The OnePlus Open renewed my faith in folding phones. Here’s why

2 months ago

It’s ne'er easy to urge a foldable phone, particularly erstwhile you see nan precocious asking value and nan reports of hardware issues that support eliciting agelong posts connected Reddit. My individual acquisition besides drives this reluctance, moreover though I’ve been utilizing foldable phones consistently for half a decade now.

Early successful 2023, nan hinge connected my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 gave up. The telephone would nary longer unfastened fully. A fewer days aft nan problem first manifested, I noticed a glue-like worldly oozing from nan hinge gap.

I don’t retrieve it ever taking a nasty driblet aliases moreover leaving my protective lawsuit since nan setup day. Of course, I was disillusioned, and arsenic our investigation later uncovered, there is nary shortage of Samsung foldable enthusiasts emotion a akin sting successful their wallets.

Soon aft nan bad experience, I switched to a OnePlus Open — and it made maine a folding telephone believer erstwhile again.

Standing retired strong, literally

Rear leather sheet connected nan OnePlus Open Apex Edition.

My Digital Trends colleague, Tushar Mehta, wrote a heavy dive connected nan OnePlus Open Apex Edition’s creation philosophy, and I urge that you cheque that retired for a primer. In existent life, this telephone will apprehension your attention, each acknowledgment to that reddish vegan leather that offers a striking opposition to nan metallic luster connected nan framework and hinge.

The foldable telephone inclination successful nan manufacture is saturated pinch brands utilizing each varieties of alloy and aluminum, pinch immoderate claiming military-grade durability. OnePlus followed successful Apple’s footsteps, but took immoderate metallurgical liberties of its own.

Where Apple utilized a titanium alloy framework tinged pinch aluminum and vanadium, OnePlus took a different exotic route. The institution has utilized titanium alloy and cobalt molybdenum alloy arsenic nan superior model material. The institution claims nan erstwhile is lighter and sturdier compared to nan various strains of stainless alloy recovered connected astir different smartphones.

A broadside position of nan OnePlus Open.

OnePlus paid typical attraction to nan phone’s astir vulnerable constituent — nan hinge assembly. The cobalt molybdenum alloy, for example, is touted to beryllium 4 times stronger than surgical-grade stainless alloy and acold stronger than what rival foldable phones tin claim.

The hinge spine plate, connected nan different hand, is made of a liquid metallic derivative of amorphous zirconium alloy. In summation to earthy worldly strength, it is said to connection precocious scratch and deterioration resistance. In a nutshell, nan OnePlus Open is 1 of nan astir bewitchingly alluring phones retired there, foldable aliases otherwise.

I could make an objection for the pinkish Pixel 9, but only to grant my colleague, Christine Romero-Chan, who besides drove nan Pro exemplary successful nan aforesaid shade. The in-hand consciousness is fittingly awesome connected nan Apex Edition. OnePlus nailed what 1 would telephone nan “normal” look and consciousness of a regular phone. The Pixel Fold was conscionable excessively wide, while Samsung’s Galaxy Fold still flaunts its gangly facet ratio anomaly.

A sigh of relief

Closeup position of apical area connected nan OnePlus Open Apex Edition.

On a individual note, however, nan reality has been much pleasing than specified marque rhetoric. The OnePlus Open has taken much bumps than I tin remember. Nearly half a twelve times, nan telephone has moreover received a bully slap aliases footwear arsenic I tried to drawback it aft it slipped from nan table, a pocket, aliases my grip.

There are scars crossed nan phone’s frame, retelling my clumsy ways. But much importantly, they service arsenic a lived-in retelling of conscionable really resilient nan telephone is.

Lower area of nan OnePlus Open Apex Edition.

Cracked rear shell, surgery camera lens cover, and nan accustomed aftermath, a shattered screen. The business has improved complete nan years, but those are mostly reserved for flagship phones treated pinch nan latest from Corning aliases AGC Dragontrail.

The position quo of foldables is still tightly lodged successful nan “handle pinch care” class. And no, location is nary flight way from nan costly repair costs. OnePlus will complaint a cool $510 to hole issues pinch nan soul foldable panel, while Samsung will require $549 to hole its latest Galaxy Z Fold 6. Repairs are expensive, but thankfully, nan OnePlus Open has held up remarkably well.

A bully telephone nary matter really you usage it

OnePlus Open Apex Edition Crimson Shadow reddish held successful manus successful beforehand of nan achromatic variant.

The OnePlus Open is simply a very bully phone, sloppy of whether you support your activities constricted to nan “normal” screen surface aliases make nan astir of its tablet-like soul foldable screen. As a journalist, astir half my occupation entails reference reports and papers.

Ever since I started utilizing foldable phones, I’ve almost wholly ditched nan Kindle, aliases immoderate different scholar for that matter. The only script wherever I picked up different instrumentality — for illustration nan fantabulous Boox Palma – was because e-readers are acold easier connected nan eyes.

Of course, watching videos is besides a portion of regular usage, but I americium not peculiarly fond of pillarboxing, truthful there’s that. Binge-reading manga and comics? The OnePlus Open is cleanable for it.

YouTube Shorts and Instagram moving simultenously connected OnePlus Open held successful hands.

Another logic that nan OnePlus Open has maine hooked is nan sheer joyousness of playing emulated games. Regardless of your sensation successful recreational integer content, nan OLED screens (inside and outside) will service you conscionable fine. Hello, Dolby Vision support!

In fact, nan Open Canvas strategy for moving aggregate apps broadside by broadside is still nan champion implementation of split-screen multitasking connected a phone. Or a tablet. My colleague, Tushar, discovered his ain niche utilitarian joy utilizing nan hands-free mode connected nan OnePlus Open.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 powering nan telephone is still a mighty processor that tin grip thing you would expect from a top-tier flagship phone. The phone’s triple-lens camera array is besides rather powerful, and nan results are bully capable that I’ve ne'er had 2nd thoughts astir picking it complete nan “Pro” iPhones.

Binge-reading manga and comics? The OnePlus Open is cleanable for it.

There are galore neat features to play with, but my favourite is nan Hasselblad wizardry, which you tin entree successful XPAN mode. It tries to replicate pictures successful nan 24x65mm format, a signature trait of nan 1998 Hasselblad XPAN camera.

The black-and-white panoramic shots captured successful nan XPAN mode are wholly worthy nan effort, and they inject immoderate effortless creator psyche into immoderate frame. Of course, not having to interest astir nan retention abstraction moving retired connected nan Apex Edition is conscionable nan cherry connected top.

What’s truthful typical astir nan security?

Alert slider connected nan OnePlus Open Apex Edition.

The OnePlus Open continues nan brand’s dependable inroads into a tighter information acquisition for smartphone users. With OxygenOS 14 connected nan OnePlus Open, nan institution fortified information measures specified arsenic chip-level encryption, which is bundled together pinch different information measurement wrong nan Device Security Engine 3.0 package.

Earlier this year, OnePlus became nan first Android smartphone shaper to subordinate nan App Defense Alliance (ADA). The brainchild of Google, Meta, and Microsoft intends to protect Android phones from nan scourge of malware done mobile applications and different emerging threats. At nan moment, ADA operates nether nan Linux Foundation.

VIP mode enabled connected nan OnePlus Open Apex Edition.

The OnePlus Apex Edition, specifically, carries that momentum further, acknowledgment to a typical VIP mode that offers enhanced information and privacy. Broadly, it accomplishes a mates of things. First, it disables mic and camera entree crossed nan system. Second, it restricts ad-tracking by utilizing hardware-level encryption.

The enhanced information measures travel to life courtesy of a dedicated information spot and a shielded NFC chip, some of which person been certified by Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation, which provides an manufacture modular for computing security.

This whitethorn not mean thing to immoderate people, but for anyone who takes their smartphone information seriously, it’s a really bully touch — and yet different feather successful nan OnePlus Open’s cap.

A fewer not-so-nice things

Either $1,700 (or $1,900 for nan Apex Edition) is nary mini sum, and surely not for a phone. For immoderate sane mind hoping to springiness OnePlus that benignant of dough, they amended perpetrate to utilizing it for astatine slightest a fewer years. This telephone has capable hardware to enactment competent, but for really agelong exactly?

Unfortunately, OnePlus only promises upgrades done Android 17 for nan OnePlus Open. For reference, Android 15 is now successful nan nationalist domain. Consumer sentiments propose that users activity longer update cycles connected their phones. Market investigation patient Counterpoint says consumers are now holding connected to their phones for longer.

Camera module of nan OnePlus Open Apex Edition.

For comparison, nan Pixel 9 bid will get OS for 7 generations. Even nan midrange OnePlus Nord 4 will eclipse nan OnePlus Open successful package updates. For OnePlus’ flagship foldable, and 1 that costs truthful much, longer package support would person been awesome to see.

Durability is adjacent successful line, which is moreover much pronounced successful nan lawsuit of foldable. The OnePlus foldable only offers IPX4-tier ingress protection, while Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 guarantees IP48-level particulate and h2o shielding. I’ve utilized nan OnePlus Open for a while now, and it hasn’t worried maine pinch immoderate benignant of hardware factors, but accidents happen.

Then location is nan omission of yet different important convenience — wireless charging. Now, I would return accelerated wired charging immoderate time complete wireless charging support. The OnePlus Open surely scores an ace connected that front, allowing 67-watt wired charging. In nan unit box, you get an 80W charging brick, which is simply a convenient surprise.

OnePlus Open Apex Edition Crimson Shadow reddish 1 held successful 1 hand.

But I must admit, nan convenience of wireless charging has spoiled me, and there’s immoderate applicable rationale down that, too. I only person entree to truthful galore ports connected my activity table aliases nan java shops I frequent. Plus, pinch each passing year, we are moving astir pinch much accessories that request charging.

I person 3-in-1 wireless chargers successful various shapes and sizes, but ultimately, they thief maine trim nan cablegram clutter and lick nan larboard paucity problem. Almost each week, I person recovered myself placing nan OnePlus Open connected a wireless charging pad, only to recognize that it was a vain effort.

The OnePlus Open is nan existent deal

Close up of nan camera module connected nan OnePlus Open Apex Edition Crimson Shadow red.

Overall, nan OnePlus Open has proved to beryllium nan astir rewarding telephone I’ve utilized successful a while. It’s besides nan telephone that has been my regular driver for nan longest spell successful my career. The Apex Edition conscionable happens to nan champion execution, a existent flex of shape and functionality.

Once again, it isn’t precisely cheap, and neither is nan modular version. But if you’ve ever wondered really good a foldable telephone holds up successful nan agelong run, this is nan one-year reappraisal to thief guideline your acquisition decision.

The OnePlus Open has proved to beryllium nan astir rewarding telephone I’ve utilized successful a while.

So, present are nan cardinal takeaways. The OnePlus Open is simply a awesome foldable phone. If you’ve been connected nan obstruction regarding nan durability aspect, this 1 survived a near-reckless in-hand journey.

I can’t opportunity nan aforesaid astir galore phones retired there, and surely not astir foldable devices. I americium not judge if nan upcoming successor will beryllium arsenic bully arsenic nan OnePlus Open, but if you are eyeing a Christmas dainty for yourself, this 1 won’t disappoint you.