The year 2023 has witnessed a remarkable surge in foldable smartphone innovations, with notable releases like the Google Pixel Fold, Samsung’s latest entries in the Fold and Flip series, and Motorola’s triumphant offering in the form of the Motorola Razr Plus. However, the title of the best foldable phone of the year may belong to the newly announced OnePlus Open, as it boasts an impressive array of features.
First and foremost, OnePlus’s inaugural foray into the world of foldable phones dazzles with its incredibly bright screens – two of them, to be exact. Both the foldable primary display and the cover screen achieve a remarkable brightness of 2,800 nits, surpassing the competition. By comparison, the Pixel Fold reaches a peak brightness of 1,450 nits.
The primary foldable display is a generous 7.82-inch panel with a resolution of 2268 x 2440 pixels and a swift 120Hz refresh rate. The cover screen is no slouch either, with a resolution of 1116 x 2484 pixels and the same 120Hz refresh rate.
Even without the extraordinary brightness, these screen specifications place the OnePlus Open in fierce competition with established foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. Remarkably, OnePlus’s offering manages to outshine the competition with both displays featuring higher resolutions.
The OnePlus Open also shines in the camera department, boasting one of the finest camera setups among foldable phones. On the rear, you’ll discover a versatile triple-lens camera system, consisting of a 48MP primary sensor, a 48MP ultra-wide lens, and a 64MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom capability. Complementing this powerful setup is a 20MP selfie camera.
Under the hood, the OnePlus Open is powered by the top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, accompanied by a generous 16GB of RAM. To keep the experience running smoothly, a substantial 4,805mAh battery is onboard, supporting rapid 67W charging. However, wireless charging is notably absent.
Moving on to design, the OnePlus Open offers two stunning color options: Emerald Dusk and Voyager Black (a stylish name for green). The black model features a vegan leather finish, while the green variant boasts an elegant glass back.
One of the most striking aspects of the OnePlus Open is its remarkable slimness. When unfolded, it measures just 5.8mm in thickness, rivaling the Pixel Fold in svelteness. When closed, it is a mere 11.7mm thick, even thinner than the Pixel Fold and most other available foldable phones.
Perhaps the most astonishing aspect of the OnePlus Open is its pricing strategy. Priced at $1,699 / £1,599 (unavailable in Australia), it offers 512GB of storage in its sole configuration. This pricing undercuts its primary rivals, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Google Pixel Fold, which start at $1,799 / £1,749 and provide half the storage for the same price. The OnePlus Open has set a new standard for value in the world of foldable phones, offering an impressive package of features at an unbeatable price point.
