The limited-edition OnePlus Open is the most impressive foldable phone yet

Based on all of Google’s leaks and marketing, we already know that the upcoming Pixel 9 Pro Fold will have a very similar design to last year’s OnePlus Open. OnePlus doesn’t (yet) have a new foldable phone ready to take on Google and Samsung’s latest offerings, so for now, it’ll instead release a limited-edition Open in Crimson Red. That’s one way to squeeze more juice out of something, right?

Priced at $1,899.99, the OnePlus Open Apex Edition comes fully loaded with 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM. Aside from the color, the company has made some other minor hardware tweaks to this version: for example, the wake button is now thinner with an orange spot carved into the middle.

“The dark, almost hidden hue offers a sense of mystery and evocation, suggesting timeless eternity,” says a OnePlus press release about the “Crimson Shadow” color. The red color is applied to the faux leather back cover and camera ring, and OnePlus includes a matching case for the device in the box.

I’ve been carrying the Apex Edition around New York City for a few days now, and I’ve been getting a lot of questions about it. It’s a great phone, and this is the first time I’ve seen the Open’s design after months of using the Pixel Fold. This is the wayAnd I’m very happy now that Google is switching to a similar approach.

Indeed, the company has come up with a great multitasking system. Allison covered a lot of this in her review, so check it out. The bottom line is that OnePlus’ gestures and multi-app experiences feel surprisingly intuitive in a very short time.

But there are also some things about OnePlus software that I find confusing. Here are some of them:

• You can’t have more than four apps in each row on the home screen, which ruins my usual design. Where are the grid customization options? I can’t even fit the Gmail app into the taskbar.
• There’s no way to disable the Google Discover feed on the left of the home screen. It’s weird. Most other Android phones let you turn it off with a simple tap.
• Whenever I close all apps — yes, I still do that — the phone displays a useless message that says “Your system is now in perfect condition.” Great. Thank you.
• The alphabetical order of the app bar doesn’t make sense. Since the “craigslist” app uses lowercase letters, it’s placed before the calculator. Make it logical.
• Just like on iOS, OnePlus puts a dot next to recently updated apps or newly installed apps. This is irritating and can’t be stopped, so I have no choice but to open all the apps just to clear the dots and restore the system.

There’s a new feature in the software called VIP Mode that’s completely exclusive to the Apex edition. And I have to say, it’s a bonus. When you push the notification bar to the top position, you enter this mode. Here’s what OnePlus claims it does:

VIP mode locks the security chip to create a completely secure and private environment where all microphones and cameras on the phone are disabled, and ad tracking is severely restricted through the security chip-powered permission encryption at the chip level. VIP mode also prevents chat information from being viewed or recorded by apps without permission.

I’m not a very experienced CEO, so I probably don’t appreciate VIP mode as much as I do. Either way, I wish I could customize the notification bar to do something else when I put it in this mode instead of being stuck in this mode that I rarely need.

But let’s get back to the hardware: There’s a lot to enjoy about the OnePlus Unboxing in a matter of days. The internal screen protector has an anti-reflective quality that makes it easy to see in a variety of lighting conditions. The speakers sound noticeably better than those on the Pixel Fold. And I’m once again impressed with OnePlus’ wired charging speeds.

The OnePlus Open Apex Edition will be available “while supplies last” when it goes on sale on August 8 for $1,899.99. If you don’t need the fancy red color, you can save a little for now on the standard 512GB model, which will be on sale for $1,399 from August 8 through August 30. See? The company is clearly trying to lure some Pixel 9 Pro Fold buyers.

Photo by Chris Welch/The Verge