OnePlus Open Apex Edition is a gorgeous upgrade that adds VIP mode to the foldable

The OnePlus Open has been my favorite foldable going into this year, as it gets a lot of things right as a top Android smartphone. The Open is due for a refresh, but early leaks have suggested that its successor, a presumed OnePlus Open 2, is possibly delayed to Q1 2025. Competitors have refreshed their book-style foldables, so OnePlus still needs something to stay in the limelight. The OnePlus Open Apex Edition is the answer to that puzzle, bringing over some key changes to the original and much-loved Open.

OnePlus Open Apex Edition: What’s different from the standard OnePlus Open?

New Crimson Shadow color

The OnePlus Open Apex Edition comes in a gorgeous new Crimson Shadow color. It’s a striking shade of red that, depending on how the light hits the back, is somewhere between crimson, wine red, and deep burgundy. The shade of red extends across the back and onto the camera ring.

OnePlus says this color is inspired by the Hasselblad 503CW 60 Years Victor Red Edition. While I do not know enough about that camera, I can confidently say that the OnePlus Open Apex Edition undoubtedly looks beautiful and unique.

The mid-frame has a shiny and smooth chrome-like finish, which does pick up fingerprints but is easy to clean, too. Coupled with the faux leather texture, the Open Apex Edition has the unique CMF that one expects out of a top flagship that isn’t just a conventional candy bar glass sandwich.

There’s also a case in the box that matches the phone’s red theme. OnePlus’s power cable is also red in color, but that is closer to the red used in the company’s logo than the Open Apex Edition, while the charging adapter has a standard white look.

New look for the Alert Slider

Another difference on the OnePlus Open Apex Edition is the signature OnePlus Alert Slider, which has a different look compared to the standard Open. The Alert Slider’s textured pattern houses a strip of orange accent that gives it a nice visual contrast.

1TB storage

To set itself further apart, the OnePlus Open Apex Edition comes with 1TB of storage, which is an upgrade from the regular OnePlus Open’s 512GB UFS 4.0 internal storage.

The phone is still powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, coupled with 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. This is still quite a practical SoC, even though it is overshadowed by the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. I would have preferred to see the new SoC on this phone, but it makes sense that the company would be saving an SoC upgrade for the second generation of this foldable rather than just a new variant.

VIP Mode to instantly revoke camera and microphone permissions of all apps

Not everyone knows this, but the original OnePlus Open features the GSEA0, an independent security chip. This chip has an ARM SC300 Core clocked at 96MHz and 1.5MB of user-available flash memory. It is used for biometric data encryption, file encryption, system secret keys, and lost phone protection.

In addition to the security chip, the OnePlus Open Apex Edition also comes with a VIP mode mapped to the Alert Slider’s topmost position.

When activated, VIP mode blocks access to the camera and microphone at the software level, so apps cannot access them (even if they were already accessing them when VIP mode is activated).

You could achieve something similar by revoking all apps’ camera and microphone permissions from within Settings > Security and privacy > Privacy, but VIP mode lets you turn off these permissions with just one slide. Curiously, there is no toggle within the settings app for VIP mode, so you have to rely on the Alert Slider to enter this mode. I also could not locate any way to remap the Alert Slider, in case you don’t care about the VIP mode.

Software updates: Same as the standard OnePlus Open

The OnePlus Open Apex Edition launches with Oxygen OS 14 based on Android 14 and will get three Android version upgrades and four years of security upgrades.

On the surface, this may look less than the four Android version upgrades and five years of security upgrades promised for the standard edition. However, the standard edition launched in October 2023 with Android 13 out of the box and has received subsequent updates as part of the software update promise. At this point, the standard edition is left with three Android version upgrades and a little over four years of security upgrades.

In effect, since both are essentially the same phone, their software support window is the same even though the duration of support is different.

OnePlus Open Apex Edition pricing and availability

The OnePlus Open Apex Edition comes in a single 16GB RAM and 1TB storage variant and will cost $1,899.99 / Rs. 1,49,999. It will be sold through OnePlus’ official website and other retail partners. In the US, limited units of the phone will be available from August 8, 2024, until stock lasts. You can get a $300 discount with the code 1TBFORLIFE, which can be applied during checkout. OnePlus is also offering a Keyboard 81 Pro worth $219 as a pre-order gift, or you can also swap to a OnePlus Buds Pro 2 worth $180 if that’s what you prefer.

The Apex Edition will be available in India from August 10, 2024. OnePlus is offering discounts of up to Rs. 20,000 when purchasing the phone with cards from partner banks. Pricing and availability details for the EU will be revealed on August 27.

For context, the standard variant with 512GB storage is available for $ 1,699.99 / Rs. 1,39,999, though you could get it for lower at times with applicable discounts.

Do you like the OnePlus Open Apex Edition? Let us know in the comments below!