Should Google and Samsung watch out?

OnePlus teased its first foldable phone as long ago as February 2023. Now, after almost seven months of waiting, the company has finally launched the device. Say hello to the OnePlus Open.

The OnePlus Open brings a book-style foldable form factor, taking aim at rivals like the Google Pixel Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. The new foldable doesn’t offer the same svelte dimensions as the recently released HONOR Magic V2, but it’s still notably lighter and marginally thinner than Google and Samsung’s foldables. It’s also packing an alert slider here.

As for the all-important displays, you can expect a 6.3-inch smartphone screen (2,484 x 1,116, 20:9) on the outside and a 7.8-inch 2K OLED folding screen (1.0758:1). The smartphone panel fits in between Samsung and Google’s external displays in terms of the aspect ratio, while the folding screen is virtually square rather than squat like the Pixel Fold’s main display.

Both panels are equipped with LTPO 3 tech featuring a 120Hz refresh rate, although the inner panel drops down to 1Hz while the outside display drops down to a still respectable 10Hz. The firm says you can also expect 2,800 nits of peak brightness on both panels, although it specifically notes 1,400 nits of brightness when using high brightness mode.

OnePlus says the smartphone screen has so-called Ceramic Guard protection, claiming it’s 20% tougher than Gorilla Glass Victus given the same size and thickness. The company didn’t clarify how this solution compared to Victus 2. The folding display offers ultra-thin glass, the usual TPU protection, and an anti-reflection screen protector.

The OnePlus Open doesn’t match up to Google and Samsung’s IPX8 rating for water resistance. Instead, you’ve got an IPX4 rating for splash resistance here. That’s still welcomed, but it does mean your pricey foldable isn’t guaranteed to stay intact if you drop it in the pool.

Pop the hood and you’ll find a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset here, along with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of fixed storage. Expect a 4,805mAh battery to keep the lights on, along with 67W wired charging. Unfortunately, the foldable lacks wireless charging capabilities.

OnePlus is thankfully offering a bundled wired charger, although Europe gets a 67W charger while the US gets an 80W adapter. It’s also worth noting that this charger has a USB-A port rather than a USB-C connection. Still, it’s a charger in the box, which is more than can be said for Google and Samsung’s foldables.

The OnePlus Open is also bringing a triple rear camera system that’s better on paper than the OnePlus 11. We’ve got a 48MP Sony LYTIA T808 main camera here (with OIS), which might make the foldable the first Android device to use a LYTIA camera sensor.

At 1/1.43 inches in size, this main sensor is significantly smaller than the likes of the one-inch IMX989. But OnePlus claims this camera delivers image quality on par with the IMX989 and the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 200MP sensor. We’ll be sure to put the camera to the test.

Otherwise, the OnePlus Open also offers a 64MP 3X telephoto camera (with OIS) and a 48MP ultrawide lens. The brand claims that the 3X telephoto lens can deliver 6x in-sensor zoom and 120X zoom, but we’re guessing image quality will fall off a cliff way before you get to 120X.

OnePlus is packing a 20MP selfie camera on the foldable screen and a 32MP selfie shooter on the smartphone panel. But you can also take selfies via the rear cameras, in conjunction with the cover display.

The phone serves up the Oxygen OS 13.2 skin atop Android 13. OnePlus is also bringing a variety of features to take advantage of the larger screens. This includes multi-window and split-screen support, resizable windows, multi-app presets (akin to app pairs), drag-and-drop sharing, and the expected taskbar. Thankfully, OnePlus is also promising four major OS updates and five years of security patches.

Other notable features include Bluetooth 5.3, a trio of so-called “Reality” speakers, a side fingerprint scanner, and Wi-Fi 7.

Foldable phones are pricey and the OnePlus Open is no exception. Expect to pay $1,699 for the sole 16GB/512GB model in the US, with your choice of Emerald Dusk or Voyager Black. The former is available with a matte glass back while the latter delivers a pleather back. The device will be available via the likes of Amazon, the OnePlus website, and Best Buy.

Unfortunately, the OnePlus Open isn’t available via carriers. That’s a real shame when loads of people take advantage of contracts and carrier subsidies to buy flagship-tier devices. At least the company is offering a great trade-in offer for any smartphone. Otherwise, the foldable will also be available in Europe (€1,799), India (Rs 139,999), Canada (CA$2,299), and the UK (£1,599).