OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro reaction

 

The OnePlus event has come and gone and with it new OnePlus phones. They announced the OnePlus 9, 9 Pro, 9R, and the OnePlus watch. More on those last two in a separate post. OnePlus is continuing its ascent into flagship phones with the 9 Pro and staying average with the 9. There are also some improvements and focus on a new camera system, tuned by Hasselblad, that seems to be making a difference. Having read and watched some of the reviews here are my initial reactions.  

 
 

These two phones are practically the same with some key differences, screen, camera, and price. Specs are about the same on both phones with a Snapdragon 888 in the core, with up to 12GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage. Considering the max storage on the S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 512GB I'm surprised both phones max out at 256GB. The 9 Pro gives us a curved LTPO 1440p screen that can run at 120Hz with support for HDR10+; the 9 brings a flat 1080p screen running at 120Hz. The LTPO is important because it gives the 9 Pro better variable refresh rate that allows it to go from 60Hz to 120hz and then down to 1Hz. LTPO makes it better to watch movies at 24Hz, play games at 120Hz, and browse Spotify at 60Hz. Although the 9 is sans LTPO it still has an amazing screen that can ramp up to 120Hz and considering I still shoot my videos in 1080p I think resolution is fine for now.  

 
 

Image Credit: GSM Arena

The design and hardware are a bit disappointing, I'm not sure why they stopped with the centered cameras, and I'm not sure why they stopped being so unique. Although the 9 Pro has a glass black whilst the 9 has plastic, both support wireless charging(with the pro supporting faster wireless charging). I still don't feel like it makes the difference it should. Glossy instead of Matte is also disappointing (to me at least), and the riff on the Samsung-style camera bump continues. Nothing special about the design that I can see. 

OnePlus also worked with Hasselblad on the cameras for the 9 series, helping with color science, camera philosophy, and a pro mode modeled after Hasselblad cameras inside the camera app. I'll go more in-depth into the cameras in my full analysis but for now here's what you need to know. The 9 Pro features an 48MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, 8MP telephoto, and a 2MP monochrome. Whilst the 9 has an older Sony 48MP IMX689 sensor as its main, 50MP ultra-wide, and a 2MP monochrome. One of my biggest grievances of the 8T was the inclusion of a Macro and this very Monochrome sensor and I still can't figure out why they decided to do this. As for video both have 8K at 30FPS and 4K at up to 120FPS.  

 

Image Credit: The Verge

 

The cameras have improved this year with updated color science and incredible ultra-wide performance. Just like how Samsung and Huawei have focused on their telephoto zoom OnePlus is focusing on their ultra-wide and you can tell the difference. Quite refreshing for the people who value the ultra-wide more than the telephoto (they exist, you know who you are). It's also beginning to develop a "look", you can see the Hasselblad influence in the way it handles the colors, and I'm starting to like it. The Pro mode is also something that, up until now, only made difference in Sony Xperia phones, not something I would be interested in, but it can help in some situations. Video is also improved, but not by much, it still doesn't beat the iPhone, and it barely manages to stand against the S21 Ultra. A week should be enough to let reviewers test the cameras a bit more before I give a final verdict.  

 

Image Credit: The Verge

Image Credit: The Verge

 

  Wrapping up we see a max price $1,069 for the OnePlus 9 Pro and a price of $729 for the 9 I think OnePlus is still offering terrific value for the money. Especially with the cameras no longer being a huge issue, I'm feeling that OnePlus is finally starting to figure out flagships.  

 
 

Oh, and there a warp charger in the box. 

 

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