Should you buy the OnePlus Open now, or wait for the OnePlus Open 2?

OnePlus saw immense success with its very first device a decade ago, and while it may have been the company’s first foldable smartphone, it quickly received a lot of praise from reviewers. The OnePlus Open was, and still is, praised for its great software experience, decent camera, fast charging, and excellent set of displays. It offers a lot for the money, but also makes a few sacrifices that still make us recommend other devices, such as the Google Pixel Fold or the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.

However, given that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is just around the corner, at the time of writing, we asked ourselves whether the OnePlus Open is still worth buying today, or whether you should hold out and wait a little longer for the OnePlus Open 2.

OnePlus got its hardware right the first time

But it’s not perfect

The OnePlus Open got a lot of things right, especially with the hardware. The crease was visible at extreme angles, but it was mostly unnoticeable unless you purposely looked for it. The hinge mechanism held up well, and it felt sturdy and made to last. The only downside was the hinge couldn’t stay open past the 120-degree angle, which is something we want to see with the next generation.

The first-generation OnePlus Open had a 6.3-inch cover and 7.8-inch main displays. The picture quality on both was excellent, thanks to their LTPO3 Super Fluid panels. The main display had an AMOLED panel, while the cover screen benefited from the OLED panel. The two screens had identical 2800 nits of peak brightness levels and a 120Hz refresh rate, making them ideal for gaming and all general tasks.

The few areas where OnePlus wasn’t quite as competitive are ingress protection and wireless charging. The latter’s omission raised a few eyebrows, as both Google and Samsung managed to include it for their devices. And despite the Open’s IPX4 splash-resistant certificate, it was a bit disappointing that, on paper at least, it wouldn’t survive the same level of submersion as the IPX8-rated Galaxy Z Fold 5 or Pixel Fold.

In contrast, however, OnePlus did offer a much faster 67W wired charging solution that could completely top up the foldable in under 45 minutes.

OnePlus didn’t settle with the core features

Great software experiences on both displays

I’ve always praised Samsung for its excellent software and multitasking features on the Galaxy Z Fold series, which were well-defined and included all the essentials. On the other hand, OnePlus had less experience in this segment, and it was fair to assume the company wouldn’t have the same refined experience as the already established brands and their devices.

But as it turns out, that initial thought was wrong. OnePlus’ parent company, Oppo, already had several years of experience with this. With the release of the OnePlus Open, the company marked its journey as one of the best software experiences for foldables, receiving praise left and right for its excellent multitasking capabilities and built-in features.

We had a deep dive into the software experience on the Open, which demonstrated some of its unique features, including the intuitive multitasking experience. In short, the split screen worked as you would expect, and users were able to use three apps simultaneously by sliding over opened apps as if it was a carousel.

It takes some getting used to it, but the option to have three apps open side-by-side could be a game-changer for some.

As for the rest of the software, it’s OxygenOS with the usual OnePlus spin, featuring the OnePlus Pad’s dock, and a few additional features that are made specifically to improve the foldable experience in apps, and in the system.

The OnePlus Open 2 could face fierce competition from Samsung and Google

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Pixel Fold 2 are said to focus on hardware refinements, packing more approachable screen sizes and more

It’s fair to say the foldable smartphone market is hotter than even a year ago, and Samsung is seeing fierce competition from the likes of OnePlus, Google, and Huawei. We expect to see an even more exciting competition between the companies going forward — it’ll be interesting to see how each of these new devices unfold (pun intended) and what new capabilities and advancements they bring alongside AI.

OnePlus will certainly have a tough job competing, though, especially as Google is expected to completely revamp its strategy for the Pixel Fold 2, going for a more “traditional” foldable form-factor that’s similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the OnePlus Open. It’ll no longer focus on the horizontal experience, while Samsung is expected to make the cover screen wider and the phone slimmer.

The bottom line is the OnePlus Open remains an excellent flagship phone, with its fantastic hardware and a superb software experience. Special deals can help you save hundreds of dollars on it, and the hardware is rumored to remain up-to-date and more than capable for a few more years.

However, if you’re looking for even more AI-enhanced features, an even better camera experience, faster performance, and, hopefully, features like wireless charging, then it might be a good idea to hold out a bit longer. We don’t have much information about OnePlus’ upcoming Open 2 foldable just yet, but it’s expected to feature several improvements across the hardware and software.

The original OnePlus Open was announced on October 19, 2023. If that’s any indication, its successor could arrive sometime in the fall, potentially at the same time as the upcoming Google Pixel Fold 2.