OnePlus Open Review: This Folding Phone Puts All Others On Notice

A lot has changed in the folding phone landscape over the past 6 months, especially here in the US. While the rest of the world has enjoyed a variety of flip- and book-style folding handsets for several years now, Samsung’s pretty much been the only viable option here in North America. But things started changing in June with the introduction of Moto’s $999 Razr+ and $699 Razr (2023), plus Google’s $1799 Pixel Fold.

Then, in July, Samsung refreshed its folding phone lineup with the Galaxy Z Flip5 ($999) and Z Fold5 ($1799), which – despite being fairly iterative – are still regarded as the high bar in folding handsets. Enter the OnePlus Open ($1699), a book-style folding phone co-developed with parent company Oppo and sold in China as the Find N3. It’s the first time both brands have launched the exact same handset.

On paper, the OnePlus Open beats the competition with a lower price, a thinner and lighter design, better cameras, more base RAM and storage, and faster charging. But we all know specs alone don’t make a great smartphone experience, especially for a folding phone. So, what’s this handset like day-to-day? Does OnePlus’ latest have what it takes to compete with Samsung and Google’s best? Find out more here in our full review...

Book-style folding phones are getting thinner and lighter, and while the Pixel Fold is slim (5.8mm open, 12.1mm closed), it’s quite heavy (283g). Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold5 is neither (6.1mm open, 13.4mm closed, 253g). This is where the OnePlus Open shines. It’s both thin (5.8mm open, 11.7mm closed), and light (239g). For reference, that’s almost the same weight as last year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max (240g).

For the Open, OnePlus was able to achieve this without sacrificing durability by using exotic materials like titanium, magnesium, cobalt molybdenum, and zirconium-based alloys in the hinge and frame, plus carbon fiber and Ceramic Guard glass – which is 20% more impact resistant than Gorilla Glass Victus. The end result is a sleek and sturdy folding handset with superb build quality and an IPX4 splash resistance rating.

What further differentiates the Open from the competition is the industrial design, which is simply outstanding. Not only does this smartphone look stylish and feel premium, but the outer display’s 6.3-inch size and standard 20:9 aspect ratio are familiar. So, instead of being awkwardly tall and narrow like the Galaxy Z Fold5 or oddly passport-shaped like the Pixel Fold, the Open’s form factor mimics a regular handset when closed.

In addition to the fancy metal and glass construction, the Open comes in two colors with two different accent materials – Emerald Dusk with a frosted glass back (like our review unit), and Voyager Black with a vegan leather back. But it’s the Open’s massive 2.25-inch diameter glass camera pod that really sets it apart. This bump (or imaging mesa, perhaps?) contains three Hasselblad-branded high-res shooters (48/48/64MP).

Beyond the general polish of the Open’s design, we’re also impressed with OnePlus’ attention to detail. We appreciate how the small circular flash module protrudes slightly from one corner in the back, how the outer screen and back panel are inlaid into the metal frame with perfectly symmetrical corner radii, and how the Open’s weight is evenly distributed, making it easier to hold whether it’s open or closed.

Open the phone, and you’ll find the volume rocker and power / lock key (which doubles as a capacitive fingerprint sensor) on the right side, and OnePlus’ signature alert slider on the left. The USB Type-C port (USB 3.1), nano SIM tray, primary mic, and two speakers are located along the bottom edge, while the infrared transmitter, secondary mic, and two additional speakers are mounted on top.

Before we jump into the specs, check out our unboxing video:

The OnePlus Open boasts two state-of-the-art displays. Inside, there’s a 7.8-inch 2k (2440 x 2268 pixels, 426ppi, 10-bit) folding LTPO 3.0 AMOLED panel with an almost square 1.07:1 aspect ratio and 1-120Hz dynamic refresh rate. More importantly, the crease on this screen is significantly less noticeable than the competition’s. This, combined with a special anti-glare coating, minimizes reflections in a variety of lighting conditions.

On the imaging front, the OnePlus Open packs a trio of high-tech shooters. These consist of a 48MP f/1.7 1.12-micron pixel-stacked main sensor (1/1.43-inch Sony LYT-T808) with omni- directional PDAF and OIS, a 48MP f/2.2 0.8-micron 114-degree ultrawide (1/2-inch Sony IMX581) with AF, and a 64MP f/2.6 0.7-micron 3x periscope telephoto lens (1/2-inch OmniVision OV64B) with PDAF and OIS.




On the video front, all three rear shooters capture stabilized video (with stereo audio) at up to 4k/1080p 60fps. Selfie videos max out at 4k/1080p 30fps. Video modes include ultra steady (ultrawide and main, 1080p 60fps), Dolby Vision HDR (main, 4k/1080p 30fps), movie (manual, 21:9, 4k 30fps, supports LOG), slow motion (1080p 240fps and 720p 480fps), time lapse (main and selfie 1080p 30fps), and dual view (rear plus selfie, 1080p 30fps).

So, how do these shooters perform? As you’d expect, the Open takes fantastic pictures with excellent detail, accurate exposure, and superb colors. The 48MP main, 48MP ultrawide, and 64MP telephoto cameras all bin (combine) groups of four pixels into one larger pixel to improve dynamic range and low-light performance, resulting in 12/12/16MP images (with 2.24/1.6/1.4-micron binned pixels), respectively.