Folding OnePlus: everything you need to know right now

OnePlus has confirmed it’s working on a foldable device that will launch this year, but what can you expect?

Although the company has confirmed its existence and teased that it will be an uncompromising foldable model, there are still many questions about the OnePlus foldable model. Will it be a book-shaped fold like the Honor Magic Vs, or will you opt for the clamshell fold like the Motorola Razr? How much is it? And when exactly will it come out?

Here we break down all the latest news and rumors about the upcoming OnePlus foldable, from release date rumors to pricing speculation as well as the latest leaks.

When will the foldable OnePlus be released?

We know the OnePlus foldable will debut in 2023 because the company’s president and COO Kinder Liu confirmed it at MWC 2023. According to Liu, the foldable tablet should be released “in the coming months,” though there’s no specific date. – or even a month – was mentioned. However, he teased that “the first foldable phone will have OnePlus’ signature speed and smoothness.”

However, the previous teaser may shed more light on OnePlus’ foldable smartphone plans.

During the OnePlus 11 global launch back in February 2023, the company teased that “something phenomenal” was on the way, with graphics showing off what looks like a foldable silhouette with “Coming out in the third quarter” graphics. It lasts from July to September.

Interestingly, OnePlus has confirmed that the OnePlus 11 will be the only flagship this year, leading some to speculate that the foldable OnePlus could replace the regular T series in August.

However Android Central Source claims that OnePlus will release two foldable devices in 2023, with a high-end foldable device dubbed the Fold “preparing to launch” with a second foldable device supposedly debuting towards the end of 2023. It should be taken with the usual pinch of salt, of course, but it’s certainly interesting.

How much will the foldable OnePlus cost?

At this stage, it’s still too early to tell how much the OnePlus foldable smartphone will cost. It’s probably safe to assume that it will undercut the competition with foldable flagships like the OnePlus 11 does, although no one knows by how much. It will most likely be a premium product that will cost more than the £799 flagship.

Rumor has it that the foldable OnePlus will be heavily based on the Oppo Find N series, which makes sense given that Chinese giant BBK owns both Oppo and OnePlus, and the two brands have become increasingly similar over the past few years. You only have to look at the OnePlus 10 Pro and Oppo Find X5 Pro to see what we mean.

This leads us to believe that it will be based on either the book-style Oppo Find N2 or the clamshell-style Oppo Find N2 Flip.

Considering the Oppo Find N2 Flip sells for an enticing £849 in the UK and the Oppo Find N2 costs more in China at £7.99 (around £930), it’s possible that the foldable OnePlus will cost a similar amount when it will be released.

Will OnePlus release a foldable clamshell or book?

While OnePlus has confirmed that a foldable model is coming soon, it hasn’t said if it will fold book-style like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or clamshell like the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Interestingly, OnePlus has registered trademarks for both form factors in China – OnePlus V Fold and OnePlus V Flip – suggesting that the company may be considering both options.

This also aligns with comments from an Android Central source who claims two foldable models will arrive in 2023.

However, the fact that Oppo has released the Oppo Find N2 Flip in the UK and most of Europe tells us that OnePlus will likely opt for something similar to the book-style Find N2, which has not yet been released outside USA. China.

This is especially true if the design is really closely related to the Oppo Find N2 line – OnePlus wouldn’t want to release a near-duplicate of another phone available in that market, would it?

Of course, it’s entirely possible that Oppo’s foldable devices aren’t so heavily based on the Oppo Find N line, in which case they may indeed be releasing both book-style and clamshell-style foldable devices.

Latest foldable OnePlus rumors

Most of what we know about the OnePlus foldable device came from OnePlus itself during its presentation at MWC. OnePlus President and COO Kinder Liu teased that the foldable smartphone “will have OnePlus’ signature fast and smooth performance.”

He also made it clear that it would be a no-compromise folding model. “This should be a flagship phone that doesn’t settle down due to its foldable shape, in terms of industrial design, mechanical technology and other aspects. We want to release a device that should be the best in today’s foldable device market.”

Apart from OnePlus official confirmation and trademark registration in China, there is no What much remains to be done at this stage. Kudos to OnePlus for keeping this under wraps, I guess!

However, there are a few small details floating around the internet that are starting to paint the picture of the OnePlus foldable phone.

Shape Factor

The only real leak we have right now comes from a Chinese whistleblower Digital Chat Station who Weibo tease key information about the upcoming foldable. Via Google Translate:

“OnePlus’ new foldable screen is set to Q3, and I seem to have received some information about the engineering machine, which is a 2K large screen foldable screen.”

If true, it seems that OnePlus may indeed opt for a book-style foldable model like the Oppo Find N2. However, the mention of 2K resolution seems to suggest that the two foldables might be slightly different, as the Oppo Find N2 has a slightly lower 1792 x 1920 resolution display.

Only time will tell how different the foldable OnePlus will be from the Oppo Find N2 lineup, but we’ll be sure to update this article as more information becomes available.