OnePlus Open: Everything you need to know

OnePlus has been releasing phones for almost a decade, but the company still hadn’t launched one with a screen that could fold…until now.

The OnePlus Open adopts the book-style design we’ve seen a few times already, with a regular phone-sized cover display that opens to reveal a small tablet.

However, that doesn’t mean the Open is like all the other devices out there – OnePlus has a few tricks up its sleeve to help the device stand out from the competition. Here’s everything you need to know, including its price, release date and all the key specs.

When was the OnePlus Open released?

OnePlus officially announced the Open at a global launch event in Mumbai on 19 October 2023.

It’s available to buy now, having been released on 26 October. Here’s where you can buy one in the US:

• OnePlus – at least $200 off when you trade in any phone in any condition
• Amazon
• Best Buy

And in the UK:

• OnePlus – free OnePlus Buds Pro 2

How much does the OnePlus Open cost?

There’s only one configuration of the Open, with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, and it costs $1,699/£1,599.

That’s slightly more expensive than the Honor Magic Vs (£1,399), but cheaper than both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (from $1,799.99/£1,748) and Google Pixel Fold (from $1,799/£1,749).

What specs and features does the OnePlus Open have?

When it comes to the OnePlus Open, there’s a lot to talk about.

Design

The open adopts a regular book-style foldable design, with a 6.31in cover display which opens to reveal a 7.82in tablet screen inside.

Crucially, it folds completely flat when closed, so is only 11.7mm thick. That’s not quite Honor Magic V2 (9.9mm) levels, but it’s not far off.

The cover display extends right to the edges, adopting the 20:9 aspect ratio we see on many regular smartphones. And considering the internal display has to accommodate a hinge, it still looks very modern.

The device is IPX4 rated for splash resistance and has undergone various durability tests, including on the toughness of the hinge. You also get a distinctive circular rear camera bump.

However, only the dark green model you see in photos is coming to the UK and Europe. It has a matte glass rear, but the black vegan leather version is only available in the US and a few other countries.

Display

Let’s start with what both screens have in common. They’re 120Hz OLED panels with LTPO tech, meaning they can automatically adjust the refresh rate (to 10Hz on cover, 1Hz on internal) to help conserve battery life.

The 6.31in cover screen has a resolution of 2484×1116, which is in keeping with regular phones. But the 2440×2268 resolution of the internal display gives it an unusual boxy aspect ratio that doesn’t play nicely with content produced in 16:9 or 18:9.

Of course, that internal screen has a crease right down the middle. You can clearly see and feel it, but it soon fades into the background once you start using the device.

Performance

The Open is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, its most powerful smartphone chip from 2022. While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is on the way soon, there’s still more than enough power for great performance.

It combines with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of non-expandable storage, which will be plenty for most people. Alongside 5G, there’s also support for Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3, the latest standards.

Cameras

OnePlus has equipped the Open with a total of five cameras, split between the rear and top of both displays.

The main rear sensor is a 48Mp, f/1.7 lens – specifically, the Sony LYT-T808. It’s joined by a 48Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide with a 114° field of view, plus 64Mp, f/2.6 telephoto with 3x optical zoom and 120x digital.

Within a hole punch at the top of the cover display is a 20Mp f/2.2 selfie camera, but much better results are possible using the main rear sensor instead. But the 32Mp f/2.4 sensor inside is in the top-right corner instead.

Battery and charging

The OnePlus Open has a total battery capacity of 4805mAh, split across two cells.

Wired charging is via USB-C, and OnePlus claims the 67W charger included in the box will go from 0-100% in 42 minutes.

However, there’s no support for wireless charging.

Software

Out of the box, the Open runs OnePlus’ OxygenOS 13.2 over Android 13.

While it looks and performs slightly differently to so-called ‘stock’ Android, it’ll be familiar to anyone who’s used a recent OnePlus phone.

But the key extra features are designed for the internal display. A laptop-style taskbar features drag-and-drop support, while the intuitive split-screen mode let’s you use up to three apps side by side.

Two of these will overlap the screen by default, but you can bring them into view or make use of what OnePlus is calling ‘Open Canvas’, which lets you extend the active area beyond the edge of the display.

OnePlus will support the open with Android updates for four years and security updates for five years. However, there’s no word on when it’ll get Android 14.

Learn more in our full OnePlus Open review. And to see what it’ll be up against, read our round-up of the best foldable phones.