“It’s let down by a boring design and a camera that just cannot compete with other devices in the same price range.”
- Excellent performance
- Smooth software
- Stunning display
- Boring design
- Camera still needs work
- Rising prices
A lot has changed in the smartphone industry over the past year or so. While OnePlus was once the go-to phone for those who wanted a near-flagship experience at a few hundred bucks less than the competition, others have caught on. The Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, for example, took the best things about the Galaxy S20, but offered them at only $700. Then came the Samsung Galaxy S21, which starts at $800, a full $200 less than its predecessor. Google’s Pixel 5 is just $700, and the iPhone 12 is a palatable $800.
In other words, based on price alone, the OnePlus 9 isn’t a flagship killer. It’s priced on the low end of the flagship range, and as such, it needs to compete on its merits.
I’m not trying to imply that it doesn’t compete. With features like the latest-and-greatest processor, a beautiful screen, and an excellent software experience, the OnePlus 9 brings a lot to the table. Not to mention there’s also a OnePlus 9 Pro, which we’ve separately reviewed, that takes the OnePlus 9 and turns its features up to 11. But, let’s dive into the OnePlus 9.
If you’re interested in the OnePlus 9 Pro, which is more expensive but also a little more technically capable, read our in-depth review.
Design and display
The OnePlus 8T represented a number of changes for the company, but the OnePlus 9 is much more iterative. It’s not identical to the 8T — but you’d be forgiven for thinking it was. It has the OnePlus 8T’s flat display, and its rectangular camera module at the top left of the back, both of which are differences from the OnePlus 8 from a year ago.
It’s not a bad look, but it is a boring look. It looks like a Samsung Galaxy S20 — which is fine, but not that exciting in a world where Samsung rolled the dice on a number of design tweaks for the Galaxy S21 that help it look both unique and incredibly sleek.
The OnePlus 9 has a glass back, but to me, it feels a little cheap, and I actually thought it was plastic at first, though that’s perhaps owed to the light weight. It also attracts fingerprints easily, and as such it quickly loses its glossy look. Frankly, I actually prefer the look and feel the look of the plastic on the Galaxy S21, which can pass as frosted glass at a glance.
There are aspects of the OnePlus 9’s design that I do love,though. Chief among those is the physical ringer switch. Yes, it’s a small feature, but it’s one I wish more Android phone makers would adopt. I do wish that it was swapped with the left side-mounted volume rocker, considering you’re likely to use the power button more often than the ringer switch, but that’s a small complaint, and you’ll easily get used to the layout.
There are aspects of the OnePlus 9’s design that I do love, though. Chief among those is the physical ringer switch.
Another thing I love about the OnePlus 9 is its display. It’s a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, and it looks great. Thanks to both the high refresh rate and the modern processor, the phone looks and feels incredibly responsive. So much so that you won’t really notice that the display has a 1,080p resolution rather than the OnePlus 9 Pro’s 1,440p. You can see a slight difference between the phones when they’re next to each other, but the OnePlus 9 proves that a high refresh rate is more important than a high resolution, within reason. That’s something Samsung’s figured out as well.
The display gets nice and bright too, and is easily visible in outdoor use. According to OnePlus, the display brightness goes up to 1,100 nits, which is a little lower than the OnePlus 9 Pro’s 1,300 nits. Still, it’s very bright, and I never found myself really wishing it could get brighter.
Unfortunately, the device does not have the 1Hz to 120Hz variable refresh rate available on the OnePlus 9 Pro, but it does go from 60Hz to 120Hz, which is still great, and helps cut down on battery use somewhat.
Under the display is a fingerprint sensor, and it works great. The sensor is fast and accurate, making it easy to get into your phone. It is a little low on the display, making it a bit awkward to bend your thumb to reach — but you’ll get used to the placement.
Performance, battery, and charging
OnePlus phones have never really been about their looks. They’ve been about features for the price — and that includes the specs under the hood. As you would expect from a flagship-level phone in 2021, the OnePlus 9 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, which is coupled with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM, and either 128GB or 256GB of storage, depending on the model. I’m reviewing the model with 12GB of RAM
The OnePlus 9 performs like a dream, thanks to the combination of a high-end processor, high refresh rate, and relatively lightweight software. In mobile gaming, it loaded quickly and rarely skipped a frame. During heavy multitasking, the device was responsive and fast. If you’re looking for a high performer, the OnePlus 9 ticks that box.
The battery life on the OnePlus 9 is fine. It has a 4,500mAh battery that’ll get you through a full day of use, and perhaps a few hours into the next day if you miss a charge overnight. It’s no slouch, but it’s not a multiday phone.
It actually doesn’t really need to be a multiday phone, though. OnePlus’ Warp Charge technology is getting better and better, and it can now charge the OnePlus 9 from 0 to 100% in around 30 minutes. In other words, if you chuck it on the charger during a morning shower, it should get the majority of its battery life back. That’s pretty amazing, and removes whatever battery anxiety you may have from other phones. Of course, it requires using the OnePlus-only Warp Charge charger, but you get one in the box with the phone. Additional bricks will set you back $65 each.
For the first time, the base model of a OnePlus phone also supports wireless charging, which was previously limited to the “Pro” models. The OnePlus 9 supports up to 15W wireless charging — not the 50W wireless charging that you have to use a separate charger for, like on the OnePlus 9 Pro.