Rumours suggest that OnePlus could be entering the world of foldable phones. Initial reports say the device will be a slight variation on the Oppo Find N which has been picking up excellent reviews since its recent launch.

Here’s all we know so far about the as yet unnamed OnePlus foldable phone. 

When will the OnePlus foldable phone be released?

OnePlus has yet to actually confirm that it will release a foldable device, so there’s no indication of when or if it might arrive. That being said, the rumour mill has been quite active with news of a potential release.

OnePlus already has quite a collection of phones expected to arrive in 2022, including the OnePlus Nord 2T, OnePlus Nord N20, OnePlus 10 Ultra, and OnePlus Nord 3 – having already launched the OnePlus 10 Pro – so it’s possible that the foldable may be something that’s planned for 2023 instead.

You never know though, OnePlus could well surprise us with a sudden announcement and unveil its first foldable before the end of the year.   

How much will the OnePlus foldable phone cost?

As with the release date, we don’t have any solid details about how much you’ll need to spend to buy a foldable phone from OnePlus. What we do know is that many rumours suggest that the OnePlus foldable will be heavily based on the Oppo Find N, so we can use that device’s prices as a guide. 

Here’s how much the Oppo Find N costs in China, where it’s on sale now:

• Oppo Find N (8GB/256GB): ¥7699 (approx £929/€1,111/$1,208)
• Oppo Find N (12GB/512GB): ¥8999 (approx £1,085/€1,299/$1,413)

If the rumours are true, then the OnePlus foldable could have very similar price points to that of those listed above. 

What specs and features will we see in the OnePlus foldable phone?

Indian tech site PriceBaba was where the strongest rumours about the OnePlus foldable originated. In April it posted a story outlining that the new foldable would be “a copy of Oppo’s Find N.” This was in collaboration with tech reporter Yogesh Brar who regularly contributes to sites like 91Mobiles, which specialises in leaks about new devices. 

This isn’t as unusual as it might sound, because OnePlus is one of the subsidiary companies of BBK Electronics, which also owns Oppo, Realme and Vivo. We’ve also seen in the recent past that the two brands in question now share teams for R&D and design.

We’ve already reported on the rumours that the OnePlus 10 won’t be released, but will appear as the Oppo Reno 8 instead. So, it seems that this could now be a more frequent occurrence going forward. 

It could be that BBK is looking at developing different brands in particular marketplaces. OnePlus is well established in the US, UK, and European markets, so it could be a strategy that OnePlus launches essentially the same device as Oppo, but for the West, while Oppo will focus on the Asian markets where the name recognition is stronger.

With the Vivo X Fold unveiled in April 2022, it would seem reasonable to assume that the remaining BBK companies, OnePlus and Realme, enter the fray quite soon, which would be made much easier by the sharing of technologies across their brands. 

With this in mind, we can use the Oppo Find N as the blueprint for the OnePlus foldable, which means it should line up something like this:

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
• 8/12GB LPDDR5 RAM
• 256/512GB UFS 3.1 storage (non-expandable)
• 5.49in 18:9 (1972×988) 60Hz outer display with Gorilla Glass Victus
• 7.1in 8.4:9 WUSXGA (1792×1920) dynamic LTPO 1Hz to 120Hz AMOLED folding display’ with ‘Flexion’ Schott UTG (ultra-thin glass)
• Rear cameras:
  • 50Mp Sony IMX766 f/1.8 main sensor w/ OIS
  • 16Mp f/2.2 ultrawide sensor
  • 13Mp f/2.4 telephoto sensor
• 32Mp f/2.4 front-facing hole-punch camera (both internal and external display)
• Android 11 w/ ColorOS 12
• Ceramic camera plate
• Gorilla Glass Victus back panel
• Side-mounted fingerprint sensor/power key
• Face unlock
• Stereo speakers w/ Dolby Atmos
• X-axis linear motor
• Bluetooth 5.2
• 5G
• NFC
• USB-C
• 4500mAh battery
• 33W SuperVOOC wired charging (55% in 30 minutes, 100% in 70 minutes)
• 15W AirVOOC wireless charging (Qi also supported)
• 10W reverse wireless charging
• 275 grams
• 132.6mm x 73mm x 15.9mm (closed)
• Colours: Starry Night (black), Cloud (white), Floating Light (iridescent purple)

It’s a more compact form factor compared to the Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 that’s expected to launch this year, and you’ll be able to read our full review of the Oppo Find N very soon. This should give you a better idea of how the OnePlus device will shape up when it finally arrives. 

Until then, you can check out our guides to the best new phones coming in 2022 as well as the best phone deals to see if you can pick up a bargain.