Samsung has been leading the way in recent years with huge tablet-style devices that snap in half to make them easier to pop in your pocket. There's no question they are impressive but they aren't exactly cheap. A new Galaxy Z Fold 5, for example, will set you back a wallet-busting £1,749. Ouch!
Luckily, there's now a new way to own a foldable without facing quite such a terrifying credit card bill.
Chinese smartphone firm, OnePlus is renowned for shaking up the market and it appears it's trying to do that again with the arrival of its new Open phone.
This device features a huge 7.8-inch screen which then folds in half thanks to a fully flexible 120Hz display.
For those times when you don't need a tablet, there's also a 6.3-inch cover screen which does everything you'd expect from a standard Android phone. That means you can send emails, play games and browse the web without flipping things open.
Along with those impressive dual screens, owners also get a triple-lens rear Hasselblad-branded camera which offers a 6X lossless zoom, stunning night photography and high-quality portrait images thanks to a main 64MP sensor.
Other features on the OnePlus Open include a speedy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and super-fast refilling that takes this device from flat to full in just 42 minutes - OnePlus is even supplying its 67W SUPERVOOC charger in the box which is the second thing Samsing won't beat.
Despite all the moving parts, the phone is IPX4 rated for water splashes but you won’t want to drop it in the bath. OnePlus is also promising four years of Android updates and five years of security updates, so the OnePlus Open will be kept fresh till 2028. OnePlus says it has tested the phone to fold and unfold one million times, which is more than 100 folds every day for more than 10 years.
Now we come onto that all-important price. OnePlus has confirmed that its Open phone will hit UK stores and cost £1,599 - that's £150 cheaper than the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
It will be available in an Emerald Dusk colour via oneplus.com in the UK.
“The word ‘Open’ not only represents a new folding form factor, but also our openness to explore new possibilities allowed by bleeding-edge tech-solutions on the market. OnePlus Open provides unparalleled hardware, innovative software features and services built around the new form factor, continuing to live up to OnePlus’s Never Settle belief.” said Kinder Liu, President and COO of OnePlus.
“With the launch of OnePlus Open, we are thrilled to be bringing an uncompromising flagship foldable experience to users worldwide. The OnePlus Open will be a true flagship that is set to revolutionize the foldable market.”