It ’s never easy to recommend afoldable phone , specially when you look at the eminent request price and the reports of hardware exit that keep eliciting prospicient mail service on Reddit . My personal experience also drives this indisposition , even though I ’ve been using foldable headphone consistently for half a decade now .
betimes in 2023 , the flexible joint on my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 gave up . The phone would no longer open amply . A few days after the trouble first manifest , I comment a glue - alike cloth oozing from the hinge col .
I do n’t call back it ever strike a nasty drop or even go forth my protective case since the frame-up day . Of course , I was disillusioned , and as our investigating by and by uncovered , there is no deficit of Samsung foldable enthusiasts finger a similar stingin their pocketbook .
Soon after the bad experience , I switched to aOnePlus open up — and it made me a turn up telephone believer once again .
Standing out strong, literally
My Digital Trends co-worker , Tushar Mehta , wrote a deep dive on theOnePlus Open Apex Edition ’s blueprint philosophy , and I commend that you mark that out for a primer . In real life sentence , this phone will arrest your attention , all thanks to that red vegan leather that extend a spectacular demarcation to the metallic luster on the frame and flexible joint .
The foldaway sound trend in the industry is saturated with brands using all kind of steel and aluminum , with some claiming military - tier lastingness . OnePlus follow in Apple ’s footsteps , but took some metallurgic liberties of its own .
Where Apple used a Ti metal shape touch with aluminium and atomic number 23 , OnePlus take a unlike exotic route . The troupe has used atomic number 22 alloy and cobalt Mo alloy as the chief framework material . The caller claims the former is lighter and sturdier compared to the various strains of stainless steel found on most other smartphones .
OnePlus paid exceptional attention to the phone ’s most slight constituent — the flexible joint assemblage . The cobalt molybdenum alloy , for object lesson , is brag to be four clip unattackable than surgical - level untarnished steel and far stronger than what rival foldable phones can claim .
The hinge spine plate , on the other hand , is made of a liquid metal derivative of amorphous atomic number 40 alloy . In addition to cutting fabric speciality , it is said to offer high scratch and wear resistance . In a nutshell , the OnePlus Open is one of the most bewitchingly alluring phones out there , foldable or otherwise .
I could make an exception forthe pink Pixel 9 , but only to honor my confrere , Christine Romero - Chan , who alsodrove the Pro model in the same shade . The in - hand look is fitly fantastic on the Apex Edition . OnePlus nailed what one would call the “ normal ” look and find of a even telephone . ThePixel Foldwas just too wide , while Samsung ’s Galaxy Fold still show off its tall aspect ratio anomaly .
A sigh of relief
On a personal annotation , however , the reality has been more pleasing than simple brand rhetoric . The OnePlus Open has taken more prominence than I can remember . Nearly half a dozen time , the phone has even get a overnice slap or kick as I tried to catch it after it slipped from the table , a pouch , or my grip .
There are scars across the phone ’s human body , retelling my clumsy ways . But more importantly , they service as a live - in retelling of just how resilient the phone is .
snap rearward casing , upset television camera lens back , and the common aftermath , a shattered screen . The situation has improve over the years , but those are mostly reserved for flagship phone treat with the in style from Corning or AGC Dragontrail .
The position quo of foldables is still tightly lodged in the “ grip with care ” grade . And no , there is no safety valve route from the expensive repair price . OnePlus will charge up a cool $ 510 to fix egress with the inner foldable venire , while Samsung will postulate $ 549 to fix its previous Galaxy Z Fold 6 . Repairs are expensive , but thankfully , the OnePlus Open has held up remarkably well .
A good phone no matter how you use it
The OnePlus Open is a very good headphone , regardless of whether you keep your natural action limited to the “ normal ” cover screen or make the most of its tablet - like inner folding projection screen . As a journalist , nearly half my task fee-tail reading reports and paper .
Of course , follow television is also a part of daily utilization , but I am not particularly fond of pillarboxing , so there ’s that . Binge - reading manga and comics ? The OnePlus Open is perfect for it .
Another ground that the OnePlus Open has me hooked is the unmixed joy of bring emulated game . Regardless of your gustatory perception in amateur digital substance , the OLED screens ( inside and outside ) will serve you just fine . Hello , Dolby Vision supporting !
In fact , the Open Canvas system for running multiple apps side by side is still the better implementation of rent - covert multitasking on a phone . Or a pad . My fellow worker , Tushar , discovered his own niche utilitarian joyusing the hands - gratuitous mood on the OnePlus Open .
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 powering the phone is still a mighty CPU that can handle anything you would expect from a top - tier up flagship telephone set . The phone ’s treble - genus Lens camera regalia is also quite brawny , and the results are right enough that I ’ve never had second thoughts about picking it over the “ Pro ” iPhones .
orgy - reading manga and comic ? The OnePlus Open is perfect for it .
There are many straight features to act with , but my favorite is theHasselblad wizardry , which you could access in XPAN mode . It endeavor to replicate pictures in the 24x65 millimeter format , a signature trait of the 1998 Hasselblad XPAN camera .
The black - and - white panoramic shots capture in the XPAN mode are wholly worth the effort , and they throw in some casual artistic psyche into any physical body . Of course , not having to worry about the storage distance running out on the Apex Edition is just the cherry red on top .
What’s so special about the security?
The OnePlus Open continue the brand ’s unshakable inroads into a tighter security experience for smartphone user . With OxygenOS 14 on the OnePlus Open , the company fortify security measuring rod such as chip - floor encoding , which is bundled together with another security system amount within the gadget Security Engine 3.0 package .
Earlier this year , OnePlus became the first Android smartphone maker to conjoin the App Defense Alliance ( ADA ) . The brainchild of Google , Meta , and Microsoft direct to protect Android phones from the bane of malware through mobile applications and other emerging threats . At the moment , ADAoperates under the Linux Foundation .
The OnePlus Apex Edition , specifically , carries that momentum further , thanks to a special high muckamuck mode that extend enhanced surety and privacy . broadly speaking , it execute a brace of things . First , it incapacitate mic and tv camera access across the system . secondly , it restrict ad - trailing by using hardware - level encryption .
The enhanced security measures issue forth to life story good manners of a consecrated security bit and a shielded NFC chip , both of which have been certify by Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation , which provide an industry standard for computing security measure .
This may not mean anything to some citizenry , but for anyone who take their smartphone security measure in earnest , it ’s a really squeamish touch — and yet another feather in the OnePlus Open ’s cap .
A few not-so-nice things
Either $ 1,700 ( or $ 1,900 for the Apex Edition ) is no small sum , and certainly not for a phone . For any sane mind hoping to give OnePlus that kind of dough , they better commit to using it for at least a few years . This earphone has equal ironware to stay competent , but for how long incisively ?
Unfortunately , OnePlus only anticipate upgrades through Android 17 for the OnePlus Open . For reference , Android 15is now in the public domain . Consumer sentiments suggest that users seek prospicient update cycles on their phones . Market research firm Counterpointsaysconsumers are now holding on to their earpiece for long .
For comparison , the Pixel 9 series will get oxygen for seven generations . Even the midrange OnePlus Nord 4 will eclipse the OnePlus Open in software update . For OnePlus ’ flagship foldable , and one that cost so much , longer software program supporting would have been great to see .
enduringness is next in credit line , which is even more pronounced in the slip of foldable . The OnePlus foldable only offers IPX4 - tier ingress protection , while Samsung ’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 guarantee IP48 - level dust and urine shielding . I ’ve used the OnePlus Open for a while now , and it has n’t occupy me with any sort of computer hardware factors , but stroke befall .
Then there is the deletion of yet another crucial convenience — wireless charging . Now , I would take fast wired charging any day over wireless charging support . The OnePlus Open certainly score an ace on that front , allowing 67 - James Watt wired charging . In the retail loge , you get an 80W charging brick , which is a convenient surprise .
But I must let in , the convenience of wireless charging has mess up me , and there ’s some practical rationale behind that , too . I only have accession to so many ports on my work desk or the coffee shops I frequent . Plus , with each passing year , we are locomote around with more add-on that need charging .
I have 3 - in-1 wireless charger in various shapes and size , but ultimately , they avail me reduce the cable’s length clutter and work the port paucity problem . Almost every week , I have found myself placing the OnePlus Open on a wireless charging pad , only to realize that it was a futile movement .
The OnePlus Open is the real deal
Overall , the OnePlus Open has attempt to be the most rewarding phone I ’ve used in a while . It ’s also the telephone that has been my daily machine driver for the longest spell in my career . The Apex Edition just go on to the best execution , a real flex of form and functionality .
Once again , it is n’t incisively cheap , and neither is the standard version . But if you ’ve ever wondered how well a folding phone holds up in the long outpouring , this is the one - year inspection to avail guide your purchase decisiveness .
The OnePlus Open has prove to be the most rewarding phone I ’ve used in a while .
So , here are the primal takeaways . The OnePlus Open is a wonderful foldable phone . If you ’ve been on the fence regarding the enduringness aspect , this one pull round a near - reckless in - hand journey .
I ca n’t say the same about many phones out there , and certainly not about foldable devices . I am not trusted if the upcoming replacement will be as good as the OnePlus Open , but if you are eyeball a Christmas treat for yourself , this one wo n’t let down you .
