Only Apple can save foldables now

It's crazy what can happen in the span of three days. After explaining why I'm excited about the OnePlus Open 2, the company announced that it wouldn't actually be releasing a successor to the OnePlus Open.

In the Community Forum post, the reason for this is explained as being a "recalibration" while also giving props to the upcoming OPPO Find N5. It also says that OnePlus is "committed to developing products that will redefine multiple categories and bring you experiences that are as innovative and exciting as ever."

But here's the thing — the OnePlus Open and Find N3 were essentially the same phone, just with a different logo. The merging of OPPO and OnePlus has grown even more, as OxygenOS and Color OS are practically identical, just with the appropriate branding. So instead of following that recipe again, which clearly worked, OnePlus is taking a step back.

While the Find N5 will see a global release, it's highly unlikely that you'll be able to get one in the States unless you import one. Maybe OPPO will surprise us during the Find N5 launch event, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

So, what does this mean for foldable phones? Well, it certainly doesn't bode well for the state of foldable phones in North America. Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold is fantastic in most aspects. However, the Tensor G4 doesn't match up to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, let alone the newer Snapdragon 8 Elite. The cameras are better than that of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 but aren't as good as the Pixel 9 Pro.

Meanwhile, Samsung is more focused on figuring out ways to put its foldables on the back burner. For example, the stable version of One UI 7 is only available with the Galaxy S25 series, while the beta is still limited to just the Galaxy S24 series. And we have no idea or indication as to when Samsung's $1,800 phone will get the latest software update.

It's still a bit too early for even the rumor mill to start churning out information about the next Pixel foldable. And all signs point to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 being a slightly improved version of the Galaxy Z Fold SE that saw a limited release last year.

So, barring anything unexpected, we're in store for what will probably shake out to be another boring year. However, there seems to be a decent chance that won't be the case once 2026 rolls around.

A report has been making its rounds suggesting Apple will finally enter the foldable phone game in late 2026. The company has been rumored to be working on a foldable phone for years, but development reportedly picked up steam in late 2024, with Apple beginning to work with display manufacturers.

According to the report, Apple is expected to go with a book-style foldable with its first attempt. It is said to be 9.2mm thin when folded, while "the internal screen is comparable to two 6.1-inch phones folded together, resulting in a total size of over 12 inches."

I'm not 100% convinced that Apple would release an iPhone with such an enormous screen. I do think that we're going to end up with something that looks more like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and less like the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

At the end of the day, it's still just conjecture, and we're likely months away (at least) from any substantive rumors or leaks. And with OnePlus opting against releasing the Open 2 in 2025, things are looking pretty grim for foldable phones. With that in mind, Apple is probably now the only company that could spark excitement for foldable phones.

The aforementioned report suggests Apple will sell between eight and ten million units in 2026 before that number doubles to 20 million in 2027. Oh, and who would be making the display? Reportedly, it's "exclusively developed by Samsung."

So, while OnePlus ripped out my heart just in time for Valentine's Day, I might again need to rely on Apple to pick up the pieces of what's left. Seriously, man, this sucks.

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