OnePlus 9 series has made its grand debut, and this year, we get three phones — the OnePlus 9 Pro, the vanilla OnePlus 9, and OnePlus 9R. There is a lot to talk about. The OnePlus 9 Pro takes the camera experience to the next level and offers a few other goodies such as a 120Hz LTPO OLED display and insanely fast 50W wireless charging. OnePlus tones down things a little bit, but reduces the asking price too. The OnePlus 9R, on the other hand, is an altogether different story. Let’s check out what each device has to offer:

OnePlus 9 Pro 

OnePlus 9 Pro

The OnePlus comes equipped with a 6.7-inch QHD+ (3216×1440 pixels) LTPO AMOLED display with HDR10+ certification that goes up to 1,300 nits of peak brightness. Thanks to the LTPO technology, the screen can adjust the refresh rate value between 1Hz and 120Hz depending on the content you’re watching. For example, it drops to 1Hz while reading, goes to 24fps for watching movies, and reaches 60Hz or higher while playing games or watching hi-res videos. Authentication duties are handled by an in-display fingerprint scanner as well.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC inside the OnePlus 9 Pro has been paired with 8GB / 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB / 256GB of onboard storage. The thermal management hardware has received an upgrade, thanks to a larger vapor chamber and copper foil, alongside thicker graphite sheets for more effective heat dissipation, allowing the device to run cool when pushed to its limits. 

Now, let’s talk about the cameras. The company has equipped the OnePlus 9 Pro with a custom 48MP Sony IMX789 sensor which relies on 4-in-1 pixel-binning to capture 12MP photos by default. Backed by OIS, the primary camera can capture 4K videos at an impressive 120FPS, and clicks 12-bit HDR photos for more creative control. And to honor the partnership with Hasselblad, there is also a Hasselblad Pro mode that offers more granular control over ISO and white balance among other manual controls. 

Additionally, the OnePlus 9 Pro has been armed with a huge 50MP ultra-wide-angle camera that relies on the Sony IMX766 sensor. It uses a Freeform Lens which is said to bring down the distortion around edges in wide-angle shots to just 1 percent. Additionally, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s wide-angle camera also acts as a macro snapper that can go as close as 4cm to a subject. We’ve already seen this sensor providing some impressive output on the OPPO Find X3 Pro.

OnePlus 9 Pro review

Moreover, there is also an optically-stabilized 8MP telephoto camera on the phone that offers 3.3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom range. There is also a 2MP monochrome lens to help capture black and white shots. For selfies and video calls, there is a 16MP that is supported by Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) tech.

OnePlus 9 Pro has been fitted with a 4,500mAh battery that can be fully topped up in merely 29 minutes courtesy of the Warp Charge 65T technology. And in case you’re wondering, the 65W charger will come bundled in the phone’s retail package. Plus, you also get support for 50W wireless charging that will let you fill the tank in just 43 minutes.

oneplus 9 pro

As for color options, you can choose between Morning Mist (glossy mirror finish), Pine Green (dual-layer matte texture), and Stellar Black (frosted matte glass texture). The frame is made out of metal, while the rear panel is shielded by a layer of 3D Corning Gorilla Glass. The build is IP68 certified for dust and water resistance, while audio output is handled by dual stereo speakers.

The base 8GB + 128GB model of the OnePlus 9 Pro will set you back by $969. And if you go with the higher-end 12GB + 256GB configuration, get ready to spend $1,069. Pre-orders for the latest OnePlus offering begin on March 26, while open sale starts on April 2. 

OnePlus 9

oneplus 9

The OnePlus 9 features a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 402 PPI.** In case you’re worried about the screen refresh rate, it stands at 120Hz. However**, the vanilla OnePlus 9 misses out on the OnePlus 9 Pro’s “Smart 120Hz” feature that reduces the screen refresh rate to as low as 1Hz depending on the on-screen content.

A layer of Corning Gorilla Glass is there to protect the flat panel that has a hole-punch cutout in the top-left corner, while the fingerprint sensor sits below the display. The rear panel is also protected by a layer of Gorilla, while the color options on the table are Winter Mist, Arctic Sky, and Astral Black. 

blue oneplus 9

Qualcomm’s top-of-the-line Snapdragon 888 drives the device, and it keeps things running in tandem with up to 12 gigs of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. OnePlus has armed its latest ‘flagship killer’ with a 4,500mAh battery that supports 65W fast charging (Warp Charge 65T). There is also support for 15W Qi wireless charging, but only the units sold in North America and Europe will come equipped with a wireless charging coil. Buyers in India and other Asian markets will miss out on the convenience.

The Hasselblad-branded triple rear camera setup is headlined by an optically-stabilized 48MP camera that relies on the Sony IMX689 sensor as opposed to the Sony IMX789 sensor seen on the Pro model. It has an aperture of f/1.8 and comes with a 7P lens. It is accompanied by a 50MP Sony IMX766 ultra-wide-angle snapper and a 2MP macro camera. On the front sits a 16MP selfie shooter, which is the same as the OnePlus 8T.

oneplus 9 black

The camera supports 8K video capture at 30fps, while 4K can be shot in 30/60fps. It also lets you shoot super slow motion in 720p at 480fps. It comes with camera features such as Nightscape, Super Macro, UltraShot HDR, Smart Scene Recognition, Portrait mode, Pro mode, Panorama, Tilt-shift mode, Focus Peaking, Cat/Dog Face Focus, Raw file, Filters, Super Stable, Video Nightscape, Video HDR, Video Portrait, Focus Tracking, Timelapse, and Hyperlapse.

Connectivity options on the OnePlus 9 include 5G, 4×4 MIMO, up to DL Cat 20/ULCat18, 2x2 MIMO, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2.4G/5G, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC. You also get stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. The smartphone comes with aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, AAC  codecs support for audio output. The 8GB + 128GB version of OnePlus 9 costs $729, while the higher-end 12GB + 256GB model will erase $829 from your bank account. 

OnePlus 9R

oneplus 9R

What do you get if you swap the Snapdragon 865 SoC inside the OnePlus 8T with the new Snapdragon 870 chip, give it a different coat of paint, and change the name? Voila, you get the OnePlus 9R. Yep, that’s what OnePlus is doing here, and is targeting buyers who want a flagship experience without sacrificing much in terms of raw hardware prowess.

Over at the front, you get a familiar 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. No fancy LTPO tech here for automatically adjusting the refresh rate. The panel is flat with 2.5D curved glass for a more comfortable in-hand feel, and a hole-punch in the top-left corner.

oneplus 9R rear panel

As mentioned above, this one is driven by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 SoC that was launched earlier this year and is essentially a binned version of Snapdragon 865. We’ve already seen this processor make its way to ‘sub-flagships’ such as OPPO Find X3, Motorola Edge S, Redmi K40, and most recently, the POCO F3. The memory configurations on the table are 8GB + 128GB and 12GB + 256GB. 

The camera setup includes a 48MP primary snapper with OIS, supported in its imaging duties by a 16MP ultra-wide-angle snapper, a 5MP macro shooter, and a 2MP monochrome lens. And to take care of selfies and video calls, you will find a 16MP camera on the OnePlus 9R. Camera tricks include support for 4K 60FPS video capture, Video Portrait, Video Focus Tracking, UltraShot HDR, Nightscape, and Macro capture to name a few. 

oneplus 9R black

There is a 4,500mAh battery inside that supports 65W fast charging, but wireless charging is a convenience you won’t find on this device. Thankfully, OnePlus bundles the 65W charger in the retail package. The price starts at Rs. 39,999 and will go on sale starting next month in India.