OnePlus 9 review
OnePlus 9 review
The OnePlus 9 is a powerful and practical Android smartphone that combines many features of flagship devices in a harmonious overall package. It offers fast and smooth performance, broad compatibility with various networks and an impressive camera.
The phone measures 160 x 74.2 x 8.7 mm and weighs 192 grams. It is therefore noticeably heavier and larger than models such as the Samsung Galaxy S21 or the iPhone 12, not to mention the compact iPhone 12 mini. In the hand, it feels like a solid, glass device. The back of the phone looks elegant, and the modern color scheme gives it style. The tested model in the Arctic color looked so impressive that it was almost a shame to hide it in a case.
Connections of the OnePlus 9
As with the latest models, the OnePlus 9 does not have a traditional headphone jack. Instead, users have a USB-C port or wireless headphones at their disposal. If you opt for the latter, you should look for headphones that support the Qualcomm aptX codec, which offers excellent sound quality on OnePlus phones. However, if you prefer to listen to music without headphones, you can rely on the stereo speakers, which offer surprisingly rich mid-bass for a mobile device. At a maximum volume of 98 dB, these speakers can fill an entire room with sound.
Display of the OnePlus 9
The OnePlus 9 is equipped with a 6.55-inch display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, which comes from the OnePlus 8T model and offers a refresh rate of 120 Hz. One of its main advantages is its extreme color accuracy. In Natural mode, which was developed for maximum accuracy, the display does not exceed a color difference of 0.9 JND (Just Noticeable Color Difference). This is better than the Galaxy S20 Ultra (1.3 JND) and far superior to the iPhone 12 Pro Max (2.2 JND). The vivid mode intensifies red tones, which should please many users. Even if this is not the most realistic color representation, it definitely creates a "wow" effect.
In terms of brightness, the OnePlus 8T display does not offer a powerful automatic brightness mode, but in direct sunlight it is brighter than the iPhone 12 Pro Max. In manual mode, the display even surpasses the Galaxy S20 series in vivid mode, but does not reach the brightness of the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max models.
For those who want to save power, there is the option of manually lowering the refresh rate from 120 Hz to 60 Hz. In addition, the system intelligently reduces this frequency automatically if you are not scrolling or viewing content that requires a higher refresh rate.
The inside of the OnePlus 9
OnePlus, Apple and Samsung follow a similar strategy with their upper and mid-range models: the cheaper versions have the same main processors and basic performance parameters as the flagships. Differences are mainly evident in aspects such as display quality, camera functions and wireless technologies.
The OnePlus 9 is an excellent choice for gaming enthusiasts, as our performance tests confirm. Just like the 9 Pro model, the basic version of the OnePlus 9 offers 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage, although a variant with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage was also available for an additional charge. The model tested is the basic version, but it performs just as well in benchmarks as its more expensive counterpart. It scored around 1125 points in the single-core tests and 3700 points in the multi-core tests, which corresponds to a performance increase of 24% compared to the OnePlus 8 Pro in the single-core test and 12% in the multi-core test. Although these results are impressive, they cannot compete with those of the iPhone 12, which achieved 1596 points in the single-core test and 4049 in the multi-core test thanks to the Apple A14 chip.
The Snapdragon 888, on which the OnePlus 9 is based, also significantly increases the graphics performance. In the GFXBench Car Chase benchmark, this model achieved around 70 frames per second in the off-screen test, 37 fps in WQHD mode and 58 fps in HD mode. This is a significant leap compared to the OnePlus 8 Pro, which achieved 51 fps and 26 or 45 fps depending on the resolution.
OnePlus' Oxygen OS system, based on Android 11 (now Android 13), brings some pleasant new features, such as more elegant font options, always-on display mode and Zen mode, which temporarily blocks all functions except calls and photography. OnePlus promises system updates at least until Android 13 and security updates every two months for three years. If you're wondering if the OnePlus 9 will get Android 14 - the answer is yes, the update has already been confirmed and is awaiting rollout. As I write these lines, it is already available.
Performance of the OnePlus 9
Thanks to its large RAM and advanced optimization software, the OnePlus 9 can effortlessly switch between many applications without any lag. Even though it is not a typical smartphone for hardcore gamers, many popular games can be played on it without any problems. However, compared to real Gaming smartphones, it lacks some features such as advanced vibration motors, low touch latency, cooling systems or powerful speakers. Like the 8T model, the screen offers a touch sampling rate of 240 Hz, which is a good value, but lags behind the OnePlus 9 Pro with a frequency of 360 Hz. However, in the price range below 1400 złoty (as of September 2024), it is one of the best options for gaming.
The OnePlus 9 surprised positively in the battery tests. In a test in which movies were played on YouTube via Wi-Fi at full screen brightness, the smartphone lasted almost 11 hours. When the brightness was reduced to 75%, the runtime was extended to almost 14 hours, which is an impressive result.
With the Warp Charge 65T USB-C charger, the 4500 mAh battery can be charged at a rapid pace: 23% in just 6 minutes and a full charge takes 36 minutes - just like the Model 9 Pro. Unlike the Model 8, the OnePlus 9 supports wireless charging, albeit not as quickly as the Pro version. Using the 15W Qi standard, the battery charged to 24% in 22 minutes and a full charge took 102 minutes. Although this is not the fastest option, it still represents a significant step forward for OnePlus.
The OnePlus 9 is a modern smartphone that supports C-band, the latest 5G technology as well as 4G and Wi-Fi standards. Thanks to the advanced Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset and X60 modem, it offers support for Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and NFC. However, it is important to note that this is a model with only one SIM card slot, without eSIM support and without the option to add a second number.
The Model 9 uses the same Qualcomm X60 modem as the Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21 Ultra and OnePlus 9 Pro. In tests on the Play network, the OnePlus 9 showed its best side, surpassing the signal strength of the iPhone 12 Pro in 19 cases. In areas with weak reception, the 9 lost the connection less often than its Apple competitor, which is an important advantage for users who are often in difficult network conditions.
Camera in the OnePlus 9
What about the camera? OnePlus has taken a big step forward here. For a long time, the cameras were a weak point of the cheaper OnePlus models, but this has changed drastically with the OnePlus 9. The camera of the OnePlus 9 can keep up with that of the Galaxy S21 and even surpasses it in ultra-wide-angle shots, even if it lacks an optical zoom.
The main camera offers 48 MP with an aperture of f/1.8 and "Quad Binning" technology, which enables sharp 12 MP images. There is also a 50 MP ultra-wide-angle lens with an aperture of f/2.2 and a 2 MP monochrome camera, which is ideal for black and white photography.
The main camera works excellently in different lighting conditions. In our tests, the images were sharp and detailed in daylight, with an excellent dynamic range. The camera did not disappoint in low light conditions either, although we noticed minimal blurring and loss of fine detail in some shots.
Night shots, especially of brightly lit buildings reflected in wet streets, clearly showed that OnePlus has finally mastered photography in difficult lighting conditions. The ultra-wide-angle lens, which is the same as in the more expensive Model 9 Pro, uses Freeform Lens technology that minimizes distortion. As a result, in good lighting conditions, the images are comparable to those of the main camera, and in low light conditions they remain sharp, with minimal loss of detail and almost no background distortion.
On the front of the OnePlus 9 is a 16-megapixel camera, which is inconspicuously housed in a hole in the display. In good light, it takes solid selfies with impressive depth of field. Even in low light, the shots look good, although we noticed a slight background blur and some noise at the edges. The portrait mode performed excellently in the tests - even when enlarging the images on a large screen, there were no problems with accurately capturing the subjects, which is often a challenge with this type of shot.
The user interface of the camera app is largely intuitive and easy to use. Automatic scene detection effectively adjusts the settings to achieve the best possible photo. The night mode, also called Nightscape, works quickly and allows you to take clear photos in low light conditions. Most of the other functions are easily accessible and user-friendly. The tilt-shift mode, on the other hand, was less successful - it is not very intuitive, confusing and not particularly useful in everyday use.
