Sorry, Google! The incredible OnePlus Open makes the Pixel Fold look like a prototype
This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Are 30-60 minutes enough time to make a folding phone? I don’t know. We might have to ask Google.
While I’ll leave the technical comparison between the OnePlus Open and Pixel Fold to my colleagues, I’ll allow myself to be biased here - that’s what editorials are for anyway. But remember… “Biassed” isn’t a dirty word.
However, there are certain instances when certain devices do certain things so much better than certain other devices, that it’s almost undeniable how superior they are - subjective and objectively; with or without bias.
And this time, this phone is the OnePlus Open. And the other phone is… the Pixel Fold…
You can fight me on that one, but I strongly believe the OnePlus Open is the very first tablet-style folding phone on the global market (US and Europe specifically) that doesn’t come with a bag full of compromises.
OnePlus Open beats the Pixel Fold in virtually every single way possible as the US and Europe get their first truly great folding phone
The Pixel Fold's only two advantages over the OnePlus Open seem to be wireless-charging and a higher grade water protection.
All in all, it might be easier to point out what the OnePlus Open doesn’t do better than the Pixel Fold. The Open is only IPX4 water-resistant, while the Pixel Fold’s rating goes up to IPX8. What this means is that the Open can take a splash, but the Pixel can be submerged into water without breaking. Hopefully. I wouldn’t try it.
The other obvious advantage of the Pixel Fold is that it supports wireless-charging. This is a bizarre omission on the OnePlus Open for which there’s no excuse, if you ask me. So, if you are someone who loves to charge wirelessly… there's that.
But this is pretty much where the Pixel Fold’s winning streak ends as far as I’m concerned. Displays, design, processing power, camera hardware, and battery are strongly swinging OnePlus’ way.
But this is pretty much where the Pixel Fold’s winning streak ends as far as I’m concerned. Displays, design, processing power, camera hardware, and battery are strongly swinging OnePlus’ way.
The OnePlus Open’s large display makes the Pixel Fold look like a prototype, and this a much bigger deal than you might think
Video courtesy of Ben Sin (XDA).
Without a doubt, the biggest difference to notice between the OnePlus Open and Pixel Fold are the displays. But I’m not here to tell you the obvious. Yes, the OnePlus’ display sizes look more practical; yes, the Pixel Fold’s massive bezels are… massive; and yes, the OnePlus Open’s crease is pretty much invisible compared to the Pixe Fold’s.
However, both displays on the OnePlus Open are simply far superior in quality compared to the Pixel Fold’s, which makes the practical disparity pretty big.
While both the cover and inner display of the OnePlus Open are indeed brighter than those in the Pixel Fold, the larger inner screen has this anti-reflective coating that makes it a gazillion times easier to view outdoors, or under any direct light.
Also read:
- Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs OnePlus Open: The foldable market is becoming crowded
The Pixel Fold? Well, as you can see in the video above (courtesy of Ben Sin from XDA), the Pixel Fold’s inner screen looks like a glossy toy next to the Open’s. But it also feels like a toy. It’s soft to the touch, plasticky (since it lacks the thin glass layer of the Open), and it smudges incredibly easily, which makes it look “dirty” more or less at all times. Not to mention, being a plastic screen, it’s more difficult to clean.
OnePlus Open dominates the Pixel Fold in almost every single area; boasts truly incredible camera and a great battery experience
The Pixel Fold (left) is a little too short and wide, while the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (right) is too tall. The OnePlus Open strikes the best balance when it comes to size.
The large display is the reason you buy a tablet-style foldable in the first place, which makes this category extremely important. It also means this comparison might as well end right here. But there’s more…
For example, low-light photos taken with the zoom and ultra-wide cameras on the OnePlus Open aren’t just great but some of the best I’ve ever seen. The reason for this is that the sensors in the Open’s zoom and ultra-wide cameras are the same size as the primary camera sensor in the Pixel Fold. On the other hand, the Pixel uses some of the tiniest zoom and ultra-wide sensors, while the primary camera shooter is also behind the Open’s.
How? I really don’t know. My educated guess would be through image interpolation, which combines data from the 3x zoom camera and 48MP primary camera + some upscaling.
OnePlus’ first folding phone is the biggest slap in Google’s face in a while, proving Google rushed the Pixel Fold
It's almost like OnePlus saw what Samsung and Google are doing and decided to make a foldable that sits right in the middle in terms of form-factor.
If the superior displays and cameras weren’t enough, the OnePlus Open is also far, far lighter than the Pixel Fold, which makes a huge difference in practice. Meanwhile, the battery situation is also better on the Open, which despite having the same size cell as the Fold, offers a more efficient chip, and much faster charging (with the charger included in the box).
In the end, the OnePlus Open is effectively $500 cheaper (at launch) than the Pixel Fold if we match the two for storage (512GB). Considering OnePlus also gives you a fast charger and a wonderful case in the box, the difference in value is pretty big here.
Combined with the fact that the OnePlus Open is technically and practically superior to the Pixel Fold in almost every single way, it’s safe to say that the Open is a big slap in Google’s face, and ambitions in the area of foldables.
It’s almost like OnePlus came out and said: “See, Google… This is how you challenge Samsung.”
Both the OnePlus Open and Pixel Fold are the first folding phones from the two respective companies but one (clearly) has taken the time to make something I’d actually want to use over my “normal” phone (or at least give it a proper shot). Meanwhile, the Pixel Fold seems like one of the prototypes OnePlus made but was never proud of. Especially when you look at the inner screens (which, again - the only reason you buy a foldable).
Any competition is good, especially given Samsung’s hegemony in the global foldable market, which has made the South Korean company lazier than ever. But the OnePlus Open isn’t just any phone but a statement, showing OnePlus’ determination to make the best folding phone on the market, and become a leader. And the Pixel Fold isn’t.
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