Rumours are circulating that suggest OnePlus will be the next brand to get into the foldable smartphone game. OnePlus is a part of the BBK family, and sister companies Vivo and Oppo have both released foldable devices, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see OnePlus doing the same.
There’s been some speculation as to whether OnePlus’s devices will be heavily based on Oppo’s Find N2 and Find N2 Flip. As we approach a potential event date, here’s what we’ve learned so far.
When will the OnePlus foldables be released?
- August 29 2023
OnePlus has not officially acknowledged the existence of any foldable phones at this point, but a teaser was shown after the brand’s Cloud 11 launch event, which showed what looks to be a foldable device coming in Q3 2023. Reports from Smartprix and Max Jambor indicate that the event will take place on August 29 2023.
Later intelligence coming from Yogesh Brar, on behalf of PriceBaba, claims that OnePlus will be holding a launch event for the phones in New York sometime in August. In addition, Brar says the foldable phones will launch globally with a focus on the United States and India.
What will the OnePlus foldables actually be called?
Every pre-release phone needs a working name and Mukul Sharma reported early on that the company had trademarked the names OnePlus V Fold and V Flip in China. We’ve more or less used OnePlus V Fold/Flip and OnePlus Fold/Flip interchangeably since then.
However, in July, Max Jambor tweeted that the company was going to go with the rather unique moniker “OnePlus Open.” He also linked to EU trademark filings for “Open” as well as “Wing,” “Prime,” “Peak,” and “Edge.” All of these filings were made on the same day – 27 April – giving some credence to the notion that OnePlus was considering these names for its new foldable.
The “Open” name also has the distinct benefit of featuring the initials of OnePlus as its first two letters. That said, it’s far from a sure thing until showtime.
What specs and features will they have?
- Bigger and better than the Oppo Find N2 phones
Older rumours about the OnePlus foldable originated from PriceBaba, which reported that the device would be identical to the Oppo Find N, back in April of 2022.
However, in the time since, Oppo has launched the Find N2 and Find N2 Flip, so it’s far more likely that OnePlus’ foldable devices would be based on those instead – especially given the trademarked names of V Fold and V Flip. As we mentioned up top, Oppo and OnePlus both fall under the BBK umbrella, and it’s not uncommon to find hardware and software similarities between the various brand’s offerings. It’s very possible that BBK could use the OnePlus brand to launch the Oppo Find N2 outside of China, as OnePlus has better brand recognition, at least in Europe and the US.
The Find N2 Flip, on the other hand, launched globally in March 2023. Having two identical phones with different brand names would be a little confusing to consumers, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Pocket-lint
Rumors and leaks seem to be aligned on the big specifications for the OnePlus Fold and they seem to signal an updated approach from the one taken with the Oppo Find N2 – namely in that it will have newer components and a larger overall footprint.
There’s a 6.3-inch AMOLED cover display with a refresh rate of 120Hz, a 7.8-inch 2K AMOLED folding display that also refreshes at 120Hz, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 16GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a 4,800mAh battery with support for 67W wireless charging and 100W wired charging – both of which presumably falling under Oppo’s SuperVOOC branding.
Branding from another company, Hasselblad, will grace the main camera set. It’s been said to feature a 48MP general-purpose shooter, a 48MP ultra-wide, and a 64MP telephoto with an undetermined zoom factor. 32MP selfie cameras will also be placed on each of the displays.
The device will feature a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and OnePlus’s signature alert slider. The device will run OxygenOS 13.1 on top of Android 13 out of the box.
How much do we expect them to cost?
- Could be priced similarly to the Oppo Find N2 devices
It’s far too early for us to gather any concrete information on pricing, but we can look at the Oppo Find N2 phones as a guide: in China, the Find N2 retailed at launch for 7999 CNY (~$1185) and the Find N2 Flip cost 5999 CNY (~$890). The international version of the Find N2 Flip costs £849 / ~$1000, but the Find N2 is still only available in China.
With a larger phone and newer parts, all we can say is that you should expect to pay a premium whether you choose the OnePlus Flip or OnePlus Fold.
OnePlus V Fold and V Flip rumours: The story so far
Here is everything we have heard so far about the upcoming OnePlus foldable phones. We will drop any new stories in here as they appear.
July 4 2023: The OnePlus Open will launch on August 29, according to leaks
Max Jambor, who just recently broke the news of the OnePlus Open naming, now claims the device will launch at a OnePlus event on August 29 2023.
July 7 2023: A new name?
Max Jambor brings up a batch of EUIPO trademark listings from OnePlus suggesting that it was considering naming a foldable device “Prime,” “Wing,” “Peak,” or “Edge.” Jambor is putting his bet on “OnePlus Open.”
June 28 2023: More spec confirmation
MySmartPrice publishes even more intel from OnLeaks about the OnePlus Fold’s hardware specs including points about the cameras and software.
June 20 2023: The OnePlus Fold might have just leaked in a big way
Longtime leaks blogger OnLeaks distributes renders revealing the OnePlus Fold in sharp detail.
June 6 2023: Leaks point to when and where the V Fold will launch
PriceBaba relays information from Indian leaks blogger Yogesh Brar about the launch event timeframe for the OnePlus foldables as well as product availability in the United States and India.
February 8 2023: Did OnePlus just tease its first foldable phone?
During its launch event, OnePlus showed what looks to be a teaser for its first folding phone.
January 30 2023: OnePlus next to embrace foldable phones, possibly V Fold and V Flip
OnePlus is reportedly working on its own foldable phone range, according to an industry tipster, for release this year.
August 15 2022: OnePlus boss teases manufacturer’s first foldable
OnePlus co-founder and CEO, Pete Lau, has released a couple of images that hint to the manufacturer’s first foldable phone.
April 11 2022: OnePlus’ first foldable could be rebadged Oppo Find N
OnePlus is rumoured to be working on a foldable smartphone, said to be identical to the Oppo Find N.