Maybe it’s time to try something new in the new year: how about a foldable phone? If you always need a larger display, something like the OnePlus Open will give you a tablet-sized 7.82-inch internal display to work with. And it’s a high-quality LTPO panel with a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz and 10-bit color with Dolby Vision and peak brightness of 2,800 nits.
The external display is also pretty good, a 6.31” panel with a slightly higher resolution than FHD+ (20:9 aspect ratio). It’s the same type of 10-bit 120Hz LTPO panel with 2,800 nits peak brightness. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and a 4,805 mAh battery with 67W wired-only charging (1-100% in 42 minutes).
The cameras are better than average for foldables with a 48 MP main (1/1.43” sensor, OIS), 64 MP tele (70 mm, 3x) and 48 MP ultra wide angle (114°), as well as a 32MP external selfie camera and a 20MP internal unit. OnePlus promises four OS updates, the first of which is Android 14.
Maybe you want to go smaller instead of bigger, then a foldable foldable like the Motorola razr+ is a better choice. The internal 6.9” FHD+ display (a 165Hz LTPO panel with 10-bit color and 1,400 nits peak brightness) folds into a 88.4 x 74.0 x 15.1mm body. The 3.6″ 144 Hz cover display (1,056 x 1,066 px resolution) is very useful when the phone is closed.
The razr+ is powered by the older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and a 3,800 mAh battery with 30W wired and 5W wireless charging. The cameras are pretty mundane with a 12MP main one (with a tiny 1/2″ sensor .55″ and OIS) and a 13 MP ultra wide angle, as well as a 32 MP internal selfie cam (the main camera can also be used as a viewfinder with the display cover). Motorola has committed to making 3 operating system updates to starting from Android 14.
The razr+ is one of the cheapest foldables you can buy, but it’s not as cheap as its big brother: the Motorola razr. This costs just $500, which is basically mid-range territory. And the phone’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip definitely says “mid-range,” even if the aluminum frame and stainless steel hinge promise durability.
The phone’s internal display is effectively the same as the razr+, except the chipset can only run it at 144Hz (still faster than most). The cover display fits a few lines of text, but that’s it. The regular Razor has a 64MP main camera and a 13MP ultra-wide camera. The battery is larger, equal to 4,200 mAh, despite having the same 30W wired and 5W wireless charging.
Not everyone wants a foldable, so Motorola has some interesting models too. The Motorola ThinkPhone is one for fans of the ThinkPad series. It has an aluminum frame and aramid fiber back with IP68 dust and water resistance as well as MIL-STD-810H compliance and has been drop tested (to concrete) from 4 feet.
The hardware includes a 6.6-inch 144Hz 10-bit (FHD+, 20:9) display and a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. The software is mostly clean Android with some useful and decent Motorola improvements. This one in particular added “enterprise-friendly” security and connectivity features. It also has Ready For, Motorola’s desktop mode.
The ThinkPhone features a 50 MP main camera (1/1.5″ sensor, OIS) and a 13 MP ultra wide-angle (120°) camera, as well as a 32 MP selfie camera. It is powered by a 5,000 mAh battery with 68W wired and 15W wireless charging.
The Motorola Edge (2023) costs $50 less and has the same 6.6-inch 144Hz 10-bit (FHD+, 20:9) display and IP68 rating. However, this is more “play” than “work”. The aluminum frame is covered in faux leather and there is no resistance to falling.
The camera is also the same: 50 MP main (1/1.5″ sensor, OIS) with 13 MP ultra wide angle. Basically, the rest of the hardware is weaker: a mid-range Dimensity 7030 chipset and a battery 4,400 mAh with 68W wired and 15W wireless charging.
The traditional way to get a bigger screen is to buy a tablet, not a foldable. If you’re in that camp, the OnePlus Pad offers an 11.61-inch display with 2,800 x 2,000 xpx resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, 10-bit color, and Dolby Vision. Keep in mind that this is an IPS LCD rather than an OLED panel.
The tablet is powered by the Dimensity 9000 chipset and a 9,510mAh battery with 67W wired charging. It has four speakers. Optionally you can purchase a magnetic keyboard ($150) and/or a stylus ($100) for the Pad.
While shopping for OnePlus products, you can also grab a pair of TWS earphones. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 offer better noise cancellation, longer battery life, and lower latency than the original Pros, but they don’t improve audio quality, which wasn’t perfect.
For a third of the price you can get the OnePlus Nord Buds 2. Despite the low price, they also have ANC, although it’s basic. The sound quality isn’t great either, but it’s good enough for entry-level devices.
We’ll end with a gaming monitor, the Samsung Odyssey G6 27-inch (G65B). It is a curved monitor (1000R) with DisplayHDR 600, has a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 px and a refresh rate of 240 Hz. It supports AMD FreeSync Premium. The stands are height adjustable and you can also swivel and tilt the monitor (and it can even be rotated 90°). There’s built-in Samsung Smart TV functionality for when you’re ready to kick back and stream some shows.
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