OnePlus also finally has its foldable smartphone: it’s called OnePlus Open and it was officially presented today with a global event held in India, a country in which the brand boasts a very strong presence and large market shares. It is the international version of the Oppo N3 Fold, which will only arrive in China, and it was developed in parallel with the Chinese manufacturerof which OnePlus is now a semi-autonomous division.
The Open is a foldable fold-type phablet (like the Samsung Galaxy Fold, so to speak), with an external screen that allows you to use it like a normal smartphone when it is closed and an internal one (the flexible one) that transforms it into a tablet when it is open. Unlike some similar competitive products, however, it is a flagship in all respects, which does not compromise on its technical characteristics. The intention of OnePlusthe company says, was to enclose in the shape of a folding phablet a very high-end device, which had everything you could ask for from a top of the range.
MWC 2023 Magic VS, how the first Honor foldable for Italy works (and how much it costs) from our correspondent Emanuele Capone 27 February 2023
Technical features
The ultra-premium smartphone experience starts with the external screen: it is a very bright Fluid Amoled 6.31″ and 2800 nits of peak brightness, with 120 Hz refresh rate and a screen-to-bezel ratio of 91.8%. In size and shape it offers an experience very similar to that of a traditional smartphone.
Inside there is an Amoled Flexi-Fluid with a 7.82″ diagonal: also in this case the refresh rate is 120 Hz and the peak brightness is the same. The purpose of the parity of specifications is to offer a seamless high-end experience between traditional external screen and foldable internal screen.
Despite the presence of two screens, the device is light and compact: weighs only 245 grams (in the Emerald Dusk version available in Italy) and has a thickness of only 5.8 millimeters at the frames when open and 11.7 when folded (without considering the camera riser). The closure of the internal screen is also total along all edgesthat is, there is no gap between the two parts when the smartphone is closed.
OnePlus Open is equipped with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, with 4 nanometer construction process. The RAM reaches 16 GB and in the standard configuration the internal memory is 512 GB. There is Wi-Fi 7, obviously 5G and the possibility of using two SIMs (including e-SIMs). The battery is 4805 mAh and it charges quickly: with the supplied power supply and cable, it reaches 100% in approximately 42 minutes.
Design
The design does not revolutionize the concept of foldable typebut offers an interpretation that fits in with OnePlus’ design, with elegant details such as the metallic frames and the Alert button Sliderwhich has always been a distinctive element of the brand’s phones: it had been removed on the 10T, resulting in protests from fans, and then returned on subsequent models.
The zipper, which obviously cannot be seen, is however one of the details on which OnePlus and Oppo have focused more: it’s called Flexion Hinge and it was designed to be light but extremely resistant, thanks to a so-called “single plug” design that differentiates it from competing solutions divided into multiple parts. OnePlus and Oppo say that this solution would allow better integrate the components and above all to minimize the visibility of the fold in the center of the flexible internal screen without sacrificing the solidity of the device.
Le fotocamere Hasselblad
The most noticeable exterior design detail of the OnePlus Open is the circular rear module that houses the cameras. Compared to competing foldables, it is particularly large, exactly like what you might expect to find on a traditional top-of-the-range smartphone. Here OnePlus has made no compromises in any way. There are 3 cameras: the main one features a 48 MP Sony LYTIA-T808 Pixel Stacked sensor and 24 mm equivalent focal length, with an aperture of f/1.7. Then there is a one 64MP 3X telephoto lens, equivalent to 145 mm and with f/2.6 aperture. The picture is completed by an ultra-wide angle lens with 14 mm equivalent focal length, 48 MP resolution and f/2.2 aperture.
On the main sensor and on the telephoto lens a system is also available optical stabilization of the image. It is a very respectable photographic equipment, for which OnePlus and Oppo have once again collaborated with Hasselblad. The novelty compared to other devices is the presence of a Hasselblad Portrait mode which improves portraits with a blur that (they say from OnePlus) would be reminiscent of what can be achieved with a professional camera from the Swedish brand.
Il software: Open Canvas
If hardware is important, the difference on foldables however, it is made by the software and the way in which the system exploits the additional space offered by the folding screen. With the operating system OxygenOS 13.2based on Android 13, OnePlus has introduced a new interaction mode called Open Canvas which allows you to optimize the interface to use multiple windows at the same time.
With Open Canvas it is possible display up to 3 windows on the screen at the same time, with the possibility of interaction between one app and another (for example by dragging and dropping a file or text). You can also save up to 9 workspaces, i.e. combinations of 2-3 apps that can always be reopened in the same configuration. To activate 3-application mode, just open two of them in side-by-side mode and then drag a third from the dock which is always located at the bottom of the screen. OnePlus also says that 95% of the apps available on the Play Store today it wouldn’t need any adjustments to work with Open Canvas. This is because the windows in which the apps are opened work a bit as if they were separate virtual screens, to whose size the apps can automatically adapt.
First impressions
Open Canvas is one of the functions that we immediately tested on the OnePlus Open, previewed for a few days: the system works very well, even if i necessary gestures to activate it they require some effort to be memorized.
The aspect that struck us most about the OnePlus Open at first glance, however, is the weight: 245 grams are very little for a foldable, and they make a difference. The external screen is excellent, while we suspend judgment on the internal one: we had difficulties with the protective film, which in our pre-production sample was not positioned very well. We reserve the right to review the device in more depth when we have a unit corresponding to those on the market available. On this point we will only say: be careful with the film on the flexible screen. Like on Samsung Folds, it does not need to be removed. In this case the edges are visible, however, and the impression may be that it is a simple layer of protection to be removed upon first use: this is not the case.
On the internal display, however, we can say that OnePlus and Oppo have succeeded in the feat minimize the effect of bending. You can clearly feel it when you run your finger over the central edge of the screen, but it’s almost invisible when the screen is on.
The hinge It works very well, but we still noticed one detail that we didn’t like: it difficult to maintain a partial opening of the screen. The display opens and closes smoothly, but tends to always open wide even when we just want to keep it tilted, perhaps to display an interface at the top of the screen while typing text or using other controls. For example, the camera app provides this split screen modebut use with partial opening is cumbersome because (also thanks to the weight of the photo module), the display always tends to open completely.
The most sore point of the OnePlus Open is not a hardware or software detail, but the retail price. In Italy the smartphone costs 1849 euros for the 16-512 version (however, there are launch promotions, as indicated below). Without mincing words: there are too many. The price it’s excessive, in particular if we consider that the phone arrives branded with a brand which, especially over the last few years, has not had an ecosystem evolution comparable to that of the competition nor can it boast the same recognisability.
Tech Test OnePlus 10T smartphone with 150W charging: the test by Andrea Nepori 03 August 2022
OnePlus Open, what we liked
Weight and dimensions: Oppo and OnePlus have made a good job with the hardware and the phone is light and compact.
Camera high level
The hinge it’s fluid, works well, and isn’t particularly noticeable when using the flexible screen
Excellent external screen that offers an experience comparable to that of a top of the range smartphone
The mode of interaction Open Canvas It’s a good idea and works well
OnePlus Open, what we didn’t like
The device has all the features to be an absolute top of the range, but the prezzo it’s still too high
The flexible display has some problems stay open only partially: for some use cases this is a problem
Prices and availability
OnePlus Open is available for pre-order in the 16-512 GB Emerald Dusk version until October 26th at the price of 1849 euros. For those who purchase during the pre-order period, the price includes the OnePlus Buds Pro 2 headphones. There is also a 10% discount for students. Starting from October 27th to November 30ththe full price includes the OnePlus Pro 2R headphones for free.