With a launch date set for sometime this year, OnePlus might just be the last major Android brand jumping into the foldable space… but like they say, it’s more important to do it right than to do it first.
OnePlus isn’t one to shy from innovation. They’ve made phones with electrochromic glass, they even designed a fluid cooling system into the OnePlus 11 Concept which debuted at MWC this year, and the phone maker is now ready to debut their first foldable, allegedly dubbed the OnePlus V Fold. Set for a launch sometime this year, the V Fold features the same book-like folding style of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, the Oppo Find N2, and the Google Pixel Fold. Thanks to these rendered images based on leaks provided to Smartprix and OnLeaks, we have a pretty detailed look at the upcoming foldable, along with a few strong speculations on the hardware front too.
Designers: OnLeaks & Smartprix
Based on the phone’s folding format, it will feature a primary folding screen and a full-size secondary screen on the front, prompting folded as well as unfolded use. As has been the case with a lot of OnePlus phones in the past, this device will have a camera system powered in collaboration with Hasselblad, and even though the circular camera bump feels a lot like the one on the OnePlus 11, there’s a slight deviation in the form of an offset flash module that sits on the top left corner. The camera setup is rumored to include a 50MP main camera and a telephoto lens for periscope zoom functionality. The phone is speculated to have two selfie cameras, both rumored at 32MP each. The back looks to be made from faux leather, giving the phone a premium touch along with that extra bit of grip needed to hold the hefty device. After all, nobody likes dropping their phone, especially when it’s an expensive foldable.
Based on credible rumors, the V Fold will sport a 2K AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a triple-speaker setup for stereo audio. The phone itself is expected to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or an upgraded Snapdragon 8+ Gen 2 chipset, alongside a 4800mAh battery with 100W SuperVOOC charging.
Given OnePlus’ close association with OPPO, the phone is also expected to sport the Flexion metal hinge seen in OPPO’s Find N2. This unique hinge helped the smartphone have a smaller, slimmer design and it’s speculated that the OnePlus V Fold will benefit from that bit of innovation too. While the faux leather back seems to be a pretty distinct part of the phone, the V Fold will probably come with regular glass variants too (yet another design detail taken from the OPPO playbook).
A close look at OnLeaks’ renders shows the reappearance of the beloved alert slider, whose disappearance in the OnePlus 10 created quite an uproar in the community. While the alert slider makes its way back to the phone, the power button is also expected to have a fingerprint sensor built into it, circumventing the need for a fingerprint sensor underneath the display. Whether this is accepted by the OnePlus fan base is yet to be determined.
The OnePlus V Fold is expected to launch in Q3 this year, with a focus on sales in India, China, and the US. The price, meanwhile, is yet to be determined, although given the OPPO Find N2’s $1050 price tag upon launch, expect the OnePlus V Fold to start in the $1,000 ballpark.
Image Credits: OnLeaks & Smartprix
