This story was originally published on March 24, 2021, and last updated on April 30, 2021.
OnePlus has introduced its newest flagship series, the OnePlus 9. You’ve probably heard a lot about the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro, as the company isn’t shy about revealing details ahead of the product launch. We compiled some of the most essential features you’ll want to hear about these new smartphones.
How much are they?
There are two variants for each model, and this is what they’ll cost you:
OnePlus 9 Pro:
- 8GB + 128GB – USD 969 (around PHP 47,126)
- 12GB + 256GB – USD 1,069 (PHP 51,989)
OnePlus 9:
- 8GB + 128GB – USD 729 (PHP 35,454)
- 12GB + 256GB – USD 829 or PHP 38,990
The OnePlus 9 series flagship smartphones and the Warp Charge 50 wireless charger will go on sale at OnePlus.com beginning April 2, with pre-orders kicking off on March 26.
In the Philippines, OnePlus’s official distributor, Digits Trading, is bringing in the OnePlus 9 (12GB + 256GB) variant to select Digital Walker stores for PHP 38,990.
These are the Digital Walker locations you can walk into to pre-order the OnePlus 9: SM North EDSA, SM Mall of Asia, Podium, SM Southmall, Rockwell, Robinsons Magnolia, Estancia, and Greenbelt 5.
As an opening salvo for the newly launched digitalwalker.ph, you can also pre-order online starting today, April 30, until May 2 at 5 p.m.
All confirmed pre-orders will get a FREE OnePlus Buds Z worth PHP 2,590.
These are the installment plans you can avail for the OnePlus 9:
- 3 months: PHP 12,996.67/month
- 6 months: PHP 7,281.67/month
- 12 months: PHP 3,640.83/month
- 24 months: PHP 1,820.42/month
OnePlus meets Hasselblad
You might have already heard that OnePlus has collaborated with renowned camera company Hasselblad for the OnePlus 9’s cameras.
What Hasselblad brings to the cameras is its “color expertise.” The new cameras feature “Natural Color Calibration,” which promises accurate and natural color in your smartphone photos. Based on the sample shots shown during the virtual event, it’s possible to get well-balanced, detailed, and professional-looking pictures and videos from these phones.
The OnePlus 9 Pro comes with a quad-camera setup including a Sony IMX789 sensor for its 48-megapixel primary lens alongside a Sony IMX766 50-megapixel ultra-wide camera, an 8-megapixel telephoto camera with OIS and 30x digital zoom, and a dedicated monochrome sensor to help with portraits and the like.
The OnePlus 9 has the same ultra-wide sensor combined with a 48-megapixel Sony IMX689 primary lens and a dedicated monochrome sensor. It loses the telephoto from the 9 Pro.
We believe there’s also a 16-megapixel selfie shooter in front for both phones.
The company focused on talking about the ultra-wide camera’s capability during its launch event. The promise is it can offer better quality ultra-wide shots, even in low light. By using a freeform lens, it brings distortion down to 1%. It can also be used to take macro photos as close as 4cm away from your subject.
The phones get a new Hasselblad Camera for Mobile app, which introduces a UI reminiscent of a professional Hasselblad camera. It has an orange shutter button now, a shutter sound similar to what you’ll hear on Hasselblad cameras, and a new watermark at the bottom center for those who want to show off their new “OnePlus x Hasselblad” camera shots. The app also features a new Pro Mode that lets you adjust pretty much everything you’d want, including ISO, focus, exposure time, white balance, and more.
The flagship OnePlus 9 Pro can shoot 4K video at 120 frames per second (fps), making it one of the first phones to do so. Both the OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 9 get support for 8K video recording at 30fps.
OnePlus also mentioned DOL-HDR mode, which makes sure your subject is in clear view against backlit environments. Other video modes include Hyperlapse and Nightscape Video for brighter and detailed videos in low light.
Faster charging and included chargers
OnePlus is quick to let the public know that its flagships won’t lose the included charger. And these new phones support Warp Charge 65T wired charging, which can get you to 100% in 30 minutes.
The OnePlus 9 Pro gets the impressive 50W wireless charging support courtesy of the company’s new Warp Charge 50 wireless charger. It can get you from 1% to 100% in just 43 minutes, which means you don’t need to leave your phone charging overnight and just top it up in the morning while getting ready to start your day.
The new USD 70 (PHP 3,404) charger comes with a fan to help keep the device cool while charging. It also has two charging coils, so it’s possible to charge the handset horizontally or vertically. If you want to continue your Netflix binge while charging, you can do just that.
According to OnePlus, the power adapter in the box can also be used to turbocharge non-OnePlus devices, including laptops, tablets, and more up to 45W using USB PD or PPS.
North American and European versions of the OnePlus 9 also support up to 15W Qi wireless charging.
2021 flagships through and through
As expected, the new phones run on flagship-grade Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processors with support for 5G and Android 11 out of the box via OxygenOS 11.
OxygenOS 11 introduces the new Turbo Boost 3.0 memory optimization, allowing you to keep over 25% more apps open in the background without affecting performance. For the gamers out there, it has a Pro Gaming Mode and OnePlus Cool Play. The latter helps with heat dissipation during intense gaming sessions.
Sleek looks
We’ve seen the Morning Mist variant of the OnePlus 9 Pro, which comes in this smooth and sleek silver color. But aside from that, it also comes in Stellar Black and Pine Green. As for the OnePlus 9, you can get it in Arctic Sky, Astral Black, and Winter Mist. All muted yet stylish colorways.
We live in the era of big camera sensors, so there’s nothing out of the ordinary with the prominent camera modules on these phones. In front, there is a small punch-hole for the camera in the corner.
The display on the OnePlus 9 Pro tapers off slightly to the sides, but the company tightened the curve on this flagship phone to prevent mistouches. It can handle the elements for a bit with IP68 water and dust resistance.
If you’re on team flat display, there’s the OnePlus 9 for you. OnePlus didn’t mention if the standard OnePlus 9 gets IP68 rating, too.
Stunning displays
Speaking of displays, OnePlus doesn’t mention the screen size of the OnePlus 9 Pro but said it has a QHD+ resolution. (It was previously mentioned in leaks to come with a 6.7-inch display.) The OnePlus 9, on the other hand, has a 6.55-inch screen.
The OnePlus 9 Pro features the new Fluid Display 2.0 technology, which allows for an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and lower power consumption as the screen switches the refresh rate depending on what you’re doing. The OnePlus 9 has a 120Hz screen as well, but it isn’t adaptive. You’ll have to change screen refresh rates yourself.
OnePlus introduces Hyper Touch on the 9 Pro, which promises better response time than the previous generation. That will come in handy in games where the response needs to quick. According to OnePlus, games like Call of Duty Mobile and Brawl Stars support Hyper Touch.
OnePlus Watch: The plus one
Here’s that “one more” announcement from OnePlus. The heavily-teased OnePlus Watch has now officially launched.
It features two buttons on the right side and standard watch straps attached to the round watch face. The latter is important for those who want to customize their watch straps. The OnePlus Watch will support any standard size third-party strap you want. As for watch faces, there will be options. But, according to the company, you can use a photo from your phone as a watch face, too.
It’s made with stainless steel for durability, and the watch glass curves into the casing for a more stylish look. It’s on the bigger side at 46mm, but according to OnePlus, it’ll look good on you even if you have a smaller wrist. The screen is a 1.39-inch OLED panel at 326ppi. You can get it in Moonlight Silver and Midnight Black.
The smartwatch comes equipped with 1GB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and integrated speakers. It offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS, but there’s no cellular option. It also gets 5ATM + IP68 water- and dust-resistance.
As you’ve come to expect from a smartwatch, it can track your sleep, stress level, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels. The OnePlus Watch has over 110 workout modes. You can even load up to 500 songs into this smartwatch.
The OnePlus Watch isn’t running on Wear OS as predicted. Instead, it has an RTOS-style operating system (similar to what Fitbit offers on its smartwatches). It will have a companion app you can connect to so you can receive calls and notifications, tweak settings, and see your health data. This wearable is also designed to work seamlessly with other OnePlus devices like phones, headphones, and TVs.
Since the OS is built in-house, there are no third-party apps at the moment. According to The Verge, an iOS version of the companion app is in the works.
The OnePlus Watch supports OnePlus’s Warp Charge system and promises a week of battery life on a 20-minute charge. The 402mAh battery can also last for up to two weeks.
There will be a Cobalt Limited Edition variant, which is said to be even more durable. Made out of cobalt alloy, it’s reportedly twice as hard as stainless steel. It’s also hypoallergenic because it doesn’t contain nickel.
OnePlus arms this model with sapphire glass typically seen in luxury watches, and it gets a leather strap to match its premium look.
The OnePlus Watch retails for USD 159 (PHP 7,733), and it’ll be available starting April 14.
Whether you’re here for the new phones or the new smartwatch, OnePlus has thrown down the gauntlet for premium phones. There’s a lot of promise in what the products want to deliver, and we sincerely hope they do.
What are you most excited about with the new OnePlus devices? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter!
UPDATE 1: 2021/03/25 7:55 A.M. GMT+8 BY NICOLE BATAC
Updated the story to mention that only the OnePlus 9 Pro has an adaptive 120Hz display
UPDATE 2: 2021/04/30 3:31 P.M. GMT+8 BY NICOLE BATAC
Added local pricing and availability of the OnePlus 9