OnePlus Fold: Release date, price, specs, rumors, and what we know so far

OnePlus is finally entering the foldable phone space later this year. It’s been a long time coming, but the wait might make it all worth it. OnePlus has had plenty of time to learn from the mistakes and successes of its competitors. Its own mothership, OPPO, now has three foldable phones under its belt. Suffice it to say, OnePlus is in a prime position to make a great foldable phone. Leaks have the “OnePlus Fold” pegged as a premium device with all the flagship frills attached. Here’s everything we know so far.

The marketing name of the foldable OnePlus phone might still be up in the air, but the device is in the pipeline for sure. In fact, it may be just around the corner (more on that in the next section). After years of rumors, OnePlus first teased the 2023 launch of the so-called OnePlus Fold during the OnePlus 11 launch event. Then during MWC 2023 in February, OnePlus further confirmed launch details for the upcoming foldable phone. So yes, we will see the OnePlus Fold, or whatever the company decides to call it, this year.

While OnePlus hasn’t shared the specifics of the OnePlus Fold launch, it has confirmed that the release will take place sometime in the second half of this year. Narrowing it down further, the company has teased a Q3 launch, which means the phone should be out before September ends. We’re guessing it will closely follow the launch of Samsung’s new foldable phones. In fact, a recent leak also claimed that we might see the OnePlus Fold as early as the first half of August. The phone is expected to launch globally, including in markets like the US and India. The UK should also be on the launch roster for OnePlus. As far as the rest of Europe is concerned, the availability of the OnePlus Fold might vary across countries. OPPO and OnePlus are embroiled in a legal battle with Nokia in the region, forcing the companies to reportedly scale down their presence in some markets.

The OnePlus Fold isn’t a clamshell-style device. Meaning it won’t fold and unfold like a flip phone. OnePlus is sticking to the more traditional book-style foldable format, which should be plenty clear with all the leaked renders shown in this article.

Officially, the company hasn’t divulged much about the folding handset, but has promised a “signature OnePlus fast and smooth experience.” We hope that means a smooth folding action, n0 display creasing, and a crisp software experience. Thankfully, leaks have given us plenty to think about. Reputed tipster OnLeaks has shared everything from the renders to a complete spec sheet for the OnePlus Fold.

Design

All-black renders of the folding OnePlus phone show a relatively slim foldable with several interesting design choices. We see flat edges, a pleather back that should feel very good to hold if done right, and an alert slider on the left side — a rarity for a foldable phone.

A large circular camera cutout at the back of the device is reminiscent of the OnePlus 11 and hosts three cameras in all, complete with Hasselblad branding. There’s also a punch-hole cutout in the left corner of the foldable screen and one at the center of the cover display.

The OnePlus Fold is shaping up to be a complete flagship. It is said to feature a 7.8-inch 2K AMOLED display on the inside, with a 6.3-inch AMOLED flanking the front. Both displays are expected to support a 120Hz refresh rate, though there could be differences in their minimum refresh rates if the LTPO tech differs.

In the camera department, we might see a 48MP primary sensor, a 48MP ultrawide sensor, and a 64MP telephoto camera sensor. The cover screen could feature a 32MP shooter for selfies, and the inside screen could get a 20MP selfie snapper.

The phone will likely ship with Android 13-based Oxygen OS 13.1, but it should be a prime candidate to get Android 14 once the software goes stable.

Given this is OnePlus’ first foldable phone, there’s no precedent that allows us to predict what it would cost. However, we don’t expect it to be cheaper than $1,000 for sure. When OPPO entered the foldable fray, it launched the Find N at around $1,200. That phone now has a follow-up —  the Find N2— which is similarly priced, starting at 7,999 Chinese Yuan (~$1,108). Being an OPPO sub-brand, one could argue that the OnePlus Fold would also follow a similar introductory pricing strategy, making it significantly cheaper than the likes of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Pixel Fold. Even a price of around $1,500 could be a sweet spot for OnePlus, depending on how many units it’s planning to move.

Of course, we’ll have to wait for more concrete details to surface regarding the price of the OnePlus Fold. With the renders and specs leaks out of the way, we’re guessing a price leak won’t be far off.