For its first-ever foldable phone, OnePlus appears to have found a way to make the foldable display crease less visible. Unfortunately, the company doesn't seem to have cracked the durability problem inherent to all foldable panels. And at first glance, the quest for a milder crease may have made things worse.
What appears to be the first-ever user report of a broken OnePlus Open foldable screen surfaced through Reddit a couple of days ago.
User @Zeisen posted a photo of their OnePlus Open exhibiting a black strike across the screen. That portion of the screen is dead. And things only got worse from there.
In a follow-up comment, user @Zeisen added that “the black bar has spread further,” and the device is making a “noticeable buzzing sound” when unfolded.
Should OnePlus fans be worried?
In a different comment, @Zeisen said they had a Galaxy Z Fold 3 before the OnePlus Open and experienced “absolutely zero issues for +2 years.”
Then again, we know that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is not without its faults or reports of dead screens, so all this might be a combination of good and bad luck. It's never easy to tell when it comes to foldable phones, but what's clear is that the OnePlus Open has yet to prove itself.
Story continues after our Galaxy Z Fold 5 review video
What's odd is that this foldable screen phenomenon, wherein a black bar of dead pixels appears down the middle, usually happens with foldable screens that have been used for some time.
Even more unusual is that, in this case, the dead portion of the screen isn't running across the exact middle of the phone, on the crease, but to the side of the hinge. This might be an indication that OnePlus' solution to hiding the foldable display crease may have backfired and made the panel more susceptible to this dead pixel issue across a wider area.
It's all speculation at this point, but the bottom line is that, unfortunately, OnePlus Open fans don't seem to be exempt from the vulnerabilities of foldable phones. And it will be interesting to see how things evolve after weeks and months of usage.
So far, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which has been on the market for three months and is the OnePlus Open's strongest rival, appears to be doing exceptionally well in the durability department judging by the number of user complaints, or lack thereof. It's likely not vulnerable, either, but it seems to be doing well so far.
