OnePlus Open vs Google Pixel Fold: How would these compare?

While it may seem that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 could be concluding 2023 as far as major foldable releases go, OnePlus would like to have a word with you.

Yep, that's right, the company that's never, never, ever seemingly ready to settle is preparing to take a leap into the dynamic foldable space with its own foldable phone. Don't quote us, but rumors have it that it might carry the OnePlus Open name, which is a creative twist in a niche where just about any device has the "Fold" suffix attached to its name. 

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How would OnePlus Open fare against the Google Pixel Fold, one of the better foldables released so far in 2023, and one that you might actually use without having to always unfold? 

Let's explore how the two foldables might fare against one another!

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Although it's a bit too early to know everything there is to the upcoming OnePlus Open, we like to think that we have a pretty good understanding of what OnePlus is cooking thanks to some prolific design and specs leaks, which still leave some things to the imagination. 

The OnePlus Open will be a book-type foldable phone utilizing a very large inner display, possibly spanning 7.8 inches across, as well as a hopefully wide external screen, which would make single-handed unfolded use more natural. 

We expect the OnePlus Open to utilize a chamfered aluminum design with ever-so-slightly curved edges, as well as that unmistakable OnePlus design language that's consistent with the OnePlus 11 and the OnePlus 10. 

Meanwhile, the Pixel Fold is built like a passport, a sturdy and relatively heavy book-shaped foldable phone with a slightly different form factor than, say, the Galaxy Z Fold series. It's more rectangular in terms of shape, which makes it way easier to use in its folded state. 

Although the external 5.8-inch OLED screen might not sound like much, it's actually easier to use than other tall but narrow external displays that are only good for checking notifications.

The Pixel Fold employs a very sturdy hinge that closes with a satisfying sound, but it tips the scales at the humbling 283gr, which is heavier than your regular foldable phone. 

There's an IPX8 water-resistance rating associated with the Pixel Fold, which means that it will survive freshwater submersion up to 1.5m for as long as 30 minutes. Here's to hoping the OnePlus Open will be able to match and even surpass the Pixel Fold in terms of elemental durability.

Colors-wise, Google keeps things safe with two color options, Porcelain and Obsidian, which are white and black, respectively. Our guess about the possible OnePlus Open color variants is as good as yours, but there will most certainly be a black version, the Batman way. 

As we already mentioned, the OnePlus Open is expected to feature a 7.8-inch internal display and a yet undisclosed external screen. The inner screen will be an OLED one, of course, with a smooth refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Resolution-wise, it will be a QHD+ panel. There will likely be a display crease, the bane of foldable phones, but here's to hoping that OnePlus will be able to mitigate the crease. 

The Google Pixel Fold, on the other hand, has a large internal display that makes experiencing content truly a joy. With excellent maximum brightness and excellent color temperature, as well as that very smooth 120Hz scrolling that makes experiencing content so rewarding. 

There are some issues, though––the internal display is exceptionally reflective, hurting its outdoors legibility. Additionally, the display is very frail, so anything sharper than a fingernail might permanently scar it. 

While we don't know for certain what type of biometrics the OnePlus Open will use, chances are that the company will use a fingerprint scanner embedded in the power key, which is the case with most of its rivals, like the Pixel Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Those work fast and reliably, so we can't really complain here.

Ever since Google released its first custom chipset in late 2021, it has sort of shied away from raw performance and put the emphasis on machine learning and artificial intelligence. The Pixel Fold comes with the second generation of the Tensor G2. Yes, the Pixel 7a and the Pixel Fold technically share the same internals, and there's more than a thousand-dollar price difference between the two.

Our Pixel Fold review found that tends to overheat not even during intensive gaming session but also during mundane everyday tasks, which doesn't exactly instill confidence in us. That said, demanding games definitely put a serious strain on the Pixel Fold, so it isn't exactly cut out with gamers in mind. 

At the same time, the OnePlus Open is expected to come with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip on deck, though we shouldn't rule out the possibility of the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 to make an appearance. This one could be identical to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip, which has been exclusive to Galaxy phones 

As the latest and undoubtedly greatest chip available to Android devices, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is an efficient powerhouse that not only fares extremely well performance-wise but also keeps the efficiency up there on the priority list. 

The Pixel Fold comes along with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM as well as either 256 or 512GB of UFS3.1 storage, which is consistent with other premium devices in this class. We generally expect the upcoming OnePlus Open to have the same storage and RAM versions. 

The Pixel Fold should get Android 14 very soon, while the OnePlus Open's software depends on when it gets released: should the phone arrive in the coming month or so, we'd expect Android 13 with a subsequent update to Android 14 soon-ish. On the other hand, a later release would probably allow the OnePlus Open to come with Android 14 from the onset. Surely, OxygenOS should be running on top of the Android 14 foundation. 

Rumors have it that the OnePlus Open will arrive with a triple camera, consisting of a 48MP wide and a 48MP ultra-wide, as well as a 64MP telephoto camera. A pretty high-megapixel setup that sadly lacks more elaborate specs at this time. One thing is for certain though––OnePlus partner and photography company Hasselblad will be responsible for fine-tuning the camera experience.

In the meantime, the Google Pixel Fold employs a triple-camera setup consisting of a 48MP main camera with a smaller camera sensor than the Pixel 7 Pro, joined by a 10.8MP 5X telephoto and another 10.8MP ultra-wide camera.

Generally speaking, the Pixel Fold successfully captures that unmistakable "Pixel" look, with great dynamic range, lots of details, as well as decent white balance. Low-light photography suffers in some situations, but nothing too drastic. What lacks here is the joyous vividness that's often associated with smartphone photos, but that's not a bad thing at all. In fact, the gloomy and realistic Pixel look is easy to like, especially if you're more 

The Pixel Fold comes along with a 4,821mAh battery, which is larger than your average foldable phone, and delivers decent battery endurance. Google cites 24 hours of regular usage and up to three days in low power mode, and our custom battery tests generally confirm that. Check out our complete Pixel Fold review for the full scope on the phone's battery endurance.

We expect the OnePlus Open to feature at least a 4,800mAh battery inside, which would likely net the same battery life as the Pixel Fold.  

In terms of charging, we have 21W charging support, which isn't terribly fast. The OnePlus Open will most likely follow the years of super-fast charging that OnePlus is known for and employ a much faster wired charging solution. Hopefully, we'd see 67W fast charging or possibly more on the OnePlus Open. 

Although the OnePlus Open is not official just yet, we already have a dedicated OnePlus Open vs Google Pixel Fold specs comparison page. For your comfort, we've summarized the most essential specs down below.

Overall, the OnePlus Open has all the makings to bring some serious competition to both the Google Pixel Fold and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, both of which are definitely among the best foldable phones right now. From all present rumors and leaks so far, we could expect the OnePlus Open to be an intriguing arrival to the foldable market, and provided that it's priced right, it could be a niche best-seller, of sorts.