My favorite foldable of 2024 might just be my favorite foldable of 2023

It hasn’t even been a month since Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but the competition is coming swift. Google is prepping for the official launch of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold next week, which seems destined to bring about some tough competition. Not to be left out, OnePlus has returned with something unexpected: a remixed edition of last year’s truly excellent OnePlus Open. I’ve spent the past couple of days trying one out, and I have to say, nearly one year later, I’m still absolutely in love with this foldable.

Last year’s hardware with a shiny new coat of paint

New look, same great taste

Let’s start with what’s new. The most apparent change is this striking new Crimson Shadow color, and while that might sound like an easy way to avoid calling a red phone “red,” I actually think it’s an apt description. The renders don’t do it justice — this phone is closer to burgundy than it might appear in photos, and while that might disappoint anyone hoping for a cherry-tinted foldable, I think it looks absolutely fantastic. The same goes for its matching dark gray frame.

Other design changes include a new orange-tinted alert slider — more on that in a moment — and a move up to a full terabyte of storage. There’s something that feels absolutely freeing about using a mobile device that contains as much storage as my daily driver laptop. I’ve started downloading endless playlists on Spotify just because I can. Considering the absolute lack of SD card slots in the flagship market these days, it’s a feeling you don’t experience too often anymore.

Otherwise, this is practically the same phone I adored last year. The Open won AP’s favorite foldable of 2023 — nine months removed from that decision, I stand by it more than ever — and nearly beat out the Pixel 8 Pro in voting for our overall phone of the year. And while its handful of shortcomings are still here, nearly all stemming from OxygenOS, its strengths remain the same.

The OnePlus foldable experience continues to feel class-leading

Both in its hardware and its software

In fact, I’d argue this new version of the Open — which absolutely feels like a move by OnePlus to help fend off new devices from Google and Samsung — might remain my favorite foldable of 2024, despite its older specs. At 11.7mm thick, the Open still beats out the 12.1mm Galaxy Z Fold 6, all while tying it at a perfectly respectable 239 grams. And, in fact, if the leaked weight for the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is correct, this device will still be lighter than Google’s upcoming device, despite being a generation behind.

Meanwhile, OxygenOS continues to power my favorite foldable experience, largely thanks to Open Canvas. Being able to toggle between apps on the left, right, and even bottom of the display makes that 7.82-inch panel feel that much larger. While I totally understand why some users prefer the grid design that Samsung employs in One UI, I’ve found that the more expansive layouts are absolutely worth having to move some content off-screen. Meanwhile, while Google has improved split-screen multitasking on the Pixel Fold, it remains in a distant third when it comes to true productivity.

OnePlus says I’m a VIP, but I’m not sure that’s true

This security-focused change comes with a real downside

If I have one complaint about this re-released Open, it all comes back to the alert slider. OnePlus has included a new “VIP Mode” as an exclusive to this device, and it takes up one of the three spaces that slider can be set to. It’s paired with a new security chip that carries CC EAL5+ certification, and no, if you’re opening a new tab to Google “EAL5+” right now, you aren’t alone. Don’t worry about it too much — unless you’re running for public office, I can’t imagine caring about some international standard of security testing.

VIP Mode isn’t a renamed DND mode; it disables the camera and microphone and restricts app tracking. It even comes complete with a fancy splash screen and tweaked always-on display, to ensure you’re always aware of this mode being enabled. This leaves the other two modes as silent and ring, with vibrate getting shifted over to the quick settings menu. (As a brief aside, OnePlus is shipping this phone without the option for vibrate mode or, even more bizarrely, Wi-Fi listed by default in quick settings — you have to add them manually. I absolutely do not understand why, nor do I remember this being a problem on the original Open.)

I’ll be honest, I don’t love this change — VIP Mode feels like something that doesn’t make much sense to be on a consumer-level device. If OnePlus kept this variant of the Open exclusive to B2B channels, where you might find C-suite executives considering the phone, I’d understand it. But as it stands, it’s an odd addition on an otherwise-excellent re-release.

The foldable I already loved feels better than ever

But is that enough to get you to Open your wallet?

This limited edition OnePlus Open is available starting today for $1,900, a $100 markup compared to the original model, though you can score it for $300 less with coupon code 1TBFORLIFE. While I know some readers might object to dropping well over a grand on year-old hardware, if you’ve had your eye on this device for the past few months, this is a great entry point. In fact, if this is indeed serving as a placeholder before a true Open successor launches in the coming months, I’d say this cements a well-earned place in the Android hall of fame.