OnePlus Open foldable phone reportedly delayed, here's why and what to do about it

OnePlus Open, the company’s first foldable phone, is missing the original deadline for its launch. Initially scheduled to arrive on August 29, the launch of the OnePlus Open foldable phone has reportedly been pushed back because the company decided to make a last-minute change to the phone’s internals.

Tipster Max Jambor — who has a pretty good record when it comes to phone-related leaks — said on Twitter that OnePlus decided to change the supplier for display panels from China’s BOE to Samsung, causing an unprecedented delay in the launch. The leak said that the switch from using BOE panels to Samsung panels could allow OnePlus to get rid of whatever issues the company was facing with manufacturing, it certainly has caused the Chinese company to set a different timeline for the launch of the first foldable phone.

Open Launch got pushed back a bit, but no worries the delay is actually good in a way

Open was supposed to have a BOE screen but turns out it was 👎🏼 – new panels are from Samsung ✅

Stay tuned for an exciting device!
More to follow 🔜

— Max Jambor (@MaxJmb) August 1, 2023

The new development — although not official — could be slightly disappointing for OnePlus loyalists who have been waiting for the brand’s first foldable phone, especially at a time when nearly all leading brands using the Android ecosystem have their respective foldable phones. The market is already borderline crowded but the demand is still not as much as that for conventional phones. For that to happen, Samsung, a leader in the foldable phones market, will need to re-strategise pricing to reach the masses, and Apple must accelerate its foldable phone project. And that is why the delay might not impact the sales of OnePlus’ foldable phone much.

So, what does it mean for you?

If you have been waiting for the OnePlus Open, which makes sense considering the leaked specifications and the officially teased photos paint an appealing image of what the phone is going to be, you are out of luck for a few more days. A new timeline for the launch is unclear, which means you either extend your wait to get your hands on the new OnePlus Open or just go for an alternative. If you think you can wait a little more, there is a high chance OnePlus Open will not be available in all its markets at once. OnePlus might choose to launch the foldable in phases, which also applies to markets such as India where demand for foldable phones is still very low.

Choosing the second option makes more sense because even though the Indian market lacks all the options available for foldables, you are not missing out much. Google, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Oppo have still not launched their foldable phones in India. It is just Samsung and Tecno that offer full-fledged foldable phones. So, you have all the recent Samsung Galaxy Z Fold devices available to buy, including older models that are heavily discounted. And if looking away from the OnePlus Open has got you eyeing flip phones, you can go for Samsung, Motorola, and Oppo.