OnePlus’ Open (review) was the company’s first foldable, which generally received solid reviews, thanks to its slim design and top-class cameras. The Open 2 is tipped to be delayed until next year due to the company working on incorporating beefier specifications like having the latest chipset. It seems there could be another vital change in tow that might position the upcoming device as the foldable phone to beat.
According to frequent leaker Digital Chat Station over on Weibo, OnePlus and its sister company Oppo are said to be working on a full-folding smartphone that will launch next year and fitted with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset. This was in line with the previous rumor of the next Open to skip the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and hit the scene in 2025.
Will it be a foldable smartphone with the largest battery capacity?
What’s more interesting in the report is how it described the handset as being in development and will sport a 6,000 mAh battery pack, which is significantly larger than the OnePlus Open’s 4,805 mAh battery capacity. In essence, that would make it carry roughly 20 percent more juice from the predecessor and boasting the biggest battery size in any foldable smartphone.
However, is this feasible without making compromises in weight and thickness? Well, OnePlus will most likely utilize its current newly developed technology called Glacier Battery, so, technically it’s already possible.
As a refresher, Glacier batteries are the same with lithium-ion cells but with more silicon content and use a new cell structure for improved density. This results in a higher density while still being lighter than current typical lithium-ion cells.
The OnePlus Ace 3 Pro that launched last month was the first to feature such technology, with the handset equipped with a 6,100 mAh battery capacity while measuring under 9 mm at its thinnest point and tipping the scale at 207 grams.
For what its worth, OnePlus could switch to the same battery design on the OnePlus Open 2 and even on the OnePlus 13, although we’re not really sure if the mentioned capacity will be achieved then.
At the same time, looking at the current foldable trends, many manufacturers are fitting larger batteries on their foldable smartphones. Hence, it’s not entirely surprising if future foldable devices will arrive with bigger cell capacities.
Do you think companies should focus on improving battery technologies on smartphones than inteoducing fancier features like AI? What is your opinion? We’re eager to hear your thoughts in the comments.
