The OnePlus Open was a surprisingly good device, especially considering that it was the company’s first attempt at making a foldable phone. Unfortunately, in a community note published today, OnePlus announced that a proper follow-up to the Open won’t be arriving in 2025.
In the post, OnePlus Open product manager Vale G. said that the company has “carefully considered the timing and our next steps in foldable devices, and we have made the decision not to release a foldable this year.” That’s definitely a bummer, particularly for fans of devices with flexible displays in the US, who aren’t able to easily buy handsets from Chinese brands like Huawei, Xiaomi and OnePlus’ parent company Oppo. It’s also a bit of a shock considering that the Open hit the shelves more than a year and a half ago in late 2023, so it was due for an update.
The one positive takeaway from this is that while the OnePlus Open 2 isn’t happening this year, the company isn’t giving up on foldables forever, saying “This is not a step back, it’s a recalibration. Our commitment to innovation is stronger than ever, and we’re excited to bring you fresh, unique experiences that truly Never Settle.” For owners of the Open, OnePlus also noted that the phone will continue to receive regular software and security updates as scheduled.
Unfortunately, this means that for the US market, there are only two main manufacturers still making big foldable phones: Samsung and Google, who we expect to announce refreshed models sometime later this summer. What’s worse is that when it comes to the Galaxy Z Fold line, the recent lack of competition feels like it has allowed Samsung to slack off, with the Z Fold 6 only offering middling improvements over previous generations. So here’s hoping OnePlus can rejoin the fray soon to help spur competition between the handful of phone makers still trying to innovate with a small but slowly growing niche.
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