OnePlus 9 series: Everything you need to know about OnePlus’ latest flagships

 

OnePlus’ hype train has finally reached its destination, and the company has unveiled its latest flagships — the OnePlus 9, the OnePlus 9 Pro, and the OnePlus 9R. The phones feature an all-new design, top-of-the-line performance chops, and a new camera system developed in collaboration with Hasselblad. On top of that, the OnePlus 9 series offers several additional features that make them a significant upgrade over the OnePlus 8 lineup. In case you’re planning on getting a OnePlus 9 series phone for yourself, here’s everything you need to know to make an informed decision:

Navigate this page:

•  Variants

•  Specifications

•  Design

•  Display

•  SoC, RAM, & Storage

•  Camera & Camera Features

•  Battery & Charging

•  5G & Connectivity

•  OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11

•  Accessories

•  Pricing & Availability

OnePlus 9 series: Variants

As seen in various leaks over the last few months, the new OnePlus 9 series includes three devices — the OnePlus 9, the OnePlus 9 Pro, and the OnePlus 9R. While the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro are global devices that will be available in all regions where OnePlus has a presence, the OnePlus 9R is limited to the Indian market.

OnePlus 9 series: Specifications

Specification	OnePlus 9	OnePlus 9 Pro	OnePlus 9R
Build	Fiberglass-reinforced polymer frame Gorilla Glass 5 front and back	Aluminum frame Gorilla Glass 5 front and back	Metal frame Glass back Gorilla Glass front
Dimensions & Weight	North America/Europe: 160 x 74.2 x 8.7mm 192g India/China: 160 x 73.9 x 8.1mm 183g	163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7mm 197g	161 x 74.1 x 8.4 mm 189g
Display	6.55-inch FHD+ AMOLED (2400 x 1080p) 402PPI 20:9 aspect ratio 120Hz refresh rate 1100nits peak brightness Supports sRGB and DCI-P3 color space HDR10+ Automatic color temperature adjustment Gorilla Glass 5	6.7-inch QHD+ LTPO AMOLED (3216 x 1440p) 525PPI 20.1:9 aspect ratio Smart 120Hz refresh rate (Adaptive 1-120Hz) 360Hz touch polling rate 1300nits peak brightness 10-bit color depth Supports sRGB and DCI-P3 color space HDR10+ MEMC Automatic color temperature adjustment Gorilla Glass 5	6.55-inch FHD+ AMOLED (2400 x 1080) 402PPI 20:9 aspect ratio 120Hz refresh rate sRGB and DCI-P3 support
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 1x Kryo 680 (ARM Cortex X1-based) Prime core @ 2.84GHz 3x Kryo 680 (ARM Cortex A78-based) Performance cores @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 680 (ARM Cortex A55-based) Efficiency cores @ 1.8GHz Adreno 660 GPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 1x Kryo 680 (ARM Cortex X1-based) Prime core @ 2.84GHz 3x Kryo 680 (ARM Cortex A78-based) Performance cores @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 680 (ARM Cortex A55-based) Efficiency cores @ 1.8GHz Adreno 660 GPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 1x Kryo 585 Prime core @ 3.2GHz 3x Kryo 585 Performance cores @ 2.4GHz 4x Kryo 385 Efficiency cores @ 1.8GHz  Adreno 650
RAM & Storage	8GB LPDDR5 RAM + 128GB UFS 3.1 storage 12GB + 256GB	8GB LPDDR5 RAM + 128GB UFS 3.1 storage 12GB + 256GB	8GB + 128GB UFS 3.1 12GB + 256GB
Battery & Charging	4,500mAh battery 65W wired fast charging (1-100% in 29 minutes) 45W wired fast charging (USB PD) 15W Qi wireless charging (North America/Europe only) Warp Charge 65T charger included (supports up to 45W USB PD or PPS for non-OnePlus devices)	4,500mAh battery 65W wired fast charging (1-100% in 29 minutes) 45W wired fast charging (USB PD) 50W wireless fast charging (1-100% in 43 minutes) Warp Charge 65T charger included (supports up to 45W USB PD or PPS for non-OnePlus devices)	4,500mAh 65W wired fast charging support Warp Charge 65 charger included in the box
Security	In-display fingerprint scanner	In-display fingerprint scanner	In-display fingerprint scanner
Rear Camera(s)	Primary: 48MP Sony IMX689, f/1.8, EIS, PDAF+CAF Secondary: 50MP Sony IMX766 ultra-wide, f/2.2, freeform lens Tertiary: 2MP monochrome sensor Dual LED flash Video: 8K video @ 30fps 4K video @ 30/60fps Slow motion: 720p @480fps, 1080p @ 240fps Time-lapse: 1080p @ 30fps, 4K @ 30fps Additional features: Nightscape, Super Macro, UltraShot HDR, Smart Scene Recognition, Portrait mode, Pro mode, Panorama, Tilt-shift mode, Focus Peaking, Cat/Dog Face focus, RAW support, Filters, Super Stable video, Video Nightscape, Video HDR, Video Portrait, Focus Tracking, Hyperlapse	Primary: 48MP Sony IMX 789, f/1.8, OIS, EIS, PDAF+CAF Secondary: 50MP Sony IMX766 ultra-wide, f/2.2, freeform lens Tertiary: 8MP 3.3x telephoto, f/2.4, OIS Quaternary: 2MP monochrome sensor Dual LED flash Video: 8K video @30fps 4K video @ 30/60/120fps Slow motion: 720p @ 480fps, 1080p @ 240fps Time-lapse: 1080p @ 30fps, 4K @ 30fps Additional features: Nightscape, Super Macro, UltraShot HDR, Smart Scene Recognition, Portrait mode, Pro mode, Panorama, Tilt-shift mode, Focus Peaking, Cat/Dog Face focus, RAW support, Filters, Super Stable video, Video Nightscape, Video HDR, Video Portrait, Focus Tracking, Hyperlapse	Primary: 48MP f/1.7 Sony IMX586, PDAF+CAF Secondary: 16MP f/2.2 Sony IMX481 wide-angle, 123° FoV Tertiary: 5MP macro Quaternary: 2MP monochrome
Front Camera(s)	16MP Sony IMX471, f/2.4, FF, EIS	16MP Sony IMX471, f/2.4, FF, EIS	16MP Sony IMX471, f/2.4, FF, EIS
Port(s)	USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C	USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C	USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C
Audio	Dual stereo speakers Noise cancellation support Dolby Atmos certified	Dual stereo speakers Noise cancellation support Dolby Atmos certified	Dual stereo speakers Noise cancellation support Dolby Atmos certified
Connectivity	LTE 4×4 MIMO SA/NSA 5G Wi-Fi 6 2×2 MIMO (dual-band) Bluetooth 5.2 (aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, AAC support) NFC GPS (L1+L5 Dual Band), GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, A-GPS	LTE 4×4 MIMO SA/NSA 5G Wi-Fi 6 2×2 MIMO (dual-band) Bluetooth 5.2 (aptX, aptX HD, LDAC, AAC support) NFC GPS (L1+L5 Dual Band), GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, A-GPS	LTE 4×4 MIMO SA/NSA 5G Wi-Fi 6 2×2 MIMO (dual-band) Bluetooth 5.1 GPS (L1+L5 Dual Band), GLONASS, Galileo, Beidou, A-GPS
Software	OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11	OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11	OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11
Other Features	IP68 dust and water resistance (T-Mobile version only) Alert slider Upgraded haptic motor OnePlus Cool Play cooling system (five-layer system with a vapor chamber and layers of graphite and copper)	IP68 dust and water resistance Alert slider Upgraded haptic motor OnePlus Cool Play cooling system (multi-layer system with a vapor chamber and layers of graphite and copper)	Alert slider
Colors	Winter Mist, Arctic Sky, Astral Black	Morning Mist, Forest Green, Stellar Black	Lake Blue, Carbon Black

 

Design

The OnePlus 9 series follows the same Burdenless Design philosophy as a couple of older OnePlus devices but with a few refinements. The devices look pretty much the same as the OnePlus 8 series, except for the new camera module and the back panel finishes. Both phones have a curved back that merges seamlessly with the slim frame, but the OnePlus 9 features a flat display while the OnePlus 9 Pro packs a curved one. The devices also differ in terms of material choice, with the vanilla OnePlus 9 featuring a fiberglass-reinforced frame (with a glossy metallic finish) and the Pro variant packing an aluminum frame.

As mentioned earlier, the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro sport a new camera island design. Unlike the OnePlus 8 series devices, the latest OnePlus flagships feature rectangular camera islands in the top left corner of the back panel. On the OnePlus 9, the camera module houses a triple camera setup with a dual-LED flash and Hasselblad branding. On the other hand, the Pro variant packs a quad-camera setup with a dual-LED flash and Hasselblad branding.

Both phones also get new back panel finishes. The OnePlus 9 comes in three colorways inspired by nature — Winter Mist, Arctic Sky, and Astral Black. The Winter Mist variant has a gradient refraction effect that lights up the device in different shades of purple, the Arctic Sky variant has a cool blue finish with a matte glass, and the Astral Black finish has a glossy glass on top of a matte black film that offers a minimal look.

The OnePlus 9 Pro also comes in three nature-inspired color options — Morning Mist, Pine Green, and Stellar Black. The Morning Mist finish, which we saw in various leaks over the last few months, shimmers from silver to black, the Pine Green variant offers a double-layer matte finish that gives the device a softer feel, and the Stellar Black variant has a frosted matte glass that resembles the classic OnePlus Sandstone finish.

The affordable OnePlus 9R features a flat display with a hole-punch cutout in the top left corner, a curved glass back, and the same camera island design as the other two models. However, it doesn’t feature Hasselblad branding. It comes in two color variants — Lake Blue and Carbon Black — and both variants have a matte finish. Surprisingly, the OnePlus 9R has a metal frame, while the more premium OnePlus 9 doesn’t.

As far as the ports and buttons are concerned, the OnePlus 9 features a USB Type-C port at the bottom, the power button and alert slider on the right edge, and the volume rocker on the left edge. Similarly, the OnePlus 9 Pro packs a USB Type-C port at the bottom, the power button and alert slider on the right edge, and the volume rocker on the left edge. However, the frame on the Pro variant is a bit slimmer (2.2mm) than the one on the non-Pro variant, which gives it a more premium feel in hand. The OnePlus 9R also features the same button and port layout as the other two devices.

For durability, OnePlus is offering Gorilla Glass 5 on the front and back on both devices and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Do note that the IP68 rating is only available on the T-Mobile version of the OnePlus 9, but it’s available on all variants of the OnePlus 9 Pro. Sadly, the affordable OnePlus 9R doesn’t come with an IP certification.

Display

OnePlus 9

The OnePlus 9 packs a 6.55-inch flat AMOLED display with a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. It’s a 20:9 panel that offers a pixel density of 402 pixels per inch (PPI). The display has a single hole-punch cut-out for the selfie camera in the top-left corner, minimal bezels on three sides, and a slight chin.

The display offers a peak refresh rate of 120Hz, 1100nits of peak brightness with 8192 levels of adjustment, and HDR10+ certification. OnePlus claims that the display supports both sRGB and DCI-P3 color space, and it offers color accuracy that exceeds leading professional monitors. The display also comes with HDR10+ certification.

OnePlus 9 Pro

While the OnePlus 9’s display is pretty much the same as the one on the OnePlus 8T, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s display boasts of a couple of additional features. The curved panel measures 6.7-inches and offers a resolution of 3216 x 1440 pixels. It has a 20.1:9 aspect ratio and offers a pixel density of 525PPI. Much like the OnePlus 9, the display on the Pro-variant features a single hole-punch cut-out for the selfie camera. But its side bezels are much slimmer as the display curves over the edges. The top and bottom bezels are also comparatively slimmer.

The display offers a peak refresh rate of 120Hz, but unlike the vanilla model, it’s an LTPO panel that brings adaptive refresh rate support to the device. Thanks to this, the device can automatically adapt the refresh rate from 1-120Hz based on the content being viewed. OnePlus claims that this feature helps reduce the power consumption by 50% compared to the vanilla model.

The panel also supports a 360Hz touch polling rate for faster touch response, 1300nits of peak brightness, native 10-bit color depth, and HDR10+ certification. Furthermore, the device comes with a few premium display features like MEMC, automatic color temperature adjustment, front/back ambient light sensing for automatic brightness adjustments, and more. As with the OnePlus 9, OnePlus claims that the display supports both sRGB and DCI-P3 color space, and it offers color accuracy that exceeds leading professional monitors.

OnePlus 9R

Despite its affordable price, the OnePlus 9R also packs a FHD+ AMOLED display that refreshes at 120Hz. While it doesn’t offer adaptive refresh rate support or a high touch polling rate, it’s still a great panel for an affordable flagship.

The display has a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels, which results in a pixel density of 402 pixels per inch. It has a 20:9 aspect ratio, and it also offers support for the sRGB and DCI-P3 color space.

SoC, RAM, & Storage

As expected, both the OnePlus 9 series devices are powered by Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 SoC. The octa-core SoC packs one Kryo 680 prime core (ARM Cortex X1-based) clocked at 2.84GHz, three Kryo 680 performance cores (ARM Cortex A78-based) clocked at 2.4GHz, and four Kryo 680 efficiency cores (ARM Cortex A55-based) clocked at 1.8GHz.

The SoC packs an Adreno 660 GPU, Qualcomm’s new Spectra 580 ISP, and the Snapdragon X60 integrated 5G modem. The SoC on both phones is paired with either 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of fast UFS 3.1 storage. Unfortunately, the devices don’t feature a microSD card slot for further expansion.

As we expected, the OnePlus 9R packs Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 870 chip. It’s a minor upgrade over the company’s flagship Snapdragon 865 chip from last year, featuring a slightly higher clocked prime core. The octa-core SoC packs on Kryo 585 prime core clocked at 3.2Ghz, three Kryo 585 performance cores clocked at 2.4Ghz, and four Kryo 385 efficiency cores clocked at 1.8GHz. It also features the Adreno 650 GPU and the Snapdragon X55 modem.

Cameras

The OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro come with a couple of noteworthy improvements on the camera front. The devices pack impressive new camera hardware, a new Natural Color Calibration profile developed in collaboration with Hasselblad, a flagship-level ultra-wide camera, and many more software features.

OnePlus 9

The OnePlus 9 features a triple-camera setup on the back and a single front-facing shooter. The main camera on the phone uses a 48MP Sony IMX689 sensor. It has an f/1.8 aperture, features electronic image stabilization, and offers multi autofocus support (All Pixel Omni-Directional PDAF+CAF). It also offers 12-bit RAW support and dual native ISO.

The primary camera is paired with a 50MP Sony IMX766 wide-angle camera that features a Freeform Lens to reduce edge distortion. It has an f/2.2 aperture, and it can even act as a high-res macro camera capable of focusing from as close as 4cm from the subject. The camera island on the back also houses a 2MP monochrome camera that works with the main 48MP shooter to add detail to monochrome photos. Over on the front, the phone packs a 16MP f/2.4 Sony IMX471 sensor with electronic image stabilization.

OnePlus 9 Pro

While the OnePlus 9 Pro also features a 48MP main camera, it uses a Sony IMX789 sensor instead of the IMX689 sensor. The main camera has an f/1.8 aperture, features both electronic and optical image stabilization, and offers the same autofocus system as on the non-Pro variant. It also offers 12-bit RAW support, dual native ISO, and DOL-HDR.

The phone features the same 50MP Sony IMX766 wide-angle camera with a freeform lens and the same 2MP monochrome sensor. However, it includes an additional telephoto camera on the back. This camera has an f/2.4 aperture and optical image stabilization. It offers 3.3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom.

OnePlus 9R

The OnePlus 9R takes a major hit in the camera department. While it does offer a quad-camera setup, it isn’t nearly as good as the one found on the other two models. The phone features a 48MP f/1.7 Sony IMX586 primary camera with PDAF and CAF, a 16MP f/2.2 Sony IMX481 wide-angle camera with a 123° FoV, a 5MP macro camera, and a 2MP monochrome camera.

While the rear-facing camera setup isn’t that impressive, the OnePlus 9R features the same front-facing shooter as the other two models. It’s a 16MP f/2.4 Sony IMX471 sensor that offers electronic image stabilization.

Battery & Charging

Although the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro pack the same 4,500mAh battery, they don’t feature the same fast charging capabilities. The vanilla OnePlus 9 supports 65W wired fast charging, which is capable of getting the 4,500mAh battery from 1% to 100% in just 29 minutes with the included Warp Charge 65T charger. The model heading to the North American and European markets also gets 15W Qi wireless charging support. However, the Indian and Chinese models won’t offer wireless charging capabilities.

The OnePlus 9 Pro also offers 65W wired fast charging support that can get the battery from 1-100% in just 29 minutes. Unlike the OnePlus 9, it also features 50W wireless fast charging support, which can charge the phone from 1-100% in merely 43 minutes. Thankfully, OnePlus isn’t making any region-specific alterations on the OnePlus 9 Pro, and all units will come with 50W wireless fast charging support.

The Warp Charge 65T charger that comes with the OnePlus 9 phones has also received some improvements of its own. It’s capable of charging non-OnePlus devices at up to 45W using USB PD or PPS. This is an excellent addition for those of you who have laptops that charge via a USB Type-C port, as you won’t have to carry an additional charger whenever you’re on the move.

The OnePlus 9R also features a 4,500mAh battery that supports 65W wired fast charging. The device doesn’t offer any wireless charging support, but it does come with a 65W fast charger in the box. Sadly, the fast charger included with the OnePlus 9R doesn’t support fast charging using USB PD or PPS.

5G & Connectivity

Since both the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro pack Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 SoC, they feature an integrated Snapdragon X60 modem. Therefore, both devices offer 5G capabilities. But there are a couple of regional differences. The North American variant of the OnePlus 9 only gets sub-6GHz 5G support; the OnePlus 9 Pro gets mmWave support as well. The European, Indian, and Chinese models of both devices come with only sub-6GHz 5G support.

Along with 5G, both devices get 4×4 MIMO LTE support, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, and NFC. The OnePlus 9 series also features dual-band GPS support, GLONASS, dual-band Galileo, Beidou, and A-GPS for positioning.

The OnePlus 9R features the Snapdragon X55 modem for 5G and LTE connectivity. But it only supports sub-6GHz 5G. Along with that, the device features 4×4 MIMO LTE support, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.1. For position, the phone offers dual-band GPS support, GLONASS, dual-band Galileo, Beidou, and A-GPS.

OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11

On the software front, the OnePlus 9, the OnePlus 9 Pro, and the OnePlus 9R run OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11 out of the box. The release is pretty much the same as the one that rolled out for a few older OnePlus devices over the last few months. But it includes a couple of additional features.

The devices come with the new Pro Gaming Mode, which recently started rolling out to older OnePlus phones. They also feature a new Turbo Boost 3.0 memory optimization feature that lets you keep 25% more apps open in the background by allocating some of the internal storage as RAM.

OnePlus has also revealed that it will provide two major Android upgrades to the OnePlus 9 lineup and three years of security patches delivered bi-monthly.

Accessories

Cases

OnePlus has also launched a couple of new first-party cases with the OnePlus 9 lineup. These include a Karbon Protective case that features a carbon fiber finish on the back, a Sandstone Bumper case featuring the classic OnePlus Sandstone finish, and a silver Droid Case.

Warp Charge 50 Wireless charger

OnePlus has also launched a Warp Charge 50 Wireless charger for the OnePlus 9 Pro. It can charge the phone from 1-100% in just 43% minutes and it features two charging coils, allowing you to charge the phone in both portrait and landscape orientation.

OnePlus 9 series: Pricing & Availability

The OnePlus 9 series is priced as follows:

Sr. No.	Device	North America	Europe	India	China
1.	OnePlus 9:
1.1	8GB + 128GB (Astral Black, Winter Mist)	USD: $729 CAD: $999	€709	₹49,999	¥3,799
1.2	12GB + 256GB (Astral Black)	USD: $829 CAD: $1,149	€809	₹54,999	¥4,299
2.	OnePlus 9 Pro:
2.1	8GB + 128GB (Morning Mist)	USD: $969 CAD: $1,349	€909	₹64,999	¥4,999
2.2	8GB + 256GB	–	–	–	¥5,499
2.3	12GB + 256GB (Morning Mist, Pine Green)	USD: $1,069 CAD: $1,499	€999	₹69,999	¥5,999
3.	OnePlus 9R:
3.1	8GB + 128GB (Lake Blue, Carbon Black)	–	–	₹39,999	–
3.2	12GB + 256GB (Lake Blue, Carbon Black)	–	–	₹43,999	–

Both the flagship phones will be available for pre-order from March 26th in North America, with the first open sale scheduled for April 2nd. Interested buyers will be able to get their hands on unlocked units from OnePlus’ website and other major eCommerce platforms, like Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H. The Morning Mist OnePlus 9 Pro in the 12GB+256GB configuration and the OnePlus 9 (8GB+128GB) in the Winter Mist and Astral Black colorways will also be available via T-Mobile on the same dates. The OnePlus 9R will be available for pre-order in India early in April. We’ll update this post as soon as we receive more information about the availability.

Now that you know everything about the OnePlus 9 series, check out Mishaal’s detailed review (linked below) of the OnePlus 9 Pro to see how exactly the device stacks up in real-world use.