As its name suggests, the OnePlus 9 Pro is the top model of the brand’s new batch of devices. If you want to know how it differs from the regular model and what this new high-end phone offers, read on because I got to try it out, and I’ll give you all the details in this in-depth review.
Bet again on innovation in design
OnePlus twisted the design, as it has done in previous models, and offers a phone that does not go unnoticed. The back of the OnePlus 9 Pro has a glossy finish that makes it especially beautiful, especially in the silver model, which is the one I tested. Despite this glossy finish, the phone doesn’t get too dirty, and I could even use it without a case, something I couldn’t say for many other devices on the market today.
It is a very comfortable phone in hand, not at all slippery, and it holds very well thanks to its screen that, even curved, makes it easier to grip. And as for the screen, the OnePlus 9 Pro once again offers the best in panels as its predecessor, the OnePlus 8 Pro, did. We are talking about a 6.7-inch AMOLED LTPO screen with a resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels (QHD +) and a special brightness mode that increases to 1,043 nits if it detects a lot of ambient light, which is tremendously helpful when using the phone outside and it was too bright.
Another significant feature of the screen is that it offers a variable refresh rate capable of automatically lowering from 120 to 1 Hz to reduce battery consumption, which is noticeable in the consumption of the device. By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra display can go as low as 10 Hz.
Hasselblad stamped cameras
One of the novelties of this saga of phones is found in its cameras. As Huawei did with Leica or Nokia with Zeiss, OnePlus partnered with the legendary camera manufacturer Hasselblad. The changes in this aspect are notable compared to previous models, especially in the Pro mode that includes many settings, precisely the same as the brand’s cameras.
OnePlus 9 Pro
Its rear camera has a Sony IMX789 primary sensor and a wide-angle lens with a 140-degree field view. It also incorporates a telephoto lens with 3.3x optical and up to 30x digital zoom.
The results are generally excellent, especially in good natural light, where the level of sharpness is very high, and the color reproduction is very realistic. Portraits are also of excellent quality and reasonably natural cropping in most circumstances, though when the light drops, it’s a bit erratic at times.
The 3x optical zoom does its job quite well, although it does not reach the same level offered by, for example, the 3x zoom of the Galaxy S21 Ultra. For its part, the front camera gives excellent results, with sharp, bright, color-balanced images.
The OnePlus 9 Pro is an almost flawless phone: it’s fast, it feels good in the hand, it has excellent autonomy, and its cameras, without reaching the level of the iPhone 12 Pro, can compete on some points with rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S21.
It seems to me a highly recommended option thanks to its price, lower than that of other phones on the market (909 euros for the version with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage). Its biggest competitor, in my opinion, is its little brother, the OnePlus nine, since it gives almost the same for 200 euros less (709 euros for the version with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage).
excellent performance
As expected from its technical specifications (Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and 12 GB of RAM), the OnePlus 9 Pro is a phone with a very smooth performance that does not present problems in any situation. Navigating through the menus, opening applications, viewing multimedia content, or playing video games are actions that are carried out perfectly. Without a doubt, I can say that these phones are the fastest Android phones I have tried.
The only bit I found is the camera software, which was hung on several occasions and forced me to restart the application. It is possible that this is a fault with my unit and that OnePlus will correct it in future updates.
The phone has a 4,500 mAh dual-cell battery (like the OnePlus 8T). This system allows to optimize the autonomy cost and avoid overheating the device. In general, the phone’s battery has given me perfect results, both for its duration, which allowed me a day and a half of use and for the speed of its 65 W fast charge, which manages to reach 100 percent from scratch in less than half an hour. The charger is included.
As in previous models, this OnePlus 9 Pro also has a wireless charging system that goes from zero to 100 in about 45 minutes. The compatible 45W wireless charger is not included with the phone.