On March 23, 2021, OnePlus officially launched its new flagship phones, OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro worldwide. This is one of the most awaited phones from the brand as the company partnered up with the Hasselblad camera brand.
OnePlus is known as one of the best smartphones in the market in every segment except for the camera. But, this time, it might just have overcome that weakness. Not only in the camera segment, but the new OnePlus 9 series also offers several additional features that make the new phones a significant upgrade over the OnePlus 8 lineup.
The OnePlus 9 series has not been launched in Nepal yet, but it will soon be on the market. So, let’s see what new things it has brought for the users.
Specifications
| Specs | OnePlus 9 | OnePlus 9 Pro |
| Display | 6.55 inches, 120 Hz Fluid AMOLED | 6.7 inches, 120 Hz Fluid AMOLED with LTPO |
| Dimensions | Height: 160 mm Width: 74.2 mm Thickness: 8.7 mm Weight: 192g | Height: 163.2 mm Width: 73.6 mm Thickness: 8.7 mm Weight: 197g |
| Operating system | OxygenOS based on Android11 | OxygenOS based on Android11 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon888 | Qualcomm Snapdragon888 |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 660 |
| Rear camera | 48MP, f/1.2 Sony IMX689, OIS 50MP Sony IMX766 ultra-wide sensor with freeform lens 2MP monochrome sensor | 48MP, f/1.8 Sony IMX789 primary shooter, OIS 50MP, f/2.2 Sony IMX766 ultra-wide sensor 8MP, f/2.4 telephoto lens with 3.3X magnification 2MP, f/2.4 monochrome lens |
| Front camera | 16MP | 16MP |
| Connectivity | 2×2 MIMO, Support 2.4G/5G, Support WiFi 802.11 Bluetooth 5.2 NFC enabled | 2×2 MIMO, Support 2.4G/5G, Support WiFi 802.11 Bluetooth 5.2 NFC enabled |
| Sensors | In-display fingerprint sensor Accelerometer Electronic compass Gyroscope Ambient light sensor Proximity sensor Sensor core Flicker-detect sensor Front RGB sensor Barometer | In-display fingerprint sensor Accelerometer Electronic compass Gyroscope Ambient light sensor Proximity sensor Sensor core Flick-detect sensor Front RGB sensor Barometer |
| Ports | USB 3.1 GEN1 Type-C Supports standard Type-C earphones | USB 3.1 GEN1 Type-C Supports standard Type-C earphones |
| Battery | 4500mAh with 65W fast charging; 15W wireless charging | 4500mAh with WarpCharge 65T, WarpCharge 50 wireless |
Design and display
OnePlus 9 comes with a plastic frame and the design of the phone looks premium. The front and back of the phone are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. The phone weighs around 192 grams and is 8.70mm thick. The phone comes with a 6.55-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. It has an 87.6% screen to body ratio. The display can achieve a peak brightness of up to 1100 nits.
OnePlus 9 Pro comes with an aluminium frame and with a similar design to the OnePlus 9. The phone has a glass front and back which is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass. The phone weighs slightly heavier at 197 grams and is also 8.70mm thick. It has a beautiful 6.7-inch LTPO Fluid2 AMOLED display with a resolution of 1440×3216 pixels and a 90.3% screen to body ratio. The display can achieve a peak brightness of up to 1300 nits.
Both phones have an under-display optical fingerprint sensor and dual stereo speakers. Both phones also support a 120Hz refresh rate and support ultra-high video resolution. The OnePlus 9 Pro, however, has an official IP68 dust/water certification which One Plus 9 is missing.
Camera
The most awaited feature in the new OnePlus 9 series is its camera. The smartphone company has collaborated with the Hasselblad camera brand to step up its camera game. The OnePlus 9 has a triple camera setup on its back. The primary is a 48MP omnidirectional PDAF camera which is backed up by another 50MP ultrawide camera and 2MP depth sensors. The camera has the feature of Hasselblad colour calibration.
OnePlus 9 Pro, meanwhile, packs a quad-camera setup on its back. The Pro has an additional optical zoom, laser autofocus module and an extra microphone on the back. The extra microphone helps in noise reduction while recording videos. The phone has a 48 MP primary camera along with a 50MP ultrawide camera and a 2MP depth sensor. There is an additional 8MP telephoto lens that has a 3.3x optical zoom.
Both phones have a 16MP selfie camera which has an auto-HDR feature and records videos in 1080p @ 30fps. Also, both phones can record videos up to 8k@ 30fps from their rear cameras. Meanwhile, you can record a 4K video up to 120fps in 9 Pro which is limited to 60fps in OnePlus 9. There is also a dual-LED flash on both devices.
Performance and battery life
The OnePlus 9 series is powered by Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 and runs on Android 11 with OxygenOS 11. This is a huge improvement in the performance of CPU and GPU than its predecessor OnePlus 8 series. The chipset this phone has, is probably the best chipset a smartphone can have right now.
The OnePlus 9 series is backed up by a 4500mAh non-removable battery. Both these phones can be charged from 1-100% in just 29 minutes through a 65W fast charging, which is insane. You only need to charge for half an hour and you can use your phone the whole day. Both phones support wireless charging, but the OnePlus 9 Pro holds a massive advantage here over the OnePlus 9. The Pro version has a 50W fast wireless charging over 15W of the OnePlus 9. The Pro gets 1-100% in just 43 minutes through wireless charging.
Storage and connectivity
The OnePlus 9 series can be found in two variants: 8/128 and 2/256 GB options. Like traditional OnePlus, there is no MicroSD card option to extend the storage of the phone.
Both devices support dual nano sim cards. There is no 3.5mm headphone jack on the devices. Both devices support Wi-Fi 802.11 and Bluetooth 5.2. They also use USB type-C 3.1 and both of them support a 5G network.
The OnePlus 9 series has not been officially released in the Nepali market yet, but it should be on its way. The expected price of the OnePlus 9 is Rs 80,000 for 8/128GB and 90,000 for 12/256 GB variant whereas the OnePlus 9 Pro can cost up to Rs 105,000 for 8/128GB and 115,000 for 12/256GB variant.
