The first OnePlus foldable, according to leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, could be just six months away.
OnePlus' new foldable phone, possibly called the OnePlus V Fold, will apparently debut in Q3 of this year, DCS claims. OnePlus already teased this date when launching the OnePlus 11, so we have no reason to doubt something new from OnePlus going to appear between July and September.
If it is a foldable as we suspect, it would be launching around the same time as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, likely its main rival.
DCS continues to explain that the OnePlus foldable will be based on the Oppo Find N2, a foldable phone from OnePlus' stable mate. As a result, the OnePlus device will be a "large-screen foldable," rather than a smaller flip-style foldable in the style of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4.
OnePlus V could get 2K display
Unlike the Find N2, the OnePlus foldable will apparently feature a higher 2K display resolution. The Find N2 sports a FHD screen on the outside and between FHD and QHD on the inside. So it would appear OnePlus is still getting some control over the phone it's producing, and has opted for a more sharper panel.
A 2K display wouldn't necessarily be better than the WQXA inner display of the Galaxy Z Fold 4/Z Fold 5. But the Z Fold is tall, skinny and bulky when folded, while the OnePlus could be much more comfortable to use and carry around if it keeps the Find N2's squatter overall shape.
We hope that OnePlus does keep some of the original Find N2's parts though. In our testing of the phone, we really liked the sturdy but unobtrusive hinge design, and the Hasselblad-tuned cameras, so OnePlus would be wise to keep those in place. One other change that would be welcome is a newer chipset, since the Find N2 features last year's Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 instead of the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip.
OnePlus V vs Galaxy Z Fold 5
With those specs, the OnePlus Fold V would likely prove a worthy challenger to the Galaxy Z Fold 5, since the Find N2 isn't sold outside of China. The Z Fold 5 may be getting some improvements of its own like a less obvious display crease, a 108MP main camera and an included S Pen stylus, but the OnePlus foldable could still be better because of its smaller, wider form factor and faster charging, a staple OnePlus feature.
With the exception of the critically panned Motorola Razr, Samsung has had zero competition in the U.S. when it comes to foldable phones. So it will be good to see the Galaxy Z Fold get a solid rival. The Google PIxel Fold is also rumored to launch as soon as this spring.
OnePlus is about to debut a concept phone at MWC, so perhaps we'll get another teaser for its foldable at the same event, as well as, we hope, more news on what's going on with the company's first tablet, the OnePlus Pad. Otherwise, it'll be a long wait until the third quarter of this year to see what OnePlus' first foldable will actually be like.
Stay tuned to Tom's Guide for any further OnePlus Fold V leaks and rumors.
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