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“The OnePlus 9 Pro is as usual for OnePlus, with enormous performance, a breathtaking screen, excellent software and ultra-fast battery charging. Just don't expect the Hasselblad partnership to change the camera yet. "

• All the power you could want

• A breathtaking screen

• Very fast wired and wireless charging

• Reliable, smooth and fast software

• Hasselblad involvement isn't that noticeable

• At $ 969, it faces serious flagship competition

The OnePlus 8 Pro was introduced in April 2020 and is only now being replaced by the OnePlus 9 Pro. A year in the OnePlus world is an absolute age, as the company typically released an updated "T" model six months after a model was used. However, this is not the case with the 8 Pro. All that extra time should mean the OnePlus 9 Pro is very special, right?

It's the first OnePlus phone to come out in collaboration with the super-expensive camera brand Hasselblad, who put their know-how into the OnePlus 9 Pro's camera, and that certainly sounds special. Otherwise, the OnePlus 9 Pro seems to be as reliable as we expect from OnePlus. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but can it also be exciting to be reliable? Let's dwell on that in more detail.

If you're interested in the OnePlus 9, which is cheaper but technically not as powerful as the 9 Pro, read our in-depth review.

design

The OnePlus 9 Pro is less sharp-edged, significantly shinier and more than a little heavier. It looks very different from the OnePlus 8 Pro. The beautiful matte finish of the 8 Pro has been replaced with a high gloss mirror finish that can be seen below in the Morning Mist color, which is silver for you and me. It's more comfortable to grip because the sides are thicker and less tapered (8.7mm), but it feels much stronger in the hand. It weighs 197 grams, with a slight incline towards the camera module, which makes it feel slightly top-heavy.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The built-in fingerprint sensor is at the bottom of the screen compared to most other smartphones. It's in the same position as the Oppo Find X3 Pro, a comparison we'll come back to later in this review when we talk about the screen. On the side is OnePlus's signature and the always welcome alarm slider for muting notifications.

The camera module is located at the top left on the back. It shines with Hasselblad's branding and contains four cameras, a sensor, a flash and a microphone. It doesn't look as individual as the OnePlus 8 Pro or the Samsung Galaxy S21 +, but it's pretty flush with the body. It's all neat and undeniably functional, but there's not a lot of character to it. This is an issue with the way the OnePlus 9 Pro looks in general – it's not unattractive, but it doesn't have a lot of identity either.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Maybe this doesn't matter to you, and build quality is more important. You have no concerns here, as the aluminum housing is wedged between two gorilla glass panes and everything is beautifully finished. The glass body has just enough grip but slips around on some surfaces.

I don't mind the style and design of the OnePlus 9 Pro, but it's a bit general. If the only aspect that really tells me it's a OnePlus phone is the alarm controller, you know the rest is too memorable.

screen

OnePlus never really got to the heart of its designs, but it has rarely gone wrong when it comes to the screen. The 6.7-inch AMOLED screen has a resolution of 3,216 x 1,220 pixels for a density of 525 pixels per inch and a variable refresh rate between 1 Hz and 120 Hz. The sides have a less pronounced curvature compared to the OnePlus 8 Pro and clearer bezels (but only straight) to avoid unwanted screen activations. I've still found the screen to be very sensitive to side touches and I often accidentally open the camera app or try to change the wallpaper by simply holding the phone in my hand.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

It's a beautiful screen with rich colors and a natural hue that's warm rather than cold, as well as pinpoint contrast. By default, the resolution is set to FHD +. However, it pays to run out of battery and use QHD + when watching compatible videos. It's just lovely. This K Choreo version of Iz * One & # 39; s Fiesta is full of colors and details on the OnePlus 9 Pro's screen.

How about the 8 Pro, which is not a problem even in the visual department? It's not better or worse, but it's different. The screen of the 8 Pro is a little more vivid, while the screen of the 9 Pro is a little more natural, which adds some softness, which results in the 8 Pro sometimes looking more detailed due to sharper and more defined edges. The 9 Pro's screen is not a step forward from the 8 Pro. When you place it next to the Oppo Find X3 Pro, it looks the same. The positioning of the built-in fingerprint sensor and pinhole camera, as well as specs like 10-bit color depth and HDR10 +, suggest that they're probably the same panel anyway.

camera

In our year of waiting for the OnePlus 9 Pro, the company has been working on the camera, which, while good in the past, has failed to outperform, or sometimes even outperform, the competition. To change that, OnePlus is partnering with Hasselblad, a Scandinavian supplier of mega-expensive cameras, and a company with a very rich photographic history. It's a three-year partnership that begins with the support of the software and will in the future pass to the couple working on the hardware together.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

What does this mean for the OnePlus 9 Pro? The camera has a software-based function called Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad on board, which promises to make the colors "more perceptible", according to the blurb. Hasselblad has also worked in Pro mode, so just like a Hasselblad camera, you get an orange shutter button and a specially recorded Hasselblad-style shutter sound.

The biggest problem for me is understanding what Hasselblad did on camera.

Unchallenged? I'm not blaming you, but this is just the beginning of the partnership and it will be some time before a significant change is made to the OnePlus camera. Hence, we should keep expectations in check. However, the Hasselblad branding is spread all over the camera module and a lot of noise has already been made about the shortcut so it's better to do something. I've taken 100+ photos with the OnePlus 9 Pro to date and the performance will split opinions.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Here are the camera specs. The main camera uses a custom Sony IMX789 sensor with 48 megapixels, an aperture of f / 1.8 and optical and electronic image stabilization. There is also a wide-angle camera with 50 MP f / 2.2 and an 8MP f / 2.4 telephoto camera with 3.3x optical zoom. There's also a 2-megapixel monochrome camera that can be used individually, as well as a dual-LED flash and a 16-megapixel selfie camera.

First off, it's important to say that the OnePlus 9 Pro's camera takes better photos than the OnePlus 8 Pro's, but it's not an instant winner and not everyone will appreciate the changes. The biggest problem for me is understanding what Hasselblad did on camera. The natural color calibration is always active, so that for me, as someone without any experience with a Hasselblad camera, any inherent “Hasselbladness” in the photos is completely lost.

To really see what the OnePlus 9 Pro's camera looks like, I spent more time than usual comparing the photos with those of other cameras. This shows how difficult it is to spot something that makes the OnePlus 9 Pro's photos special. The photos undoubtedly look "natural", usually with a nice tone and balance and sometimes better exposure than other cameras that take the same picture. However, this pursuit of naturalness can make photos look washed out and lack atmosphere.

OnePlus 9 Pro standard camera Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

OnePlus 9 Pro wide angle camera Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

OnePlus 9 Pro standard camera Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

OnePlus 9 Pro wide angle camera Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Trying to determine Hasselblad's appearance is made even more difficult by the massive differences between the main and ultrawide cameras. While the main camera takes on a cool tone, the ultrawide is a lot warmer, which means I have no idea what look Hasselblad is looking for. In the end, it's very difficult to figure out where the OnePlus 9 Pro's camera differs from others because of Hasselblad's involvement, and that's not a good selling point.

I like the photos taken with the OnePlus 9 Pro, but if I didn't know that Hasselblad is working with OnePlus on the phone, I wouldn't look any deeper at all, simply because it's just a good camera and nothing more. It's certainly better than previous OnePlus cameras, but the efforts of the two teams working together have yet to be realized.

Software and performance

OxygenOS version 11 with Android 11 is installed and excellent. It is essentially the same software as the OnePlus 8T. So don't expect new features to come with the new phone. Not that that matters, because OxygenOS is always a joy. Whether it's the new always-on screen, the effective dark mode, the sleek menus, the beautiful fonts and overall design, the clear notifications, or the deeper storage and power management tools, the software is some of the best you can get on an Android device can use smartphone.

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor has the performance you could want – there were absolutely no performance issues for me – and there is a choice of 8GB or 12GB of RAM with 128GB or 256GB of storage. It's great for playing. Genshin Impact plays very well, with only a slight drop in frame rate during busy battle scenes, although the phone feels warm to the touch with prolonged gaming. I used the 12GB / 256GB model but can't imagine I would notice a speed difference if I were to use the 8GB model. However, there is no expandable storage space. So you need to consider whether you will need additional built-in storage in the future before buying this phone.

I've noticed that the WiFi range is shorter than some other devices, but the call quality is very good. And even though the built-in fingerprint sensor is set pretty deep on the screen, it's lightning fast. Particularly noteworthy is the feel, which is even more subtle and tactile than the OnePlus 8 Pro.

Battery and charging

It's a 4,500 mAh cell that takes care of all visual, playful and camera functions of the OnePlus 9T. I found it to be good for a day but not much longer as there is a charge every night, almost regardless of the day's activities. Ninety minutes of Genshin Impact drained 25% of the battery, leaving hardcore gamers to charge even more frequently.

Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The OnePlus 9 Pro uses the proprietary Warp Charge 65T fast charging system, so you have a charger and USB Type-C cable in the box that must be used to get the fastest speeds. OnePlus says it will go from zero to 100% in 28 minutes. So can it? Almost yes. In my tests, it took 31 minutes. I won't argue for more than three minutes. It's still faster than most of the competition. Helpfully, like Warp Charge 65, the Warp Charge 65T block pumps 45 watts into other devices that can absorb this charging power.

OnePlus' wireless charging system Warp Charge 50 has received a speed boost. However, you have to buy the OnePlus wireless charging dock for £ 70/70 to benefit from it. It promises to deliver a full charge in just 43 minutes, and in my tests it easily manages it. In contrast to the previous version, the USB Type-C cable is not integrated into the charger. However, you need to use OnePlus’s own charging block and cable to get full speed. The cable, not the block, is included, but if it's about a meter long, any added versatility is lost if it's not attached to the charger.

Price and availability

The OnePlus 9 Pro is $ 969 for the 8GB / 128GB model or $ 1,069 for the 12GB / 256GB model. It's available for Pre-order on March 26th and should be released on April 2nd. In the UK, the OnePlus 9 Pro costs £ 829 for the 8GB / 128GB model and £ 929 for the 12GB / 256GB version. The phone is available for pre-order in the UK on March 23rd.

Our opinion

There is both everything I want and everything I unfortunately expected from a OnePlus phone in the OnePlus 9 Pro. Right now there is the best mobile processor, excellent screen, super smooth and reliable software and fast battery charging. That's all I want and what OnePlus can do in my sleep. A camera that almost, but not quite, lives up to expectations, an acceptable but uninspiring design, and a price that is a little higher than I really wish for are aspects that I have come across in the past year or years OnePlus expected so. It works as usual.

When you buy one you will be very satisfied, but you may feel like something really special is missing.

I like the reliability of OnePlus phones. Daily use is completely problem-free. With the combination of OxygenOS and a wide variety of features, today you have a hard time finding a better user experience for smartphones. However, the extent of Hasselblad's involvement in the camera is too difficult to pinpoint right now, so there's not quite that special thing that makes me tingle with excitement while taking pictures, but there is potential for the future.

OnePlus fans will be happy with the OnePlus 9 Pro, and while the camera is definitely an improvement over the OnePlus 8 Pro, everything else is just a small generation step. So it's not really worth upgrading from 8 Pro unless you're really disappointed with its camera. It's harder to sell for those who aren't a dedicated OnePlus fan, as some aggressive pricing from Apple and Samsung this year means better smartphones are available for less. If you buy one you will be very satisfied as it follows OnePlus' proven, reliable phone formula, but you may feel like something really special is missing.

Is there a better alternative?

The OnePlus 9 Pro faces serious competition in the US. At the time of writing, the Samsung Galaxy S21 was Ultra costs $ 1,000 from Amazonand it's a better buy because of its great camera, beautiful screen, and overall performance. The Apple iPhone 12 Pro remains a fantastic buy if not set on an Android device at $ 1,000It's just as affordable as the Galaxy S21 Ultra.

In the UK, the phone is a better value as it is cheaper than both of the above and even cheaper than the 950 pound Galaxy S21 + 5G. It's significantly cheaper than the 1,100-pound Oppo Find X3 Pro, but even the 8GB / 128GB version can't keep up with the Xiaomi Mi 11 5G's value at 750 pounds.

How long it will take?

Thanks to the powerful processor, great screen, 5G connectivity, and fast charging of the OnePlus 9 Pro, you can use it for at least two years before you even consider upgrading. Three years is perfectly feasible if you are not a hardcore gamer. The phone has an IP68 rating but is made of glass so you may want to put it in a pocket.

According to OnePlus, the OnePlus 9 will receive new Android updates for two years plus another year of security updates, making it one of the better companies at handling critical software updates.

Should you buy it?

Yes, it's an excellent smartphone, but despite the promise of the Hasselblad partnership, it still lacks something special, especially since the price is higher than some of the best smartphones you can buy today.

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