OnePlus Open 2 Reportedly Shelved After Years of Anticipation

Back in 2023, OnePlus took the foldable market by storm with its debut OnePlus Open book-style folding phone. It checked all the boxes and delivered above and beyond, shining a powerful beacon for what the forceable future will look like. Turns out, it was all for nothing as the much awaited OnePlus Open 2 might just stand cancelled.

OnePlus might never launch the Open 2

Tech publication SmartPrix has exclusively revealed that OnePlus has pulled the plug on OnePlus Open 2. The second-generation folding phone, which was expected to launch in Q3 2026, now stands shelved.

Although the brand has not officially confirmed the report, the likelihood of this happening is not at all surprising. OnePlus was expected to follow up the OnePlus Open with the next model in 2024 itself. However, that never happened. It issued a clarification in 2025 that OnePlus Open 2 will launch in 2026, skipping two years in total. Now, after such a long wait, there is more sense in the phone being called off than just a delayed launch.

Now, the exact reason why this might be happening is unclear. However, we can guess two immediate factors. The first and foremost is the ongoing memory and storage chip crisis. Amidst rising costs and exponentially thin margins, the OnePlus Open 2 makes sense in 2026 only if the brand decides to absorb the memory market costs. However, that won't likely happen. The OnePlus 15 and 15R are evidence of that.

Secondly, this is also the year Apple is said to debut the iPhone Fold. We are at a stage where the foldable market has exponentially advanced and OnePlus Open 2 will need to make some serious statements to battle the competition. It makes little sense for the smartphone to arrive when the Oppo Find N6 and Oppo Find N7 are already planning to pit against Apple and Samsung.

Both phones are said to launch this year and for those unaware, the OnePlus Open 2 would have been a rebranded Oppo Find N6. So, it could be that since Oppo is the parent company of OnePlus, it wants to establish itself in the market with its sixth and seventh generation foldables.

So, while fans might never get to experience the pinnacle of OnePlus's foldable, there is still a glimmer of hope. The Oppo Find N6 is still happening. It is expected to arrive as the world's first Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 foldable in Q1 2026.

Rumours claim that the smartphone will also define the next phase of folding phones with specs like an 8.12-inch 2K LTPO inner screen with 165 Hz refresh rate, a 6.62-inch cover display, 50 MP cameras, a 6,000mAh battery and more.  

That said, since this is speculation at the time of writing, it's best to wait for OnePlus to issue a formal statement. If the OnePlus Open 2 is indeed cancelled, Oppo might bring the Find N6 here, since Vivo already makes its foldable available in India.