| 256 GB 8 GB RAM | $ 939.99 | $ 979.00 |
| 256 GB 12 GB RAM | $ 1,039.99 |
$ 1,019.00 |
| 128 GB 8 GB RAM | $ 849.00 |
$ 959.00 |
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Introduction
OnePlus continues to find its place in the smartphone industry with the OnePlus 9 duo. 9 and 9 Pro establishes OnePlus with a new partnership in the field of cameras – after all, every major Chinese OEM has one. With the new smartphones bearing the name “Hasselblad”, does the OnePlus flagship finally have a camera experience free of compromises? OnePlus uses the tagline “Your best shot”, so we set our expectations high for the performance of the cameras.
OnePlus has entered into a three-year collaboration agreement with Hasselblad, and the first phones to benefit from it are the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro. For these phones, Hasselblad and OnePlus collaborated on calibrating contrast and color processing in order to set them to Hasselblad’s distinctive style.
OnePlus 9 • OnePlus 9 Pro
In this review, we will focus on the larger of the two phones. The overall look of the OnePlus 9 Pro does not differ far from its predecessors, but calls back a few design elements that help improve the ergonomics of the phone. The centered linear arrangement of cameras is no more, and the 9 Pro now has a more conventional camera placement in a rectangular setup.
OnePlus 9 Pro next to OnePlus 9
The screen on the 9 Pro uses a new screen technology that OnePlus promises will reduce the panel’s power consumption by up to 50 percent. The savings are credited to a new LTPO backplane in the AMOLED panel. This enables the new ‘Smart 120Hz’ function, which adjusts the refresh rate down to 1Hz if it needs it.
Debuting with the OnePlus 8T last year, the 9 Pro now has the same dual-cell battery system that is compatible with an included 65W charger, capable of fully recharging the 9 Pro’s battery in almost half an hour, but with improved charging software and lower internal battery resistance, they have been able to deliver even faster initial charge from flat. OnePlus is also debuting a faster Warp Wireless charger with 9 Pro that emits 50W and we will also give it a test.
OnePlus 9 Pro specifications:
- Body: aluminum frame and glass construction, 3D Gorilla Glass back and double curved screen edges, Gorilla Glass 5 front and back.
- Screen: 6.7 “Fluid Display 2.0 (LTPO AMOLED), 10-bit color, 120Hz, HDR10 +, MEMC, automatic color temperature setting, 1,300 nits (peak), 1440x3216px resolution (20.1: 9).
- Chipset: Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 (5 nm): Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz Kryo 680 & 3×2.42 GHz Kryo 680 & 4x 0.80 GHz Kryo 680); Adreno 660.
- Memory: 8 GB or 12 GB LPDDR5 + 128 GB or 256 GB UFS 3.1 storage (cannot be expanded).
- OS / software: OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11.
- Rear cameras: Wide (head): Sony IMX789 48 MP, 1 / 1.43 “, f / 1.8, 23 mm, 1.12 Multim Multi Autofocus (PDAF + LAF + CAF), OIS + EIS; Ultra wide angle / macro: Sony IMX766 50MP, 1 / 1.56 “, f / 2.4, 14 mm, Freeform lens; Tele: 8MP, 3.3x zoom, 1.0mm pixels, f / 2.4, 77mm eq. Monochrome: 2MP.
- Front camera: Sony IMX471 16MP, f / 2.4, 1.0 pixm pixel size, fixed focus, EIS.
- Video recording: 8K @ 30fps, 4K @ 30/60 / 120fps, Super Slow Motion 720p @ 480fps, 1080p @ 240fps, 4K time-lapse, DOL-HDR.
- Battery and charging: 4,500 mAh dual cell battery, Warp Charge 65T, Warp Charge 50 Wireless, Reverse wireless charging @ 5W.
- Various: In-display optical fingerprint scanner; front RGB sensor (for automatic tone adjustment), alarm slider.
Aside from screen size and resolution, the biggest difference between 9 and 9 Pro’s camera systems is the addition of a dedicated tele-camera on the OnePlus 9 Pro. The main camera gets an updated IMX789 Sony sensor that still supports directional phade Detection autofocus and dual native ISO, and the ultra-wide now gets a 50MP sensor and a new type of lenses to reduce lens distortion.
Video recording is enhanced to support 8K video at 30 frames and 4K video at 120 fps. There’s also a new Nightscape Video 2.0 that promises better video in low light, so we’re looking at improvements to the camera system on the 9 Pro.
We are pleased to see how much the image quality has been improved on the camera trio (main, tele, wide) on the 9 Pro with this new Hasselblad partnership. We will also look at how much battery life will be improved despite having the same capacity of 4,500 mAh as its predecessor. The lower power display and Snapdragon 888 with integrated Qualcomm X60 modem should help in this regard.
Join us as we look in and out of OnePlus’ new flagship device. If you want to upgrade from an older OnePlus device, we’ll give you a scoop on whether the 9 Pro has been improved in all the right places, or if it’s more like a scoop of ice cream you’ve already tasted before.
Unboxing
The media package we received from OnePlus included both the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro along with a protective case for each and every Warp Charge 50 Wireless Charger. This time, some may be happy to hear that the new wireless charging dock comes with a detachable plug and supports any 50W USB-C PD charger.
The OnePlus packaging has become a standard price, and the 9 Pro is no exception. Inside the now-familiar red box, the phone is in the top tier, followed by some paperwork, a silicone case in some markets, the 65W Warp Charge power adapter, and the usual red Type-C to Type-C USB 2.0 cable.
The silicone box this year has been changed to an opaque design. It is not yet clear why OnePlus chooses to omit this accessory in some markets and decides to leave it elsewhere. There will be aftermarket issues, of course, along with some first-party options from OnePlus.
Two things that we can always count on OnePlus smartphones to come with are a set of OnePlus stickers and a letter from company founder Pete Lau urging customers to join OnePlus community forums. A SIM tool is attached to this letter.
As usual, there are no audio accessories inside the package. Not even an audio adapter.
