What you need to know about the OnePlus 9 series

Source: OnePlus

OnePlus has officially unveiled the new OnePlus 9 series, which will arrive in North America on April 2. Pre-orders are kicking off on March 26 through OnePlus.com. There are models you can choose from: the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro. We have pricing and all the essential details you'll need to know under the cut.

Pricing

Here are the variants that will come to Canada:

OnePlus 9

• 8GB + 128GB in Astral Black or Winter Mist: $999
• 12GB + 256GB in Astral Black: $1,149

OnePlus 9 Pro

• 8GB + 128GB in Morning Mist: $1,349
• 12GB + 256GB in Morning Mist or Pine Green: $1,499

Camera

As you might have heard, OnePlus entered into a long-term partnership with Hasselblad. For the OnePlus 9 series, the legendary camera maker offered its "colour expertise" through a new Natural Colour Calibration feature. You're promised colour accurate and natural-looking photos and videos with the latest smartphones.

The OnePlus 9 Pro gets a quad-camera setup at the back, including a 48-megapixel Sony IMX789 main sensor, 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 ultra-wide camera, 8-megapixel telephoto camera with 30x digital zoom and OIS, and a monochrome sensor. 

Source: OnePlus

The OnePlus 9 has a similar setup, but it has a Sony IMX689 for the primary sensor, and it doesn't get a telephoto lens.

OnePlus didn't talk about the selfie camera much, but we believe both get a 16-megapixel lens.

The company wants you to pay extra attention to the ultra-wide camera and its ability to take better quality photos. With a freeform lens, OnePlus claims it eliminates most of the distortion taken by ultra-wide cameras. You can also use this same lens to take macro photos.

The OnePlus 9 Pro also gains the ability to shoot 4K video at 120 frames per second (fps), an uncommon feature for smartphones. On top of that, both the OnePlus 9 Pro and 9 can record 8K video at 30fps.

With Hasselblad's help, the OnePlus 9 series gets a new Hasselblad Camera for Mobile app. It introduces a new user interface that looks similar to a professional Hasselblad camera's UI. There's now an orange shutter button, a shutter sound reminiscent of Hasselblad cameras, and a new watermark bearing both the Hasselblad and OnePlus names. The Pro Mode in the camera app will allow you to tweak settings like ISO, focus, exposure time, white balance, and more.

Battery

While both the OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 9 have a standard 4,500mAh battery, what's important is how quickly these devices charge.

With the company's Warp Charge 65T wired charging, you can top these handsets to 100% in just 30 minutes. What's possibly more impressive is its ultra-fast wireless charging, which OnePlus boasts is faster than many wired charging options from other companies. With 50W wireless charging support, you can get from 1-100% in under 45 minutes. 

Source: OnePlus

That speed is possible thanks to OnePlus's new Warp Charge 50 wireless charger ($99.99). This new charger has two charging coils allowing you to charge your phone horizontally or vertically. If you want to continue your binge-watching, you can do so now while you wirelessly charge.

According to OnePlus, you can also use the included power adapter to turbocharge non-OnePlus devices, like laptops, tablets, and others, up to 45W using USB PD or PPS. And the North American and European versions of the OnePlus 9 also support up to 15W Qi wireless charging.

Performance

You've already seen the RAM and storage options above. The OnePlus 9 Pro offers LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage for a smoother experience. The company then pairs that with Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and Android 11-based OxygenOS 11. The same processor powers the OnePlus 9.

Display

Another difference between the OnePlus 9 Pro and the OnePlus 9 is the display design. The Pro curves off slightly to the side, while the standard option comes with a flat 6.55-inch screen. 

OnePlus didn't mention the OnePlus 9 Pro's screen during the event, but it's believed to sport a 6.7-inch display.

Both offer the new Fluid Display 2.0 feature, which gives you an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and Hyper Touch. The latter, though, is limited to the 9 Pro. It offers improved response time for gaming, which titles like Call of Duty Mobile and Brawl Stars can take advantage of.

Design

There are three colour options for both phones. But, as you've seen above, we aren't getting them all. The camera module's design feels very 2021 with its big sensors and how it blends into the rest of the phone's body.

OnePlus equips the OnePlus 9 Pro with a 2.2mm aluminum frame and IP68 water- and dust-resistance. The company didn't mention the rating for the regular OnePlus 9.

What do you think of the new OnePlus 9 phones? Are you planning on getting one?

Update on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 9:45PM by Nicole Batac

Issuing a correction on the original story. Only the OnePlus 9 Pro has an adaptive 120Hz display. The OnePlus 9 has a 120Hz refresh rate, but you'll need to toggle it on or off.