It was early on Cyber Monday morning, and I was already a few cups of coffee deep, hunched over my laptop, scouring the web for deals. Not because I needed a new phone—honestly, I didn’t. My current daily driver was still snappy, had a good camera, and held a charge like a champ. But foldables? They’ve always had a gravitational pull on me. There’s something deeply futuristic about them, something satisfying about flipping or unfolding a screen that feels like it came from a sci-fi movie.
And that’s when I saw it.
The OnePlus Open—a foldable phone I’d admired from afar since its release—was on sale. Not just a small discount. A real one. A deep, “this-might-be-your-only-chance” type of cut. It was down from \$1,700 to \$1,200 on Amazon.com.
That’s a \$500 discount. And let me just say it straight: no other foldable phone deal this year came close. Not even a little.
Why Foldables Still Feel Magical
Let’s be honest—foldables have been around long enough that the novelty should’ve worn off. But for me, it hasn’t. There’s still something indescribably cool about flipping open a screen and having a mini-tablet appear in your hand. It doesn’t matter how many times I’ve seen it, it still makes me pause for a second. Still makes me grin.
And in 2024, foldables have matured. They’re no longer fragile concepts wrapped in hype. They’re sturdy, functional, and increasingly refined. But here’s the catch: they’re also still expensive. That’s why this OnePlus Open deal felt like a unicorn.
First Impressions: A Design That Just Works
The moment I held the OnePlus Open, I understood what everyone had been talking about. This isn’t just a foldable that looks good on a spec sheet. It’s a foldable that feels right in the hand.
When folded, it has a 6.31-inch outer display that’s wider than what you get on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. And let me tell you—that single difference changes everything. It feels like a normal phone when closed. No long, narrow display that forces you to type like your thumbs are fencing each other. Just a wide, usable, comfortable screen.
The back of the phone is elegant but bold. There’s a massive camera ring, sure, and it’s going to catch your eye. But what surprised me is how natural it feels in the hand. The placement of the camera bump actually improves grip. I’ve held other foldables that feel like glass sandwiches. This one? It feels like something you want to hold. Something designed with hands in mind, not just tech.
That Inner Display Is a Stunner
Open the phone, and you’re greeted with a glorious 7.82-inch AMOLED display. It’s huge. It’s crisp. It’s immersive. And OnePlus did something I didn’t realize I desperately wanted: they added a custom anti-reflection layer that cuts down glare and makes outdoor use dramatically better.
I’ve used foldables before where sunlight completely ruins the experience. Not here. Watching Netflix on this thing in the backseat of a rideshare? No squinting. Reading long articles? A joy. It’s like having a Kindle and a tablet in your pocket.
There’s also very little crease. Let’s talk about that for a second. Foldables get judged by their creases the way laptops get judged by fan noise. It’s a little ridiculous—but also kind of fair. The crease on the OnePlus Open is barely there. You can see it if you go looking, but you won’t feel it. That’s a big deal.
Multitasking With Open Canvas: A Real Innovation
I’ve tried multitasking on foldables before. Usually it’s a clunky experience, trying to shove two or three apps into tiny windowed areas that feel like compromises. But the OnePlus Open has something called Open Canvas, and I’ll say this without hesitation: it’s the best multitasking implementation I’ve seen on any foldable. Period.
You can run three apps side by side, and the system intelligently shifts the layout depending on what you want to focus on. Need to zoom in on your email while YouTube plays in the background and Slack notifications roll in? No problem. The system adapts. You can push apps off-screen, snap them back in, and it all feels fluid—not forced.
I used Open Canvas while editing a document, checking specs on Chrome, and chatting on Telegram, and it was seamless. No jank. No lag. No frustration.
Performance That Doesn’t Flinch
At the heart of the OnePlus Open is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. Now, it’s not the latest Gen 3 silicon, but it doesn’t matter. The Gen 2 is still a monster, and combined with 16GB of RAM, this thing flies.
I ran Genshin Impact on max settings just to test it—and it handled it effortlessly. No overheating, no frame drops. Everything from camera processing to gaming to multitasking was handled with the kind of speed that makes you forget you’re even pushing a foldable.
And here’s the other part that impressed me: the software. It’s OxygenOS, which used to have a reputation for being light and near-stock, but now it’s evolved into something uniquely functional. You’ve got smooth animations, intuitive gestures, and barely any bloatware.
It feels like a foldable built not just to wow, but to work.
Cameras That Actually Compete
Here’s the dirty secret of most foldables: their cameras suck. Or at least, they did for a while. Foldables have always been about form over optics. But OnePlus didn’t take that route. They slapped a Sony LYT-T808 48MP sensor on the back, along with a 64MP 3x telephoto and a 48MP ultrawide. It’s overkill—in the best way possible.
I used this phone to shoot an entire day trip through Napa Valley. Sunlight, shadows, food shots, street portraits—it nailed them all. Color science is on point. Portrait mode is actually usable with realistic background blur. Zoom? Surprisingly sharp even at 6x.
The selfie cams (yes, plural—one on each screen) are decent, not mind-blowing, but usable for video calls or quick social posts. But the main rear camera setup? That’s where the real magic happens.
Battery and Charging: Another Win
The OnePlus Open houses a 4800mAh battery, which might seem modest for a foldable, but I got nearly a full day and a half of use even with heavy screen-on time.
And the best part? 67W wired charging.
That makes it the fastest-charging foldable phone you can buy in the U.S.
I plugged it in at 15% and hit 100% in about 40 minutes. That changes how you use a phone. I no longer worry about battery when I’m heading out for the night. I just top off while I’m getting ready.
You can grab compatible fast chargers on BestBuy.com or Amazon.com—I used an Anker 67W charger I picked up on sale and it works perfectly.
The Hinge Is Quietly Brilliant
Let’s talk hinge. It’s one of those things you don’t think about—until it sucks. The OnePlus Open has one of the best-feeling hinges I’ve ever used.
It’s smooth. Silent. No creaking, no grinding. It holds any position between open and closed. You want it half-open like a laptop? Done. Tent mode? Go for it. It stays exactly where you want it.
And it’s durable. OnePlus says it’s rated for over 1 million folds. I’m not going to sit around counting, but I’ll tell you this: it feels rock solid. I’ve used foldables where the hinge felt like a liability. Here, it feels like an asset.
Why No Other Deal Compared
I looked. I scrolled. I bookmarked pages. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 was on sale too—\$582 off at one point. The Pixel Fold had \$300 off. But even with those deals, they were still more expensive than the OnePlus Open—and in my experience, not as good.
The Fold 6? Narrow front screen. More fragile hinge. Slower charging. Pixel Fold? Weaker hinge, outdated design, and questionable battery life. Both are fine phones—but OnePlus delivered a foldable that beats both on price and performance.
Where You Can Buy It (And Still Find Deals)
I got mine from Amazon.com, and that’s still the best place to look for deals on the OnePlus Open. But there are a few other retailers I’d keep an eye on:
- BestBuy.com – They don’t always stock OnePlus phones, but they do carry chargers, cases, and accessories.
- B\&H Photo – Known for their imports and pro gear, sometimes they carry international OnePlus devices with full U.S. support.
- Newegg.com – They occasionally offer promo codes for unlocked phones, and they’re a solid alternative.
If you missed Cyber Monday, don’t give up. I’ve seen prices drop again around New Year, or when OnePlus announces something new. Sign up for price alerts on Slickdeals or use browser tools like Honey to track fluctuations.
Real-World Use: It Became My Daily Driver
I didn’t plan to switch to the OnePlus Open. It was supposed to be a side device. A toy. Something to tinker with.
But the moment I used it for a few days, I couldn’t go back. I tried picking up my old phone—and it felt tiny, limited, boring. The OnePlus Open changed the way I work, consume, and communicate.
I write articles with it open like a mini laptop. I take meetings with my notes on one half of the screen and Zoom on the other. I browse, scroll, edit photos, and watch YouTube—all at once.
It’s not just a phone. It’s a pocket-sized productivity machine. And yeah, it still folds in half.
So yeah—I found the best foldable phone deal of Cyber Monday. And it wasn’t close.
And now that I’ve lived with the OnePlus Open? I’d buy it again at full price. But I’m really glad I didn’t have to.
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