OnePlus 9

The OnePlus 9, released on March 26, 2021, arrives with a sleek design, measuring 160 mm in height, 74.2 mm in width, and 8.7 mm in depth, and weighing 192 grams.

Build Quality

The device feels solid in hand, typical of a premium build. The dimensions make it comfortable to hold and use. It does not feature a foldable design, focusing on a traditional monoblock form factor.

Screen Quality

The OnePlus 9 features a 6.55-inch Fluid AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 x 2400 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 402 ppi. The screen boasts a 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, and a peak brightness of 1100 nits. The display supports 2.5D curved glass, multi-touch, and is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The screen's features also include a hole-punch notch, MEMC, frameless design, and is scratch resistant. It supports HDR10+, but does not feature Dolby Vision. The 20:9 aspect ratio provides a modern visual experience.

Camera Performance

The OnePlus 9 comes equipped with a triple rear camera setup. The primary camera is a 48MP Sony IMX689 sensor with an f/1.79 aperture, 1.12µm pixel size, and 1/1.4" sensor size, employing 2x2 pixel binning. The secondary camera is a 50MP ultrawide lens using a Sony IMX766 sensor with an f/2.2 aperture, 1.00µm pixel size, and a 1/1.56" sensor size also using 2x2 pixel binning. A 2MP monochrome sensor complements the setup, having an f/2.4 aperture. The selfie camera is a 16MP Sony IMX471 Exmor RS sensor with f/2.4 aperture, 1.00µm pixel size, and a 1/3.13" sensor size, also with 2x2 pixel binning.

Video recording capabilities include 8K at 30fps, 4K at 30/60fps, and 1080p at 30/60/240fps, all with HDR and EIS. Other features are digital zoom, digital image stabilization, autofocus, touch focus, manual focus, PDAF, CDAF, continuous shooting, geotagging, panorama, HDR, face detection, and RAW 12-bit support. The camera setup is enhanced with Hasselblad color calibration, dual LED flash, an ultra wide-angle lens with a 140º field of view, and a Freeform lens. While there isn't optical image stabilization, there is digital image stabilization. The phone also provides slow-motion video capture.

Software Experience

The OnePlus 9 ships with Android 11, with updates available up to Android 13. The device’s performance is driven by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (5nm) chipset, featuring an octa-core CPU (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) and Adreno 660 GPU. It supports dual SIM dual standby using Nano SIM cards. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.2 LE, and NFC. The phone also provides GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, and Galileo for navigation. It has a range of sensors such as an under-display fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, and color spectrum sensor.

Battery Performance

The device is powered by a 4500 mAh Li-Polymer battery, which is not removable, supporting 65W fast charging and 15W wireless charging.

Value for Money

The OnePlus 9 falls into the medium price range. Multiple variants are available with 8GB/128GB or 12GB/256GB of RAM and storage, with prices varying based on region and configuration. It offers a balance of premium features and performance for the price point. The device comes in various colors, including Winter Mist, Arctic Sky, and Astral Black.