OnePlus Open Apex Edition Vs OnePlus Open: What’s New?

OnePlus has announced a new variant of its debut foldable to take on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Vivo X Fold 3 Pro in India. The OnePlus Open Apex Edition sports a gorgeous burgundy color with the same hardware as before. You don’t get new AI features like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered Vivo and Samsung foldables, but there are still plenty of new features to talk about, including a dedicated security chip.

OnePlus Open Apex Edition Is The Same But Different

The OnePlus Open Apex Edition is a looker. It features a new color in the same comfortable-to-hold design. The company is calling it Crimson Shadow, inspired by the Hasselblad 503CW 60 Years Victor Red Edition.

OnePlus claims that the Hasselblad 503CW special edition camera “immortalizes one of the most precious hallmarks in Hasselblad’s history.” I have limited knowledge of historical cameras, but I can confirm that the textured faux leather finish gives it a premium look. The Alert Slider also makes it stand out with an orange accent.

You also get a similarly colored case in the box, which makes the phone thick but protects it from drops. In my five days of usage, I have accidentally dropped the new OnePlus Open once, and it survived. It’s a solid phone that can survive accidents (also, IPX4 rated for water resistance). However, if you need a case, the one provided in the box is great.

Similar to the regular OnePlus Open, the Apex Edition also features a CD-pattern-like finish alongside the camera module, which gives it more personality. When compared, both Samsung and Vivo foldables feel slippery and less comfortable in the hand than the new OnePlus device.

OnePlus Open Apex Edition Vs OnePlus Open: Added Functionality

The OnePlus Open Apex Edition comes equipped with a dedicated security chip and a new VIP mode. It is said to offer “extreme levels of security to put control of your privacy back in your hands.”

The chipset has also earned CC EAL5+ security certification, while the NFC security chipset is CC EAL6+ and EMVCo certified. All of these certifications are internationally recognized, making the phone more secure, at least on paper.

As for the VIP mode, I used it first on the Oppo Find X7 Ultra in April. You can toggle it by pushing the Alert Slider to the top. Instead of Ring, Vibrate, and Silent, you get Ring, Silent, and VIP mode on the Alert Slider.

When in use, the mode blocks camera and microphone access to protect you from eavesdropping. You can continue using all the apps and stay connected to the internet but without camera and microphone access to these apps. I haven’t found it useful in my daily life yet, but it might appeal to business professionals.

Apart from this, the OnePlus Open Apex Edition offers 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage—double that of the regular OnePlus Open.

The rest of the specifications remain the same. It weighs 239 grams, gets the best cover screen aspect ratio, and offers a solid set of cameras. You can read my OnePlus Open Review to learn more about the device.

Not An AI Phone. But Does It Matter?

Both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Vivo X Fold 3 Pro are powered by the current-gen Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset and, as a result, get AI advantages. You get nice-to-have features like live translation, note summaries, and more. The new Pixel foldable is also set to make its way to India this time and add to the growing list of AI features.

The OnePlus Open Apex Edition does none of that (okay, one of that). It’s got AI Eraser and AI Cutout features, which were also rolled out on the regular OnePlus Open recently. There are no exclusive software AI features, but here’s why you should still care about the new OnePlus foldable.

The usability of these AI features remains questionable, and I don’t think they solely warrant a purchase—yet. The OnePlus Open Apex Edition is promised to get three years of major Android OS upgrades and four years of security updates, which falls behind Samsung’s seven year software support for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Pro.

Nonetheless, if you are in the market for a new foldable phone, OnePlus Open remains the best value-for-money foldable you can buy right now. And it’s new Crimson Shadow variant still undercuts the competition.

OnePlus Open Apex Edition vs OnePlus Open: Price And Availability

The OnePlus Open Apex Edition is priced at $1,900 / 1,49,999 Indian Rupees (INR), and will go on sale starting August 10. It’s INR 10,000 more than the launch price of regular OnePlus Open, which is now selling for as low as INR 1,20,000. It is still the most affordable foldable phone you can buy in India.

As for the offers on the new OnePlus Open option, you can avail no cost EMI up to 12 months across leading bank cards; and Instant Bank Discount of INR 20,000 with ICICI Bank Cards. You can also opt for a 24-month no cost EMI option through Paper Finance across all offline channels, as well as avail exchange bonus of INR 8,000.

The OnePlus Red Cable Club members can also enjoy an additional Linked Device Benefit worth INR 5,000 on OnePlus.in. Current and new Jio post-paid users purchasing the new device can also enjoy other benefits worth INR 2,250 upon recharge.

There’s also an Easy Upgrades program along with 24 months of no-cost EMI option for the ICICI Bank customers purchasing the device offline.