Would you like to hold on to a phone for five years? Would you like to experience convenient technology like wireless charging in the next few months? Is it important that the software running a phone is extremely smooth? These are important questions before you plonk 50K on a phone. Many people have asked whether they should buy the OnePlus 9 over OnePlus 9 Pro. Also, OnePlus 9 over Samsung Galaxy S21 or Vivo X60 Pro+? Finally, should you just move to an iPhone? All valid queries but there’s no one answer. Having used the OnePlus 9 for a couple of weeks, here are my thoughts.

Pushing top specs

One may say OnePlus is increasingly moving into the top end of the market, entering the Samsung Galaxy S and iPhone segment. Yes, they are because of the great effort they have put into their phones over the last five-odd years. OnePlus has got the loyalty factor working. The biggest strength even after bringing in Hasselblad as camera partner is the Oxygen OS operating system of the phone. Sharp as ever. Crazy fast as ever. OnePlus 9 surely doesn’t disappoint in the software department. Be it screen animations or how options are stacked together, it’s brilliant to the point of being the best in the Android ecosystem (besides Pixel devices, of course).

Second, if you look at the OnePlus 9 minus all the pre-launch hype, it comes with a display that has #win written all over it. It’s a flat 1080p AMOLED display, which I really like, complete with 120Hz refresh rate — edge to edge — while the bezels are slim. There’s no colour shifting and watching movies is highly enjoyable on the phone, helping the cause is the dual-speaker stereo set-up, noise-cancellation and Dolby Atmos support.

I also believe that the pricing is competitive. For Rs 49,999 you get a phone that has 8GB RAM and 128 gigs storage (you can also opt for 12GB/256GB). Though the plastic back is nothing great to look at, to the point of being generic, but you will slap a cover on it. So it’s reasonably priced with all the top specs, like Snapdragon 888 chipset and 5G support.

This is the point things get complicated. OnePlus 9 Pro is, without doubt, a contender for the top Android phone of 2021. But the company has made some interesting decisions for the India model. Agreed that we won’t have 5G this year and perhaps a reasonable part of next year but why support different sets of bands for the US and India?

OnePlus 9 continues to offer the best charging speeds

Second interesting decision has to do with charging. The phone supports super-fast 65T WrapCharge technology which can fuel up in no time. What I liked most about OnePlus 9 Pro is wireless support, and that too 50W wireless support as the dual-battery set-up gets charges up simultaneously. The US model of OnePlus 9 supports 15W wireless charging but not the model in India. This is a spec-conscious market and such things don’t go unnoticed.

Colour reproduction on the OnePlus 9 competes with the best Android phones presently available

Dalhousie early morning captured on the ultra-wide mode of OnePlus 9. The colour science is spot on, thanks to the company’s collaboration with Hasselblad

The best ultra-wide snapper

Coming to the camera department, we will not bore you with crazy jargons. The main camera is a 48MP shooter while the ultra-wide is 50MP. It’s just like that on OnePlus 9 Pro. But the sensors are different. For the main camera, it’s Sony IMX689 and for ultra-wide, IMX766. Compare this with the 9 Pro — Sony IMX789 on the main camera and Sony IMX766 on the ultra (no change).

Frankly, it’s the best ultra-wide camera out there. Period. The colour science is extremely good, which Hasselblad has helped with, and there is almost no distortion around the edges. I think, over the next few years OnePlus-Hasselblad can be a game-changer. The main camera also doesn’t disappoint at all.

Interestingly, the third camera which OnePlus has retained is the 2MP monochrome camera, which is supposed to help with black-and-white photography. Okay, if I were to upload some B&W shots to social media, I can just capture the same using the main camera and use a filter. Simple. How much can a 2MP monochrome sensor add to the heavy-duty main and ultra-wide? OnePlus could have retained the 8MP telephoto camera that’s there on the Pro model. The 2x digital zoom does a fair job but a telephoto shooter could have given a big advantage, which the Samsung Galaxy S21 supports. Overall, it’s a great camera set-up and does a good job. I would have been happier had there been optical image stabilisation but c’est la vie!

Playing to its strengths

Despite mentioning that a telephoto camera is missing, the absence of wireless charging (also reverse wireless charging) and there’s support for fewer 5G bands, OnePlus plays to its strength and doesn’t compromise on battery life or fluid working of the software. There’s no bloatware; the experience is as clean as it was a few years ago. Redmi and Realme are offering more megapixels but don’t fall for the game. The camera on the OnePlus 9 has a far superior colour science and night shots are crisp.

If it comes to making a choice between Samsung Galaxy S21 and OnePlus 9, you have to ask yourself what you want from the phone. Samsung scores two points with a great design and a telephoto lens. OnePlus 9 scores two points with its ultra-wide camera and colour science, and operating system.

Priorities are important while buying the OnePlus 9. It’s a sturdy phone that most people will love to use.

Device: OnePlus 9

Price: 8GB+128GB is priced at Rs 49,999 and 12GB+256GB is priced at Rs 54,999

High notes

⦿ Smooth operating system

⦿ Excellent ultra-wide camera performance

⦿ Charges up quickly

⦿ Good display and latest processor (Snapdragon 888)

Muffled notes

⦿ Wireless charging is missing

⦿ Not all the 5G bands are supported

⦿ Telephoto lens is not present

Let’s help you decide

In case you are looking for the best ultra-wide angle camera on a phone, look no further than the OnePlus 9, which has a fluid operating system to offer. Plus, the colour science here is spot on. If wireless charging is important to you then consider OnePlus 9 Pro, which has the best charging system in the market. But if things like telephoto lens and design are important, then Samsung Galaxy S21 has something for you. What about stabilisation on the video front? For that, Vivo X60 Pro+ is winning brownie points. All the phones have enough battery to last a day or so but OnePlus has an edge on the charging front. Since we are not travelling, besides India doesn’t have 5G at the moment, ask yourself if you can wait till next year for the best and latest. Finally, the iPhone. If working with a completely different operating system suits you, iPhone 12 Pro offers the best camera performance (photo and video) as well as support for five years, meaning you won’t need to upgrade your phone for a long time.

Pictures: The Telegraph