OnePlus Foldable release date, price and spec rumors
There are rumors that OnePlus may enter the world of foldable phones this year. Reports say the company may already have two devices in development, likely based on the Find N series of foldable devices that have already been released by OnePlus parent company Oppo.
Here’s everything we know about the as yet unnamed and as yet unofficial OnePlus foldable phones.
When will the OnePlus foldable phone be released?
OnePlus has yet to confirm that it will release any foldable device, so there is no indication of when or if it will arrive.
Tipster Max Jambore teased that the launch would take place this year in a slightly cryptic visual leak for the announcement:
We also have reason to believe that the first foldable devices will arrive soon because the company has registered trademarks for them in China: OnePlus V Fold and OnePlus V Flip. Obviously, this suggests that the two phones will have different form factors and that they should already be in development. Mukul Sharma, journalist who first noticed trademarkseven reports that, according to his source, the phones have begun internal testing.
How much will the OnePlus foldable phone cost?
As with the release date, we don’t have exact details on how much you’ll need to spend to buy a foldable phone from OnePlus. What we do know is that many rumors suggest that OnePlus foldable devices will be heavily based on the Oppo Find N series, presumably the latest Find N2 and Find N2 Flip, so we can use their prices as a guideline.
Here’s how much the Oppo Find N costs in China, where it’s currently on sale:
If the rumors are true, then the price of the OnePlus foldable device could be very similar to those listed above.
What specs and features will we see in OnePlus foldable phones?
Indian tech site PriceBaba was where the strongest rumors about the foldable OnePlus originated. In April 2022, the company published an article stating that the new foldable smartphone would be “a copy of the Oppo Find N”. This was done in collaboration with tech reporter Yogesh Brar, who regularly posts for sites like 91Mobiles that specialize in new device leaks.
This is not as unusual as it might seem because OnePlus is one of the subsidiaries of BBK Electronics, which also owns Oppo, Realme and Vivo. We have also seen in the recent past that the two brands in question now share R&D and design teams.
However, the Find N has been around for over a year now, so it’s likely that any new OnePlus foldable will be more closely based on the subsequent Find N2, or its clamshell brother Find N2 Flip.
Pete Lau, Chief Product Officer of OnePlus and Oppo (and co-founder of OnePlus), shared on Twitter a teaser of what appears to be a foldable phone hinge, confirming that work is still ongoing on additional foldable devices. This could just be a nod to the second generation Oppo Find N, but it’s entirely possible that this is our first look at OnePlus’ foldable phone component.
Perhaps BBK is considering developing different brands in certain markets. OnePlus has performed well in the US, UK and European markets, so it may be a strategy that OnePlus launches essentially the same device as Oppo but for the West, while Oppo will focus on Asian markets where name recognition is stronger.
Since the Vivo X Fold was unveiled in April 2022, it would be reasonable to assume that the remaining BBK companies, OnePlus and Realme, will enter the fray pretty soon, which will be much easier thanks to the technology exchange between their brands. As such, it seems most likely that the foldable OnePlus will eventually be based on either the Oppo Find N or its follow-up product.
This is a more compact form factor compared to the Samsung Galaxy Fold 4, which was also released last year.
In the meantime, you can check out our guides to the best new phones coming in 2023, as well as the best phone deals, to see if you can get a good deal.
