Is the OnePlus Open the Best Foldable Yet?

Alright, we need to talk about these folding phones because a lot has changed since we last discussed them. This week, OnePlus launched their first-ever foldable, called the OnePlus Open. The name’s a bit underwhelming, but trust me, this phone is anything but. For a first-gen foldable, it’s really impressive.

I’ve been using it for about three weeks now, and I have plenty of good things to say. Honestly, it’s so good that it’s making me ask the same question I’ve had for a while: What’s it going to take for regular people to actually buy folding phones? Like, yeah, I like this phone, and I’m guessing other reviewers will too. Enthusiasts will probably be on board as well, and this video might get a lot of views. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that your average person will walk into a store or go online and choose a folding phone over a regular one.

Let’s talk specs. This thing is premium in every way. The design is especially well thought out. On the outside, it’s basically the same size as a regular phone, with a 6.3-inch, 20:9 cover display, just over 1080p. It’s LTPO, so it can drop down to 10 Hz, and it gets absurdly bright—2800 nits at max brightness. Seriously, this is the brightest display I’ve ever seen on a phone.

I’ll also go ahead and give it the crown for the best foldable to use when closed, along with the Pixel Fold. I still think the Pixel Fold has a bit better button placement (since it’s a little shorter), but the OnePlus Open definitely feels like a flagship phone, even when it’s folded shut.

There are some other design touches I really appreciate, too. The flat sides around the phone give it a clean, sleek look. The alert slider is back, though it’s up at the top, so it’s not the easiest to reach. Still, I love that it works just like it always has on OnePlus phones. And, of course, the power button doubles as the fingerprint reader, which is pretty standard for foldables by now, but it’s still one of my favorite features.

Overall, the OnePlus Open is a serious contender, but the big question remains: What’s it going to take for regular folks to jump on the foldable train?

The back? It’s a bit of a mixed bag. I’m not really a fan of fake leather on the back of a phone—it kind of takes me back to those Samsung 2016 vibes—but at least it hides fingerprints. The new color is green, and it looks a lot cleaner. But honestly, the real star here is that massive camera bump. It looks pretty wild, but what’s funny is that it lines up perfectly with where my index finger rests when I’m holding the phone. It’s like this little natural shelf when the phone’s closed. I didn’t expect to like that feature, but I actually do.

As for the LED flash—yeah, they couldn’t fit it down with the cameras, so they just shoved it in the top corner for no reason I can really figure out.

But then you flip it open, and you immediately get why they waited this long to do their first foldable. It’s nothing like those first-gen foldables from years ago. The screen is a huge 7.8-inch LTPO 3.0 display, which can hit 2800 nits at its brightest and drop to 1 Hz. The bezels are nice and even all around, and the hole punch camera is tucked neatly in the top corner. And honestly, the crease? Barely noticeable. It’s one of the least visible creases you’ll find in a foldable this year.

Now, I know OnePlus hasn’t made a foldable yet, but their sister company, OPPO, definitely has. So, it wouldn’t be shocking if a lot of the tech here is borrowed from them. In fact, there’s a newly released OPPO phone, the Find N3, that looks almost identical to this one. But hey, point still stands.

When the screen’s on, you can barely see the crease. When it’s off, you kind of have to look for it. There’s that one angle where the light hits and makes it pop, but for the most part, this phone looks clean from pretty much every angle you’d use it from.

The hinge on this thing is awesome—it holds whatever angle you set it at, so if you want it at a perfect 90 degrees or just a little more open or closed, you can do that. Plus, when it shuts, it has this really satisfying spring-loaded snap. It’s also surprisingly thin—not the thinnest out there, but pretty slim. And it’s lighter than you’d expect. When you put it on a scale, it actually weighs pretty much the same as an iPhone 14 Pro with the stainless steel frame, so it’s got that classic phone weight.

As far as hardware goes, it’s definitely impressive. But the software is where it really shines. It runs OxygenOS 13.2, and it’s packed with all sorts of tweaks and features that power users will love. Honestly, this phone is made for people who want more control and flexibility. For example, the continuity between the inside and outside screens is great. If you’re using an app on the main screen and you’re done with it, you can just close it and swipe up to pick up right where you left off on the cover screen.

It also mirrors your home screen setup between the two screens, like the Pixel Fold does. So if you move an app or widget around on one screen, it automatically does the same on the other, which keeps everything organized. Personally, I wish there was an option to turn that off, since I like having a bit more control, but it’s nice that it keeps things consistent.

The multitasking features on the inside screen are another win. You can have one app open full-screen, which works surprisingly well for most apps—even ones that aren’t optimized for this kind of layout. You can also have two apps side by side, or even add a third to create a triple-panel view. It’s super easy to drag things between apps, and if you pinch out with four fingers, you can see everything you’ve got open at once. With the app dock and recent files always available, it feels like a really well-thought-out workspace. Honestly, when I open this phone, it feels like I’m about to get some serious work done.

The OnePlus Open really nails everything I look for in a smartphone—screen, battery, build, performance, and camera. And I’m not just saying that to be nice. It genuinely delivers across the board. We’ve already talked about the display, but the fact that the inside and outside screens match up so well is a nice touch.

Performance? Top-tier. You’ve got the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 16GB of fast RAM, and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. Both the 120Hz LTPO displays have a 240Hz touch sample rate, which makes it super responsive. It’s definitely future-proof.

The build quality is solid too—more on that in a sec—but battery life has been great with the 4800mAh battery and 67W fast charging. The only thing that’s a bit odd is the lack of wireless charging. It seems like something they could have easily added without adding cost or weight, but for some reason, it’s not there. Typical OnePlus move.

Now, that big camera module on the back definitely makes you think it’s packing some serious lenses, but you never know until you test them. Luckily, the camera setup is solid. It’s got the new stacked sensor for the main camera, a 3x telephoto, and an ultra-wide. Most of the time, it takes great shots, but it does struggle a bit when you need to freeze motion.

If you’re shooting something still, no problem. But when you’re trying to snap pictures of moving people or pets, it can be hard to get a fast enough shutter speed. That’s where the “action mode” comes in, which cranks up the shutter speed. The problem is, it also cranks up the ISO, making the photos a bit noisier and less crisp. So, it’s a bit of a trade-off.

Oh, and just a quick side note—this isn’t one of the main highlights, but I have to say, the microphone on this phone is actually pretty impressive. Most phones in this category don’t have great mic quality, but I was surprised by how good it sounds.

When you look at the whole package, it’s just a really solid phone. It’s one that I think a lot of people, including myself, are going to enjoy using.

So, if this phone is so good, why aren’t folding phones selling like crazy? The truth is, a phone can check all the boxes for what makes a great device, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right choice for everyone. I think there are three main reasons why they’re still not as popular.

First, there’s the price. Second, durability is still a bit of a concern. And third, there’s the power user factor.

Let’s start with the price: this phone is $1700. That’s a lot of money, no matter how you look at it—even if you break it down into monthly payments. It’s literally double the price of an iPhone 15. But here’s the thing: it’s actually right in line with other folding phones like the Pixel Fold ($1800) and the Samsung Z Fold 5 ($1800). So, in comparison, this one’s kind of a bargain.

Still, that price tag is the biggest barrier. Then there’s the durability question. Sure, they put this phone through a bunch of tests—like the IPX4 water resistance and the hinge being rated for a million folds, which is all good. But here’s where it gets tricky: after just three weeks of careful use, I’m already seeing dead pixels showing up near the hinge at the bottom of the screen. That’s not a great look, especially when you’re paying top dollar.

It’s not that folding phones are doomed for everyone, but let’s be honest—it’s not exactly ideal, and I’m guessing we won’t see it on non-folding phones anytime soon. The reason folding phones haven’t really gone mainstream, despite all their improvements, is that they’re still mostly for power users. The whole folding/unfolding thing is cool, but it’s a feature that appeals to enthusiasts, not the average buyer. And those types of features just don’t sell in huge numbers.

We’ve seen this play out before—LG made some of the most customizable smartphone cameras for years, and now they’re out of the phone game completely. Sony’s still pushing pro-level cameras in their phones, but their sales are in the dumps too. Even Asus makes some seriously impressive phones for people like me, but they’re not exactly lighting up the market.

Honestly, I’d bet folding phones aren’t top sellers for any company, even though the hardware’s gotten a lot better. Take the HONOR Magic V2, for example—it’s probably the best folding phone I’ve seen so far. It’s super thin, has a sleek 3D-printed titanium hinge cover, and you barely notice the crease when it’s open. The bezels are slim, the screens look great, and somehow, it packs a 5000 mAh battery with high-end specs. Playing around with this thing really made me appreciate what folding phones can be.

But here’s the thing—despite how cool it is, it still has those big downsides for the average person. First off, it’s around $1400. Then there’s the durability—we don’t really know how long it’s gonna last. And even though it’s thinner than most foldables, it’s still a little bit of a “power user” phone. Not everyone wants the extra bulk or feels the need for that folding feature.

On the bright side, foldables are getting closer to the mainstream. Samsung’s Z Flip 5 is down to $1000, and Motorola’s Razr 40 is coming in at $600. So, we’re moving in the right direction, but we’re not quite there yet.

Folding phones have come a long way, but they’re still a niche product for tech enthusiasts like me. Hopefully, as they keep evolving, they’ll find a bigger audience.