OnePlus 9 : Long before OnePlus arrived on the smartphone scene, it had a mission: offer flagship smartphone performance at a non-flagship price. Fast-forward to the OnePlus 9, and although the brand has grown up (and the prices have gone up), the spirit of the original is still there — it shows up very clearly in this model.
The OnePlus 9 falls between the more budget-friendly Nord series and the top-end 9 Pro, and delivers a mixture of performance, design and speed when you’re looking for high-end specs but don’t want to go over the top.
Let’s take a closer look at what the OnePlus 9 offers and whether it still deserves the “flagship killer” billing of its forebears.
Design & Build: Premium Minimalism in the Flesh
The OnePlus 9 is thin and modern-looking from the get-go. It’s slim, sits nice and light in hand (it weighs around 192g) and feels well-balanced too. The plastic frame might disappoint in contrast to the glass front and rear, but it doesn’t look or feel cheap.
The shiny back does collect fingerprints, though.
In colors such as Winter Mist, Arctic Sky and Astral Black, the OnePlus 9 plays it classy without being boring. OnePlus’ loved-hated feature, the alert slider, is still present on the side and just as useful as ever.
Display: That Fluid AMOLED Good Goodness
Notable features include the 6.55-inch Fluid AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. This screen is also bright, sharp, and ultra-smooth.
Whether you’re swiping through your social feeds, gaming, or binge watching, it feels premium and responsive; and that’s before even considering the many extra screen real estate it gives you.
The colors are punchy, contrast levels deep, and HDR10+ support means content looks punchy and lifelike. There’s also an in-display fingerprint sensor, and while it’s snappy and mostly accurate, it’s nothing to write home about.
Performance:
Snapdragon Brawn Its speed level is so high that it makes the insertion of invitations and addition of necessary RPG/invitation cards as easy as it should be for once.
The OnePlus 9 is powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 888 processor, which is accompanied with 8GB/12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB/256GB UFS 3.1 storage options. This combo is fast and furious for sure.
Apps open quickly, multitasking is a breeze, and intensive games like PUBG Mobile or Genshin Impact run at high settings without a hitch.
Thermal management is okay – it does get a little toasty during extended gaming sessions, but it doesn’t throttle perf too much. The phone just flies through whatever you throw at it.
Software: OxygenOS at the Top of Its Game
The OnePlus 9 debuted with OxygenOS 11 on top of Android 11, and has already been updated several times. The OxygenOS interface has long been hailed for its clean, nearly stock feel while allowing for thoughtful customization options — and this phone reaps the benefits.
Graphics are smooth, UI feels snappy, and very little bloatware. OnePlus claims three years of major updates and four years of security patches, so it has reasonably good longevity as far as software is concerned.
Camera: Hasselblad Hype or the Real Deal?
OnePlus teamed up with Hasselblad to tune the cameras here, and the results are a bit of a mixed bag. On the back it has:
Primary sensor: 48MP Sony IMX689 sensor
50MP ultra-wide sensor (IMX766)
2MP monochrome sensor
During the daytime, the primary camera takes sharp, detailed shots with solid dynamic range. Hasselblad’s color calibration means colors feel more true-to-life now.
One of the standout cameras is the ultra-wide shooter, which takes wide pictures without a lot of distortion.
But as with previous generations, low-light photography is also better than ever is — but still not quite on the same level as competitors such as the Pixel or Galaxy S series. Nightscape mode is a help, but details soften up significantly in worse conditions.
On the front, the 16MP camera does a good job with selfies and video calls, although the default beauty filters are pretty heavy-handed.
Battery Life & Charging: Speedy, Very Speedy
The 4500mAh twin-cell battery makes it through an entire day with ease when used moderately to heavily. The device can be charged under 30 minutes from 0% to 100% sports with Warp Charge 65T.
It’s a game-changer for those of us who can’t stand hovering around waiting for our phones to charge.
Wireless charging is only offered in the Pro model, which might frustrate some, but charging up via a cord is so fast that it rarely feels like a drawback.
Pros:
If you want peak performance, then you can’t go wrong with the Snapdragon 888
Gorgeous 120Hz AMOLED display
Clean and Smooth OxygenOS interface
Excellent ultra-wide camera
Super-fast 65W charging
Sleek and lightweight design
Cons:
Quality plastic frame at the premium end of the market
No official IP rating
No wireless charging support
Still falls behind some competitors in low-light camera performance
No expandable storage
OnePlus 9 End Combator The flagship that counts
The OnePlus 9 might not have all the superfluous features in a premium flagship and instead makes sure to get the basics right, with performance, screen quality, software and quick charging support all in check.
It’s a phone designed for folks who crave speed and dependability but don’t search for that ultra-premium nozzle.
If you’re after a pure Android experience, the absolute fastest hardware and are not against the lack of wireless charging or an IP rating, the OnePlus 9 is still one of the best—and will be for a long time.