The OnePlus 9 Pro might be the latest high-end Android for the BKK-owned firm, but is it a killer flagship or an absolute Hasselblunder?
The OnePlus 9 Pro is not the killer Android that it may be marketed as, but it’s the best Pro-series OnePlus to date, but it doesn’t necessarily improve in quite as many ways as you initially thought. We’ve seen the lines between OnePlus and Oppo blur increasingly in recent years, but 2021 provides the closest alignment between the two BBK-owned smartphone firms. Just what this means long term is not yet known, but OnePlus remains its own entity – at least for now. Subscribe to 9to5Google on YouTube for more videos There is an assuring chunky feel to the OnePlus 9 Pro, which is something often missing on many Android smartphones. I can’t fault the design too much, although the Morning Mist color is arguably the worst in recent years. Think of a partially frosted mirror that picks up grime and fingerprints just as quickly, and this is what you’ll experience day-to-day. You’re probably going to slap the OnePlus 9 Pro into a case anyway, and luckily the sandstone cases return here, which are among the best official cases for any smartphone. This is still a big, beastly slab that benefits from soft curves and well-placed buttons. You can barely feel the seams – while it’s a meaty device, it has great in-the-hand balance. I personally wouldn’t call the design inspired, especially given the impressive finishes and tweaks of previous OnePlus smartphones. I think you can see the iPhone 11/12 inspiration on the rear camera module, but it’s fairly inoffensive. However, it is a large bump at the rear that means laying completely flat on a surface with no wobble is not possible. There’s the added bonus of a full IP68 rating here again, for only the second time on a OnePlus device, too. Another important returning hardware feature is alert slider. It’s still a fantastic physical toggle that other OEMs need to take note of. Overall, the design of the OnePlus 9 Pro retains much of what you’ve come to know and love from previous generations, but my personal advice would be to go for a better color than the glossy Winter Mist – in particular the Pine Green. A true standout of OnePlus devices in recent years has been the usage of high refresh rate AMOLEDs. This time around, the usage of an LTPO panel knocks things up another notch. The OnePlus 9 Pro can run at 120Hz at FHD+ and QHD+ resolutions, but this newer AMOLED has a proper dynamic refresh rate that can be set as low as 1Hz. This should have battery benefits, but I can’t say I even noticed it in action. OnePlus also touts a 360Hz touch sampling rate, which again I can’t honestly say made majorly noticeable differences in my daily experience. The OS and 120Hz refresh rate are pretty sublime, and this is among the best displays I have used to date. It could even be the best smartphone display out there if only the Find X3 Pro hadn’t hit the market first. I quite like curved displays – aesthetically I feel they look sleeker and in terms of usability – and it’s an area I haven’t had too many bad experiences. But having switched between the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro, and my default Pixel 4a, I think I am starting to lean toward flat displays more predominantly. I’ve found that cradling in my right hand means I’m obscuring much of the bottom-right of the display. OxygenOS 11 handles this very well. I have seen very few issues so far, with no phantom touch problems to speak of, but I can’t deny that a flat display proves easier to use. Part of this is due to the frankly awful pre-applied screen protector, which snags when swiping from the edges of the display. It’s nice to have one pre-applied, but I would suggest removing or replacing as soon as possible. I found it picked up scratches after a few weeks of usage, which caused issues with the in-display fingerprint scanner – which itself is fast and accurate if you are more careful and avoid scuffing the pre-applied screen covering. The fingerprint scanner positioning, to me is good as you don’t have to stretch to reach it. It’s lower than many other competitors, which does make it easier to activate, but you can end up in a precarious position if you have small hands. OxygenOS 11 comes pre-installed on the OnePlus 9 Pro, and there are very few new additions to speak of. Many of the changes are related to the UI look and feel, which has changed somewhat since the heady days of the “clean” experience that OnePlus was once lauded for.
