As someone who’s been knee-deep in the Apple ecosystem for the better part of four years, I’m now making up for lost time by discovering all that I’ve missed in the world of Android.
Since becoming a freelance writer, I’ve dived headfirst into the Android phone market to test the latest and greatest handsets. My recent review of the Honor 400, for instance, made me see just how much value you can get from the best Android phones nowadays, particularly when shopping in the mid-range aisle.
With the iPhone 16e, Apple does still have a mid-range option for those who prefer the power of iOS, but the one thing the company doesn’t have is a device to compete with the best foldable phones.
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So, until the long-awaited foldable iPhone actually comes to pass, I figured that it would make sense to see what Android phone makers have done with the foldable concept. And after using the OnePlus Open for a few weeks, it’s completely changed not just how I use Google’s platform, but how I use smartphones in general.
Foldables are the king of productivity
Multi-tasking on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
I’ve always tried my best to avoid using my phone for work, outside of taking down a few notes or reading a quick document on my way to a meeting.
The experience just feels too cramped for my liking, and I already know that I spend far too much time mindlessly scrolling through social media or watching YouTube videos, so I certainly don’t need to add any extra screen time to that process. Using a foldable phone, however, has completely changed my tune.
Recently, I’ve had to head into London a few times for various product launches, and even though I’ve had the OnePlus Pad 3 on my person, I’ve found it much easier to just dive into the interior display of the OnePlus Open and start typing. Part of the reason for this is because of OnePlus’ stellar Open Canvas software, which is designed with productivity and multitasking in mind.
The OnePlus Open (Image credit: Future / Philip Berne)
Because of this well-refined bit of software, I’ve been able to have Google Docs open on one side, and a press release open on the other, so that I can research and write at the same time, without needing to quickly open up the app tray and move between them. There’s a similar degree of freedom on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, and it now has me convinced that the next time I have to go abroad for a work trip, I’ll be packing a foldable phone to try and maximize my output on the go.
Typing long-form is so much easier
(Image credit: Future)
As I mentioned before, any attempt at productivity on a traditional smartphone feels immediately hampered by the compact display, which is why typing anything longer than an email feels like a real headache. I know that there are ways around this, including the Clicks accessory, which is more than a nod to the BlackBerry keyboards of old. But for my money, the only true remedy is a foldable phone.
While you can configure the keyboard in any number of ways on the OnePlus Open, by default, it’s split down the middle and given more width so that each thumb can comfortably reach the keys. Those keys have also been made larger, and so I’ve found myself incurring fewer instances of typos, which, as you can imagine, has led to far less time being spent on corrections after the fact.
When I have needed to tweak something in the copy, however, that too has been a breeze thanks to the greater amount of space afforded to the document itself.
Unlike when using the exterior screen, pulling up the keyboard doesn’t inadvertently block my view of the most recent paragraph, and so if I take a pause to collect my thoughts and think about how to proceed, I can easily see where I left off.
Reading isn’t just better, it’s enjoyable
(Image credit: Future | Alex Walker-Todd)
If, like me, you’re an avid reader, then chances are that you prefer to pick up one of the best ereaders or a paperback before ever loading up the Kindle app on your smartphone.
Sure, I can’t deny just how easy it is to access your Kindle books on the device that you’re guaranteed to always have on your person, but I find it far too tempting to have a quick check of social media if I have my phone out, which is why I try and avoid it.
If you want a phone that gives you the tools to be more productive and steers you towards more fulfilling ways to pass the time, you should seriously consider a foldable.
You can imagine my surprise, then, when I gradually started to notice that I didn’t actively hate reading on the OnePlus Open’s 7.82-inch interior display. The obvious boon is that, in having more screen space, you can fit more words on the page so the experience does start to feel more like that of an ereader. But there’s something else at play here, too.
When you have to use the phone two-handed, it’s not quite as easy to jump from one app to another, so I’ve found myself less interested in checking out social media when the interior display is open.
All of this is to say that, if you want a phone that not only gives you the tools to be more productive with better multitasking and improved typing, but also steers you towards more fulfilling ways to pass the time, such as reading, then you should seriously consider a foldable phone as your next upgrade.
Unless I absolutely have to, I can’t see myself going back.
