And the most “classic OnePlus* phone we’ve seen in a while
This year’s been a pretty interesting one for foldables. Samsung still reigns as King but there’s finally meaningful international competition from the likes of Google and Motorola. And while both the Pixel Fold and Moto Razr Plus deserve their flowers for taking on Samsung directly and outshining them in a couple of ways, one could argue Samsung has yet to really be dethroned as the foldable status quo. Seems that’s about to change, and from a company I personally would’ve never expected. OnePlus released the OnePlus open some weeks ago, and honestly, it’s hard not to say this is the best foldable out right now.
If you’ve been reading our content for years, you’ll know that around the time this site started (2019) is around the time OnePlus lost a lot of favor in the eyes of a lot of TZP’s writers, especially yours truly. OnePlus went from making amazing budget kings and arguably created the budget phone section we know today, to basically being a direct flagship competitor to the likes of Samsung but… Just not as good. Sure they were a 100 bucks or so cheaper, but they lacked the fit and finish of Galaxy or Pixel devices, while skimping on things like water resistance or great cameras. It was acceptable for a phone maybe 300 bucks cheaper, but not one comparably priced. The Open however, seems like a perfect return to classic OnePlus, and in a space where honestly, we could use lower prices and better value proposition.
| OnePlus Open | ||
|---|---|---|
| Brand | OnePlus | |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | |
| Display | 6.2-inch AMOLED, 2484 x 1116, 120Hz (cover) / 7.82-inch AMOLED, 2440 x 2268, 120Hz (main) | |
| RAM | 16GB | |
| Storage | 512GB | |
| Battery | 4805 mAh / 67W fast charging | |
| Operating System | OxygenOS 13.2 based on Android 13 | |
| Front camera | 32MP f/2.4 (cover), 20MP f/2.2 (main) | |
| Rear camera | 48MP f/1.7 main, 64MP f/2.6 3x telephoto, 48MP f/2.2. ultrawide | |
| Dimensions | 153.4 x 73.3 x 11.7mm (folded) / 153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8mm (unfolded) 245g | |
| IP Rating | IPX4 | |
| Stylus | No |
The Galaxy Fold 5 and Pixel Fold both go for $1800, start at 128GB or 256GB models when we’re lucky, and offer 12GB of RAM with camera experiences that fall in the realm of “good enough” but aren’t even in the top 5 cameras of the year, with maybe only the Pixel Fold being an exception to that. The Open on the other hand, is a 512GB, 16GB beast, with OnePlus’ signature speed optimizations, and a camera that might actually be the best OnePlus has ever had in a phone in years. As in that it starts at 100 dollars cheaper than both the Pixel and Galaxy, but has deals and trade in that literally can bring it down to $1100, and you have a foldable that’s faster, has arguably the best character, more storage and RAM and can be bought for similar prices to the iPhone 15 Pro or S23 Ultra. Which yes, isn’t cheap exactly, but it’s in the realm of phones most people buy , and that means OnePlus has already done more work to bring these large foldables to the masses than Samsung or Google have to date.
And if you think I’m crazy, just watch the MrMobile review above, or the MKBHD one below. Every tech Youtuber and publication think this thing is great because for the most part, it is. That doesn’t mean it’s perfect, I mean it already falls short on not having wireless charging that it’s competitors have and it’s not as great at the water resistance stats too with an IPX4 rating instead of IPX8. But these factors seem mostly negligible when compared to the fact that it’s simply a solid phone. And that’s what we’ve been craving in foldables, a phone that feels just right, that you don’t have to think much about whether you want it or not even if you might not be able to afford it. The Open has that appeal, and a level of polish that you actually don’t expect from a first try at a foldable. Even the Software and multi-tasking features are so thought out I feel this is the best foldable UI since the Surface Duo. Add in the phone’s more ergonomic design that makes it much easier to use even when closed and well, this phone shows just as much refinement as the competition, benefits of OPPO being OnePlus’ sister company and OnePlus using their previous foldable attempts to build their own device.
So is the OnePlus Open the perfect foldable? Or the best one? Honestly, I personally can’t see how it’s not the best contender for the crown. Yes there’s still reasons to be skeptical, after all we don’t know its durability ratings even when it’s been out for close to a month and a half now. And as the Mr Mobile review stated, OnePlus is still iffy about it’s after market support. But look, if you want a foldable, I don’t see how this isn’t the one you’re getting. It’s faster, has more storage, arguably has the best cameras, and is easier to use and up to $1000 cheaper. It’s OnePlus being at their best again, and making the whole smartphone space more fun to take note of again. And honestly, that’s more than enough for me to root for this device till kingdom come.
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