OnePlus Open 2 may launch early next year — but without this big upgrade

News
By published

A release in early 2025, but no quad-camera array

OnePlus Open held in the hand.
(Image credit: Future)

The OnePlus Open 2, sequel to our current best foldable phone, should be launching early next year according to new rumors.

Tipster Teme (@Rodent950) claims that the Open 2 and the Oppo Find N5, the phone the Open will be based on, will both arrive in Q1 next year. That could mean any point between January and the end of March, so don't mark your calendar just yet.

A 2025 release for the OnePlus Open 2 had been rumored before, although without the specificity of Teme's new claim.

If you weren't aware, OnePlus and Oppo are partnered companies, sharing tech between their products. This is why the original OnePlus Open is based on the Oppo Find N3, and so it makes sense that the next Open will build on the Find N5 (skipping N4 due to Chinese superstition about the number 4).

Flagship foldables without flagship cameras

There's a second part to Teme's rumor that's extra spicy — that Oppo/OnePlus apparently tried its flagship quad camera array from the upcoming Find X8 Ultra on the new foldable. Sadly, it seems that this test didn't yield the results the companies wanted so the Open 2/ Find N5 now uses three rear cameras like the original Open/Find N3.

It'll be disappointing if there are no camera upgrades to these next-gen foldables. But having four rear cameras sounds like it would have made these phones much larger, and a lot more expensive, so perhaps it's still for the best that the cameras remain modest.

The OnePlus Open is almost a year old, but remains the top of our best foldable phones page thanks to its thin body but wide inner and outer displays plus its Open Canvas multitasking software that makes working between apps much easier than rival foldables such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. While the OnePlus Open Apex Edition has launched recently with a new color and more RAM, it's been almost a year since the OnePlus Open launched. And it sounds as if it could be close to a year and a half by the sequel arrives.

While it's a shame we've still got some time to wait, the OnePus Open 2 is tipped to get some good upgrades. It may feature a 6,000 mAh battery, which is huge for any phone, let alone a foldable with limited inner space, while still possibly being the world's new thinnest foldable phone. Other standout features include a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset, a 50MP main camera, the addition of IP-rated water resistance, and the return of the classic OnePlus alert slider.

More from Tom's Guide

Richard Priday
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.