OnePlusOnePlus is kicking off August with a bang, teasing today a new variant of its well-reviewed foldable phone, the OnePlus Open. The company calls it the OnePlus Open Apex Edition, which flaunts a “Crimson Shadow” finish that pays homage to the classic Hasselblad 503CW camera. I’m talking red vegan leather on the backing and an orange alert button. Oh, and there’s also the familiar Hasselblad-tuned camera system on the rear.Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. OnePlus Open: I’ve tested both and the winner is not so obviousThe Apex Edition name goes beyond the industrial design, OnePlus suggests, with the phone receiving “enhanced storage,” implying more RAM and internal storage than the original Open. For reference, the vanilla model already had 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, so we may be looking at 18GB+ of RAM and 1TB of storage territory for the new release. I’m intrigued.Those numbers would play well with the second upgrade, which is new AI image editing features. If they’re anything like what we’ve seen from Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the rumored Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, then expect tools that allow you to reposition and resize subjects, adjust backgrounds, and even generate new elements on-device.OnePlus hasn’t revealed any other specs and information about the Open Apex Edition — there’s also no price for it, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it costs more than the standard model’s $1,699 — but the dimensions and camera configuration look about the same. That’s not a bad thing, as I found both the form factor and camera performance of the OnePlus Open to be one of the best among foldables when it was released in late 2023.The release timing of the OnePlus Open Apex Edition, slated for August 7, comes shortly after Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 6 last week — and that’s probably no coincidence. We’ve seen companies, including Apple, release new colors and variants of popular devices months into the product life cycle in hopes of sustaining interest, boosting mid-year sales, and, of course, competing with other releases.Also: The best foldable phones of 2024: Expert tested and reviewedWith Samsung selling the Galaxy Z Fold 6 at a starting price of $1,899 ($100 more than last year), OnePlus has the opportunity to not only release a better phone than what it did last year but also undercut its closest competitor and sway customers in its direction this summer.
