The Foldable Phone Showdown: OnePlus Open vs Vivo X Fold 3 Pro – Which One Reigns Supreme?
The world of foldable phones is rapidly evolving, and 2023 saw the arrival of two compelling contenders: the OnePlus Open and the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro. Both these devices brought innovative designs and impressive features to the Indian market, challenging the dominance of Samsung in the foldable space. But which one comes out on top? This in-depth comparison delves into the key features, performance, and shortcomings of each phone to help you decide which one truly deserves a spot in your pocket.
A Tale of Two Designs: Slimness vs Usability
Both the OnePlus Open and the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro embrace the book-style foldable form factor, but their design approaches diverge significantly. While OnePlus aimed for a balanced design, Vivo went to extremes to create the thinnest foldable. This makes the X Fold 3 Pro remarkably slim, both when folded and unfolded. However, this pursuit of thinness comes at the cost of a slightly less comfortable grip compared to the OnePlus Open’s grippy vegan leather rear panel.
The Open: A More Practical Fold
The OnePlus Open, despite not being as slim as the X Fold 3 Pro, boasts a more practical design for one-handed use. Its shorter cover display makes it incredibly comfortable to use with one hand, while the Vivo, despite its slimness, requires two hands to comfortably navigate due to its taller cover display.
The Fold 3 Pro: Pushing the Boundaries of Thinness
The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro utilizes tapered corners and curved display edges to create a more elegant and less boxy experience. The phone’s slimness leaves a striking impression, but its glass back is prone to slipping.
Software: OnePlus’s Streamlined Approach vs Vivo’s Unfinished Symphony
While both phones deliver impressive performance, their software experiences diverge greatly. OnePlus, with its first-ever foldable, surprised everyone with a remarkably polished and fluid OxygenOS. App scaling, multitasking, and the Open Canvas feature all function flawlessly, resulting in a seamless and comfortable experience that is particularly impressive for a first-time foldable offering.
Vivo’s Software: Promises More than it Delivers
On the other hand, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, despite featuring a plethora of software and hardware features, falls short on execution. While the Desktop AOD mode is a welcome addition, a significant issue plaguing the X Fold 3 Pro is unoptimized app scaling. Many apps, including numerous Google apps, fail to stretch to fit the display when held horizontally, leaving a black bar on the left side. This issue, persistent despite software updates, makes the software feel unfinished and ultimately detracts from the user experience.
Performance: Powerhouse Performance with a Cooling Advantage
Both phones are powerhouses, fuelled by top-tier chipsets. The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro boasts the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, while the OnePlus Open relies on the slightly older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Despite this difference, both devices deliver fluid performance with 16GB of RAM, ensuring a smooth experience.
Vivo Takes the Heat
In a surprising twist, the thinner Vivo X Fold 3 Pro manages heat better than the OnePlus Open, even during demanding tasks like gaming, outdoor usage, and camera operation. This makes the Vivo a more comfortable device for prolonged use under pressure.
Benchmarks
Here’s a glimpse into the raw performance of both devices:
Benchmark | Vivo X Fold 3 Pro (Cover/Main) | OnePlus Open (Cover/Main) |
---|---|---|
AnTuTu v10 | 20,51,650 / 20,63,526 | 13,05,500 / 12,64,480 |
PCMark Work 3.0 | 14,489 / 14,251 | 10,276 / 10,521 |
Geekbench V6 Single | 2,143 / 2,167 | 1,426 / 1,056 |
Geekbench V6 Multi | 6,562 / 6,800 | 4,096 / 4,114 |
GFXB T-rex | 120 / 120 | 60 / 60 |
GFXB Manhattan 3.1 | 120 / 105 | 60 / 60 |
GFXB Car Chase | 102 / 67 | 60 / 46 |
3DM Slingshot Extreme OpenGL | Maxed Out / Maxed Out | Maxed Out / Maxed Out |
3DM Slingshot | Maxed Out / Maxed Out | Maxed Out / Maxed Out |
3DM Wild Life | Maxed Out / Maxed Out | Maxed Out / Maxed Out |
3DM Wild Life Unlimited | 17,985 / 18,721 | 13,913 / 13,731 |
The Camera Showdown: Vivo Outshines OnePlus in Stills, OnePlus Dominates Video
The camera performance is crucial in a flagship device, especially one costing over a lakh. Both foldables deliver exceptional image quality, but Vivo emerges as the victor in still photography. The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro’s primary and telephoto cameras, both with OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), consistently produce sharper photos with impressive detail and accurate color reproduction. OnePlus Open falls short in terms of dynamic range and color accuracy, particularly with its telephoto lens which sometimes produces photos with a warmer white balance, resulting in yellowish tones.
Vivo’s Superior Imaging Prowess
The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro also triumphs in low-light photography. Its cameras handle low-light scenarios with impressive dynamic range, capturing more detail in the shadows and producing more pleasing results.
OnePlus Takes the Lead in Video Recording
However, the OnePlus Open emerges as the victor in video recording, delivering better dynamic range, lower noise, and a smoother frame rate compared to the X Fold 3 Pro.
Battery Life: A Long-Lasting Advantage for Vivo
Battery life is a crucial element for any smartphone, and this is where Vivo delivers a significant advantage. While the OnePlus Open offers a full day of heavy use, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro easily manages a day and a half of heavy use, a feat that puts it on par with many regular flagship smartphones. The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro’s larger 5,700mAh battery also benefits from faster charging, reaching 100% in just 43 minutes, while the OnePlus Open’s smaller 4,805mAh battery takes 53 minutes to fully charge.
Vivo’s Edge: Wireless Charging
Furthermore, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro adds 50W wireless charging, a feature that the OnePlus Open lacks, making it a compelling option for users who prioritize wireless charging capabilities.
Conclusion: Choosing the Right Foldable for Your Needs
The choice between the OnePlus Open and the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro ultimately boils down to personal preference and individual priorities.
Vivo X Fold 3 Pro: A Powerhouse for Photography and Battery Life
The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is the choice for those who prioritize exceptional still image quality, long battery life, and a thin, elegant design. Its camera system, battery performance, and wireless charging capabilities make it a standout option, especially for users who want a device that can compete with regular flagship smartphones. However, its software issues and glass back require careful consideration.
OnePlus Open: The Accessible Foldable for First-Timers
The OnePlus Open, with its more accessible price and polished OxygenOS, is an excellent choice for first-time foldable users. It offers a more balanced design, a comfortable feel, and a smooth user experience, making it an appealing entry point into the foldable world.
While Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6, with its AI-powered features, is also a strong contender, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro and OnePlus Open offer compelling alternatives with unique strengths.
Ultimately, the best foldable for you depends on your individual needs and priorities. Whether you seek exceptional image quality, long battery life, a thin design, or a smooth software experience, both of these devices offer a compelling fold in the exciting and evolving world of foldable smartphones.