OnePlus 9 Pro review - a great flagship with one embarrassing flaw

OnePlus 9 Pro is a large device, although on the market we will find larger and heavier proposals. However, it is worth remembering when choosing this smartphone. If portability matters to us, we should direct our eyes in a different direction.

Its dimensions are 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7 mm and the weight is 197 grams. Despite such dimensions, the smartphone lies comfortably in the hand and allows for a firm grip. This is largely due to the relatively small width of the device and its profile. The build quality is flagship. Catching OnePlus 9 Pro in the hand, we immediately know what we are dealing with. The body is compact and rigid, and the elements fit well.

On the back there is a quadruple set of cameras with a LED flash, laser autofocus and a dedicated microphone. They have been placed on a medium-sized island, which slightly protrudes beyond the outline of the device. It doesn't look innovative in any way, but it sure is neat.

The right edge hides the power button, as well as - being a standard for OnePlus - a three-state switch with a characteristic and tactile texture. This switch allows us to quickly mute the device or switch it to vibrate mode. This great solution should find its place in every flagship.

On the left side we find the volume rocker. The upper edge is modest, with only room for an additional, noise-reducing microphone.

There were no surprises downstairs. The centrally located USB Type-C port (3.1) is surrounded by a speaker grille on the right, and the main microphone and SIM card tray on the left. There was no 3.5mm headphone jack on board.

The front of OnePlus 9 Pro is entirely covered with a sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It is a curved at the edges, large, 6.7-inch screen that occupies about 90% of the front surface. The edges have been curved in a rather subtle but noticeable way. I am glad that the manufacturer did not exaggerate this topic - the visual effect is great, and additionally it does not affect the quality of the displayed content.

The small round cutout for the front camera, located in the upper left corner, is not very charming. Under the screen we will also find a very modest "chin", but unfortunately it is not symmetrical with the space above the screen. The only thing I can fault is the lack of the latest Gorilla Glass Victus glass.

Hardware

The OnePlus 9 Pro is powered by the flagship SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 888. It is a 64-bit unit, made in a 5-nanometer technological process and equipped with 8 cores: the most efficient clocked at up to 2.84 GHz, three efficient clocked at up to 2.2 GHz and four energy-saving with speeds up to 1.8 GHz. The graphics system is Adreno 660, and in the tested model I had 12 GB of RAM.

The tested copy offered 256 GB of UFS 3.1 internal memory. Therefore, we are talking about a very fast medium that noticeably shortens the loading or installation times of games and programs. Unfortunately, the manufacturer has not been tempted to expand the memory, so we must carefully choose the size of the disk space that is right for us.

In terms of connectivity, it's very good. We will find support for WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, dual SIM with two nanoSIM slots, Bluetooth 5.2 (with aptX HD, LDAC and AAC), and NFC. It is a set that does not differ from what the competition offers and contains the most important technologies.

OnePlus 9 Pro in terms of signal strength and network stability was exemplary during the tests. Wherever I should, I was within LTE or 5G range. I was positively surprised when it turned out that in one of the places where many smartphones have a problem, OnePlus 9 Pro still offered the remains of the range.

The conversations were of a very good quality - the sound was clear and pleasant to the ear. I am pleasantly surprised by the loudspeaker for calls, which offers a really good volume level, so I had no problems understanding the interlocutor in loud places or on a crowded street. The microphone works just as well - none of my interlocutors complained. During the tests, there was no situation in which I was dissatisfied with the quality of the telephone conversation.

In terms of geolocation, we have everything you need here. There were also dual-band GPS (along with A-GPS), GLONASS, Galileo (dual-band) and Beidou on board. Location is determined in the blink of an eye and navigation is precise. I was also pleased with the stability of the GPS - none of the several routes I made resulted in an unwanted temporary loss of signal.

Screen and multimedia

The OnePlus 9 Pro screen is definitely its strongest point. It is a stunning 6.7-inch AMOLED display with curved edges and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The screen refresh rate is 120 Hz, but - what is important - it is a matrix that can dynamically change the refresh rate in the range from 1 to 120 Hz. What does this mean in practice? In a nutshell, it saves the battery - where super smoothness is not required, for example when watching a video or browsing static elements, such as photos or text, the refresh rate of the panel is lowered.

Its resolution is 1440 × 3216 pixels, so we have QHD + here, giving more than a satisfactory 525 ppi. What's worth noting, even at this resolution we can still enjoy a 120-hertz screen refresh, which is not so obvious. We also have the option to change the resolution to Full HD+.

The declared brightness, at the peak of 1300 nits, means that even on sunny days you will not have problems with screen readability. The light intensity sensor works very well - it is quick and precise in its decisions. In this respect, the OnePlus 9 Pro fared very well.

The displayed colors are vivid, but at the same time properly saturated - you can see a well-done calibration. The screen supports Display P3 and sRGB color spaces, which can be further manually adjusted. The Chinese have also implemented support for the so-called True Tone - thanks to this, the device automatically adjusts the colors of the screen based on ambient lighting.

There was also an eye protection function that reduces the blue color (tiring for the human eye) and makes the screen yellowish (the effect is adjustable). There is also a dedicated reading mode with monochrome and chromatic effects. The first one allows you to better delve into the content, the second, in turn, increases the comfort of reading.

Of course, the contrast is infinite, and black, as befits AMOLEDA, is black. I must admit that every look at this display was something extremely pleasant. A high, 120-hertz refresh rate only intensifies these pleasant sensations, and its dynamic change works surprisingly well - it does not affect the comfort of use.

A set of two stereo speakers is responsible for the sound here. They sound very good and surprisingly clean. During the tests, I was happy with them - playing multimedia with them was even satisfying. They are also quite loud, although a trained ear will hear that the lower speaker plays slightly louder.

Of course, streaming services support HD quality with HDR, and the device supports Dolby Atmos, which is more than a logo - you can hear its effects.

OnePlus 9 Pro can definitely be called a multimedia device. It's already good on speakers, and when you plug in headphones it's even better. I connected my HyperX Cloud to the smartphone using a USB type C - 3.5 mm jack adapter, as well as wireless Huawei FreeBuds Pro. The connected hardware sounds great and loud, which may suggest that Qualcomm used a high-quality digital-to-analog converter in its chipset.

System, efficiency and comfort of use

OnePlus 9 Pro debuts on the market, of course, with Android 11, covered with the proprietary OxygenOS 11 overlay, which in the opinion of many is the best version of Android. The initial configuration went quite smoothly and without unnecessary additional configurations. A new user will certainly not feel overwhelmed at the beginning of his adventure with this system.

This overlay is quite heavily based on Google applications. This is a big change from what we knew from its previous version. We have a lot of applications from Google installed here, some of which are default system programs - such as phone or messages. Unfortunately, not all of them can be uninstalled - this is the charm of strong cooperation with the Americans. The launcher is also integrated with Google Feed - the leftmost screen displays the Google search bar and Discover tabs.

By default, the overlay offers the classic Android desktop layout with an app drawer. The strength of this overlay is certainly its flexibility. Nothing prevents you from changing the layout, so that all applications will be placed on desktops.

Directly from the desktop, we have the ability to perform several gestures. We can pull the screen down anywhere to access quick settings and notifications, or access the Shelf panel - a convenient place for the necessary tools, notes, weather or parking location.

The system also offers a hidden place where we can hide applications that we do not want to see on the list. It can be accessed from the desktop or from the app drawer. In addition, we can secure this space with a pin or fingerprint.

OxygenOS allows you to navigate using gestures, but if you prefer more archaic methods, you can use the on-screen buttons. I am a supporter of gestures, so I used them to use the system - navigation was intuitive, smooth and comfortable.

The system also has support for a dark theme. It looks very good and is consistent throughout the overlay. It is possible to set the hours when it should be active, as well as select applications in which dark mode will be forced even when the application does not support it - it does not always look good, but it is not the fault of the system.

The OxygenOS 11 overlay, compared to its predecessor, also brought the quite awaited Always on Display function. Previously, we had support only for temporary backlighting of the screen, and now the Chinese have implemented an always-on screen in the software. It is possible to customize its appearance, where there are several clock styles to choose from. Perhaps the configuration options are not overwhelming, but the predefined styles look elegant and are extremely readable - and that's what counts.

The tested unit was equipped with 12 GB of RAM. This is a lot, so it should come as no surprise that during the tests I did not encounter any problems with the application's behavior in the background. It is difficult for me to assess whether it is due to the fact that OxygenOS in its latest edition manages memory quite efficiently, or maybe the fact of a large amount of RAM. However, if it were not, the OnePlus 9 Pro behaved exemplary in this respect.

Unfortunately, as in many other overlays, it was also necessary for me to change the battery saving settings. Intelligent control did not make the right decisions, as a result of which frequently used applications were not immediately ready for action. I admit, however, that I did not give the algorithms too much time to learn and on the second day I removed the restrictions on the background operation of key programs for me. From then on, they were always ready for action.

The system may not be overly equipped with extra accessories, but it creates a coherent whole that can be liked. A new user should have no problem finding himself here perfectly. The settings are carefully described and logically categorized - we can easily find what we are looking for.

OxygenOS is known primarily for its phenomenal performance. It is no different in this case. The system works very responsively, and the fast screen refresh only enhances these impressions. There are no unnecessary moments of reflection here, and all our actions are immediately performed by the device. It is certainly the most snappy and responsive frontend on Android.

OnePlus 9 Pro is undoubtedly a hell of a fast and always ready device. It leaves nothing to be desired in this regard. It's hard to imagine what more you could want. Applications install and run extremely quickly, thanks to the fast UFS 3.1 memory, achieving satisfactory transfers. The animations are not overly sloppy and are a nice addition to the eye, not a way to hide imperfections.

Such an efficient device is perfect for the world of mobile games. Titles such as PUBG, Asphalt 9, Call of Duty Mobile or Real Racing 3 are no challenge for this device. It is a pity that there are so few games on the market that support 120 FSP - then playing on such a great device would become even better.

During gaming sessions lasting several dozen minutes, the device did not show a tendency to overheat and thus cut performance, although the stability of the results in the stress test was not overwhelming. I must admit that I was a little afraid of it after reports of the Snapdragon 888 heating up. It seems that the cooling system used in OnePlus 9 Pro passes the exam.

Consuming content on the tested device was an extremely pleasant thing. A great screen encouraged to return to it as often as possible. The profiling of the device, both on the back and the front, meant that despite the large - as much as 6.7-inch display - the ergonomics are not bad at all, because the device is quite narrow. Yes, we can rather forget about efficient one-hand operation, but with a little practice and a sense of the balance of the device, it can be operated in this way.

I will also praise OnePlus 9 Pro for the vibration engine. There is no question of hopeless, buzzing vibrations here, which are more heard than felt. A large vibration motor together with an advanced haptic controller produce natural, strong and, above all, satisfying feedback. Its operation is extremely precise, and a nice addition is also its good use in operating the system - by manipulating the volume or brightness slider, the vibrations adjust their strength in proportion to the set level.

At this point, I will also allow myself a bit of criticism of the company and its update policy. Unfortunately, OnePlus has recently dropped a lot and releases updates rarely and with a significant delay. Hopefully these are just temporary issues and the OnePlus 9 Pro will be updated regularly.

The camera

The OnePlus 9 Pro and its less advanced brother, the OnePlus 9 5G, are a new chapter in the company's history. The manufacturer has struggled for years with right comments about the average photographic capabilities of its devices. To change this, the Chinese this year bet on cooperation with the well-known Swedish company Hasselblad. Since the announcement of this partnership, we've been bombarded with marketing material about it - too much in my opinion. Was OnePlus so confident?

The tested OnePlus 9 Pro was equipped with a quadruple photo module. The main camera is a new Sony IMX789 sensor with a size of 48 Mpix and f/1.8 aperture. It is equipped with optical image stabilization (OIS). Phase focus (PDAF), contrast focus (CAF) and laser focus (LAF) are responsible for focusing. In the end, OnePlus decided on a decent sensor that offers quite a lot on paper and, as it turns out, also in reality.

No less important than the main camera is the additional, ultra-wide Sony IMX766 lens with a resolution of 50 Mpix and f/2.2 aperture. Its specification looks promising - it collects over 60% more light than its predecessor, and each of the sensor's pixels can be used to focus. In addition, the unique Freeform lens is used here. Its wider and asymmetric design can reduce distortion at the edges from the standard 10-20% to just 1%. What does this mean in practice? First of all, a slightly wider frame (it does not have to be corrected by the software), devoid of unnatural distortions.

It works great in tight places - then we can photograph more. It is devoid of optical image stabilization, but to be honest it is not really noticeable. Captured images are blur-free even in poor lighting conditions. I liked the colors and naturalness of the shots. Also HDR fulfills its tasks in a satisfactory way. Photos taken with the ultra-wide lens do not differ in quality from those taken with the main one. This camera is also used for macro photography.

The last useful camera in the OnePlus 9 Pro is a lens that provides a 3.3x optical zoom with an f/2.4 aperture. We find here optical image stabilization, which is especially useful in telephoto lenses. Unfortunately, the quality offered by this module is far from what the competition offers. Don't get me wrong though. Pictures taken with this camera in the right conditions look good. The problem is that the competition in this respect is significantly ahead with its periscope constructions. Someone looking for a great zoom should turn their eyes towards the competition.

The fourth sensor, 2 Mpix, is a monochrome module that collects data and largely seems to be redundant. It is worth noting, however, that it is actually used during monochrome photography. If we cover this particular module, the camera will switch to normal, color photo mode.

The camera app is well thought out and user friendly. Its basic configuration is intuitive, but nothing stands in the way of adjusting the layout of modes to your own needs.

We have practically all the necessary options at our fingertips - there is no need to rummage through the settings to adjust the resolution or number of frames per second in the movie.

The professional mode also looks good, giving us more control over how we capture the image. We can set the ISO, exposure value, control the shutter or adjust the focus. The image can be saved in 12-bit RAW format.

Did the camera in OnePlus 9 Pro perform as well as the marketing slogans and assurances of the manufacturer? Yes and no. Perhaps I am naive, but after such grand announcements, my expectations were higher. I have an irresistible impression that if it wasn't for promotional campaigns, many people would be impressed by this camera.

Cooperation with Hasselblad has only just begun, and let me remind you that it is supposed to last 3 years. In the first year, the focus was on color reproduction and here, I admit, it turned out great. Faithful colors and natural skin tones are certainly the strengths of the OnePlus 9 Pro camera.

The photos taken with this camera generally turn out very well. However, I see a margin in the form of better software. During the tests, the device received four updates, which also included fixes in the camera. While the first one did not necessarily bring visible results, the next ones actually introduce visible changes, as you can see in the comparison below.

It gets interesting after dark or in worse lighting conditions. It can be seen that the sensors used are a piece of good equipment. The main camera, despite the not particularly high aperture value, does surprisingly well in such conditions. For good measure, we have a great night mode here, which can bring out a lot of light and details.

Also here you can see the cooperation with Hasselblad - the algorithm improves the quality of photos, increasing their sharpness, reducing noise, but maintaining as precise color reproduction as possible. I also appreciate the relatively short time needed to take a photo in night mode - it seems to be clearly shorter than in competing smartphones. This mode on the OnePlus 9 Pro is also available for ultra-wide angle.

Summing up the photographic possibilities, it is impossible not to appreciate the OnePlus 9 Pro model. This is a great mobile camera that offers really good quality regardless of the lighting conditions. Its strength is its versatility - we have a very good ultra-wide angle here, a great main camera and a tolerable zoom. It is also very good after dark. All this meant that during these tests on photographic possibilities I was not disappointed, although I must admit that after such announcements I would like more.

In terms of video, OnePlus 9 Pro is more than good. It offers the possibility of recording a movie in 8K resolution and 30 frames per second, although due to the low popularity of 8K screens, I was unable to assess the quality of such material. What pleases, however, is a fairly wide perspective of the frame. However, if someone is thinking about post-production of 8K material recorded with a smartphone, recording in lower resolution still seems to provide more quality and subsequent processing options.

This lower resolution is of course 4K, but - interestingly - in 120 frames per second. Materials recorded in such settings look very good - it's super smooth, and in addition, we can create a slow-motion movie from such material. Of course, there was also the possibility of recording in 60 or 30 FPS, recording from the ultra-wide camera or the increased stability mode. The latter works well and does not look too artificial, but the optical image stabilization works so well that I do not see the need to activate it.

The overall quality of the recorded video is good and I liked it. I didn't notice any surprises - the fluidity and detail of the material, as well as HDR operation, resulted in pleasant video materials.

The field where OnePlus 9 Pro fails is the front camera. It is a Sony IMX471 sensor with a resolution of 16 Mpix and an aperture of f/2.4. This is a not new module, remembering the times of the OnePlus series 7. It is not fitting for a device from this shelf to have such an average selfie camera, a bit of a shame compared to the competition. Yes, in good conditions it can generate bearable shots, but it's not enough. According to the specification, it supports HDR, but automation has a problem with its enforcement. The result is often a burnt out background.

In general, it is quite suitable for occasional selfie photos or video calls and can provide bearable effects, but nothing more. A nice addition is the backlighting of the screen when taking selfies in poor lighting conditions.

If you like to take pictures with the front camera, record yourself in this way or make a lot of video calls and you care about the quality of this camera, the OnePlus 9 Pro is certainly not for you.

Biometrics

The fingerprint reader has been placed here under the AMOLED screen and it seems to be a natural choice. However, I have comments on its location - a higher arrangement would be a bit more comfortable. I also do not fully understand the decision to lack an ultrasonic reader - perhaps it was an economic issue. Yes, the optical one used in OnePlus 9 Pro behaves great, but it does not provide such a level of security as the ultrasonic one.

From the first moment, however, I liked OnePlus 9 Pro - unlocking is super fast and very rarely fails. Within dozens of unlocks a day, at most 2-3 ended with an error and they were usually due to my carelessness. A nice touch is the ability to change the animation effect when scanning your finger.

However, this is not the only method of accessing the device. OxygenOS also offers face unlock. It is done using the front camera, and thus, it is not entirely safe. However, the algorithms are so advanced that we cannot unlock the device with our eyes closed or with a photo. It is a pity, however, that we cannot unlock access to a hidden place or blocked applications with our face - security considerations have taken over here, however, and it is hardly surprising.

Battery

OnePlus decided to use a battery with a capacity of 4500 mAh. At first glance, the size may not impress, especially since there are strong components and a large screen to power it. I must admit that at first I felt a little apprehensive about it. However, it soon turned out that it was completely wrong. Let's be clear - we won't get records on a single charge, but we'll have enough energy for the rest of the day. I did not expect anything else in this aspect. During the tests, I achieved results of 5-6-7 hours with the screen on (in mixed LTE and Wi-Fi mode) - in my opinion, these are good results.

With a little attention, you can also try to charge every other day. Well-chosen components together with well-optimized software showed a moderate appetite for energy during the tests. I was positively surprised by the standby mode - OnePlus 9 Pro during the night, where I do not use my smartphone for about 7 hours, loses about 2-3% of the battery.

However, if someone runs out of energy during the day, he should not panic. OnePlus 9 Pro supports the proprietary Warp Charge fast charging technology, which allows you to pump up to 65 W to the device (the appropriate charger is included in the set), as a result of which the smartphone is fully charged in about 30 minutes. Therefore, a few or several minutes are enough to replenish the energy supply for the rest of the day.

There was also wireless charging on board. Its speed is also impressive. With the help of a dedicated charger not included in the set (cost 70 euros), we can charge the OnePlus 9 Pro with a power of up to 50 W, and thus a full charge takes about 40 minutes.

It is worth noting that the device then tends to heat up slightly, and the charger itself is equipped with a fan. Fortunately, in the options you can force the sleep mode, during which the charging power is lower and the fan is less audible.

In addition, OnePlus 9 Pro has been equipped with wireless reverse charging. In this way, we can recharge the batteries of our headphones, smartwatches or other devices compatible with Qi technology. I had no problems charging my Huawei Freebuds Pro headphones - it worked just as it should.

OnePlus 9 Pro is a flagship of flesh and blood

These over 2 weeks spent with OnePlus 9 Pro were extremely pleasant moments. In many ways, this is a very good smartphone. A brilliant AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz, a great overlay, super fast wired and wireless charging, very good cameras (main and ultra-wide) - all this means that we are talking about a complete device here. It's also reliable, trustworthy equipment that works perfectly.

The specification is truly flagship and the OnePlus 9 Pro is such a device. The predecessors made compromises - this time everything connects into a coherent whole. Against the background of the top competition, the smartphone is no worse, and not only on paper, but - more importantly - also during use.

However, it is not a perfect smartphone. The camera, although very good, could be even better - perhaps the disgust that remains here is related only to marketing. Were it not for that, I would most likely be delighted with the progress that has been made in this matter over the course of the year. Hasselblad and OnePlus, however, are on their way to creating a photographic monster, although ... the competition is not sleeping.

Battery life could be a bit better as well. It is satisfactory, but during stronger and more demanding use, it may turn out that you will need to charge the device earlier than usual. Two days of work on a single charge without taking special care of the battery would be a dream.

For such a great screen, better audio is begging. Stereo speakers are good, but they stand out from what Samsung or Asus offers in the ROG Phone series. This is another thing that should be more refined.

Each of these listed shortcomings can hardly be called a real disadvantage. This shows how refined the device we are dealing with. However, it is not that it is a smartphone completely devoid of them.

Although it did not bother me at all, I know that for many people the lack of memory expansion with a card can be quite problematic. There is also a group of die-hard supporters of the 3.5 mm audio output who will be disappointed by its lack in the OnePlus 9 Pro.

The selfie camera is the thing that stands out the most from the rest of the specification. His results are mediocre at best. It is not fitting for such a good device to have such an average element on board. In my opinion, this is the weakest point of OnePlus 9 Pro.

During the tests, however, I had no doubt that I was using a real flagship of flesh and blood. Lack of irritation, constant smile and uninterrupted satisfaction - this is exactly what accompanied me during these several days.

How much does such pleasure cost? The 8/128 GB version was priced at PLN 4,299, and the 12/256 GB variant (like the one tested) - PLN 4,699. Someone will say that these are large sums, and I will say that they are flagship. The equipment costs as much as befits a top model. You can even be tempted to say that it is noticeably cheaper than, for example, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, which debuted at PLN 5,749 - it looks worse when Samsung enters the promotion mode, then both models start to differ by a much smaller amount. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the smartphone is priced well in relation to what it offers. How exceptionally good this device is is evidenced by the fact that I am comparing it here with the current king of Android from the Korean stable.

With a clear conscience, I can recommend OnePlus 9 Pro to anyone looking for a reliable, hellishly fast and smooth device with great photo and video capabilities. If you decide on this equipment, you will get an almost uncompromising smartphone. In my opinion, it will be one of the best devices throughout 2021 and in my personal ranking it goes head to head with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G.

What do you think? Be sure to let us know in the comments!