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Here’s how the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro compare to Samsung and Apple’s flagships

Here’s how the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro compare to Samsung and Apple’s flagships

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To Pro or not to Pro? Or maybe Samsung?

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The OnePlus 9 has a slightly smaller screen
Photo by Becca Farsace / The Verge

OnePlus has released its new batch of phones, the OnePlus 9 and the 9 Pro. As is the tradition with OnePlus, the phones are equipped with the latest high-end Snapdragon chips and are priced lower than most of the competition.

Both phones also include charging features that Apple and Samsung don’t match: they wirelessly charge at a super-fast 50W and can charge at 65W over wired charging. They also both have Hasselblad’s camera tuning and software.

The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are very similar, but there are a few differences to watch out for:

  • The Pro has a bigger screen
  • The Pro includes a telephoto camera and mmWave 5G
  • The unlocked and T-Mobile versions of the Pro have IP68 certification — only the T-Mobile version of the regular phone is IP68 certified
  • The Pro includes “Hyper Touch” where it polls for finger input at 360Hz

At retail prices, the regular OnePlus 9 is $70 cheaper than Samsung’s regular Galaxy S21 and $100 cheaper than the iPhone 12. Both of those phones include mmWave and IP68 water resistance. But if those aren’t features you care about, it may be worth the savings to you.

OnePlus 9 Comparison

CategoryOnePlus 9Samsung Galaxy S21Samsung Galaxy S21 PlusiPhone 12
OSOxygen OS (Based on Android 11)Android 11 (One UI)Android 11 (One UI)iOS 14
Display6.55-inch OLED6.2-inch OLED6.7-inch OLED6.1 inches, OLED
Resolution2400 x 10802400 x 10802400 x 10802532 x 1170
Refresh rateup to 120Hzup to 120Hzup to 120Hz60Hz
Dimensions (mm)NA / EU: 74.2 x 160 x 8.771.2 x 151.7 x 7.975.6 x 161.5 x 7.871.5 x 146.7 x 7.4
WeightNA / EU: 192g171g202g164g
Battery capacity4,500mAh4,000mAh4,800mAh2,815mAh
ProcessorSnapdragon 888US: Snapdragon 888US: Snapdragon 888A14 Bionic
RAM8GB, 12GB8GB8GB4GB
Storage128GB, 256GB128GB, 256GB 128GB, 256GB 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
PortsUSB-C charging portUSB-C charging portUSB-C charging portLightning port
Rear cameras48MP (f/1.8, all-Pixel AF, 1.12μm) wide angle, 50MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 2MP monochrome12MP (f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.8µm) wide angle, 12MP (f/2.2, 1.4µm) ultrawide, 64MP (f/2.0, OIS, 0.8µm) 3X hybrid optic telephoto12MP (f/1.8, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.8µm) wide angle, 12MP (f/2.2, 1.4µm) ultrawide, 64MP (f/2.0, OIS, 0.8µm) 3X hybrid optic telephoto12MP (f/1.6, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.4µm) wide angle, 12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide
Front cameras16MP(f/2.4)10MP (f/2.2, autofocus)10MP (f/2.2, autofocus)12MP (f/2.2)
BiometricsFingerprint, face recognitionFingerprint, face recognitionFingerprint, face recognitionFace ID
WaterproofNoIP68IP68IP68
Wireless chargingYesYesYesYes
5Gsub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHz
Starting price$729$799$999$829

The 9 Pro can’t quite match the all-out specs and features of the Galaxy S21 Ultra, but it’s also priced well below it, too. For fun, we also threw in Oppo’s latest flagship phone, which isn’t available for purchase in the US but is pretty similar to the Pro.

OnePlus 9 Pro Comparison

CategoryOnePlus 9 ProSamsung Galaxy S21 UltraOPPO Find X3 ProiPhone 12 ProiPhone 12 Pro Max
OSOxygen OS (Based on Android 11)Android 11 (One UI)ColorOS 11 (Based on Android 11)iOS 14iOS 14
Display6.7-inch OLED6.8-inch OLED6.7 inches, OLED6.1 inches, OLED6.7 inches, OLED
Resolution3216 x 14003200 x 14403216 x 14002532 x 11702778 x 1284
Refresh rateup to 120Hzup to 120Hzup to 120Hz60Hz60Hz
Dimensions (mm)73.6 x 163.2 x 8.775.6 x 165.1 x 8.974 x 163.6 x 8.2671.5 x 146.7 x 7.478.1 x 160.8 x 7.4
Weight197g229g193g189g228g
Battery capacity4,500mAh5,000mAh4500mAh2,815mAh3,687mAh
ProcessorSnapdragon 888US: Snapdragon 888Snapdragon 888A14 BionicA14 Bionic
RAM8GB, 12GB12GB / 16GB12GB6GB6GB
Storage128GB, 256GB128GB, 256GB / 512GB256GB128GB, 256GB, 512GB128GB, 256GB, 512GB
PortsUSB-C charging portUSB-C charging portUSB-C charging portLightning portLightning port
Rear cameras48MP (f/1.8, OIS, all-pixel AF, 1.12 μm) wide angle, 50MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 8MP (f2.4, OIS) 3.3X telephoto, 2MP monochrome108MP (f/1.8, OIS, 0.8µm) wide angle, 12MP (f/2.2, Dual Pixel AF, 1.4µm) ultrawide, 10MP (f/2.4, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.22µm) 3X optical telephoto, 10MP (f/4.9, OIS, Dual Pixel AF, 1.22µm) 10X optical telephoto50MP (f/1.8, OIS, all-pixel AF) wide angle, 50MP (f/2.2) ultrawide, 13MP (f.2.4) 5x hybrid-optical telephoto, 3MP (f/3) 60x magnification microlens12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide, 12MP (f/1.6, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, 1.4µm) wide, 12MP (f/2.0, OIS, 1.0µm) 2X telephoto12MP (f/2.4) ultrawide, 12MP (f/1.6, Dual Pixel AF, IBIS) wide, 12MP (f/2.2, OIS, 1.0µm) 2.5X telephoto
Front cameras16MP(f/2.4)40MP (f/2.2, autofocus)32MP (f/2.4)12MP (f/2.2)12MP (f/2.2)
BiometricsFingerprint, face recognitionFingerprint, face recognitionFingerprint, face recognitionFace IDFace ID
WaterproofIP68IP68IP68IP68IP68
Wireless chargingYesYesYes (proprietary)YesYes
5GmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHzsub-6GhzmmWave and sub-6GHzmmWave and sub-6GHz
Starting price$969$1,199£1,099 (approx. $1,500)$999$1,099

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