The OnePlus Open is a fantastic device; even earning the top spot on our best foldable phones list. And later this month, the smartphone could potentially become even better as the company has recently revealed the cool-sounding OnePlus Open Apex Edition.
Its design is mostly the same as before although it’ll launch in a deep Crimson Shadow red, a color the company states was inspired by the Hasselblad 503CW 60 Years Victor. Much like the box camera, the revamped model sports a silver frame and an orange Alert Slider. It even has a vegan leather back cover, just like the OnePlus Open in Voyager Black.
Details on the upgrade are sparse at the moment although we do know there will be some hardware improvements. A company representative told us it’ll come “with enhanced storage, AI image editing [tools], and innovative security features”. The product listing also suggests the Apex Edition has more memory.
A supreme form to rule them all. The #OnePlusOpen Apex Edition in stunning Crimson Shadow is coming August 7.August 1, 2024
Possible upgrades
Exactly what is being added to the foldable is unknown. OnePlus is holding its cards close to its chest. If you go to the official website, you’ll see the letter “X” next to the RAM and storage options where the numbers should be.
That said, we can speculate a little bit on what could arrive. AI image editing brings to mind the Pixel 8’s Magic Editor, which lets you move objects around in a photo. The OnePlus Open already has an AI Eraser for removing people and things. Something akin to Magic Editor could be the next evolution. As for storage, the Apex Edition could go from 512GB of space up to a full terabyte.
It is hard to imagine what the new memory amount will be. 32GB of RAM seems unlikely. Instead, we may see it receive 24GB of RAM much like the China-only OnePlus Ace 3 Pro. If the company does this, the Apex Edition would be one of the first non-Chinese OnePlus phones to house more than 16GB of memory.
Solid user experience
Apart from those few changes, it doesn’t appear the OnePlus Open Apex Edition will be all that different from the current model. You still get the two AMOLED displays. The chipset isn't being replaced nor will the rear camera array see a lens upgrade. Don’t be too disappointed. Again, this is a really good foldable phone. At the very least, the user experience is becoming better, especially if the editing tools are as good as we think they'll be.
There is a small downside to the Apex version. It’s only guaranteed to receive “three major Android updates and four years of security updates from time of launch.” The standard phone gets an extra year for both sets of software patches.
No word on how much the OnePlus Open Apex Edition will cost at launch, but all will be revealed on August 7. Until then, check out TechRadar's list of the best OnePlus phones for 2024.
