The OnePlus Open is a foldable phone without compromise

OnePlus has entered the foldable smartphone market with its new OnePlus Open. The company’s first foldable smartphone comes with many impressive features and specifications and – unlike many of its competitors’ foldable smartphones – promises uncompromising performance in a sleek foldable form factor.

In many ways, the OnePlus Open follows the example of the OnePlus 11 smartphone that launched earlier this year, but OnePlus insists that the Open represents an evolution of existing technology, a promise that is perhaps most evident in the device’s camera specs.

OnePlus Open features a new 48MP pixel-stacked camera from Sony

At the heart of the  is a new 48-megapixel Sony LYTIA-T808 “pixel stacked” image sensor. The Open is the first foldable smartphone to include the LYT-T808, one of a series of “revolutionary” new image sensors from Sony. This is also the first time the sensor has ever been seen in a OnePlus device.

The 1/1.43-inch sensor has a pixel size of 1.12μm and, as mentioned, features “pixel stacked” technology. This topic will be covered in more detail in a follow-up interview with OnePlus, but essentially it is a “dual-layer transistor pixel” design that allows the image sensor to detect and store light more efficiently while reducing the sensor’s footprint.

At a pre-release event, OnePlus said the new LYT-T808 sensor offers twice the light gathering power and twice the full-well capacity compared to the Sony IMX890 sensor in the OnePlus 11 device, while reducing the height of the sensor module. The reduced height is crucial to the design and impressive size of the foldable phone – more on that shortly.

The 48-megapixel LYTIA-T808 sensor is paired with a 24mm equivalent f/1.7 lens with optical image stabilization.

Inside the large, circular rear camera array are two more cameras. The Open’s ultra-wide camera is also 48 megapixels, although the image sensor is a smaller 1/2-inch sensor. The ultra-wide camera has a 14mm f/2.2 equivalent lens and offers a 114-degree field of view.

The smartphone also has a 64-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, 6x sensor zoom (digital) and up to 120x “Ultra Res” zoom. The sensor is the same size as the ultra-wide camera, but with more megapixels. The 70mm f/2.6 lens has optical image stabilization and a clever design that combines the lens motor and lens barrel into a single module, reducing the size by 0.4mm, which may not sound like much, but it’s a 12% size reduction. Every fraction of a millimeter counts.

While the telephoto camera sensor isn’t as large as the Open’s wide-angle camera sensor, it’s the largest ever on a foldable smartphone.

As always with smartphone cameras, good software is needed to get the most out of the hardware. With the OnePlus Open, as with other OnePlus devices, Hasselblad’s influence goes beyond the lenses and plays a prominent role in the camera and imaging software.

The OnePlus Open includes a new and improved Hasselblad Portrait mode that promises improved low-light performance and realistic bokeh and flare effects that simulate the Hasselblad XCD 30, 65 and 90V lenses.

Extremely thin, foldable design

Although it is beneficial for traditional smartphone designs to make a camera module thinner, as with the LYT-T808 main camera and 3x telephoto camera, it is essential for a foldable device. Every inch of space is absolutely precious.

The OnePlus Open weighs just 239 grams, one gram less than the iPhone 14 Pro Max and 18 grams more than the newer titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max. Compared to other foldable smartphones, the Open is about 40 g lighter than the Google Pixel Fold and Samsung Galaxy Fold.

The Open is 11.7 millimeters thick, which is 3.4 mm thicker than an iPhone 15 Pro Max when folded. However, the Open is 0.4 mm thinner than the Google Pixel Fold and 4 mm thinner than the relatively thick Samsung Galaxy Fold. When unfolded, the Open is only 5.8 mm thick, which is extremely thin.

Undercutting the size and weight of competitors’ foldable devices required significant engineering efforts, including a one-piece folding architecture as opposed to the three-piece structure used on “most” foldable smartphones. This move reduced the number of components required for the device’s hinge by more than 30, contributing to the weight savings.

The smartphone is made of a proprietary cobalt-molybdenum and titanium alloy that is lighter and more durable than the stainless steel used in many other foldable phones.

The Open also includes OnePlus’s alert slider, which has been redesigned from the ground up to fit inside the phone’s foldable body. The size of the slider has been increased, but the internal components have been made smaller, saving about 42% more space inside the phone.

Individually, these modifications may not save much space or weight, but together they result in a thinner and lighter foldable smartphone than those from Google and Samsung.

Numerous displays

When folded, the OnePlus Open looks like a normal smartphone. Its cover display has a diagonal of 6.31 inches and an aspect ratio of 20:9. The screen has a peak brightness of 2,800 nits and a refresh rate of 120 Hz.

When opened, the smartphone has a 7.82-inch main display with a screen-to-body ratio of 89.6%. The AMOLED panel has a refresh rate of 120 Hz, a peak brightness of 2,800 nits and supports HDR content. The device supports Dolby Vision, so videos look spectacular on the device.

By the way, the OnePlus Open also supports Dolby Atmos audio and features a triple spatial speaker array that has never been seen before on a smartphone, foldable or not.

Performance

The OnePlus Open uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform, which is manufactured in a 4nm process. The device has 16GB of RAM. These features are the same as the OnePlus 11.

Interestingly, while the OnePlus Open does not have fast charging with a 67W power adapter, it does not have wireless charging, a somewhat puzzling omission.

The Open supports Wi-Fi 7 and dual 5G cellular connectivity standards.

The smartphone also runs on the brand new OxygenOS 13.2. The Android-based operating system includes Open Canvas, a feature that has been built from the ground up to ensure that users can take full advantage of the Open’s large main display. The device offers split-screen functionality, multi-window support, and a desktop-like taskbar to provide access to specific apps.

The OnePlus Open sets a new course for OnePlus

“The word ‘Open’ not only represents a new foldable form factor, but also our openness to explore new possibilities enabled by cutting-edge technology solutions in the market. The OnePlus Open offers unprecedented hardware, innovative software features and services based on the new form factor and continues to live up to OnePlus’ ‘Never Settle’ motto,” said Kinder Liu, President and COO of OnePlus. “With the launch of the OnePlus Open, we are excited to offer users worldwide an uncompromising foldable flagship experience. The OnePlus Open is a true flagship that will revolutionize the foldable market.”

More image examples

Prices and availability

Like other foldable smartphones, the OnePlus Open isn’t cheap. The OnePlus Open is available for pre-order starting today for $1,700 USD ($2,300 CAD) in Voyager Black and Emerald Dusk. The device has 512GB of internal storage and comes with a case.

Through OnePlus.com, customers can trade in any phone in any condition and receive at least $200 off their purchase. Depending on the device traded in, even higher discounts of up to $1,000 may be available. This promotion is not limited to the introductory period, but is valid as long as OnePlus sells the Open. OnePlus.com is also offering additional introductory promotions, including free earbuds, free YouTube Premium, and more. For full details, visit OnePlus’ website.