OnePlus prepares two foldable phones: V Fold and V Flip

OnePlus looks set to enter the foldable device market in the near future as well, after the company registered two trademarks that appear to be the names of two such devices. The company now owns the OnePlus V Fold and OnePlus V Flip brands in Europe, suggesting that it will adopt a similar strategy in the foldable area to what we’re seeing from Samsung: a clamshell model and a model that expands to a more square, tablet-like screen.

OnePlus to enter foldable device market in 2023

This being OnePlus, we can’t help but draw comparisons with what Oppo, the company under which this brand operates, offers in the foldable area. Late last year, Oppo announced the Find N2 and Find N2 Flip, two smartphones with foldable screens. Given that the two brands often use technologies developed in the same labs, we can’t help but expect hardware and software links between Oppo and OnePlus devices in the foldable area.

The first place OnePlus could talk about these devices in the next few days would be the launch of the OnePlus 11 outside of China, which will take place at an event set for February 7. Also here, the OnePlus 11R, a lower-end model in the 11 series, could show up. However, the company has previously confirmed that we won’t see a Pro model.

OnePlus V Fold
OnePlus V Flip
monikers have already been trademarked by the brand.
The internal testing of (at least) one of these has begun in several regions, including Europe, as per my source.#OnePlus #OnePlusVFold #OnePlusVFlip pic.twitter.com/f3jMgoQ89x

– Mukul Sharma (@stufflistings) January 29, 2023

The reason could be that the Pro model could be replaced with these foldable devices. Even if they won’t be announced now, the OnePlus brand has multiple launches throughout the year. A launch in the second half of the year, around the same time as Samsung’s Fold and Flip models, could also be a possibility.

What is certain is that the foldable market is growing in 2023, and brands that previously didn’t seem to have much interest in this area are preparing to create competition for older players that almost enjoyed a monopoly in certain regions of the world.