OnePlus Open Review: Sleek Hardware Isn’t Enough to Take on Samsung

7.0

OnePlus Open

Like

• 
  Good battery life
• 
  Excellent {hardware}
• 
  Fast wired charging

Don’t like

• 
  Cameras are simply OK
• 
  Software not optimized for bigger show
• 
  No wi-fi charging

OnePlus constructed its model on the thought of “by no means settling” for compromises out of your telephone. Its first foldable, the $1,700 OnePlus Open, actually delivers on that premise with spectacular {hardware} (even with a couple of weird omissions). But its software program and worth, notably within the US, make it a tough promote in comparison with established foldables like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5. 

After testing the telephone for a couple of weeks, I commend OnePlus for a robust first effort, notably relating to the {hardware}. But even with OnePlus’ aggressive trade-in supply that knocks a minimal of $200 off the Open’s value with a trade-in of any telephone (even an outdated or damaged one), it is onerous to compete with service reductions that lower $800 or extra off of rival gadgets with a trade-in and financing plan. That’s a stable deal, particularly contemplating Samsung’s software program is much extra optimized for foldable shows. 

Those contemplating the Open needs to be inspired to see OnePlus including some much-needed competitors to the US foldable enviornment. But in addition they could need to look elsewhere or watch for the second-generation mannequin earlier than spending a lot cash. 

Note: Oppo, OnePlus’ sister firm, could launch an identical model of this telephone internationally beneath its Find N-series line of foldables. This evaluate is of the OnePlus model that will probably be obtainable within the US.

What’s good: The {hardware}

Design-wise, the OnePlus Open is extra of a hybrid between Google’s Pixel Fold and the Z Fold 5. The 6.31-inch entrance display is not as huge because the Pixel’s 5.8-inch show, however it’s considerably extra comfy to carry and use than Samsung’s 6.2-inch display on the Z Fold 5. 

There’s a 7.82-inch show on the within, which is barely bigger than Google and Samsung’s 7.6-inch choices. Both the entrance and inside screens are vibrant OLED panels able to 2K decision, they usually every assist variable refresh charges as much as 120Hz. The bigger tablet-size show is able to going all the best way right down to 1Hz, which might enable for smoother scrolling and gaming, or extra environment friendly battery life (the entrance show can go right down to 10Hz). 

What impressed me essentially the most in regards to the {hardware} is how skinny OnePlus has made the Open, and the way the corporate appears to have virtually fully minimized the bigger show’s crease. 

The telephone is thinner than each Samsung’s and Google’s foldables. While I can nonetheless really feel the crease and might see it at sure angles, I typically did not discover it whereas shopping round Chrome, messaging in WhatsApp or navigating with Google Maps through the day or watching YouTube or Loki on Disney Plus at night time.

I did discover that some movies appeared much less sharp on the OnePlus’ show than watching on different gadgets like an iPhone 14 Pro Max, although turning on some further video settings (like “video colour increase” and “vivid HDR video mode”) did assist. 

The Dolby Atmos-capable audio system are fantastic and clear, although I do want they received a bit louder. And regardless of being thinner than its rivals (my emerald nightfall inexperienced model measures 11.7mm thick when folded and weighs 245 grams, a voyager black variant measures 11.9mm and weighs 239g), OnePlus staples just like the alert slider stay, and there’s a fingerprint sensor built-in within the sleep/wake button on the proper facet of the system. 

The OnePlus Open closes fully with none wedges, a feat that took 5 iterations for Samsung to perform. 

Opening up the Open is simple and easy. The hinge does not require the identical quantity of drive I’ve had to make use of on different foldables, just like the Pixel Fold or Z Fold 5. I’ve solely had the telephone for a couple of weeks and clearly cannot predict how this may final over months or years, however my early impressions are encouraging.

If your telephone does have points, OnePlus says you may want to succeed in out to them instantly versus utilizing any particular restore retailers within the US. 

The firm tells CNET that along with its regular guarantee, “we are going to usher in insurance coverage providers like OnePlus Care and can introduce a brand new service of exchanging a tool as a substitute of repairing the unique.” OnePlus provides that the brand new service will run $99 and that “if clients want any repairment beneath the usual guarantee coverage, OnePlus will exchange it to a brand new or refurbished system.”

OnePlus will even offer a “60% low cost on this value when shopping for a tool at launch on Oct. 26.”

Benchmarks, battery and fascinating {hardware} selections

Like the Z Fold 5, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor runs the present, although OnePlus ups the RAM to 16GB in comparison with Samsung’s 12GB on the Z Fold 5 (there is just one storage possibility for the Open, 512GB). Performance is zippy, with apps opening shortly. 

The telephone helps 5G on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile’s respective networks, and I had no points when popping an AT&T or T-Mobile SIM card into the system. No US service will probably be promoting the Open instantly, nevertheless, although OnePlus will probably be promoting the telephone unlocked from its web site in addition to Amazon and Best Buy. 

For benchmark followers, right here is the way it stacks up in our assessments: 

Finally, OnePlus made a couple of fascinating selections on the {hardware} facet. First, there’s the battery. 

The 4,805-mAh cell offered spectacular battery life and recurrently lasted all through the day even when watching loads of movies, snapping photographs and WhatsApp-ing. I usually relied on the bigger inside display for many of those duties. 

In a little bit of a break from the norm, OnePlus features a 67-watt charger within the field (albeit one that’s USB-A to USB-C). That wired charging took me from empty to 25% in beneath 8 minutes, round 43% after quarter-hour, and as much as 50% in round 18 minutes. A 30-minute cost received me from empty to 76% and attending to 100% took lower than 44 minutes.

Running CNET’s 45-minute endurance check — the place I streamed YouTube TV, browsed TikTok, performed a couple of races of Asphalt 9, did a WhatsApp video name, and browsed the online utilizing the bigger inside show and whereas linked to Wi-Fi — the Open fell from 100% to round 88%. This is on par with an identical check on the Z Fold 5, however worse than the Pixel Fold, which solely had a 5% drop in battery. 

Lower percentages are higher.

Now the odd components. OnePlus doesn’t assist wi-fi charging on the Open, which is shocking given how commonplace that function is on fashionable smartphones, notably contemplating this telephone prices effectively over $1,000. The Open’s lack of wi-fi charging appears like we’re again to the 2019 OnePlus days. 

With an IPX4 score, the Open can be much less sturdy than Samsung’s Z Fold 5 relating to water, nevertheless it nonetheless can deal with splashes. Samsung’s foldable is IPX8-rated, which suggests it could actually deal with a drop in water (although as neither foldable is appropriate for mud, you should not rush to take them to the seaside). 

While OnePlus did not give the Open wi-fi charging or extra superior water and dirt safety, it did throw in a single different odd function: An IR blaster for utilizing your telephone as a distant management. OnePlus features a helpful IR Remote app on the telephone that enables for simple setup of gadgets starting from cable bins and TVs to electrical heaters and air purifiers. 

I attempted it out on a couple of totally different TVs and it labored surprisingly effectively, even when IR blasters really feel like a 2013 function, not a 2023 one.

Cameras: What you’d anticipate from OnePlus 

The OnePlus Open has 5 cameras, together with a 32-megapixel fixed-focus predominant digicam on the entrance display and a 20-megapixel fixed-focus digicam on the within display. The predominant rear digicam system as soon as once more bears the Hasselblad title and consists of a 48-megapixel predominant sensor, a 64-megapixel telephoto lens and a 48-megapixel ultrawide digicam. The firm claims the telephoto digicam can obtain a 6x zoom (doing an in-sensor zoom on a 3x optical telephoto lens) and a 120x digital zoom, whereas the ultrawide can shoot at 0.6x. 

Shots from all three rear cameras are, effectively, fantastic. With the proper lighting, you may get some stable photos. But nearer inspection reveals an expertise that appears to be on a par with what my colleague Andrew Lanxon discovered when he reviewed the OnePlus 11 earlier this 12 months. When in comparison with Samsung’s foldable, I personally most popular the better element and sharpness in photographs taken with the Z Fold 5, even when Samsung nonetheless oversaturates colours. 

I did just like the 6x zoom, and it took some surprisingly stable pictures. The 120x digital zoom, nevertheless, jogged my memory of Samsung’s 100x “area zoom” when it was first launched again on the Galaxy S20, each when it comes to the standard of photos it produced and the unbelievable difficulties it takes to seek out your shot, regular your fingers and seize it. 

It’s a cool quantity to tout on the Open’s advertising and marketing, however one thing I think about will largely be pointless to everybody utilizing the system in on a regular basis conditions. 

There additionally was an odd incidence when zooming in turned your entire Open display purple, however that challenge solely occurred as soon as and corrected itself. 

It can be value noting that OnePlus issued a software program replace earlier this week that promised to “optimize the overexposure in sure scenes” and “improve the readability of tele night time scenes.” 

As for the opposite cameras, video calls over WhatsApp on Wi-Fi regarded fantastic when utilizing each the interior digicam and the one on the entrance display. However, I did recognize the additional gentle the bigger unfolded show gives when utilizing the interior display. Unlike Samsung’s Fold line, the Open’s digicam shouldn’t be hidden beneath pixels on the display. While the Open’s display is not as futuristic-looking when the digicam is not in use, this design does present a bit extra digicam readability and sharpness. 

Like different foldables, OnePlus means that you can use the extra highly effective rear cameras along with the outer display for selfies. While it’s kind of extra cumbersome to carry, it’s a good contact and an excellent use of the extra succesful lenses. 

Software: Lacking foldable polish

OnePlus has lengthy provided a close-to-clean Android expertise, and with its OxygenOS it largely continues that pattern. The telephone ships with OnePlus’ OxygenOS 13.2 software program, which itself is constructed upon Android 13. OnePlus guarantees 4 years of main Android OS upgrades and 5 years of safety updates.

The firm says that Android 14 will arrive “round” the top of the 12 months. 

As has been the case with its different gadgets, the Open has a handful of OnePlus apps like “Zen Space” (for disconnecting out of your telephone) and “O Relax” for unwinding, however neither is especially noteworthy. They aren’t particularly helpful, and I discovered myself ignoring them.

There can be an apparently named “Clone Phone” app for transferring information from an older system to the Open (or from the Open to a more moderen system). 

My greatest challenge with the Open is its multitasking software program. I’ve made loads of comparisons to Samsung already on this evaluate, and for good purpose. Right now, Samsung has set the bar for foldables within the US. The Galaxy Z Fold is already 5 generations outdated, and that exhibits in its considerably extra refined software program. 

Both gadgets enable for multitasking full with taskbars for simply summoning new apps. But Samsung’s implementation made it simpler to get a number of apps working side-by-side, although I did like OnePlus’ two-finger slide-down gesture from the highest of the display for shortly enabling multitasking. 

But when working Google Sheets alongside WhatsApp, I’ve much more flexibility to resize home windows on the Z Fold 5 than I do with the Open. OnePlus usually will deal with these apps like home windows and push them to the facet simply exterior of view, versus resizing them as split-screen apps in order that each apps can run directly on the display. 

I might additionally open a 3rd app far more simply on the Z Fold 5 than I might on the Open. Running Chrome alongside WhatsApp and Sheets and resizing them as I deemed match was simple on the Z Fold 5. On the Open, I actually solely might do two at a time with the third obtainable in a window beneath. 

With effort and time, I anticipate OnePlus to enhance on this space. I’d additionally prefer to see OnePlus supply its personal tackle Samsung’s PC-like DeX mode, which turns the highly effective Open right into a extra full-fledged laptop when plugged right into a monitor. 

Is the Open value it? 

There is actually lots to like about OnePlus’ first foldable. Although its cameras go away room for progress, its {hardware} is stellar with a skinny design, vibrant screens and quick wired charging. I really like that OnePlus features a quick charger and a case within the field, too. 

The software program exhibits promise, regardless that it wants extra refinement to actually reap the benefits of the bigger foldable show. Perhaps a few of this may come as Google improves the foldable Android expertise as an entire. But it’s best to by no means purchase a product with the hope that an organization may repair one thing later – even when OnePlus is promising 4 years of main OS upgrades. 

At the top of the day, the Open’s greatest challenge is one which has plagued OnePlus for years: worth. It’s onerous to justify spending $1,700 for the Open when you think about trade-in gives and service offers that knock tons of off a Galaxy Z Fold 5 or Pixel Fold. Throw in Samsung’s common gross sales and its folding various is not solely extra refined on the software program entrance, however very probably is extra inexpensive, too. 

If you might be on the lookout for a foldable this vacation season, think about the OnePlus Open. But you in all probability will probably be higher off shopping for Samsung’s mannequin as a substitute. 

How we check telephones

Every telephone examined by CNET’s critiques crew was really utilized in the actual world. We check a telephone’s options, play video games and take photographs. We study the show to see if it is vivid, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and construct to see how it’s to carry and whether or not it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s efficiency to the extremes utilizing each standardized benchmark instruments like GeekBench and 3DMark, together with our personal anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution movies and taking part in graphically intense video games at excessive refresh charges.

All the cameras are examined in quite a lot of circumstances from vivid daylight to darkish indoor scenes. We check out particular options like night time mode and portrait mode and examine our findings in opposition to equally priced competing telephones. We additionally take a look at the battery life through the use of the telephone day by day in addition to working a collection of battery drain assessments.

We take into consideration further options that may be helpful, like assist for 5G, satellite tv for pc connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus assist, quick charging speeds and foldable shows, amongst others. And we stability all this in opposition to the worth to provide the verdict on whether or not that telephone, no matter value it’s, really represents good worth.