The OnePlus Open fixes the issues that have plagued foldables since their exception, making it one of the best foldables you can buy. While it has shortcomings, it’s an excellent choice for your next foldable.
We identified the best features of the OnePlus Open that set it apart from its competition. If you’re unfamiliar with the OnePlus phones, explore what OxygenOS is capable of. This operating system has changed a lot since its introduction on the first OnePlus phones, so catch up if you haven’t used a OnePlus phone in a while.
1 Open Canvas allows fluid multitasking
Open Canvas is a multitasking feature that lets you view and interact with up to three apps simultaneously. While all Android foldables offer some variant of split-screen app multitasking, the OnePlus Open does it best.
What sets Open Canvas apart from the competition is that non-active apps are rendered as virtual screens to the left or right of the main app. This makes switching between active apps a matter of a single tap. You can expand one app to take up 90% of the screen while retaining the easy switching of the 50% view. It’s simple, streamlined, and a game-changer if you multitask regularly on your phone.
Our review of the OnePlus Open explored this feature in depth. You can see a short clip below.
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2 The all-day battery charges in less than an hour
The OnePlus Open offers eight-plus hours of screen-on time thanks to its 4,805mAh battery. This is the best battery life on any foldable we’ve seen. It’s more than capable of lasting all day and more.
Paired with this is the 67W charging speed. The OnePlus Open can charge from 0 to 100% in about 40 minutes. Thanks to the long-lasting battery, you’ll rarely be in a situation where the OnePlus Open runs out of charge at an inopportune moment.
3 The camera is fantastic and takes reliable photos
The Pixel Fold takes the crown for best photography on a foldable. This is primarily due to Google’s impressive post-processing. However, the OnePlus Open’s cameras are exceptional in their own right.
The OnePlus Open’s camera’s strength lies in that it does just enough post-processing to make your subjects look how they were when you photographed them. While this has disadvantages (HDR is a particular failure), the OnePlus Open easily beats most other cameras on the market when taking shots on the selfie or outer camera.
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4 You don’t lose out when using the outer screen
When folded, the OnePlus Open is almost identical in size to the OnePlus 12, the company’s non-foldable flagship. This might not sound like an impressive feature. Still, it means that when folded, the phone is almost indistinguishable from a regular smartphone, something other foldable manufacturers struggle to replicate.
The Google Pixel Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 use unusual form factors in their design. This means that you’ll use one screen more than the other, defeating the point of the foldable. The OnePlus Open’s “regular” form factor means you’ll be as satisfied using the outer screen as the inner screen.
5 The complex hinge keeps the phone durable and flexible
Durability issues have been a problem with foldables since their inception. The OnePlus Open is the most durable of the bunch. It’s rated to survive up to a million test folds, four times as much as its rivals. This is thanks to the complex hinge design, which has additional advantages over making the OnePlus Open durable.
The OnePlus Open’s inner display’s crease is almost invisible, and the phone can lie completely flat when opened with only the barest amount of pressure. The reduced number of parts means the phone weighs barely more than a regular Android flagship. It’s hard to distinguish the OnePlus Open from a standard-form Android phone at first glance.
6 The persistent taskbar keeps relevant apps permanently accessible
Using a foldable Android phone sometimes feels like you’re stuck halfway between a phone and a tablet. While the OnePlus Open doesn’t have the screen real estate of tablets, it has a few tablet-like features that assist with navigation, notably the persistent taskbar.
The OnePlus Open’s persistent taskbar holds up to four applications of your choice, up to three recently used apps, the app drawer, and a recent files folder. This means you can access your favorite apps from any screen from any app in any situation. You can customize the taskbar to disappear in certain situations.
7 The alert slider and power button keep common actions at your fingertips
The alert slider on the OnePlus Open might feel unnecessary, but it’s a convenient and quick way to switch between silent, vibrate, and ring modes. The power button doubles as a fingerprint sensor (the OnePlus Open also supports face unlock), so you can perform a surprising number of actions from the side of the phone.
The OnePlus Open brings excitement to the foldables market
The OnePlus Open set a new standard for foldables with its brilliant swathe of features. However, this comes at a price. If you’re hesitant about spending nearly $2,000 on an Android phone, consider whether you should be paying for a flagship phone when budget options provide similar experiences at a fraction of the price.
