OnePlus Open: Unleashing the Ultimate Folding Tablet Experience

The newest foldable is thinner, lighter, and budget-friendly with a nearly invisible crease, presenting a challenge to Samsung and Google

OnePlus debuts in the foldable market with the Open, challenging Samsung and Google. Priced at £1,599 (€1,849/$1,699.99), it surpasses the cost of regular OnePlus phones but undercuts competitors by £150. Despite the premium price, it positions OnePlus in the ultra-premium category. The Open, featuring a 6.31in exterior screen, resembles a typical flat phone when closed, setting it apart as the most phone-like among foldables. Its 3mm thickness, comparable to standard OnePlus models, ensures a sleek feel, avoiding the bulkiness seen in Samsung and Google counterparts, except for the significant camera bump covering almost half of the folded back glass.

Unfolding the phone like a book reveals a nearly square 7.82in interior screen, ideal for apps but less optimal for widescreen movies. The display matches Samsung’s best, showcasing sharpness, impressive brightness, and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Notably, the crease at the folding center is the least noticeable among its rivals. Although a slight indentation is perceptible to the touch and faintly visible in overhead light glare upon close inspection, it remains unobtrusive.

The slim hinge opens seamlessly, supporting the internal screen at various angles and closing flat without a gap between the halves. With a durability rating for 1 million folds—five times more than the latest Samsung and Google counterparts—it ensures robustness. However, the OnePlus lacks official dust resistance, providing only splash water resistance. Consequently, submerging it in water could pose issues.

Similar to other foldables, the screen combines ultra-thin glass and plastic for flexibility. Caution is needed as pressing with a nail can leave marks, demanding more delicate handling compared to traditional phones.

Specifications

Primary Display: 7.82-inch 2K (426ppi) 120Hz AMOLED flexible screen
Secondary Display: 6.31-inch 2K (431ppi) 120Hz AMOLED cover screen
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB
Operating System: OxygenOS 13.2 (Android 13)
Camera Setup: 48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, 64MP 3x telephoto; 32MP and 20MP front cameras
Connectivity: 5G, dual SIM, eSIM, USB-C, Wi-Fi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, GNSS
Water Resistance: IPX4 (splash-resistant)
Folded Dimensions: 153.4 x 73.3 x 11.9mm
Unfolded Dimensions: 153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8mm
Weight: 239g

Fast chip, long battery life

Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, the Open matches the processing capability of the OnePlus 11 and other top Android devices in 2023. Supported by an impressive 16GB of RAM, comparable to that of a laptop, this foldable effortlessly handles numerous tasks, delivering a responsive and swift performance. Boasting a sturdy battery life of around 46 hours between charges, the Open competes with the endurance of the best traditional phones.

Sustainability

OnePlus assures the battery for a minimum of 1,600 full charge cycles, maintaining at least 80% of its original capacity. While the phone does not integrate recycled materials, OnePlus typically supports repairability, with screen replacements costing around £680 and batteries at approximately £99, excluding labor expenses. Although OnePlus is mentioned in Oppo’s annual sustainability reports, it presently lacks a trade-in or recycling program in the UK.

OxygenOS 13.2 with “canvas”

The device operates on a customized version of Android 13 known as OxygenOS, consistent with other OnePlus phones. However, for the Open, OnePlus has introduced a new multitasking system, departing from the approach taken by other manufacturers for utilizing multiple apps on the screen.

In this system, the “canvas” virtually expands beyond the physical screen limits, allowing apps to maintain their full-size display instead of being compressed into narrow or wide views when used simultaneously. When one app is in focus, another can be seamlessly moved almost entirely off the screen, returning into view with a simple tap.

This solution elegantly addresses the challenge of apps not adapting well to resizing, offering a larger view for each app while smoothly accommodating three or more concurrently. A taskbar positioned at the bottom of the screen facilitates easy addition or switching between multiple on-screen apps.

Most of the software aligns with Google’s approach to managing the multiple screens of the foldable device, lacking the advanced features that contribute to the robustness of Samsung’s implementation. Notably, the home screen is shared between the outer and inner screens, unlike Samsung’s provision for distinct layouts on each screen.

While the ability to continue using apps from the inner screen on the outer one by swiping up on the cover screen is a positive feature, it falls short of Samsung’s option to always continue specific apps, such as Google Maps, when the phone is closed. OnePlus does not offer an equivalent to Samsung’s impressive “Flex mode” or a desktop computing “Dex” mode when connected to an external monitor.

Camera

The substantial camera bump on the rear of the Open houses a 48MP primary camera, a 48MP ultrawide lens, and a 64MP telephoto camera with a 3x optical zoom. The telephoto lens additionally provides an extra 6x magnification by focusing on the center of the sensor, a technique reminiscent of recent Google and Apple phone cameras.

Undoubtedly, the Open features the most impressive camera in OnePlus history, posing tough competition to the leading Pixel Fold in the foldable camera market, albeit falling slightly short in some aspects. The primary camera excels, capturing abundant details and effectively managing mixed lighting conditions. The ultrawide lens performs reliably, and the telephoto lens delivers commendable images at 3x in various lighting situations and 6x in bright light, complemented by the availability of digital zoom.

However, all the cameras face challenges with motion, particularly in lower light conditions, resulting in photos that may lack sharpness if not handled with care. While video capture is solid, it doesn’t claim the top spot in the market.

The selfie camera on the cover screen produces satisfactory results, and the internal screen selfie camera excels in video calls. Notably, users can utilize the main camera for selfies using a viewfinder on the cover screen, yielding significantly improved results.

Price

The OnePlus Open is priced at £1,599 (€1,849/$1,699.99).

For reference, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 starts at £1,749, and the Google Pixel Fold is also priced at £1,749.

The OnePlus Open strikes a balance between the form factors of established players Samsung and Google in the foldable phone arena. It offers a more compact, phone-like size when closed and unfolds to reveal a spacious square screen.

With a lighter and less cumbersome design for typical phone tasks, the device introduces innovative approaches to multitasking on its tablet-sized internal screen. However, it falls short of incorporating some advanced features present in top-tier competitors, resulting in a less powerful software experience.

Exceptional performance and impressive battery life characterize the Open, while the internal screen exhibits the least visible fold crease to date—a notable improvement. The camera competes favorably with Google’s offerings. The Open feels mature and refined, benefiting from OnePlus’s parent company, Oppo, having developed two foldables prior to this, positioning the Open as a third-generation product rather than a first attempt.

Concerns arise in terms of durability, as the Open lacks proper water resistance, and OnePlus lacks a proven track record with cutting-edge technology and repairs. Additionally, there’s a noticeable gap in extended software support, a crucial aspect for a device of this expense.