If you were thinking of that book-style foldable smartphone, then 2024 is the year. At last, this has been the year when the market went much beyond the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and the OnePlus Open, making a lot more options available for buyers. Vivo made a serious debut with its X Fold 3 Pro, while Google’s first foldable for India, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, shall be here soon.
Compared to 2023, most of the sales of are driven by Samsung, the choices are highly diversified this time. Not wanting to be left behind in the excitement is OnePlus, which contributes to the list via its new Open Apex Edition. While this version looks very much like the original OnePlus Open model last year, subtle changes could make this variant worth picking up.
A fresh color variant accompanied by subtle enhancements
I did love the retro-camera-like Voyager Black variant of the OnePlus Open, although the new Crimson Shadow finish does look quite appealing. The frame of the Crimson Shadow colorway is treated to a mirror-like chrome finish, while that of the Voyager Black colorway is matte-finished. It sports a finish much like the Emerald Dusk variant.
The Apex Edition also gets a familiar vegan leather rear panel, much like what you saw on the Voyager Black variant, but this one looks rather premium in its crimson red finish and has a shiny OnePlus logo embedded into it right in the center. The circular camera module now has a crimson-red insert around it, which is a nice touch.
The Alert Slider has been redesigned like what’s on the Oppo Find X7 Ultra I used recently. And for good reason – it is a rebadged Oppo Find N3, which was launched in this very same red colourway though it was branded as the ‘Oppo Find N3 Collector’s Edition’ in China. Now, like the Find X7 Ultra’s Alert Slider, it comes with a three-stage function, an orange accent, and a diamond pattern for better grip and easier operation.
Important Mode
This refreshed Alert Slider brings with itself a new VIP mode, which is a first for any OnePlus device. It is similar to how it works in the Oppo Find X7 Ultra, and, when activated, is supposed to cut off permissions to the mics and cameras at a hardware level, leading to complete privacy for those who need it. Other functions and features of the phone work as usual when it is on VIP mode, but no app gets access to the camera or the mic when in this particular mode.
On VIP mode, the phone’s dialer app will prompt you to exit VIP mode or grant permission to the mic to this app. The native camera app cannot function either and will directly tell you to turn off VIP mode.
More storage than your average Open
Unlike the regular OnePlus Open, which is offered with 16GB RAM and a maximum of 512GB of internal storage, the Apex Edition gets users 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage that could come in handy in case you are someone who does extensive Dolby Vision video recording in 4K. More storage brings this offering at par with Samsung’s Galaxy Fold models which do offer a 1TB storage model but are capped at 12GB RAM.
A sturdy new case.
The new case design is a significant improvement over the previous two versions. The earlier models were a bit flimsy and didn’t fit securely, especially after being flexed, like when taking them off. This new case uses higher-quality plastics that feel premium, and it includes a dust protector for the USB port at the bottom. The back panel now features a soft-touch, leather-like finish, which feels much more comfortable and refined compared to the older design.
What hasn’t changed?
The processor remains the same as the regular variants. While the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 isn’t bad by any means, the newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, as offered by Vivo’s X Fold 3 Pro and even Samsung’s just-launched Galaxy Z Fold 6, is faster.
Camera performance remains the same, though based on what I’ve seen in everyday use so far, that appears to match the Voyager Black variant of the Open I reviewed late last year.
The IP ratings remain much the same. The IPX4 water resistance rating was passable for foldable phones in 2023, but for 2024, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 ups the ante to an IP48 rating for both dust and water protection. On the Vivo side, however, the X Fold 3 Pro hits IPX8 for industry-leading water resistance.
OxygenOS 14, based on Android 14, runs smoothly, and its Open Canvas multitasking takes it to the next level because it can have a person running three apps at a time side by side. The phone also comes with two AI features: Smart Cutout and AI Eraser, that were launched for regular devices earlier this year. These features do not live up to expectations—it really lags behind the AI of Google’s Pixel and Samsung’s Galaxy phones.
The OnePlus Open started high, pegging what should be expected of books part foldable, but since its launch, the competition seems to have closed the gap rather fast on all fronts, most notably in AI functionality, and with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, a lot more features are due for release, as Apple steps up its AI smarts with iOS 18, due this September.