Chinese tech giant Oppo and sub-brand OnePlus have launched a new foldable phone, with the Oppo branded model (named the “Find N3”) releasing in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and other regions, while the OnePlus version (named “Open”) is launching in the U.S. and India, and parts of Europe.
I’ve been testing the Oppo Find N3/OnePlus Open (going forward I will just call it the OnePlus Open because that is the model I reviewed), and it is the best foldable phone on the market right now.
Using the book-like foldable design first pioneered by Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series, the Open’s screens are brighter, and the folding panel without a noticeable crease.
The camera system, too, uses newer and larger image sensors, including a 48-megapixel main camera that uses Sony’s brand new LYTIA sensor which uses new “pixel stacking” technology. The combination of this new tech plus the larger image sensor means the Open’s main camera can take in a lot of light. The below images were all snapped by the Open, without the need of night mode.
The images are very impressive for a foldable, with virtually no noise, vivid colors, and excellent dynamic range. More impressively, I don’t think this camera is even the star of the show. Instead, the Open packs a 64-megapixel Periscope zoom lens that can produce better zoom photos than the iPhone 15 Pro Max or Google Pixel 8 Pro (both phones advertised a new and improved zoom lens).
Foldable phones used to have inferior cameras compared to regular slab phones because the foldable nature means there isn’t as much space to house a flagship camera system. The OnePlus Open/Oppo Find N3 has worked around that, putting camera sensors that are newer, bigger and better than what’s in the best Apple and Google phones.
Elsewhere, the Open’s hinge is very well built, supposedly having been tested a million times. I take these marketing numbers with a big grain of salt. Instead, I want to share an anecdote: I dropped the Open while cycling last week, and the phone tumbled and hit a Los Angeles cement floor and bounced twice. Surprisingly, the hinge, screen and front were without a scratch, with all the damage sustained by the right aluminum frame. The phone still operates perfectly fine. You can see the drop below (my 360 camera caught it on video)
Overall, the OnePlus Open ticks every box a foldable phone needs to, and the fact it is selling in the U.S. is a big deal, because it is the first Chinese foldable to enter stateside, and to go after industry leader Samsung.
I think the Open is a better foldable than Samsung’s Fold 5 in most areas, but whether the Open can convince American consumers it’s worth trying over Samsung is another story. There are obstacles, such as the Open being able for purchase only via OnePlus’s store or on Amazon and Best Buy. There are no U.S. carriers that are carrying the phone.
But the OnePlus Open is cheaper than the Fold 5, at $1,600 with a generous trade-in offer that drops the price to at least $1,400. It’s a better phone at a lower price.
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