Everything you need to know about the OnePlus 9
We’re a few days away from the official unveiling of the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro, but OnePlus has already pretty much shared everything there is to know about its 2021 flagships. The OnePlus 9 has been the subject of plenty of rumors since late 2020, not long after the release of the OnePlus 8T. But instead of letting the leaks play out, the company seems more than content to just share everything ahead of the announcement.
Design
The first leaks for the OnePlus 9 were CAD renders which gave us some expectations as to what the OnePlus 9 would look like. Since then, we’ve learned and seen that this is not an earth-shattering design change, but instead brings a slightly-tweaked design compared to the OnePlus 8T.
The biggest change, aside from the different colors, is the all-new camera hump in the top right-hand corner. There aren’t many differences even between the 9 and the 9 Pro, with the only changes coming with the additional camera sensor on the 9 Pro, along with the new Hasselblad logo.
It seems that smartphone makers have finally been listening to customers, as we’ve seen recently-launched devices ditch the annoying curved displays. These are more frustrating than they are helpful, as even software adjustments can’t help with eventual accidental touches on the edges of the screen.
That brings us to the displays of both of these fancy new phones. While it seems that the OnePlus 9 will borrow the flat display found on the 8T, while the OnePlus 9 Pro could feature a slightly-less curved display, similar to that of the Galaxy S21 Ultra.
OnePlus 9 Official Videos
If following the OnePlus Twitter account or Pete Lau wasn’t enough, there are quite a few videos for you to watch in order to get your OnePlus 9 fix.
- OnePlus x Hasselblad Ambassadors – Lars Schneider Landscapes
- Making Lunarland
- The Lab
- OnePlus x Hasselblad Ambassadors – Cooper and Gorfer Colors
- OnePlus x Hasselblad Masters – Yin Chao Portraits
- Behind the Lens – Episode 1
- Life on Display
- Eyeball Inspired
- Charge Fast
- All Incredible Views
- Launch Event Trailer
- Fall in Love
- Behind the Lens – Episode 2
Rumored Specs
| OnePlus 9 | OnePlus 9 Pro | |
| Display | 6.55-inch AMOLED FHD+ | 6.78-inch AMOLED QHD+ |
| Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Processor | Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 888 |
| RAM | 8GB/12GB | 8GB/12GB |
| Storage | 128GB/256GB | 128GB/256GB |
| MicroSD Card | No | No |
| Rear Camera | 48MP (main) / 48MP (ultrawide) / telephoto (third camera) | 48MP (main) / 48MP (ultrawide) / telephoto (third camera) |
| Fingerprint scanner | In-display (optical) | In-display (optical) |
| Battery | 4,500mAh w/ 65W fast charging | 5,000mAh w/ 65W fast charging |
| Water Resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
| Android OS | Android 11 (OxygenOS) | Android 11 (OxygenOS) |
Features
As you might expect, there are a few key features to help set the OnePlus 9 series from the competition.
Hasselblad partnership
OnePlus kicked off all of the ‘official’ hubbub with an announcement of its partnership with Hasselblad. OnePlus has been trying to keep up with Samsung, Google, and Apple in the camera department and in an effort to do so has partnered with Hasselblad for its Pro model. In addition to helping out with the camera hardware, Hasselblad is also bringing its Pro Mode on the software side. OnePlus has also promised to invest more than $150 million over the next few years in an effort to improve camera research and development centers for better mobile cameras.
All the charging
It should come as no surprise that OnePlus is pulling out all of the stops in the charging department. While the OnePlus 8 Pro introduced wireless charging for the first time in company history, both the 9 and 9 Pro are rumored to get wireless charging. We could be seeing more basic wireless charging on the standard OP9, but it would still be more than welcome at this point.
Meanwhile, the 9 Pro is expected to see super-fast wireless charging with speeds up to 50W. There could also be an all-new wireless charger made available so that your phones can take advantage of the faster-charging speeds. Wired charging is likely to be just as fast as you want, with the company’s Warp Charge 65 wired charging capabilities.
What about the OnePlus 9R?
There have been on and off rumors about a potential budget device being announced alongside the 9 and 9 Pro. The OnePlus R has finally been confirmed and will likely only be coming to India for the time being. The Nord line is still going to be hanging around, so the 9R will be a stepping stone between the Nord and standard OnePlus 9.
As for specs, there’s really not much known yet. As of right now, we have an idea of the following included specs:
- 6.5-inch AMOLED Display w/ 90Hz refresh rate
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 or 865
- 5,000mAh battery
- Warp Charge 65
And a watch?
Along with all of the teasers for the upcoming smartphones, OnePlus has also been building the hype train for a wearable device. The OnePlus Watch has been confirmed to be announced on March 23rd, but we don’t have too much information on what will be included. Outside of the render above, shared by Unbox Therapy, we know that the smartwatch won’t be running Wear OS and could be priced around $150-$200.
Price & Availability
The biggest question with these devices is the price. We already know that OnePlus will deliver in the software and hardware department, and the Hasselblad partnership is likely to pay dividends for everyone. After seeing the $200 discount on the Galaxy S21 compared to its predecessor, we wouldn’t be surprised to see something similar from OnePlus. There hasn’t been much to go off of in the rumor department, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see pricing start around $749 for the OnePlus 9 with the 9 Pro coming in around $900-$950.
Let us know what you think about the OnePlus 9 and if you’re ready for it to finally be released.