OnePlus Open Review: Probably the best foldable phone of 2023
OnePlus Open Intro
Nearly a decade ago, OnePlus landed on the still-fledgling smartphone market with a splash, disrupting it by offering exceptional value, offering great hardware at affordable prices.
Well, the phone market is very different these days, but OnePlus is once again aiming to disrupt it. This time around, the sights are set on the relatively new "smartphone genre" of foldable phones, which the brand-new OnePlus Open will try to unsettle.
And from the looks of it, the OnePlus Open has all the bells and whistles to deliver on that promise. With large and bright screens, top-notch hardware that doesn't skimp on any major area, and very intriguing camera systems, this foldable is bringing the big guns straight to Samsung and Google, both of which are already duking it out in the foldable phone space.
Can it triumph victorious over the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Google Pixel Fold?
Spoiler alert: yes! The OnePlus Open is not only a superb foldable phone, it's a great phone, period.
OnePlus Open
As evident above, the OnePlus Open total review score is lower than you might expect. That is not because the phone is flawed in some unexpected ways, but because we have implemented a new rating system at PhoneArena that gives readers a better idea of the performance of a phone across different categories. Remember to look at the scores and compare them to the average for the class, and we believe you will find these scores tremendously useful. Learn more about the new PhoneArena Smartphone Review Rating system here.
What’s new about the device
- First OnePlus foldable on the market
- Exceptionally light and easy to use
- Large and bright 7.8" main display
- Wide and useful 6.32" OLED display
- First foldable phone with dual LTPO 3.0 displays
- Triple camera setup: 48MP main + 48MP ultra-wde + 64MP 3X telephoto (6X in-sensor zoom, 120X max zoom)
- 4,805mAh battery that lasts a long time
- Super-quick 67W charging (charger is included in the box)
Also see:
- OnePlus Open 2: everything we know so far
Table of Contents:
OnePlus Open Unboxing
Red ones go faster
(Image credit - PhoneArena) Inside the OnePlus Open box
The OnePlus Open arrives in a large and stunning red box, which is full of goodies! Inside, you will find the following paraphernalia:
- OnePlus Open w/ pre-applied screen protectors
- SuperVOOC charging brick
- Type-A to Type-C charging/data cable
- Protective case
- SIM tray ejector
- OnePlus Red Cable Club cards
- Booklets and manuals
- Logo stickers
OnePlus Open Specs
A truly powerful foldable
Aiming to retake the crown as the king of foldable phones from the very get-go, OnePlus brings out the big guns when it comes to the OnePlus Open hardware. Yes, this is one proper flagship which doesn't under-deliver in any area and certainly pushes the boundaries when it comes to hardware.
| Specs | OnePlus Open |
|---|---|
| Size and Weight | Unfolded: 153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8mm (Emerald Dusk) | 153.4 x 143.1 x 5.9mm (Voyager Black) Folded: 153.4 x 73.3 x 11.7mm (Emerald Dusk) | 153.4 x 73.3 x 11.9mm (Voyager Black) Weight: 245gr (Emerald Dusk) | 239gr (Voyager Black) |
| Colors | Emerald Dusk, Voyager Black |
| Display | Main screen: 7.82" AMOLED, 2440x2268, LTPO 3.0 (1-120Hz), sRGB, DCI-P3 Cover screen: 6.31" AMOLED, 2484x1116, LTPO 3.0 (1-120Hz), sRGB, DCI-P3 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Adreno 740 |
| RAM, Storage and Price | 16GB LPDDR5X RAM 512GB UFS 4.0 |
| Software | OxygenOS 13.2 based on Android 13 |
| Cameras | Main: 48MP, f/1.7, Sony LYT-T808 1/1.43" sensor, 24mm equivalent, OIS, EIS, PDAF+CAF Ultra-wide: 48MP, f/2.2, Sony IMX581 1/2" sensor, 114-degree FOV, EIS, AF, Macro Telephoto: 64MP, f/2.6, OmniVision OV64B 1/.2" sensor, 3X optical zoom (70mm equivalent), 6X in-sensor crop, 120X maximum zoom, OIS, EIS, AF Internal selfie camera: 20MP, f/2.2, 1/4" sensor, fixed focus External selfie camera: 32MP, f/2.4, 1/3.14" sensor, fixed focus |
| Battery Size | 4,805mAh |
| Charging Speeds | 67W SUPERVOOC charging (charger in box) |
OnePlus Open Design & Colors
Unmistakably OnePlus!
This one here is a an unmistakable OnePlus device that successfully brings the the signature OnePlus design language to the world of foldables. The OnePlus Open is an inward-folding device like the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Google Pixel Fold,
The first time you pick up the OnePlus Open, its weight will shock you. Actually, it's the lack thereof that provides the shock. Weighing 239gr or 245gr depending on the version (see the specs table above), this OnePlus device is substantially lighter than the Pixel Fold's 283gr, but pretty much in the same ballpark as the the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which tips the scales at 253gr.
Having the foldable in my pocket doesn't feel any different than carrying my daily driver, an iPhone 13 Pro Max with a case on. The main reason for the weight savings are the build materials used––OnePlus boasts that it has used "proprietary cobalt molybdenum and titanium alloys" as well as zirconium-based elements on the Flexion hinge mechanism.
(Image credit - PhoneArena)
Speaking of the hinge, OnePlus says it has used a single-spine mechanism consisting of just 69 components, making it light but robust. Apparently, the OnePlus Open has been successfully tested for up to a million foldings and unfoldings, so you should have the peace of mind that it's more likely you'll switch phones before the hinge mechanism will give out.
The elephant in the room with all foldables––the looming threat of the display crease––is mostly non-existent on the OnePlus Open. Yes, you can make out where the display actually folds if you look at it from a certain angle, but your finger won't stumble upon a canyon when you run it across the screen. It's a night and day difference with the substantial crease on the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which has remained unaddressed by Samsung for years. And yet, the trailblazing OnePlus foldable lacks this major issue from the get-go. Nice!
(Image credit - PhoneArena) No crease, no problem
In terms of size, the OnePlus Open is a large and wide foldable. The main display spans 7.82 inches across, while the outer screen measures at 6.32 inches. Overall, the foldables is slightly wider than, say, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, so it's not as easy to use with a single hand. But, looking on the bright side, the wider outer screen means that you can use the OnePlus Open just like a regular candybar phone without having to unfold it so often as it offers so much screen real estate. That feels like a definite win to me!
The available OnePlus Open colors options are just two, but aside from the hues themselves, the build materials differ greatly. For example, the Emerald Dusk green color boasts a matte glass rear panel just like most flagships do, but the Voyager Black colorway offers a black vegan leather back panel. The latter surely adds some variety to the otherwise slim color options for the OnePlus Open, but then again, having little color choice is par for the course with foldables.
The device is rated as IPX4 splash resistant, which means that it can withstand splashes from all directions, but dunking it in water is a big no-no. OnePlus says it has applied waterproof protection to the critical hardware components inside the phone and also added two drainage holes on the hinge's spindle so that water can go out, but again, we wouldn't put the phone anywhere near liquids.
Oh, and how could we forget one of the signature OnePlus features––the alert slider! It's right here on the OnePlus Open, allowing you to quickly and easily switch between ring, vibrate, and silent modes on your foldable.
OnePlus Open Display
Bright and smooth, and most importantly––no crease!
When it comes to displays, the OnePlus Open hardly disappoints.
There's a 20:9 outer display that spans 6.31" inches across and is protected by OnePlus' Ceramic Guard and a pre-installed screen protector. The external screen it's actually very usable as it's nearly as wide as most standard candybar phones. Mundane everyday tasks are easily conducted on the outer screen, minimizing the need to unfold the phone and make use of its main display. The outer screen is super-smooth thanks to the LTPO 3.0 support on deck, allowing it to dynamically keep its refresh rate in the 10-120Hz range.
Unfold the OnePlus Open and you will be greeted by a nearly-square 7.82" AMOLED display with LTPO 3.0 support that is protected by a Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) layer, as well as a regular TPU screen protector. Unlike the outer screen, the refresh rate here drops all the way down to 1Hz, making for an even smoother experience.
(Image credit - PhoneArena) Watching HDR videos on the OnePlus Open is a delight
Both the outer and inner displays are HDR and Dolby Vision-compliant, and OnePlus actually calls them "ProXDR". Opening an HDR picture on either screen previews it in the full dynamic range, and a ProXDR button appears at the bottom, indicating that you're viewing the media in HDR mode. Tapping this button allows you to temporarily disable the HDR preview, but you will be missing out.
The main screen fares well in our display tests. It's a bit colder than what we'd like to see, clocking in well above 7000K, but you can fine-tune the display warmth if that's an issue. We measured a maximum brightness at above 1,000 nits, which is in the same ballpark as its main foldable rivals. Outdoor legibility is perfect, no issues even in direct sunlight. At the same time, the minimum brightness of less than 2 nits is good, but we've seen dimmer phones.
When it comes to biometrics, OnePlus has put its faith into the ol' reliable: a capacitive fingerprint sensor rests inside the protruding side-positioned power button. It's fast and accurate and works every time, but the power button is a bit thin, so you have to make sure you place your finger correctly every time. Thankfully, there's also a less secure face unlock on board, which allows for quicker unlocking with either the external or internal selfie cameras.
OnePlus Open Camera
Probably the best camera on a foldable
(Image credit - PhoneArena)
The OnePlus Open is outfitted with one of the most promising camera setups to grace a foldable phone so far. As usual with OnePlus flagships, this one is fine-tuned by legendary camera company Hasselblad. Let's see what the OnePlus Open camera is capable of.
The imposing rear camera island consists of a 48MP camera with a large 1/1.43" Sony LYTIA-T808 stacked sensor. This new sensor boasts an innovative pixel architecture which allows it to capture more light and deliver much better dynamics than much larger traditional camera sensors. OnePlus boasts that the main camera on the OnePlus Open is just as good as phones with 1-inch camera sensors despite being much more compact, a win if we've ever seen one.
Interestingly, the OnePlus Open is probably among the first Android phones to emulate the iPhone 15's customizable focal lengths for the main camera. You can choose between the default 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm focal lengths straight from the camera app's settings. However, tapping on the 1X button in the camera app does nothing, unlike the iPhone's implementation.
The telephoto camera on the phone is a 64MP one with native 3.0X optical zoom. However, thanks to its high resolution, this camera is also capable of delivering 6.0X lossless zoom by cropping the center of the 64MP camera sensor. The deceitfully humble telephoto camera is capable of zooming up to 120X, which is giving it some well-deserved bragging rights.
The ultra-wide camera of the OnePlus Open is fairly wide, with a 114-degree field of view, and also can focus at just 3.5cm away, making it a decent macro performer.
Main Camera - Day
In good lighting conditions, the OnePlus Open truly shines (no pun intended!). The main camera and its innovative dual-layer deliver great dynamics, though excessive highlights (like the sun) can be easily burnt out. By default, the phone takes binned photos, and if you opt to manually enable the high-res mode and use the entirety of the camera sensor to capture a 48MP photo, the details are more than excellent.
Main Camera - Low-light
When the light goes down, the OnePlus Open continues its good-dynamics streak. There is tons of information in the dark and shadowy areas on the low-light shots, while at the same time, highlights and neon lights are curtailed, appearing lively and very natural. Night mode automatically turns on when the phone detects low-light conditions; it would normally default to a 2 to 3-second long exposure shot, but the results are almost always worth it.
Zoom Quality
The 64MP telephoto camera offers 3X optical zoom, but it also offers 6X optical-grade, and up to 120X digital zoom. That's great for bragging rights, but anything past 20X is barely usable, even that much is seriously pushing it in terms of acceptable image quality. Sure, the phone automatically smooths out your long-zoomed photos, but this functionality simply can't create magical results.
Otherwise, at 3X and 6X, photos taken with the OnePlus Open are excellent. You get a ton of details, definition, and natural-looking colors that are mostly consistent with what the main camera delivers, so you can expect uniformity when switching between cameras.
Portrait Mode
Ultra-wide Camera
The ultra-wide camera is fairly wide, though we've seen wider. However, don't let that fool you that it's something to scoff about: it isn't. It is quite sharp and delivers lovely colors, as well as great dynamic range that's just awesome when you take landscape shots.
Selfies
Both the inner and outer selfie cameras take good selfies. The external one is easier to use as maneuvering the phone in its folded state is much easier in comparison with the alternative.
Video quality
When it comes to video quality, the OnePlus Open surely holds its ground. The phone can shoot up to 4K@60fps as well as capture HDR video at up to 4K@30fps. Details and dynamics are more than acceptable, and the stabilization is not half-bad either, though the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a bit smoother when it comes to eliminating accidental hand jitter.
We have rigorously tested the camera on the OnePlus Open and above you can see the results of those tests. We carefully measure the performance of all cameras in various test scenes, ranking the performance across important metrics like exposure, subject exposure, color accuracy, detail, artifacts and more. We do these tests for both photos and videos.
You can learn more about our PhoneArena Camera Score testing protocol here.
OnePlus Open Performance & Benchmarks
A very consistent powerhouse
(Image credit - PhoneArena)
When it comes to performance, OnePlus flagships have never disappointed as the company has always secured the latest Qualcomm chipsets. Thankfully, the OnePlus Open is no different. Powered by the top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the OnePlus Open is one snappy phone with loads of potential performance seemingly always in reserve, waiting for just the right occasion to unleash its might.
Our OnePlus Open performance benchmarks are consistent with what other phones equipped with the chip have achieved. However, it seems that OnePlus has nailed the thermals as the heat dissipation on board seemingly does wonders for the sustained performance of the OnePlus Open.
Real-life performance is excellent. Not only is the phone outfitted with top-tier hardware, but the seemingly lightweight interface helps it
(Image credit - PhoneArena)
In the 3DMark Extreme Stress Test, one of the more taxing synthetic benchmarks out there. Starting off high with a top score of 3634 points is great, but the achieved minimum of 2488 points indicated very little throttling and well-sustained performance after a lengthy benchmarking session.
At the same time, the internally reported temperature during the benchmarking test varied between 27 degrees Celsius at the beginning of the test and only went up to 34 degrees Celsius at the end of the run.
In terms of memory and storage, OnePlus relies on a single combination: 16GB of super-fast LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of fast UFS4.0 storage. Just like most Android phones, you can allocate a portion of your internal storage as swap file and extend the memory by 4, 8, or 12GB, which further boosts the multitasking potential of the device.
OnePlus Open Connectivity
When it comes to connectivity, OnePlus hasn't dropped the ball. All major 5G and LTE bands are supported, but the phone also comes with the newest Wi-Fi 7 connectivity standard, which delivers potential data throughput speeds of up to 46Gbps (!), a serious increase over Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E's 9.6Gbps data throughput rate.
OnePlus Open OS / Android version
Like all OnePlus phones before, the OnePlus Open comes along with OxygenOS on board. Based on Android 13, the OxygenOS 13.2 software is full of features and functionalities specifically tailored for the foldable form factor.
First and foremost, the inner display's app compatibility is more than excellent. OnePlus says that 95% of all mainstream apps will fully utilize the large inner screen, without having to accommodate weird aspect ratio adjustments or black bars.
Multi-tasking has been the focus of OxygenOS 13.2, with OnePlus introducing a so-called Open Canvas solution for multi-window handling. With Open Canvas, you can resize and stretch active displays as you see fit.
You can have up to three apps simultaneously running in split-screen: two are running side by side at all times, while a third one remains as a visual cue to the side, always a tap away. While not remotely similar, this feature somewhat reminded me of Apple's Stage Manager on the iPad and Mac, which offers a vaguely similar multitasking experience.
Open Canvas actually does a good job at providing a decent multi-tasking experience. As someone who doesn't enjoy squinting eyes to juggle between all the small windows that other foldables might grace you with during multitasking, the Open Canvas way of nailing multitasking is right up my alley and feels actually usable.
First, we have a new dock at the bottom of the screen, which houses an app dock, a few customizable shortcuts to your favorite apps, your three recent apps, as well as a "Recent" folder housing all of your latest downloads, images, documents, and other files. Not only you have quick access to these from the new Recent folder, but also share any file to an app by simple dragging. This certainly boosts the productivity potential of the phone's main screen, giving a more complete desktop-like experience.
In terms of software support, OnePlus promises four years of major Android updates, which means the device will be graced with Android 17 in 2027. Security support is a year longer and will keep the device safe from vulnerabilities until 2028. Overall, it's good to know that OnePlus has committed to such a long support window, though it's worth mentioning that Google recently promised seven years of software support for the Pixel 8 series, so the industry trend is to offer longer and longer support.
OnePlus Open Battery
Great battery life and excellent charging speeds
Moving on to the OnePlus Open battery life, this foldable surprises pleasantly. Boasting a 4,805mAh battery, which is definitely in the upper tiers when it comes to size, the new OnePlus foldable not only stands its ground against its foldable rivals, like the Google Pixel Fold and the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but also fares very well against regular candybar phones.
My anecdotal experience is that the OnePlus Open easily lasts a full day of mixed usage every day. By mixed, I mean a balanced use of both the external and internal displays. Sure, if you watch a lot of videos on the inner screen, your mileage may vary, especially if we are talking about HDR videos.
Above, you can see the exact scores the OnePlus Open got on our in-house battery tests.
OnePlus Open Charging Speeds
Fortunately for most consumers, OnePlus is one of the last holdouts that include chargers in the box. Yes, it's 2023, and no, you're not dreaming––there's a 67W SuperVOOC charging brick in the glorious OnePlus Open box, along with the now iconic red OnePlus cable.
Yes, the foldable can be topped up at 67W easily, but this is your only way of topping it up, as it doesn't come with wireless charging. Fortunately, charging the OnePlus Open fully takes just 43 minutes, making it not only the fastest-charging foldable in the US, but also ranks it high among all other phones available in the states.
OnePlus Open Audio Quality and Haptics
The OnePlus Open comes forth with a triple-speaker spatial audio setup, which shines when you listen to Dolby Atmos content, with sound hitting you from all three dimensions. Dolby Atmos is also supported through wireless earbuds as well. The OnePlus Open delivers rich sound with clear mids and highs, though base could have been more pronounced.
Haptics-wise, the OnePlus Open arrives with an X-axis vibrator motor, which provides strong and precise haptic feedback that delivers a very rewarding experience.
OnePlus Open Competitors
At this point, it's rather clear which devices will be going head to head with the OnePlus One, and those are the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Google Pixel Fold.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is mostly the same as its predecessor, which was also similar to its predecessor. This stagnation works rather well for the OnePlus Open, which looks and feels like a much more advanced phone than Samsung's latest attempt. Sure, it might have S Pen support, but isn't as advanced as the OnePlus Open.
Then we have the Google Pixel Fold, another relatively fresh foldable juggernaut. It gives you the signature Pixel camera style in a foldable form factor as well as equally usable large external screen as the OnePlus Open. However, the Pixel Fold also has a more pronounced display crease, and might get hot during more intense tasks.
One thing is certain: more competition never hurt nobody, especially the regular customer. If anything, we really do hope that the OnePlus One will disturb the existing status quo and force Google and especially Samsung to throw some extra effort into their next foldable phones.
OnePlus Open Summary and Final Verdict
There you have it, the OnePlus Open is surely a runner-up for the best foldable phone right now.
You get bright and large screens, a very customizable and lightweight, but at the same time feature-rich interface that makes the multitasking a very pleasant experience, you get very capable cameras that are great all-around performers, you get very decent performance with great thermal management, and finally, you get more than reliable battery life paired with ultra-fast charging that's in a class of its own.
Are those enough to crown the OnePlus Open as the foldable phone to beat? Yes, it feels as if OnePlus has nailed it from the get-go. What's more, it's a phone that excites with its simplicity even though it lacks a wildcard feature, like an S Pen.
With a starting price of around $1,500 after trade-in, the OnePlus Open is affordable when compared to its direct competitors, but you can probably find deals on those that will equalize the playing field. Still, the OnePlus Open is probably the best value among all foldable phones available in the US.
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