OnePlus Open Apex Edition unveiled — new AI photo tools and a stunning color

OnePlus Open Apex Edition in three different colors. — (Image credit: OnePlus)

We're unlikely to see a sequel to the OnePlus Open this year. But we are getting a new variant on the device that grabbed the best foldable phone crown away from Samsung and its two folding devices.

OnePlus says it plans to release the OnePlus Open Apex Edition, a variation of the current foldable device from the phone maker. The Apex Edition debuts at a launch event next week on August 7, with a European launch following later this month. We're hopeful that the phone reaches the U.S., too, but we'll have to wait until that August 7 event for more details.

The OnePlus Open Apex Edition will certain turn some heads with its Crimson Shadow colorway — an apparent nod to the Hasselblad 503CW 60 Years Victor Red Edition camera. (Lens specialist Hasselblad has partnered with OnePlus to improve the camera performance on recent flagships, including the OnePlus Open.)

But the OnePlus Open Apex Edition offers more than just a fresh coat of paint. While OnePlus didn't announce full details about the new model, it says that the phone will offer enhanced storage, AI image editing features, and additional security capabilities. Looking at the listing for the OnePlus Open Apex Edition on the OnePlus Store, there's also the hint of more RAM than the 16GB that came with the original OnePlus Open.

When we reviewed that phone last year, we praised the OnePlus Open's take on multitasking, as well as its thin and light design. But the phone is very light on AI features — something it sounds like OnePlus hopes to correct with the addition of new AI photo editing capabilities in the Apex Edition.

The arrival of this version of the OnePlus Open comes less than a month after Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold 6, a direct rival to the OnePlus phone that features new Galaxy AI capabilities, including some optimized for phone with a foldable design. At the same time, Samsung also raised the price on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 by $100 over its predecessor, so it will be interesting to see how much the Apex Edition costs relative to the $1,699 OnePlus Open.

It's certainly a competitive time for foldable phones that feature the open-book design found on the OnePlus Open and Galaxy Z Fold 6. Another phone that uses that design — the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold — has already been confirmed for the Made by Google hardware event on August 13. That phone is the sequel to the Pixel Fold that debuted last year and proved to be a formidable rival to the foldables from OnePlus and Samsung.

As for a true OnePlus Open sequel, we're not expecting to see one this year due to reports that OnePlus is eyeing a 2025 launch for that version. Reportedly, OnePlus wants to use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset in its OnePlus Open follow-up, and that new silicon isn't going to be available until Qualcomm announces it in October at its annual tech summit.

In the meantime, we've got the OnePlus Open Apex Edition to tide us over. We'll find out just what this new foldable has to offer on August 7.

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Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.