The OnePlus Open took us a bit by surprise, as this first-generation foldable landed as one of the very best foldable phones on the market, even having the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Google Pixel Fold beat in a number of ways, so hopes are high for the OnePlus Open 2.
The original model only landed in October, so we’re not expecting the next one for quite a while yet. But we can already take some educated guesses as to some of its specs.
You’ll find those below, but the bulk of this article is focused on what we want from the OnePlus Open 2. These are largely issues that we flagged in our OnePlus Open review, and they’re the things that would ensure the OnePlus Open 2 is one of the best foldable phones of 2024, just like the OnePlus Open ranks among the best of 2023.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next foldable phone from OnePlus
- When is it out? Possibly October
- How much will it cost? Likely at least $1,699 / £1,599
OnePlus Open 2: predicted release date and price
There’s no news yet on when the OnePlus Open 2 will launch, but given that new smartphone models tend to land at around the same time each year, it’s likely that the OnePlus Open 2 will be announced in or around October of 2024, since the original model landed in October of 2023.
There’s also no news on what the OnePlus Open 2 might cost. But for reference the original OnePlus Open costs $1,699 / £1,599 (around AU$2,610, but with no Australian availability). It’s unlikely the OnePlus Open 2 will cost any less than that, but it’s possible it will cost slightly more.
OnePlus Open 2: news and rumors
We haven’t heard anything about the OnePlus Open 2 yet, but we can predict some things. For example, it will almost certainly use a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, given that the current model uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
This is likely to be the most powerful chipset available to Android phones in 2024, so the OnePlus Open 2 should be no slouch when it comes to power.
It will likely also have a design that’s based on the OnePlus 12, but until that phone launches (likely in December 2023), we won’t know for sure what that design is.
OnePlus Open 2: what we want to see
To make the OnePlus Open 2 as good as possible, we hope it will offer the following things.
1. A smaller camera bump
One of our main complaints about the OnePlus Open is the size of its camera bump, as while the phone is otherwise very slim by foldable phone standards, the camera island sticks out a long way.
It’s wide too, taking up much of the back of the phone. So for the OnePlus Open 2 we’d like to see a smaller, sleeker camera design, without compromising the optics.
2. Better dust and water resistance
One thing that most foldable phones struggle with is water and dust resistance. Few offer much dust resistance, and some don’t have any real water resistance either.
Sadly, the OnePlus Open is lacking for both, with no dust resistance rating and just splash resistance when it comes to water.
Given how expensive this phone is, we’d love the reassurance of better protection, so we hope OnePlus improves this for the OnePlus Open 2.
3. A larger battery
The OnePlus Open has better battery life than most foldable phones. Yet it’s still not great, with its 4,805mAh battery struggling to consistently last a full day in our tests.
So we’d like the OnePlus Open 2 to either have a bigger battery, or simply be more efficient, so that its juice lasts longer.
4. Wireless charging
As well as lacking for battery life, the OnePlus Open also disappoints a bit when it comes to charging. Wired is fine, with a respectable 67W of power supported, but there’s no wireless charging here, which is a shame in such an expensive smartphone.
So this is an obvious feature for OnePlus to add to the OnePlus Open 2, and we hope it does so.
5. 5x optical zoom
The OnePlus Open already arguably has a better camera system than any other foldable, but it still can’t quite match the absolute best camera phones. A 5x optical zoom would help it get closer.
That would allow it to match the likes of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Pixel 8 Pro for optical zoom, and would also put it in line with what the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is rumored to offer.
6. An optional stylus
With its big foldable screen, the OnePlus Open is a prime candidate for stylus use, but OnePlus itself hasn’t made a stylus for the phone, and reports suggest it doesn’t work with most styluses from other brands – though users have had success with the Oppo Pen.
Regardless, we’d like to see OnePlus more actively support styluses with the OnePlus Open 2, and ideally launch one of its own, which is either bundled with the foldable or offered as an optional accessory.
7. More software features
One other thing our review noted is that the OnePlus Open has nowhere near as many software features as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, with one notable example being that you can’t transform it into a desktop computer, as the Z Fold 5 can with its Samsung DeX feature.
Not everyone will want these extra features, but they’re nice to have. And now that OnePlus seems to have found the perfect foldable form factor, hopefully it will focus on adding to the software experience.
