OnePlus Unveils 9 & 9 Pro: Brings 120Hz Displays, Ultra-fast Charging & Hasselblad Tuned Cameras

OnePlus has today launched its newest flagship, the not-so-surprisingly named OnePlus 9 Pro, as well as the OnePlus 9. Interestingly, it wasn’t only these phones that have been announced today, but also coming is the company’s first smart watch, simply named OnePlus Watch. If you’ve been paying any attention to the rumor mill, these three launches were pretty much expected. But, has OnePlus delivered?

So far, the general consensus around the web seems to make this out to be one of the most exciting launches OnePlus has had, something that could be helped a bit by the partnership with high-end camera maker Hasselblad.

These latest OnePlus phones are spec’d to go head-to-head with top-end competitors, like Apple’s iPhone 12 Pro Max, and Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Ultra. As such, the pricing is a bit higher for the mainline series this go-around, but one thing worth mentioning is that 5G has become standard with these flagships, with the wireless tech no longer being placed into a separate series.

Both the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro feature similar hardware under-the-hood, with Qualcomm’s latest top-end Snapdragon 888 helping them reach the best performance levels Android can offer. The 6.7-inch 9 Pro will be available in either 8GB RAM + 128GB ($969 USD) and 12GB RAM + 256GB ($1,069) configurations, in either Morning Mist or Pine Green colors. The 6.55-inch 9 will offer the same RAM and storage combinations, priced at $729 for the 8+128, and $829 for the 12+256. The 9 features a different set of color options: Astral Black, and Winter Mist. Pre-orders begin Friday on OnePlus’ website, with availability beginning April 2.

OnePlus’ 9 Pro w/ Morning Mist color scheme

None of the OnePlus hardware announced today has been kept a secret, with the company itself providing many details we’d ordinarily consider “leaks” ahead of a launch. The company’s partnership with Hasselblad has in particular been a major focus, and based on initial reaction from reviews, the implementation seems good, although some have questioned the extent of Hasselblad’s help, with color tuning seemingly topping the list.

On both the 9 Pro and 9, Sony’s IMX789 powers the primary camera, delivering 48 megapixel images with 23mm focal length and with an f/1.8 aperture. An ultra-wide camera uses Sony’s IMX766 for 50 megapixel images with 14mm focal length and f/2.2 aperture. There is also a telephoto camera at 8 megapixels spec’d at f/2.4, but the non-Pro 9 doesn’t get it. Both also include a 2 megapixel monochrome camera.

OnePlus’ 9 Pro

With these phones both spec’d with high-end cameras, OnePlus is including a “Hasselblad Pro” mode that gives users additional control over their photography. For video, both models support recording at 8K/30 and 4K/60, but the Pro bumps 4K recording capabilities to 120 FPS. That’s pretty interesting in itself, since there is no 1080p/120 recording mode mentioned. Speaking of, the super-slow motion mode makes a return, supporting 1080p/240 and 720p/480.

In another example of where the non-Pro 9 doesn’t exactly lose out on much, both phones feature a 120Hz AMOLED, just with different resolutions. The Pro 9 includes a 3216×1440 resolution, an effective 525 ppi, while the non-Pro hits 2400×1800, or 402 ppi. Because each screen refresh sips a bit of power, OnePlus has implemented a method that lets the screen dip as low as 1Hz when that’s all that’s needed. Functions like this should definitely help extend daily battery life.

OnePlus’ 9

On the topic of battery-life, both the 9 and 9 Pro support 0-100% charging in 30 minutes, but the Pro bumps the wireless charging capabilities from 15W to 50W. This ridiculously fast charging is made possible with the help of two separate smaller batteries inside that combine to deliver 4,500 mAh total capacity.

As mentioned above, the new OnePlus phones are set to go up for pre-order this Friday, and will become available on April 2.