Which foldable should you buy?

• 

  OnePlus Open

  The new OnePlus Open is powered by the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, and comes with an inward folding design. It houses a 7.8-inch main, and a 6.3-inch cover display with 120Hz refresh rate. It has a powerful triple camera setup, and support for 80W wired charging.

  Pros

  • Cover screen is excellent
  • Capable chipset + sufficient memory
  • OxygenOS is optimized for both cover and inner foldable screen

  Cons

  • No wireless charging
  • No official IP rating

• 

  Google Pixel Fold

  The Pixel Fold is Google’s first foldable smartphone offering some of the finest hardware and software on the market. The device features a 5.8-inch cover display and a big 7.6-inch foldable display. It is powered by the Tensor G2 chipset and is backed by a 4,821 mAh battery.

  Pros

  • Sleek and slim premium design
  • Stock Android experience with Google AI/ML optimizations
  • Great camera capabilities

  Cons

  • Bezels on the inner display may not appeal to everyone
  • Battery life is not that great

It’s the year 2023, and there is no shortage of foldable smartphones in the market. While Samsung retains the top spot when it comes to foldables, we saw Google and OnePlus enter the stage this year. Google unveiled its Pixel Fold back in June 2023, while OnePlus launched its OnePlus Open just recently. In this article, we’ll compare the Google Pixel Fold and the OnePlus Open to help you decide which foldable phone is the right choice for you.

OnePlus Open vs Pixel Fold: Technical Specifications

• 	OnePlus Open	Google Pixel Fold
  Brand	OnePlus	Google
  SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Google Tensor G2, Titan M2 co-processor
  Display	Cover: 6.3-inch LTPO3, AMOLED ProXDR, 120Hz, 2800 nits peak | Main: 7.8-inch, LTPO3, OLED, 120Hz	Cover: 5.8-inch, FHD+, OLED, 120Hz, 1,550 nits peak brightness; Internal: 7.6-inch, 2208 x 1840-pixel resolution, OLED, 120Hz, 1,450 nits peak brightness
  RAM	16GB	12GB RAM (LPDDR5)
  Storage	512GB	256GB, 512GB (UFS 3.1)
  Battery	4,805 mAh	4,821 mAh
  Ports	USB-C	USB-C
  Operating System	Oxygen OS 13.2 based on Android 13	Android 13, Foldable optimizations
  Front camera	Cover: 32MP, f/2.4 | Main: 20MP, f/2.2	Cover Display: 9.5MP, f/2.2, fixed focus; Inner display: 8MP, f/2.0, fixed focus
  Rear camera	Primary: 48MP, f/1.7, PDAF, OIS | Ultrawide: 48MP, f/2.2, 144-degree FoV | Telephoto: 64MP, f/2.6, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom	Primary: 48MP, OIS, f/1.7; Ultra-wide: 10.8MP, 121.1-degree FoV, f/2.2; Telephoto: 10.8MP, f/3.05, 5x optical zoom, digital zoom up to 20x
  Connectivity	5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC	5G (mmWave and sub-6GHz), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
  Dimensions	Unfolded: 153.4 x 143.1 x 5.8 mm | Folded: 153.4 x 73.3 x 11.7 mm	Folded: 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1 mm; Unfolded: 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8 mm
  Colors	Emerald Dusk, Voyager Black	Obsidian, Porcelain
  Weight	8.43 oz (239 g)	283 grams
  Charge speed	67W fast wired	30W fast wired charging, wireless charging
  IP Rating	Unknown	IPX8
  Security	Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock, PIN, Pattern, Password	Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, Face Unlock, PIN, Pattern, Password
  Material	Gorilla Glass Victus front and back, Ultra Thin Glass with protective plastic layer, polished aluminum frame	Gorilla Glass Victus front and back, Ultra Thin Glass with protective plastic layer, polished aluminum frame, multi-alloy steel hinge

Price and availability

The OnePlus Open comes in only one variant with 16GB RAM and 512GB storage and is available for $1,699 (EUR 1,799 / INR 1,39,999) on OnePlus’ official website, Amazon, and Best Buy. Right now, OnePlus has some great deals going on and if you trade in your old smartphone, you can get up to $1,200 off on your OnePlus Open.

The Google Pixel Fold was announced back in June 2023 and is available for purchase from Google, most online retailers, and mobile service providers. The Pixel Fold comes in two variants: 256GB and 512GB. The base model starts at $1,799 in the US, while the 512GB variants sells for $1,919. Currently, there are a number of offers available on the Pixel Fold, and you can grab the Google foldable for around the price of the OnePlus Open.

Design and Build

Let’s start with the design, where you’ll notice that both OnePlus and Google’s foldable phones share a similar basic structure. Both devices sport a traditional slab phone-like screen on the front that opens up like a book to reveal the inner foldable tablet-like screen. However, there are important differences that set them apart.

One notable difference is in the cover screen. The Pixel Fold boasts a wider cover screen, while the OnePlus Open sticks to a more traditional phone-like cover display. They both have distinct looks as well. The Pixel Fold features the signature Pixel camera visor on its back, whereas the OnePlus Open features a big circular camera module with three sensors, a Hasselblad logo, and a flash in the top-left corner.

When it comes to size and weight, the OnePlus Open is both slimmer and lighter compared to the Pixel Fold. The OnePlus Open measures 11.7 mm in thickness when closed, while the Pixel Fold is slightly thicker at 12.1 mm. In terms of weight, the OnePlus Open ranges from 239 to 245 grams depending on the variant, while the Pixel Fold is a bit heavier at 283 grams. It’s worth noting that both foldables close seamlessly without any gaps.

In terms of build materials, both phones are made out of premium materials and provide a top-notch feel in hand. Both foldables feature a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus construction with aluminum rails. However, in terms of durability, the Pixel Fold takes the lead with its IPX8 water resistance rating, while the OnePlus Open lacks an official IP rating.

As for colors, the OnePlus Open comes in two colors: Emerald Dusk with a matte glass finish and Voyager Black, which has a leather-like texture. The Google Pixel Fold is also available in just two color choices: Porcelain and Obsidian. Obsidian has a matte-like finish, while Porcelain features a glossy finish.

Display

The Google Pixel Fold comes with a slightly smaller 5.8-inch OLED cover display with support for a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. This cover screen has a high pixel density of 408 PPI and features a maximum peak brightness of 1,550 nits. On the other hand, the OnePlus Open has a larger 6.31-inch 2K OLED cover display with a 120Hz refresh rate and an even higher pixel density of 431 PPI. The OnePlus Open’s cover display has an even higher peak brightness of 2,800 nits.

Opening up the Pixel Fold reveals a 7.6-inch OLED display capable of HDR10+ playback and supporting a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The OnePlus Open features an even bigger 7.82-inch inner foldable display that comes with LTPO3 technology, a 120Hz refresh rate and has the same peak brightness of 2800 nits as the outer display. What’s worth noting is that the crease is less noticeable on the OnePlus Open compared to the Pixel Fold.

Software and Performance

When it comes to performance, the OnePlus Open offers the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of onboard storage. In contrast, the Pixel Fold relies on the custom Tensor G2 chipset, the same one found in the Pixel 7 series, along with 12GB of RAM and storage options that go up to 512GB.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is one of the best chipsets on the market, offering the best-in-class performance as well as power efficiency, giving the OnePlus Open an edge here. While Tensor G2 is good enough for daily use, it falls short when it comes to handling graphics-intensive games, sustaining peak performance for long, and other demanding activities in comparison to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

As for the software, the OnePlus Open comes with OxygenOS pre-installed, running on Android 13, while the Pixel Fold, being a Google device, has already received an update to Android 14. OxygenOS on the OnePlus Open has been optimized to make the most of the larger screen, offering an excellent multitasking experience. In contrast, the Pixel Fold comes with various Pixel-exclusive features, including Magic Editor, offline voice typing, clear calling, and faster night sight.

Camera

Turning our attention to the camera setup, both the foldables offer a triple-camera setup on the back. The Pixel Fold features a 48MP main sensor, a 10.8MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10.8MP telephoto shooter with 5x optical zoom. Meanwhile, the OnePlus Open offers a similar configuration, consisting of a 48MP primary camera with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), a 48MP ultra-wide camera, and a 64MP telephoto sensor with OIS, providing 6x “lossless zoom.”

For selfies, the Pixel Fold features a 9.5MP camera on the cover display and an 8MP selfie camera on the top bezel of the inner display. On the other hand, the OnePlus Open offers a punch-hole 32MP (f/2.4) shooter on the cover display and a punch-hole 20MP (f/2.2) sensor on the inner foldable screen.

The Pixel Fold, like other Pixel smartphones, delivers an exceptional camera experience across various lighting conditions, excelling in low light, bright light, and challenging scenarios. As for the OnePlus Open, we are currently in the process of testing it fully, and our initial impressions are quite positive. The partnership with Hasselblad has enhanced the camera experience on this foldable.

Battery

Now, let’s dive into the battery details. The OnePlus Open features a big 4,805 mAh battery that supports 67W USB-C charging. OnePlus claims that this foldable can go from 0% to 100% in just 42 minutes. It’s worth mentioning, though, that the OnePlus Open does not support wireless charging.

In contrast, the Pixel Fold houses a 4,821 mAh battery. While the Pixel’s battery life isn’t exceptionally impressive, it can still last through a full day of use. The Pixel Fold supports 30W fast wired charging and offers the convenience of wireless charging as well.

OnePlus Open vs Pixel Fold: Verdict

Both the OnePlus Open and Pixel Fold stand among the best foldable phones available today, but if you’re looking for a new foldable device that provides excellent cover and inner screens, a powerful chipset, a versatile camera setup, faster wired charging, and you’re not concerned about being the first to receive software updates — all while staying within a more budget-friendly budget — then the OnePlus Open is the ideal choice for you.

On the other hand, the Pixel Fold offers a superb foldable experience. Its stock Android interface on the Pixel Fold delivers a unique experience that no other foldable can match at the moment. Additionally, the Pixel Fold boasts impressive camera capabilities and AI features. Moreover, with Black Friday approaching, you’ll have the opportunity to snag the Pixel Fold at an even lower price, making it an even more appealing option.