It’s by no means simple to suggest a foldable phone, particularly when you think about the excessive asking worth and the reviews of {hardware} points that maintain eliciting lengthy posts on Reddit. My private expertise additionally drives this reluctance, despite the fact that I’ve been utilizing foldable telephones constantly for half a decade now.
Early in 2023, the hinge on my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 gave up. The cellphone would not open totally. A number of days after the issue first manifested, I observed a glue-like materials oozing from the hinge hole.
I don’t bear in mind it ever taking a nasty drop and even leaving my protecting case for the reason that setup day. After all, I used to be disillusioned, and as our investigation later uncovered, there is no shortage of Samsung foldable enthusiasts feeling a similar sting of their wallets.
Quickly after the dangerous expertise, I switched to a OnePlus Open — and it made me a folding cellphone believer as soon as once more.
Standing out robust, actually
My Digital Tendencies colleague, Tushar Mehta, wrote a deep dive on the OnePlus Open Apex Edition’s design philosophy, and I like to recommend that you just verify that out for a primer. In actual life, this cellphone will arrest your consideration, all because of that purple vegan leather-based that provides a putting distinction to the metallic luster on the body and hinge.
The foldable cellphone development within the trade is saturated with manufacturers utilizing all forms of metal and aluminum, with some claiming military-grade sturdiness. OnePlus adopted in Apple’s footsteps, however took some metallurgical liberties of its personal.
The place Apple used a titanium alloy body tinged with aluminum and vanadium, OnePlus took a unique unique route. The corporate has used titanium alloy and cobalt molybdenum alloy as the first framework materials. The corporate claims the previous is lighter and sturdier in comparison with the varied strains of chrome steel discovered on most different smartphones.
OnePlus paid particular consideration to the cellphone’s most fragile component — the hinge meeting. The cobalt molybdenum alloy, for instance, is touted to be 4 occasions stronger than surgical-grade chrome steel and much stronger than what rival foldable telephones can declare.
The hinge backbone plate, alternatively, is product of a liquid metallic by-product of amorphous zirconium alloy. Along with uncooked materials energy, it’s stated to supply excessive scratch and put on resistance. In a nutshell, the OnePlus Open is among the most bewitchingly alluring telephones on the market, foldable or in any other case.
I might make an exception for the pink Pixel 9, however solely to honor my colleague, Christine Romero-Chan, who additionally drove the Pro model in the same shade. The in-hand really feel is fittingly improbable on the Apex Version. OnePlus nailed what one would name the “regular” feel and appear of an everyday cellphone. The Pixel Fold was simply too broad, whereas Samsung’s Galaxy Fold nonetheless flaunts its tall facet ratio anomaly.
A sigh of aid
On a private observe, nonetheless, the fact has been extra pleasing than mere model rhetoric. The OnePlus Open has taken extra bumps than I can bear in mind. Almost half a dozen occasions, the cellphone has even obtained a pleasant slap or kick as I attempted to catch it after it slipped from the desk, a pocket, or my grip.
There are scars throughout the cellphone’s body, retelling my clumsy methods. However extra importantly, they function a lived-in retelling of simply how resilient the cellphone is.
Cracked rear shell, damaged digital camera lens cowl, and the standard aftermath, a shattered display screen. The scenario has improved through the years, however these are principally reserved for flagship telephones handled with the most recent from Corning or AGC Dragontrail.
The established order of foldables remains to be tightly lodged within the “deal with with care” class. And no, there isn’t any escape route from the costly restore prices. OnePlus will cost a cool $510 to repair points with the internal foldable panel, whereas Samsung would require $549 to repair its newest Galaxy Z Fold 6. Repairs are costly, however fortunately, the OnePlus Open has held up remarkably effectively.
A very good cellphone regardless of how you utilize it
The OnePlus Open is an excellent cellphone, no matter whether or not you retain your actions restricted to the “regular” cowl display screen or take advantage of its tablet-like internal foldable display screen. As a journalist, practically half my job entails studying reviews and papers.
Ever since I began utilizing foldable telephones, I’ve virtually solely ditched the Kindle, or another reader for that matter. The one situation the place I picked up one other system — like the wonderful Boox Palma – was as a result of e-readers are far simpler on the eyes.
After all, watching movies can be part of each day utilization, however I’m not significantly keen on pillarboxing, so there’s that. Binge-reading manga and comics? The OnePlus Open is ideal for it.
Another excuse that the OnePlus Open has me hooked is the sheer pleasure of taking part in emulated video games. No matter your style in leisure digital content material, the OLED screens (inside and out of doors) will serve you simply high quality. Hiya, Dolby Imaginative and prescient help!
In truth, the Open Canvas system for working a number of apps facet by facet remains to be one of the best implementation of split-screen multitasking on a cellphone. Or a pill. My colleague, Tushar, discovered his own niche utilitarian joy utilizing the hands-free mode on the OnePlus Open.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 powering the cellphone remains to be a mighty processor that may deal with something you’d anticipate from a top-tier flagship cellphone. The cellphone’s triple-lens digital camera array can be fairly highly effective, and the outcomes are adequate that I’ve by no means had second ideas about choosing it over the “Professional” iPhones.
Binge-reading manga and comics? The OnePlus Open is ideal for it.
There are lots of neat options to play with, however my favourite is the Hasselblad wizardry, which you’ll entry in XPAN mode. It tries to copy footage within the 24x65mm format, a signature trait of the 1998 Hasselblad XPAN digital camera.
The black-and-white panoramic photographs captured within the XPAN mode are completely definitely worth the effort, and so they inject some easy inventive soul into any body. After all, not having to fret in regards to the space for storing working out on the Apex Version is simply the cherry on high.
What’s so particular in regards to the safety?
The OnePlus Open continues the model’s regular inroads right into a tighter safety expertise for smartphone customers. With OxygenOS 14 on the OnePlus Open, the corporate fortified safety measures similar to chip-level encryption, which is bundled along with one other safety measure throughout the Machine Safety Engine 3.0 bundle.
Earlier this yr, OnePlus grew to become the primary Android smartphone maker to affix the App Protection Alliance (ADA). The brainchild of Google, Meta, and Microsoft goals to guard Android telephones from the scourge of malware by means of cell purposes and different rising threats. For the time being, ADA operates below the Linux Basis.
The OnePlus Apex Version, particularly, carries that momentum additional, because of a particular VIP mode that provides enhanced safety and privateness. Broadly, it accomplishes a few issues. First, it disables mic and digital camera entry throughout the system. Second, it restricts ad-tracking by utilizing hardware-level encryption.
The improved safety measures come to life courtesy of a devoted safety chip and a shielded NFC chip, each of which have been licensed by Frequent Standards for Info Expertise Safety Analysis, which offers an trade customary for computing safety.
This may occasionally not imply something to some individuals, however for anybody who takes their smartphone safety significantly, it’s a very nice contact — and one more feather within the OnePlus Open’s cap.
A number of not-so-nice issues
Both $1,700 (or $1,900 for the Apex Version) isn’t any small sum, and positively not for a cellphone. For any sane thoughts hoping to provide OnePlus that sort of dough, they higher decide to utilizing it for no less than just a few years. This cellphone has satisfactory {hardware} to remain competent, however for a way lengthy precisely?
Sadly, OnePlus solely guarantees upgrades by means of Android 17 for the OnePlus Open. For reference, Android 15 is now within the public area. Shopper sentiments counsel that customers search longer replace cycles on their telephones. Market analysis agency Counterpoint says customers at the moment are holding on to their telephones for longer.
For comparability, the Pixel 9 collection will get OS for seven generations. Even the midrange OnePlus Nord 4 will eclipse the OnePlus Open in software program updates. For OnePlus’ flagship foldable, and one which prices a lot, longer software program help would have been nice to see.
Sturdiness is subsequent in line, which is much more pronounced within the case of foldable. The OnePlus foldable solely gives IPX4-tier ingress safety, whereas Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 ensures IP48-level mud and water shielding. I’ve used the OnePlus Open for some time now, and it hasn’t fearful me with any sort of {hardware} components, however accidents occur.
Then there may be the omission of one more essential comfort — wi-fi charging. Now, I might take quick wired charging any day over wi-fi charging help. The OnePlus Open definitely scores an ace on that entrance, permitting 67-watt wired charging. Within the retail field, you get an 80W charging brick, which is a handy shock.
However I need to admit, the comfort of wi-fi charging has spoiled me, and there’s some sensible rationale behind that, too. I solely have entry to so many ports on my work desk or the espresso retailers I frequent. Plus, with every passing yr, we’re transferring round with extra equipment that want charging.
I’ve 3-in-1 wi-fi chargers in varied styles and sizes, however in the end, they assist me scale back the cable litter and clear up the port paucity drawback. Nearly each week, I’ve discovered myself putting the OnePlus Open on a wi-fi charging pad, solely to appreciate that it was a useless effort.
The OnePlus Open is the true deal
General, the OnePlus Open has proved to be essentially the most rewarding cellphone I’ve used shortly. It’s additionally the cellphone that has been my each day driver for the longest spell in my profession. The Apex Version simply occurs to one of the best execution, an actual flex of kind and performance.
As soon as once more, it isn’t precisely low cost, and neither is the usual model. However in the event you’ve ever questioned how effectively a foldable cellphone holds up in the long term, that is the one-year evaluate to assist information your buy resolution.
The OnePlus Open has proved to be essentially the most rewarding cellphone I’ve used shortly.
So, listed below are the important thing takeaways. The OnePlus Open is a improbable foldable cellphone. In the event you’ve been on the fence relating to the sturdiness facet, this one survived a near-reckless in-hand journey.
I can’t say the identical about many telephones on the market, and positively not about foldable gadgets. I’m not positive if the upcoming successor shall be pretty much as good because the OnePlus Open, however if you’re eyeing a Christmas deal with for your self, this one gained’t disappoint you.
