If you are in the market for a book-style foldable, 2024 is indeed the year you should go in for one. This is because it’s only this year that the book-style foldables segment has now started offering more than two models which were earlier limited to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and the OnePlus Open. This year, we saw Vivo take a bold step into the foldables market with the launch of its X Fold 3 Pro and then we also have the upcoming Pixel 9 Pro Fold. When launched, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold will be Google’s first foldable device for the Indian market.
Compared to 2023 (which was mainly dominated by Samsung), buyers finally have some variety. Adding to this interesting lineup is a new variant from the OnePlus called the Open Apex Edition. The phone is nearly identical to the standard OnePlus Open variants which have been on sale since last year. But there are a few minor changes that might justify picking this model over the standard Open models.
A new colourway with some minor refinements
I loved the retro-camera-like Voyager Black variant of the OnePlus Open, the new Crimson Shadow finish does look very attractive as well. The Crimson Shadow colourway’s frame gets a mirror-like chrome finish for its frame versus the matte-finished frame on the Voyager Black colourway. This finish is similar to the Emerald Dusk variant.
The OnePlus Open Apex Edition sure looks the part for an ultra-premium smartphone
The Apex Edition also gets a familiar vegan-leather rear panel like the Voyager Black variant, but this one looks quite premium in its crimson red finish, which has a shiny OnePlus logo embedded into it in the centre. The circular camera module now has a crimson red insert around it, which is a nice touch.
The OnePlus Open Apex Edition’s frame gets a mirror-finish chrome-like appearance
The design of the Alert Slider has changed and now appears similar to the one I used on the Oppo Find X7 Ultra. And this is because it is actually a rebranded Oppo Find N3, which was also launched in the red colourway but branded as the ‘Oppo Find N3 Collector’s Edition’ in China. Similar to the Find X7 Ultra’s Alert Slider it has a three-stage function, an orange accent and a diamond pattern that has better grip and is easier to operate.
VIP mode
This updated Alert Slider, brings along a new VIP mode, which is a first for a OnePlus smartphone. It works in a similar fashion like on the Oppo Find X7 Ultra and when activated is supposed to cut off permissions to the mics and cameras at a hardware level leading to complete privacy for those who need it. The rest of the phone and other functions and features work like normal when in VIP mode, but no app gets camera or mic access when in this mode.
The OnePlus Open Apex Edition’s new VIP mode claims to keep conversations private
When in VIP mode, the phone’s dialer app will prompt you to exit VIP mode or give the app permission to access the mic. The camera app too cannot function and will directly ask you to deactivate VIP mode (as it is a native app).
More storage than your average Open
The Alert Slider looks like the one we used on the Oppo Find X7 Ultra
While the standard OnePlus Open is offered with 16GB RAM and a maximum of 512GB of internal storage, the Apex Edition gets users 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage which can come of use if you record a lot of Dolby Vision video in 4K. Adding more storage also brings OnePlus’ foldable offering in line with Samsung’s Galaxy Fold models which also offer a 1TB storage model but are limited to 12GB RAM.
A sturdy new case
The OnePlus Open Apex Edition gets a slightly improved case with a port cover at the bottom
The new case is designed a lot better than the one that the first two variants shipped with. These were quite lanky and did not fit the case well once they were flexed (when taking them off). The plastics used in this case do feel premium and there’s a nice USB port protector at the bottom, which protects it against dust. The rear panel of the case also has a soft touch leather-like finish which feels a lot better than the previous one.
What remains unchanged?
The processor remains the same as the regular variants. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is no slouch, but the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, which is available in Vivo’s X Fold 3 Pro and Samsung’s recently launched Galaxy Z Fold 6 is definitely faster.
The cameras on the Apex Edition are the same as on the standard variant
Camera performance is the same as before. And given what I’ve experienced with my usage so far, it’s identical to the Voyager Black variant of the Open that I reviewed late last year.
OnePlus Open Apex Edition camera samples
There are no updates in terms of IP rating. While the IPX4 rating for water resistance was good for a foldable device in 2023, Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold 6 offers an IP48 rating which offers protection against both dust and water. Vivo’s X Fold 3 Pro also offers a better IPX8 rating.
Oxygen OS 14 works great across both displays
OxygenOS 14, which is based on Android 14 works like a charm and so does OnePlus’ unique Open Canvas multitasking feature that can open three apps side-by-side. The phone also comes with two AI features (for now) called Smart Cutout and AI Eraser. Introduced for the regular handsets in April this year, these don’t work as well as I thought they would. And definitely nowhere close to what Google’s Pixel and Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones are capable of.
While the OnePlus Open surely raised the bar for book-style foldables at launch, about 6 months later, competitors have caught up and moved ahead especially when it comes to AI features. Google’s upcoming Pixel 9 Pro Fold is also expected to bring more AI features to its foldable and Apple too is expected to join the AI bandwagon with the launch of iOS 18 software update, which is expected to roll out in September.
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