A foldable phone revolution is exploding all over the smartphone market like a newborn volcano. Google recently launched its Google Pixel Fold, although it's been a bit of a disaster. Thanks to a report from SamMobile, we're hearing that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will launch on July 26 at the Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. But wait, there's more.
The true upstart in the foldable fight club will certainly be the launch of the OnePlus Fold, and it's coming faster than you think. According to leaker Max Jambor, the OnePlus Fold will launch on August 29, adding a new pugilist to the fray. Why is this such a big deal? As I have recently reported, the upcoming OP Fold will come with flagship specs, and we know OnePlus tends to bring flagship quality at an affordable price, which could shake things up a bit.
Yes, I can confirm OnePlus Open will be unveiled on August 29th ✅https://t.co/JDsKCxn2ghJuly 13, 2023
Who will win the foldable championship belt?
The foldable market is hotter than a vacation on Venus as every phone maker on Earth seems to be dropping them faster than water evaporates in the Venetian atmosphere. Initially, everyone was very excited about the Google Pixel Fold launch until reports of fragility started to pop up.
For its part, Samsung has been the king of the foldable thus far, with its Z Fold 4 being a win for the company and gaining fandom along with its lineup sibling, the Galaxy Z Flip 4. However, Samsung's skin of Android is abusive and filled with bloatware, and for many, it's a major negative people choose to live. However, if not the best, OnePlus's Oxygen OS is among the best Android skins.
Meanwhile, OnePlus is known for swinging for the fences and delivering flagship quality devices at a better price point, which has started to make rivals take notice. The OnePlus 11 had our reviewer retire his iPhone. With rumors that the OnePlus 12 will level up its camera module to include a periscope camera, the maker is again throwing left and right haymakers at its larger rivals.
This brings up back to the OP Fold; some rumors have it being launched with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, while others are saying since it is throwing right after Qualcomm is set to launch its Gen 3 chipset, it may come with this chipset instead.
Even if it were to come with the QS8 Gen 2, it is still a super powerful chipset, and when coupled with the rumored 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, the OP Fold will be a serious contender in this space. It will overtake and knock out the Pixel Fold unless it also suffers from a fragility issue.
In this scenario, the OnePlus Fold vs. the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be left, which we expect to arrive with Samsungs dedicated version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset or the Gen. Rumors say either is possible. Still, I am betting on the Gen 3, at least 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of Storage for the Z Fold 5.
The two things that may separate the OP Fold and the Z Fold 5 are camera performance which Samsung is an industry leader, while OnePlus's Hasselblad-tuned cameras are quickly catching up. Possibly the company is hoping to surpass Samsung this time around. Lastly, the main thing that could contribute to OnePlus knocking out the Z Fold 5 is price. OnePlus tends to deliver excellent specs at a lower price point. The Current Z Fold 5 will run you nearly $1,149 (almost $1,200) before taxes. If OnePlus delivers its foldable for under $1,000 or above, it can win this battle, as the new Z Fold 5 will initially be in the $1,500 range.
That all said, may the foldable phone Kumate begin!
