There has never been a wider choice of great smartphones for photography, and the choice has just got harder – OnePlus has announced its first folding smartphone, the OnePlus Open.
As well as a very slim design for a folding phone, it’s got a powerful triple camera set-up – a rarity among folding devices that we’ve seen so far, including the Samsung Galaxy Fold 5. The primary camera is a 48MP ‘pixel stacked’ device with optical image stabilisation, backed up by a 64MP periscope telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and image stabilisation. This is the largest telephoto sensor ever used on a foldable phone, according to OnePlus.
Finally, there is a 48MP ultra-wide camera with autofocus. The Open also comes with two selfie cameras – a 20MP sensor on the main display and a 32MP camera on the cover screen.
The OnePlus Open is the first foldable smartphone to feature Sony’s new line of LYT-T808 image sensors. The relatively large 1/1.43-inch sensor features a redesigned pixel architecture that boosts light intake and storage within a smaller physical footprint. Instead of arranging pixels on the same plane (side by side), the ‘Dual-Layer Transistor Pixel’ architecture separates and stacks two layers of pixel transistors below the photodiodes.
According to OnePlus, this doubles the maximum light intake and enables brighter, clearer images with less risk of overexposure.
In addition, the new Open features the Hasselblad Portrait Mode, designed in tandem with the storied Swedish company. OnePlus claims this works particularly well in low light, emulating the kind of bokeh and flare effects seen in Hasselblad cameras fitted with XCD 3,5/30, 2,8/65 and 2,5/90V lenses
Available in Emerald Dusk, the OnePlus Open will go on sale 26th October, with pre-orders running from the 20-25th October, and is priced at £1699 / £1599 – pricing it very competitively against its biggest rivals from Samsung and Google. It is available exclusively via oneplus.com in the UK.
Read our full OnePlus Open review.
FromOnePlus
Global technology brand OnePlus today announced the global launch of its new folding flagship smartphone, the OnePlus Open. First of its kind for OnePlus, the OnePlus Open is set to disrupt the foldable market with its uncompromising specifications, bringing together OnePlus’ signature Fast & Smooth user experience, a Hasselblad Camera for Fold, and immersive spatial entertainment, all in an ultra-portable, modern elegant foldable design.
“The word ‘Open’ not only represents a new folding form factor, but also our openness to explore new possibilities allowed by bleeding-edge tech-solutions on the market. OnePlus Open provides unparalleled hardware, innovative software features and services built around the new form factor, continuing to live up to OnePlus’s Never Settle belief.” said Kinder Liu, President and COO of OnePlus.
“With the launch of OnePlus Open, we are thrilled to be bringing an uncompromising flagship foldable experience to users worldwide. The OnePlus Open will be a true flagship that is set to revolutionize the foldable market.”
Hasselblad Camera for Imaging beyond Pros
OnePlus Open features a revolutionary set of triple main camera setup. At the heart of this is a 48MP SONY LYTIA-T808 “Pixel Stacked” primary camera with OIS, complemented by a 64MP periscope telephoto with 6x in-sensor lossless zoom and OIS, and a 48MP ultra-wide angle camera with AutoFocus. Rear cameras aside, the Open also comes with two selfie cameras – a 20MP sensor on the main display and a 32MP camera on cover screen.
OnePlus Open is the first foldable smartphone to debut Sony’s new line of revolutionary image sensor in LYT-T808. The 1/1.43-inch large sensor boast a 1.12μm pixel size. Also known as “Dual-Layer Transistor Pixel”, the “Pixel Stacked” technology features a redesigned pixel architecture that boost light in-take and storage within a smaller physical footprint. Instead of arranging pixels on the same plane (side by side), the “Dual-Layer Transistor Pixel” architecture separates and stacks two layers of pixel transistors below the photodiodes.
This allows for major expansion of light capacity, doubling the maximum light in-take and storage (Full Well Capacity), and hence allows for brighter, clearer images with significantly less overexposure very much on par with that of the IMX989, the most advanced Sony IMX 1-inch sensor that still retains a conventional pixel-structure today.
The OnePlus Open is configured to allow the best possible imaging on focal lengths most commonly used by consumers, from 0.6X to 10X. Main camera aside, the Open brings a customed 64MP telephoto camera with OIS that will not only allow for 3X optical and 6X lossless in-sensor zoom, but up to 120X Ultra Res Zoom. Here, physically customization of the sensor is crucial. Its periscope zoom construction and customed d-cut made on lens exterior allow for perfect fitting into a device as thin as the Open – allows exactly 23% more light into the sensor than one without. Most importantly, this is the largest telephoto sensor ever utilized on a foldable at 1/2-inch and this ensures quality telephoto imaging even in low-light.
While the best main and telephoto camera on any fold ensures the quality of portrait images, OnePlus leverages the Hasselblad partnership to bring an improved Hasselblad Portrait Mode. Works particularly well in low-light, revolutionary cameras onboard the OnePlus Open works in tandem to deliver DSLR-level depth-tracking, bokeh and flare effects captured by Hasselblad cameras fitted with XCD 3,5/30, 2,8/65 and 2,5/90V lenses.
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