OnePlus just officially teased its first foldable phone (we think)

We’re several years into the emergence of the foldable phone market, and Samsung still rules the day. Aside from a few competitor devices that lack full global launches, Samsung essentially has a monopoly in this space. That is poised to change in 2023.

Case in point, we just saw what we think is an official teaser for the first OnePlus foldable phone. During the global OnePlus 11 launch, the company showed a teaser slide that appears to depict a foldable device. A launch window of Q3 2023 is all the company would say about it.

While it’s possible this could be some other kind of OnePlus product, all signs point to this being a foldable smartphone. We’ve heard plenty of rumors already about such a phone, and the teaser image is almost certainly a device with a foldable display. We even have rumored names: the OnePlus V Fold and OnePlus V Flip, the latter of which would be more like a Galaxy Z Flip. However, OnePlus didn’t go as far as to say anything about a foldable or give any firm details on what to expect.

If we’re correct, though, this is the first time OnePlus is officially referencing a foldable.

Rumors indicate that OnePlus’ take on the foldable smartphone could borrow heavily from OPPO’s Find N series of foldables. These foldables are smaller and more compact than the popular Galaxy Z Fold devices, but similarly open up like a book. Being that OPPO and OnePlus share R&D resources, it would make a lot of sense for OnePlus’ take to look a lot like the OPPO Find N2, but feature global software.

However, OnePlus didn’t post this teaser during its globally focused event. Instead, it made this announcement during the India-centric section, where it launched the OnePlus 11R, a new OnePlus TV, and a mechanical keyboard. It’s possible the OnePlus foldable could have a limited launch and not end up being too big of a competitor against Samsung. We’ll need to wait and see.