Last year, OnePlus leapt into the foldable market with both feet, bringing us the pretty excellent OnePlus Open. For a first attempt, it’s a foldable that’s easy to recommend to interested buyers, especially with its relatively sensible price (as far as foldables go anyway).
While we expected a sequel to the device this year, it’s clear that’s not going to happen and we’ll need to wait until 2025. However, it seems like OnePlus chose not to leave us all hanging, and has made the compromise of releasing an “Apex Edition” of that device. Let’s talk about what makes it different.
On The Hardware Front, You Get Faster RAM, More Storage, and A Stunning New Colorway
If you expected this to be a substantial refresh on the original OnePlus Open, that’s not what the Apex Edition is. You’ll need to wait for the proper sequel to this foldable to release. For now though, OnePlus has decided to re-release its foldable in a form that places it at the top of the pack, with improved specs in two key areas.
First off, the OnePlus Open came with 16GB of RAM, and so does the Apex Edition. However, the latter bumps things up by utilizing faster LPDDR5X RAM. It also comes with twice as much storage as the original device, pushing to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. That’s as much as you can get on any smartphone these days, without needing a microSD card. Those are the only numbers that go up on the spec sheet.
However, the device also comes in a very exclusive Crimson Shadow colorway which I personally think is gorgeous. The color is said to be inspired by both the iconic OnePlus red as well as the Hasselblad 503CW 60 Years Victor Red Edition camera. It’s a vegan leather, so it comes with that sexy luxury that we sort of expect from Hasselblad’s cameras. It’s striking.
When It Comes To Software, OnePlus Offers New Privacy And AI-Fueled Image Editing Features
What I’ve mentioned so far isn’t enough for OnePlus to feel satisfied with a phone that it calls the “Apex Edition”. It clearly needs more to set it apart from the original model, and that’s where the software changes come in. Whether or not these will fall into your daily use is subjective.
First, there’s a “VIP Mode” on the phone that OnePlus says is the first in the industry. It’s powered by a new independent security chip. This mode is activated using the alert slider that OnePlus users have learned to love. VIP Mode shuts off the cameras and mics on the device and restricts advertising tracking.. It also stops messaging apps from being recorded by other apps without permission. It is a significant lockdown on your phone.
Tis the season of AI too, so there’s no surprise that the OnePlus Open Apex Edition also brings some features of that variety to the table. You get AI Eraser which lets you remove unwanted elements in pictures while it fills in the space left by them (an AI staple feature at this point). You also get AI Smart Cutout which can be used to intelligently cutout elements from images to use as stickers.
The OnePlus Open Apex Edition Will Have Its Pricing Details Revealed Later This Month
If you’re looking to get your hands on this revamped OnePlus Open, it’s going to cost you $1,900 in the United States and it’ll be available from tomorrow. That’s expensive and matches the Z Fold 6 on the price scale. Interested European buyers will need to wait until August 27th to learn more.
