.

The page states that when preorders begin after the event on October 19, users can grab a OnePlus Open with a free pair of Buds Pro 2 alongside some additional credit on future purchases.

This is the second teaser to arise for the phone as, just a couple of days before, OnePlus shared small glimpses of the device in the shadows.

However, for those who're hungry for a little more, OnePlus founder Pete Lau sat down for an interview during a shrouded hands-on video of the Open. The book-style foldable has a hinge featuring fewer parts and is smaller than the foldable offered by its sister company, OPPO. Various aspects of the phone were kept under wraps, like its rear camera housing

What wasn't concealed was evidence of an alert slider on the OnePlus Open. This is a button enjoyers of the brand have come to appreciate, and one that is currently available on the OnePlus 11.

Fortunately, we may already have a good idea of what the phone looks like, as a batch of presumed OnePlus Open renders leaked recently, revealing its design. The device in the renderings featured rounded corners and a green colorway that looks very similar to what was given a test run during the hands-on. Furthermore, due to its OPPO x OnePlus team-up, the device's large, circular camera array looks very similar to what we've seen leak about the Find N3.

Here's a little more to chew on: the OnePlus Open is rumored to sport a 7.8-inch OLED internal display and a 6.3-inch external cover screen. The device is likely strengthened by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. Leaks speak to the large camera array containing two 48MP wide and ultra-wide cameras and a 64MP telephoto sensor, as well, with a price that could sit near $1,700.

What you need to know

• OnePlus Open marketing images reveal the device from all angles and two new colorways of the foldable phone.
• It comes in green and black colorways and is expected to launch on October 19.
• The device will likely resemble Oppo's Find N3, including design and Hasselblad integration for optics.

While OnePlus has just started officially teasing its first foldable, new images leaked before the launch reveal the OnePlus Open in all its glory.

The new images, likely the first possible renders of the OnePlus Open, are shared online by Roland Quandt via WinFuture. According to the tipster, these images are the marketing renders of the foldable phone launching this month, as OnePlus has yet to reveal the release date.

Going by the renders, the device looks beautiful, to say the least. It features a green colorway, as seen in the recent Unbox Therapy's hands-on video, alongside the conventional black variant, which was also spotted recently in the wild. As for the design, it is a conventional book-style foldable akin to Galaxy Z Fold 5. However, the giant camera visor on the rear makes the device stand out amongst the current foldables in the market.

The alleged OnePlus Open features squared-off edges and rounded corners that could likely give a comfortable in-hand feel, a significant parameter for any device that big to use for longer periods.

Users have to bear in mind that the OnePlus Open is dubbed as Find N3 as both are simultaneously co-developed by Oppo and OnePlus and carry the same design aesthetics. The approach of both phones is catered to different markets, as Oppo's Find N3 is confined to China, while the OnePlus Open is aiming at a global audience.

Aside from the marketing renders, tipster Quandt has further shared the expected specifications of the device, which includes a 7.8-inch OLED foldable screen manufactured by Chinese supplier BOE. In contrast, an earlier report has stated that OnePlus is ditching BOE displays in favor of Samsung displays. Regardless, the device should sport a decent display since it is the company's first iteration of the foldable handset.

On the front, the cover screen is said to be measuring 6.31 inches, which makes it slightly bigger than the Galaxy Z Fold 5's screen, which measures 6.2 inches. Under the hood, the OnePlus Open will sport a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 featuring 3.36GHz clock speed coupled with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. With Hasselblad integration, the device will have two 48MP wide and ultra-wide cameras and a 64MP telephoto sensor.

Lastly, according to Quandt, the OnePlus Open is set to launch on October 19. The device's pricing is likely to be on a higher side, costing $1,700 for the U.S. market.

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What you need to know

• OnePlus started teasing its first foldable smartphone.
• It is likely to be dubbed OnePlus Open and it is "Opening Soon."
• The company says that the device is its best technology innovation to date.

After getting spotted in the wild and recent hands-on video from Unbox Therapy, OnePlus has officially started teasing its first foldable smartphone, which is likely to be dubbed OnePlus Open.

The company has started teasing its upcoming foldable phone, and although it has not fully revealed the device in full, the post assures its existence. And the company is still keeping the moniker under wraps for some reason. Previously, the device was rumored to be named the OnePlus V Fold, and later leaked renderings suggested it would be called the OnePlus Open.

OnePlus has also cheekily posted "We OPEN when others FOLD" on X during the launch of Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 in July this year.

As stated, the teaser image only reveals a little, not even the launch date, which is rumored to be later this month. Instead, the company hints that the device is "Opening soon."

Another teaser posted by OnePlus India hints at the company's dedication over the past ten years to bring the best of its technologies, foldable in this case, to its community folks. The teaser showcases scattered foldable papers, and at the end, the company subtly puts "the best is yet to come," to generate hype for its OnePlus Open, which is understandable considering it is the first foldable phone from the company.

Additionally, OnePlus, for the first time, has showcased the device to some extent through the Unbox Therapy YouTube Channel, wherein the host, Lewis Hilsenteger, interviewed OnePlus CEO Pete Lau while having hands-on experience with the OnePlus Open. The device in the video has been shown to some extent, like showcasing the front screen, alert slider, and green colorway. However, the large camera visor spotted in the previous renders was concealed in the video.

The device was also spotted in the hands of an Indian actress recently, which also looked intentional, showcasing the device in full, including the camera visor, which is significantly large.

The other interesting aspect about the OnePlus Open is it is co-developed by Oppo, meaning the upcoming Find N3 would look identical as the same team puts them up. According to Lau, both devices will cater to different markets, and the Find N3 being limited to China is working well for the company. The OnePlus Open will, however, see a global audience.

The Find N3 was recently spotted on X, courtesy of Abhishek Yadav. The shared images reveal the device fully with a giant camera visor with Hasselblad branding. With the looks of it, we expect similar design aesthetics from the OnePlus Open, which is likely to be launched in the coming days or weeks.

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What you need to know

• The first OnePlus foldable was shown off on video, highlighting the hinge design.
• Certain elements of the device were concealed, particularly the camera housing, which is expected to be a massive circular housing.
• OnePlus founder Pete Lau notes that the device was created with OPPO, and both companies will launch it for different markets.

The OnePlus Open isn't here yet, but Lewis Hilsenteger of Unbox Therapy got an exclusive first look at the upcoming foldable phone, which focuses on the device's hinge and gapless design while hinting at some other unique design elements.

Hilsenteger interviewed OnePlus CEO Pete Lau during his hands-on, discussing the hinge design of the phone (the device wasn't named in the interview, but it's likely to be called the OnePlus Open). Lau notes how the hinge has fewer parts and is smaller than the one on OPPO's previous book-style foldable, the Find N2. He also highlights how the device can fold completely flat and even remain clamped on a piece of paper when closed without dropping.

Certain elements of the phone were concealed particularly the camera housing. Based on the side of the cover, it seems the camera housing is rather large, which matches what we've seen in previously leaked renders. However, we do see that the phone comes in a green colorway, similar to what we've seen on previous OnePlus devices. The phone also comes with the alert slider that OnePlus is known for.

Aside from the design, OnePlus has worked with Google to ensure app compatibility with the larger folding display, which is something we're seeing more of as foldable phones become more widely available.

Interestingly, Lau notes that the OnePlus foldable was jointly created with both OPPO and OnePlus to take advantage of each team's expertise. He says that the phone will have a different go-to-market strategy under both brands, which makes sense as the Find N2 was only offered in China. It stands to reason that OPPO will adopt the same market strategy with the Find N3, while the OnePlus foldable would be the international offering of the same foldable. This would allow more users to experience the same hardware and essentially the same software.

Despite the late entry, Lau seems to have high hopes for the device, saying it's the "best folding phone you can buy right now. It's your dream phone." That's big talk for a company entering the foldable space later than others, especially with devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold taking on the U.S. market and beyond.

As far as when we can expect the device, rumors point to a mid-October launch, so it may not be too long before we get a full official look at the phone.

You can check out the full interview below, including Lau's thoughts on OnePlus developing a flip-style phone.

What you need to know

• OnePlus is yet to announce the launch date of its first foldable phone.
• Meanwhile, the OnePlus Open was seen in the hands of an Indian actress while riding in a car.
• The phone is expected to arrive sometime in October with a Hasselblad camera system.

The OnePlus Open is the next anticipated foldable to launch this year, and we expect it to arrive sometime in October. Ahead of the launch, the device has been spotted in the hands of Indian film star Anushka Sharma.

The actress was seen holding the alleged OnePlus Open out in the wild, where Indian paparazzi managed to shoot photographs and videos for their digital media publications.

The actress was also seen holding the phone in a "folded" state and unfolding it, which kind of looked intentional, to say the least. Regardless, it gives a clear picture of what to expect from the first folding phone from OnePlus, at least how it looks in real life and the in-hand feel.

As seen in the renders, the OnePlus Open was spotted in a black colorway with a massive circular camera island accompanied by an LED flash at the top-left corner of the back. 

As previously said, other than sort of consciously taking out of the OnePlus Open in front of the media, it wasn't made evident in the video how the cover and folding screen would work in the brief time paparazzi were photographing the actress.

To an extent, it appears OnePlus might have made this stint as part of a marketing strategy to get the audience to talk about its first foldable phone, which has been in the news for a while and is likely due to launch sometime soon.

Such instances aren't new to OnePlus and its phones, especially in the Indian region. Previously, the OnePlus 6 was accidentally spotted in the hands of Amitabh Bachan, the Indian superstar, ahead of the launch.

Likewise, the OnePlus 7 was seen in a music video ahead of the release, and later, the OnePlus 8 Pro was spotted in the hands of Robert Downey Jr. way ahead of the launch during a shoot, which was likely for the device promotion since he was the brand ambassador of OnePlus during that period.

For the Indian market, it appears the company might rope in Anushka Sharma as a brand ambassador for OnePlus. It is still speculation at this point as there is no confirmation from the company yet, so take that with a grain of salt. 

Interestingly, the actress's husband and Indian cricketer Virat Kohli is a brand ambassador of OnePlus sister company, Vivo.

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