OnePlus Open Apex Edition hands-on: Easily the best-looking foldable phone I've seen

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ZDNET's key takeaways

The OnePlus Open Apex Edition, with its Crimson Red, is priced at $1,899, but you can pick one up for as low as $1,499.It packs a new dedicated security chip, 1TB of storage, and a charming red faux leather colorway.It's not cheap, but it still undercuts the competition for the configuration that you're getting.

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The OnePlus Open is the best value foldable phone in 2024, even though it launched late last year. That's because it undercuts the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, while offering an arguably better design and double the storage on the base variant. 

Also: The OnePlus Open is getting a red 'Crimson Shadow' variant, and I'm worried for Samsung

Months after its release, OnePlus today is giving its foldable flagship a new, more elegant-looking, secure, and competent variant, the OnePlus Open Apex Edition. It's not cheap at $1,899, but once you know what you get with the device, the value makes competing phones look like they're selling you short.

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First look at the 'Crimson Shadow' design

The OnePlus Open Apex Edition comes in a new Crimson Shadow colorway, which, according to the company, is inspired by the Hasselblad 503CW 60 Years Victor Red Edition. It is said to "echo the legendary burgundy-red leather accents of red Hasselblad cameras." True to its words, I was impressed the moment I unboxed the phone. This is easily my favorite look on a book-style foldable.

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The OnePlus Open Apex Edition adds more fun and personality to what can be considered a dull foldable phone market (sans Motorola Razr). Thanks to the textured faux leather finish on the back, it looks premium and is very comfortable to hold. The camera module also features a "light-reflective CD-pattern crafted" dial, which accentuates the look. Apart from the new color, the dimensions, weight, and feel of the phone remain the same, which I'm not complaining about.

Also: OnePlus' first-ever foldable makes Samsung and Google's look outdated – and it's near perfect

The Alert Slider has been updated with a new orange accent and now includes a "VIP mode." When toggled, the feature blocks access to the camera, microphone, and more. It is powered by a dedicated security chipset that has earned the CC EAL5+ security certification. For reference, the Evaluation Assurance Level (EAL) is an international standard for grading security evaluations.

I haven't found a clear use case for VIP mode yet, but OnePlus says that it can free you from the worry of confidential chats being tracked or eavesdropped on.  

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OnePlus promotes two new AI features, AI Eraser and Smart Cutout, on the Apex Edition. With AI Eraser, you can remove unwanted objects and people by circling around them, much like Google's Magic Eraser. While the Smart Cutout feature lets you pick and save specific parts of an image. For instance, I can pick myself from the photo and create a sticker out of it. The edge detection is precise and it works well.  

Also: I replaced my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with the Z Fold 6 for two weeks - and can't go back

However, these features have already been rolled out to the vanilla OnePlus Open with the latest update. Awkward. Unfortunately, adding other AI capabilities, such as real-time translation, would likely require a current-gen processor, which the Apex Edition's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 doesn't qualify for. Despite this limitation, the OxygenOS features are nice to have as bonuses.

Still the same great foldable

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The OnePlus Open Apex Edition is a testament to how impressive the original foldable was. It boasts an ideal 20:9 aspect ratio on the cover screen, allowing apps to run seamlessly. The phone unfolds into a large 7.82-inch canvas that practically gives you two screens to work with, making multitasking effortless. OnePlus' Canvas feature remains my favorite for multitasking, enabling me to run three full apps without needing a floating window. It's the best multitasking implementation on a foldable phone.

Also: The best foldable phones of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

Both the inner and outer displays are sharp, vibrant, and vivid, with support for a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate and Dolby Vision. I've found them legible in direct sunlight, and the crease on the inner display is much more minimal than phones from Samsung and Google.

The hinge is solid, too, but not as tight as the one on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The Samsung foldable can remain laptop-like at more angles before snapping open. However, the OnePlus Open Apex Edition is more comfortable to hold and use in general, thanks to its curved edges.

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The new OnePlus Open variant is paired with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM and now doubles the storage at 1TB. It is fast, smooth, and responsive like before, though I wish OnePlus upped its software update policy, which remains at three generations of major Android OS upgrades and four years of security updates. By contrast, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 offers seven years of software support.

Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. OnePlus Open: Which foldable phone should you buy?

The back has a triple camera setup: a 48MP main lens, a 64MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and 6x in-sensor zoom, and a 48MP ultrawide-angle sensor. From the pictures I've seen, this is a better camera setup than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and I would pick it for zoom and night shots any day of the week. You also get a 32MP selfie shooter on the cover screen and a 20MP front camera on the folding display, both of which are better than Samsung's under-display selfie camera.

The OnePlus Open Apex Edition packs a 4,805mAh battery with support for 67W fast charging. Unfortunately, it still lacks wireless charging support, which was a common concern when the Open first launched. The good news is, the endurance of the phone remains top-notch, having lasted me well into a busy work day.

ZDNET's buying advice

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The OnePlus Open Apex Edition goes on sale today at $1,899 in the U.S., CAD 2,600 in Canada, and INR 1,50,000 in India. When purchasing from the OnePlus website, you can checkout with the code 1TBORLIFE to get $300 off, plus an additional $100 off when you trade in any phone in any condition, effectively bringing the total down to a slightly more accessible $1,499 price point.

The regular OnePlus Open with 16GB of RAM and 512GB storage is also available for $1,399 until the end of August. With a purchase of either variant, OnePlus will toss in a pair of Buds Pro 2 (retails for $179) for free.