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OnePlus 9 Pro smartphone review: High-end phone charges twice as fast

To the top with a cult camera? The OnePlus 9 Pro is comparatively inexpensive for a high-end phone in 2021, but it still aims to impress with a lot of features and a great screen. Does the new cooperation with Hasselblad also improve the camera quality?
OnePlus 9 Pro

There are two new high-end smartphones again this year from the Chinese manufacturer OnePlus. Naturally, we are reviewing the OnePlus 9 separately, and we will focus on the OnePlus 9 Pro here.

You have to pay at least 899 Euros (~$1,056) for the 9 Pro. In return, you get four camera lenses that were optimized in cooperation with cult manufacturer Hasselblad and a high-resolution display with 10-bit color depth that is supposed to consume less battery at high refresh rates. Most importantly, the OnePlus 9 Pro now charges even faster wirelessly.

That all sounds exciting, but does it justify a premium of 200 Euros (~$235) compared to the OnePlus 9 with the same amount of storage? And can the OnePlus 9 Pro even keep up with other high-end devices? Let's find out in this review.

OnePlus 9 Pro (9 Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G 8 x 1.8 - 2.8 GHz, Cortex-X1 / A78 / A55 (Kryo 680)
Graphics adapter
Memory
12 GB 
Display
6.70 inch 19:9, 3216 x 1440 pixel 526 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, AMOLED, Gorilla Glass 5, 360 Hz sampling rate, glossy: yes, HDR, 120 Hz
Storage
256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash, 256 GB 
, 240 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, Audio Connections: audio via USB-C, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: acceleration sensor, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.2, 2G (850/​900/​1800/​1900), 3G (B1/​B2/​B4/​B5/​B8/​B9/​B19), 4G (B1/​B2/​B3/​B4/​B5/​B7/​B8/​B12/​B13/​B17/​B18/​B19/​B20/​B25/​B26/​B28/​B32/​B38/​B39/​B40/​B41/​B66), 5G (n1/​n3/​n5/​n7/?, Dual SIM, LTE, 5G, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.7 x 163.2 x 73.6 ( = 0.34 x 6.43 x 2.9 in)
Battery
4500 mAh Lithium-Polymer, dual-cell, Warp Charge 65T, Warp Charge wireless charging up to 50 watts
Charging
wireless charging, fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Android 11
Camera
Primary Camera: 48 MPix f/​1.8, phase-detection AF (omnidirectional), laser AF, contrast AF, OIS, dual-LED flash, videos @4320p/​30fps (cam 1); 50.0 MP, f/​2.2, wide-angle lens (cam 2); 8.0 MP, f/​2.4, OIS, telephoto lens (cam 3); 2.0 MP, f/​2.4, monochrome (cam 4)
Secondary Camera: 16 MPix f/​2.4, videos @1080p/​30fps
Additional features
Speakers: stereo speakers, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, quick charger, USB-C cable, silicon bumper case, SIM tool, 24 Months Warranty, IP68-certified; LTE cat 20/​18 (2000 Mbps/​210 Mbps); SAR: 0.99 W/kg (head), 1.21 W/kg (body), fanless, waterproof
Weight
197 g ( = 6.95 oz / 0.43 pounds), Power Supply: 125 g ( = 4.41 oz / 0.28 pounds)
Price
899 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Possible contenders in comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Drive
Size
Resolution
Best Price
88.6 %
06/2022
OnePlus 9 Pro
SD 888 5G, Adreno 660
197 g256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.70"3216x1440
89.8 %
11/2020
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
A14, A14 Bionic GPU
189 g256 GB NVMe6.10"2532x1170
89.6 %
02/2021
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14
200 g128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.70"2400x1080
88.5 %
04/2020
OnePlus 8 Pro
SD 865, Adreno 650
199 g256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash6.78"3168x1440
87.3 %
02/2021
Xiaomi Mi 11
SD 888 5G, Adreno 660
196 g128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash6.81"3200x1440

Case – Three colors, three surfaces

Matte or glossy? This question is not easy to answer when it comes to the back of the OnePlus 9 Pro. The manufacturer offers three different colors, all of which have different surfaces. Our review sample comes in Morning Mist, which ranges from silver-gray to white and offers the glossiest surface. Pine Green is a dark green with a matte finish that also reduces fingerprints. Stellar Black is the black variant that is a bit roughened and reminds us of a slightly softer version of the Sandstone surface of earlier OnePlus devices.

In contrast to the OnePlus 9, the OnePlus 9 Pro once again comes with a 2.5D glass that curves over the edges. In the OnePlus 8 Pro, accidental touchscreen touches could be triggered at these edges from time to time, but we have the impression that the manufacturer has gotten a good grip on this issue. The lateral view has hardly changed compared with the predecessor, and the dimensions and weight of the two smartphones only differ marginally.

The workmanship is clean and high-quality, and the smartphone sits well in the hand. The OnePlus 9 Pro is again certified according to the IP68 standard; therefore, it is protected from damage caused by dust and water. However, OnePlus explicitly excludes warranty claims due to water damage.

OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus 9 Pro

Size comparison

165.3 mm / 6.51 inch 74.3 mm / 2.93 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 199 g0.4387 lbs164.3 mm / 6.47 inch 74.6 mm / 2.94 inch 8.06 mm / 0.3173 inch 196 g0.4321 lbs163.2 mm / 6.43 inch 73.6 mm / 2.9 inch 8.7 mm / 0.3425 inch 197 g0.4343 lbs161.5 mm / 6.36 inch 75.6 mm / 2.98 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 200 g0.4409 lbs146.7 mm / 5.78 inch 71.5 mm / 2.81 inch 7.4 mm / 0.2913 inch 189 g0.4167 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity – OnePlus 9 Pro with generous storage

You can choose between 128 GB and 256 GB of mass storage, where fast UFS 3.1 memory is used. RAM is also ample at 8 GB or 12 GB. Since this is fast LPDDR5, the speed is also good.

128 GB of data storage and 8 GB of RAM are available for 899 Euros (~$1,056). The OnePlus 9 Pro is available for 999 Euros (~$1,174) with 256 GB of data storage and 12 GB of RAM.

Storage expansion via microSD is not provided, but the user can use two SIMs. However, actual SIM cards are needed here; eSIMs are still not supported.

Right: Standby button, alert slider
Right: Standby button, alert slider
Left: Volume rocker
Left: Volume rocker
Top: Microphone
Top: Microphone
Bottom: SIM slot, microphone, USB-C port, speaker
Bottom: SIM slot, microphone, USB-C port, speaker

Software – Phone with Android 11

OnePlus's proprietary interface OxgenOS 11 is based on Android 11, and the security patches were up to date at the time of writing.

Fortunately, there's no third-party software on the smartphone besides the Netflix app, and OnePlus only installs its own Community app and the OnePlus Switch app, which can copy user data from one smartphone to another. Both apps can be uninstalled without problems. Fans of clean systems will be happy.

Streaming content can also be viewed in HD without issues, since the device is certified according to Widevine DRM L1.

OnePlus 9 Pro software
OnePlus 9 Pro software
OnePlus 9 Pro software

Communication and GPS – 5G smartphone with LTE diversity

5G and fast LTE with 4x4 MIMO and up to 2 Gb/s for downloads are on board. The diversity of LTE networks is also appropriate for a high-end device and should cover just about all countries in the world.

Of course, Wi-Fi 6 is just as much of an honor as 2x2 MIMO. As a result, the OnePlus 9 Pro achieves similarly fast speeds as other high-end smartphones with our reference router, the Netgear Nighthawk AX12. However, a few Mb/s are missing, so our review sample only reaches the lower ranks at a high level.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
OnePlus 8 Pro
Adreno 650, SD 865, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
876 (767min - 904max) MBit/s +29%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
747 (650min - 862max) MBit/s +10%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
600 (305min - 657max) MBit/s -12%
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
A14 Bionic GPU, A14, 256 GB NVMe
736 (667min - 787max) MBit/s +8%
OnePlus 9 Pro
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
680 (649min - 703max) MBit/s
Xiaomi Mi 11
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
519 (391min - 604max) MBit/s -24%
iperf3 receive AX12
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
855 (827min - 886max) MBit/s +7%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
854 (804min - 879max) MBit/s +7%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
842 (329min - 976max) MBit/s +5%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Adreno 650, SD 865, 256 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
831 (745min - 872max) MBit/s +4%
OnePlus 9 Pro
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
799 (635min - 854max) MBit/s
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
A14 Bionic GPU, A14, 256 GB NVMe
527 (457min - 562max) MBit/s -34%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s -53%
04590135180225270315360405450495540585630675720765810Tooltip
OnePlus 9 Pro; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø799 (635-854)
OnePlus 9 Pro; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø680 (649-703)
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test outdoors
Available satellite networks
Available satellite networks

Inside buildings, the smartphone can only connect to satellite networks when it's close to windows. If you go outdoors, however, the location is available very quickly, and it's also very accurate at three meters. All important networks are supported, including Galileo, GPS, and GLONASS.

Needless to say, we also go on a test drive to determine the navigation accuracy under real-world conditions. However, this time we did so by car due to a late onset of winter. The OnePlus 9 Pro meets our expectations very well here. Even the side of the road we are driving on can be identified in the navigation log, and there are only a few inaccuracies. Therefore, the OnePlus 9 Pro is suitable even if you want to navigate with high accuracy.

Garmin Edge 520 positioning – Overview
Garmin Edge 520 positioning – Overview
Garmin Edge 520 positioning – Turning point
Garmin Edge 520 positioning – Turning point
Garmin Edge 520 positioning – Bridge
Garmin Edge 520 positioning – Bridge
OnePlus 9 Pro positioning – Overview
OnePlus 9 Pro positioning – Overview
OnePlus 9 Pro positioning – Turning point
OnePlus 9 Pro positioning – Turning point
OnePlus 9 Pro positioning – Bridge
OnePlus 9 Pro positioning – Bridge

Telephone and call quality – Good voice reproduction

The phone app comes from Google and has only been slightly modified in Android 11. There are still three tabs for favorites, contacts, and recent calls. A search bar at the top helps find numbers and contacts quickly. VoLTE and VoWiFi are supported as long as the network provider also offers these.

The earpiece can get quite loud and offers good voice quality without noise or distortions. The microphone, however, doesn't handle loud voices well and transmits ours with an audible drone when we speak very forcefully. On the other hand, it copes better with quiet voices. This doesn't apply to the hands-free mode: You have to maintain a certain voice level here or you won't be heard. However, the person on the other end sounds very clear here as well.

Cameras – Hasselblad modifies the app

Front-facing camera sample
Front-facing camera sample

OnePlus always puts a lot of emphasis on the cameras of its smartphones in its marketing, but it hasn't quite reached the top yet. The leading phones from Huawei and Apple are still there. But OnePlus has now found some help: The team of the Swedish camera brand Hasselblad is assisting in optimizing photographs. Initially, the focus is on the looks and the software, but a cooperation in terms of hardware is also planned for the future.

The OnePlus 9 Pro's camera software alone reveals that something has changed: The shutter button is now in Hasselblad orange, and the shutter sound is that of a real Hasselblad camera. In addition, color calibration has been adjusted in such a way that the OnePlus 9 Pro is supposed to reproduce colors more accurately now. The Pro mode has also been revised with the help of Hasselblad. 12-bit RAW pictures are now supported. A new mode is Tilt Shift, which we will take a closer look at in a separate article.

As in the OnePlus 8 Pro, the main camera has a resolution of 48 megapixels, but the sensor is a generation newer with Sony's IMX 789. The full resolution can be used if you wish, but usually 12-megapixel pictures are taken, which means that four pixels are combined into one, increasing the light yield. Something else we noticed: The OnePlus 9 Pro occasionally has the problem that the main camera produces an ugly pixel mess when capturing faces that are further away. Overall, the image quality of the main camera is at a high level, but once again, it's not enough for a top spot: The iPhone 12 Pro Max, for example, is simply even more accurate when it comes to details, and it reproduces even more nuances; the sunset with the evening sky also looks more appealing overall.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Main lens flowerMain lens surroundingsMain lens low lightWide-angle lens
click to load images

The main camera shows sharp pictures and decent contrast in the lab under good exposure, but areas look a bit irregular. At 1 lux, something is still visible in the picture, but the image looks even significantly darker than with the predecessor.

The wide-angle camera already had a very high resolution in the OnePlus 8 Pro, and a few more pixels have been added at 50 megapixels. However, pictures with 1/4 of the resolution are taken by default here as well. Overall, the pictures look quite sharp, but the reproduction could be even better if you look closer. The iPhone 12 Pro Max also wins in terms of details here.

Videos can be recorded in 8K resolution if desired, but only at 30 fps in that case. At 4K, even 120 fps is possible, but only for a maximum of five minutes. It's nice that you can use color filters for videos; in this way, you can also record black-and-white videos, for example, as well as videos in the 21:9 cinema format. The autofocus reacts quickly, and the exposure is controlled in a fine-tuned manner.

Surely, OnePlus can still improve the camera quality via software updates, but it currently remains at the status of the previous years: A very good camera system that can't quite keep up with the very best ones.

ColorChecker
19.3 ∆E
9.3 ∆E
13.2 ∆E
22 ∆E
10.3 ∆E
8 ∆E
13 ∆E
7 ∆E
9.8 ∆E
9.2 ∆E
8.7 ∆E
11.1 ∆E
9.5 ∆E
12.8 ∆E
11.8 ∆E
5.5 ∆E
6.9 ∆E
12.1 ∆E
5.4 ∆E
3.4 ∆E
8.6 ∆E
13.9 ∆E
13.1 ∆E
1 ∆E
ColorChecker OnePlus 9 Pro: 10.2 ∆E min: 0.98 - max: 22.04 ∆E
ColorChecker
17.7 ∆E
23.4 ∆E
25 ∆E
21.1 ∆E
28.1 ∆E
30.7 ∆E
21.3 ∆E
23.1 ∆E
20 ∆E
21.7 ∆E
23.5 ∆E
25.2 ∆E
19.5 ∆E
23.1 ∆E
14.4 ∆E
22.3 ∆E
23.7 ∆E
26.9 ∆E
25 ∆E
26.1 ∆E
29.3 ∆E
26.7 ∆E
21.1 ∆E
12.9 ∆E
ColorChecker OnePlus 9 Pro: 23 ∆E min: 12.85 - max: 30.74 ∆E
Normal photo
Normal photo
Tilt Shift photo
Tilt Shift photo
Normal panorama photo
Tilt Shift panorama photo
Normal photo in detail
Tilt Shift photo in detail

Accessories and warranty – Generous amount of accessories

Besides a USB cable and the SIM tool, a silicon bumper case is also found in the box. The included charger supports Warp Charge 65T but also USB Power Delivery, which allows it to supply other devices with up to 45 watts.

Together with the OnePlus 9 Pro, OnePlus also introduced a new wireless charger that can charge the smartphone's two battery cells simultaneously so that it reaches a maximum charging power of 50 watts. The charger, on which the smartphone can be placed upright or horizontally, costs just under 70 Euros (~$82). Cases like the OnePlus classics with a sandstone surface or made of carbon cost between 25 (~$29) and 40 (~$47) Euros.

OnePlus offers a 24-month warranty on the smartphones; a warranty claim can be filed online, and the phone can be sent in afterwards. It's nice that you can see the prices for the replacement parts online on OnePlus's website and, therefore, roughly calculate how much it will cost when the warranty doesn't apply.

Input devices and handling – Precise touchscreen in the OnePlus phone

The OnePlus 9 Pro scans the display 360 times per second for touches if required. The feature can be turned on and off but only at a refresh rate of 120 Hz; it's not available at 60 Hz. The feature is usually not enabled in the settings menus. However, for professional gamers, for whom every millisecond counts, the faster sampling rate is available in the most played mobile games and could definitely make a difference there.

On the right side of the case is the alert slider, which can be used to set whether you want to be notified via ringtone, vibration, or not at all for the moment. Like all the buttons on the case, it feels high-quality, is easy to grasp, and offers very clear functionality.

The fingerprint sensor is hidden behind the display and sits quite close to the lower edge of the screen. We found that the placement on the OnePlus 8 Pro, which was a bit further away from the edge, was a bit more intuitive, but if you register the fingerprint properly, you also get a very reliable unlock option in the 9 Pro - especially since the fingerprint sensor feels a bit faster than in the predecessor. Face recognition can also be used to unlock the smartphone. The 9 Pro uses the front-facing camera and a software solution that works quite reliably.

Keyboard in portrait mode
Keyboard in portrait mode
Keyboard in landscape mode
Keyboard in landscape mode

Display – Power-saving 120 Hz display

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

OnePlus installs again an AMOLED display with a 1440p resolution, but you can also reduce it to 1080p in the settings menu to save energy. Speaking of which: OnePlus uses a display with LTPO technology this time, which can reduce energy consumption by dynamically adjusting the refresh rate to the content on the display. If you look at a picture, the display is only refreshed once per second, but if you scroll, the full 120 Hz is available.

HDR10+ is supported as well as a color depth of 10 bits. The manufacturer specifies a maximum brightness of 1,300 cd/m². Needless to say, we measured the brightness very accurately in our tests with the spectrophotometer and the CalMAN software. As a matter of fact, we aren't even able to reach these values on very small surfaces like in the APL10 test, despite the front and back of the device being fully illuminated (OnePlus also measures the brightness at the back now, according to its own information). We even measure a slightly lower brightness than in the OnePlus 8 Pro predecessor. Overall, the brightness is good, but other premium smartphones offer a bit more.

742
cd/m²
746
cd/m²
754
cd/m²
737
cd/m²
733
cd/m²
742
cd/m²
751
cd/m²
752
cd/m²
755
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 755 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 745.8 cd/m² Minimum: 2.58 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 97 %
Center on Battery: 733 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 0.95 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 1.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
97.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.21
OnePlus 9 Pro
AMOLED, 3216x1440, 6.70
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
OLED, 2532x1170, 6.10
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2400x1080, 6.70
OnePlus 8 Pro
AMOLED, 3168x1440, 6.78
Xiaomi Mi 11
LED DotDisplay, 3200x1440, 6.81
Screen
-14%
-25%
16%
-8%
Brightness middle
733
822
12%
814
11%
796
9%
840
15%
Brightness
746
820
10%
814
9%
779
4%
845
13%
Brightness Distribution
97
99
2%
97
0%
94
-3%
98
1%
Black Level *
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
0.95
1.2
-26%
2
-111%
0.68
28%
1.2
-26%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
2.01
3.5
-74%
3.6
-79%
1.55
23%
2.7
-34%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.7
1.8
-6%
1.4
18%
1.1
35%
2
-18%
Gamma
2.21 100%
2.18 101%
2.12 104%
2.237 98%
2.26 97%
CCT
6591 99%
6337 103%
6568 99%
6310 103%
6492 100%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 192.3 Hz

The display backlight flickers at 192.3 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) .

The frequency of 192.3 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The OLED screen can display absolute blacks, so that the contrast is theoretically infinitely high. Color accuracy is also at a very high level, but it's slightly below that of the OnePlus 9, for example. The differences will probably not be visible to the naked eye, but those who want or need the absolutely most color-accurate display will be better served by the OnePlus 8 Pro or the OnePlus 9.

As usual for OLED displays, we measure PWM flickering in the range of 200 Hz up to a display brightness of 99%. The DC-dimming mode, which was an experimental feature in the predecessor, is unfortunately no longer found in the OnePlus 9 Pro. The response times from black to white are at the usual level, but they are much longer for different shades of gray. This might be due to the new LTPO technology, since we noticed significantly faster response times in the OnePlus 9.

CalMAN grayscales
CalMAN grayscales
CalMAN color accuracy
CalMAN color accuracy
CalMAN sRGB color space
CalMAN sRGB color space
CalMAN AdobeRGB color space
CalMAN AdobeRGB color space
CalMAN DCI-P3 color space
CalMAN DCI-P3 color space
CalMAN saturation
CalMAN saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 3 ms rise
↘ 3 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 13 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
77 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 70 ms rise
↘ 7 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 99 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Outdoors, the display proves to be easy to read, even in brighter environments. The screen content can still be recognized well even from very flat angles.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Outdoor use in direct sunlight
Outdoor use in direct sunlight

Performance – Latest high-end SoC

With the Snapdragon 888, OnePlus uses Qualcomm's fastest SoC at the moment. Three different cores come into play here: A very fast Prime Core at 2.84 GHz, three fast cores at up to 2.42 GHz, and four slower cores at up to 1.8 GHz for energy-saving work at lower requirements.

Compared with the OnePlus 8 Pro, the device has become faster, but you will only notice the difference in everyday use in extremely demanding apps. In any case, the OnePlus 9 Pro is a very fast smartphone that can easily keep up with the fastest Android devices currently available.

An Adreno 660 is installed in the SoC as the graphics solution, and it offers a lot of performance as well. 

Geekbench 5.5
Single-Core (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
1129 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
1604 Points +42%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
1100 Points -3%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
909 Points -19%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
1136 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (976 - 1198, n=27)
1118 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (119 - 2138, n=211, last 2 years)
900 Points -20%
Multi-Core (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
3666 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
4160 Points +13%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
3364 Points -8%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
3318 Points -9%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
3784 Points +3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (3204 - 3810, n=27)
3571 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (473 - 6681, n=211, last 2 years)
2944 Points -20%
Vulkan Score (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
4544 Points
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
6259 Points +38%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
4279 Points -6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (3894 - 6176, n=26)
4711 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (79 - 9992, n=89, last 2 years)
4117 Points -9%
OpenCL Score (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
4604 Points
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
7514 Points +63%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
4674 Points +2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (3100 - 4786, n=26)
4617 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (434 - 10711, n=81, last 2 years)
3917 Points -15%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
12703 Points
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
15718 Points +24%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
13471 Points +6%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
14586 Points +15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (11823 - 18942, n=7)
14555 Points +15%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +19%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
10740 Points
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
12255 Points +14%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
11153 Points +4%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
12876 Points +20%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (10231 - 15027, n=10)
12376 Points +15%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +1%
3DMark
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
8562 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
9094 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
7718 Points -10%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
9807 Points +15%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (8065 - 11534, n=20)
10135 Points +18%
Average of class Smartphone
  (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9038 Points +6%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
11227 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
20511 Points +83%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
9794 Points -13%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
12665 Points +13%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (10491 - 17179, n=20)
15130 Points +35%
Average of class Smartphone
  (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15757 Points +40%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
4676 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
3084 Points -34%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
5480 Points +17%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (2975 - 5434, n=20)
4760 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4335 Points -7%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
8347 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
6903 Points -17%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
8001 Points -4%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
8111 Points -3%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
9343 Points +12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (6110 - 9839, n=21)
8532 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (317 - 20131, n=174, last 2 years)
6545 Points -22%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
11050 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
10348 Points -6%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
10913 Points -1%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
9379 Points -15%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
12023 Points +9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (7930 - 12914, n=21)
11629 Points +5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (267 - 33376, n=173, last 2 years)
9330 Points -16%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
4497 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
3187 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
4137 Points -8%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
5506 Points +22%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
5249 Points +17%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (2579 - 5366, n=21)
4511 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (938 - 8480, n=173, last 2 years)
4158 Points -8%
Wild Life Score (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
5736 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
6627 Points +16%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
5668 Points -1%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
5599 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (3958 - 5942, n=26)
5674 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (395 - 9839, n=130, last 2 years)
2548 Points -56%
Wild Life Unlimited Score (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
5737 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
8672 Points +51%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
6010 Points +5%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
5678 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (3959 - 5925, n=26)
5617 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (394 - 20068, n=193, last 2 years)
6048 Points +5%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
60 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
60 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
119 fps +98%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
60 fps 0%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
120 fps +100%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (60 - 143, n=20)
102.5 fps +71%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +39%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
258 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
318 fps +23%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
242 fps -6%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
206 fps -20%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
268 fps +4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (173 - 294, n=20)
247 fps -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps -6%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
60 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
60 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
119 fps +98%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
60 fps 0%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
91 fps +52%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (55 - 121, n=20)
93.9 fps +57%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +19%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
151 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
180 fps +19%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
161 fps +7%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
126 fps -17%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
158 fps +5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (101 - 180, n=20)
141.7 fps -6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps -9%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
57 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
53.3 fps -6%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
103 fps +81%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
60 fps +5%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
59 fps +4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (36 - 105, n=20)
71.5 fps +25%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +6%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
69 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
109.9 fps +59%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
107 fps +55%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
88 fps +28%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
111 fps +61%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (69 - 126, n=20)
98.9 fps +43%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +41%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
36 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
51.8 fps +44%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
56 fps +56%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
45 fps +25%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
33 fps -8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (26 - 61, n=20)
47.2 fps +31%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +19%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
59 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
75 fps +27%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
62 fps +5%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
51 fps -14%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
67 fps +14%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (42 - 74, n=20)
60.6 fps +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps -1%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
55 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
58.6 fps +7%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
64 fps +16%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
48 fps -13%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
41 fps -25%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (32 - 73, n=26)
55.7 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=218, last 2 years)
43.3 fps -21%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
63 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
84.1 fps +33%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
64 fps +2%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
54 fps -14%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
79 fps +25%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (46 - 87, n=27)
70.4 fps +12%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=218, last 2 years)
62.9 fps 0%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
42 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
47.5 fps +13%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
44 fps +5%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
31 fps -26%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
25 fps -40%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (25 - 51, n=26)
38.5 fps -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 105, n=218, last 2 years)
32.2 fps -23%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
28 fps
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
31.2 fps +11%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
27 fps -4%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
20 fps -29%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
29 fps +4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (19 - 32, n=26)
27.5 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=218, last 2 years)
25 fps -11%
AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
718779 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
569468 Points -21%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
617805 Points -14%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
585231 Points -19%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
700592 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (569595 - 740847, n=12)
677749 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
101336 Points -86%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
6959 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
Points -100%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
6144 Points -12%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
5993 Points -14%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
6361 Points -9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (5839 - 6985, n=20)
6495 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points -18%
System (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
11774 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
Points -100%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
10492 Points -11%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
10058 Points -15%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
10377 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (9119 - 11774, n=20)
10766 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points -18%
Memory (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
9044 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
Points -100%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
6246 Points -31%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
7240 Points -20%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
8789 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (5352 - 9044, n=20)
7316 Points -19%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points -31%
Graphics (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
13463 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
Points -100%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
14636 Points +9%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
11842 Points -12%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
12732 Points -5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (9399 - 15739, n=20)
13676 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +3%
Web (sort by value)
OnePlus 9 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 12288
1633 Points
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
Apple A14 Bionic, A14 Bionic GPU, 6144
Points -100%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Samsung Exynos 2100 5G, Mali-G78 MP14, 8192
1486 Points -9%
OnePlus 8 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650, 12288
1496 Points -8%
Xiaomi Mi 11
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G, Adreno 660, 8192
1434 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
  (1434 - 1983, n=20)
1683 Points +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points -9%

The OnePlus 9 Pro performs at a high level in our browser benchmarks, but this is not entirely sufficient for a top ranking. Scrolling through websites is very swift and smooth thanks to the display's 120 Hz technology. Images are already displayed while scrolling. Websites load quickly, and browsing is quite pleasant with OnePlus's latest smartphone as a result.

Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14)
161.4 Points +155%
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=167, last 2 years)
104 Points +65%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (61.3 - 125.1, n=13)
96.1 Points +52%
Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88)
83.2 Points +32%
Samsung Galaxy S21+ (Chrome 88.0.4324.152)
66.3 Points +5%
OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80)
63.4 Points 0%
OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 46)
63.2 Points
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14)
342.7 Points +175%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (77 - 223, n=19)
168.8 Points +36%
Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88)
137.9 Points +11%
OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 46)
124.5 Points
Samsung Galaxy S21+ (Chrome 88.0.4324.152)
117.8 Points -5%
OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80)
114.8 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points -32%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14)
196 runs/min +250%
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=151, last 2 years)
104.7 runs/min +87%
Samsung Galaxy S21+ (Chrome 88.0.4324.152)
85.8 runs/min +53%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (46.9 - 121, n=12)
84.1 runs/min +50%
OnePlus 8 Pro (Chome 80)
67.7 runs/min +21%
Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88)
62.8 runs/min +12%
OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 46)
56 runs/min
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14)
193 Points +87%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (103 - 182, n=18)
143.1 Points +39%
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=118, last 2 years)
130.7 Points +27%
Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88)
124 Points +20%
OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80)
104 Points +1%
OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 4689)
103 Points
Samsung Galaxy S21+ (Chrome 88.0.4324.152)
102 Points -1%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14)
58488 Points +118%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (23491 - 47543, n=20)
35591 Points +33%
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +24%
Samsung Galaxy S21+ (Chrome 88.0.4324.152)
28247 Points +5%
Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88)
27539 Points +3%
OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 46)
26829 Points
OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80)
23678 Points -12%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
OnePlus 8 Pro (Chrome 80)
1945 ms * -8%
OnePlus 9 Pro (Microsoft Edge 46)
1808 ms *
Samsung Galaxy S21+ (Chrome 88.0.4324.152)
1744 ms * +4%
Xiaomi Mi 11 (Chrome 88)
1722 ms * +5%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G (891 - 1841, n=20)
1319 ms * +27%
Apple iPhone 12 Pro (Safari Mobile 14)
460.4 ms * +75%

* ... smaller is better

The fast UFS 3.1 storage proves to be very swift in sequential reading in particular, and it has improved in all categories compared to the OnePlus 8 Pro.

OnePlus 9 ProSamsung Galaxy S21+OnePlus 8 ProXiaomi Mi 11Average 256 GB UFS 3.1 FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
12%
-16%
0%
17%
3%
Sequential Read 256KB
1995
1623
-19%
1627
-18%
1615
-19%
1768 ?(1004 - 2037, n=86)
-11%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
-26%
Sequential Write 256KB
769
1037
35%
730
-5%
754
-2%
1136 ?(452 - 1873, n=86)
48%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
40%
Random Read 4KB
258.7
309.6
20%
208.3
-19%
278.5
8%
281 ?(173.5 - 543, n=86)
9%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
-6%
Random Write 4KB
254.3
283.3
11%
197.7
-22%
289.3
14%
311 ?(197.5 - 499, n=87)
22%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
5%

Games – Smooth gaming, but no 120 fps

OnePlus supports the mobile gaming community with a special game mode and HyperTouch, which can increase the touchscreen's response speed by a few frames thanks to an even faster touch sampling rate. However, the 120 fps in games, which the display is capable of rendering, is still something of a problem: Due to the higher battery consumption, OnePlus only allows an increased frame rate (90 fps) in Fortnite so far; all other games have to make do with 60 fps.

We test the frame rates with GameBench's software suite in games like PUBG Mobile and LoL: Wild Rift; we get a fairly constant 60 fps even at maximum settings. The controls are indeed very smooth, and PUBG Mobile's HDR mode can also be activated for an even sleeker look. This makes the OnePlus 9 Pro very suitable for gaming, but you shouldn't count on increased frame rates beyond 60 Hz.

PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile
League of Legends: Wild Rift
League of Legends: Wild Rift
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
OnePlus 9 Pro; League of Legends: Wild Rift; 2.2.0.4027: Ø59.9 (59-60)
OnePlus 9 Pro; PUBG Mobile; Smooth; 1.3.0: Ø59.8 (57-62)
OnePlus 9 Pro; PUBG Mobile; HD; 1.3.0: Ø59.8 (57-61)

Emissions – Noticeable throttling

Temperature

3DMark Wild Life stress test
3DMark Wild Life stress test

The OnePlus 9 Pro behaves quite similarly to other smartphones in this price range in terms of case temperatures: A maximum case temperature of 42 °C (~108 °F) is not an issue initially; it could only become unpleasant in high ambient temperatures. Heat development at the front of the smartphone is higher than at the back, which is a good thing, since users usually touch the back more extensively than the front.

We test the performance under load with the 3DMark Wild Life stress test. Here, the same benchmark sequence is run 20 times, and the computed frames are determined. Unfortunately, the performance at the end of the test is only 60% of the initial performance. The Xiaomi Mi 11 with the same SoC maintains its performance much better here.

3DMark - Wild Life Stress Test Stability
Xiaomi Mi 11
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
90.2 (5064min - 5613max) % +50%
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
A14 Bionic GPU, A14, 256 GB NVMe
72.6 % +20%
Samsung Galaxy S21+
Mali-G78 MP14, Exynos 2100 5G, 128 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
65.8 (3805min - 5781max) % +9%
OnePlus 9 Pro
Adreno 660, SD 888 5G, 256 GB UFS 3.1 Flash
60.3 (3461min - 5740max) %
Max. Load
 41.6 °C
107 F
41.2 °C
106 F
38.7 °C
102 F
 
 42 °C
108 F
41.2 °C
106 F
39.1 °C
102 F
 
 42 °C
108 F
41.1 °C
106 F
39.2 °C
103 F
 
Maximum: 42 °C = 108 F
Average: 40.7 °C = 105 F
37.1 °C
99 F
38.3 °C
101 F
37.4 °C
99 F
36.1 °C
97 F
38 °C
100 F
39.7 °C
103 F
35.6 °C
96 F
38.1 °C
101 F
39 °C
102 F
Maximum: 39.7 °C = 103 F
Average: 37.7 °C = 100 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.7 °C = 103 F | Room Temperature 21.7 °C = 71 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 40.7 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.7 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.7 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

Pink Noise speaker test
Pink Noise speaker test

The stereo setup from the predecessor, where the earpiece is used as an amplifier, is also present in the OnePlus 9 Pro. The sound diagram from our test looks very similar, but the current OnePlus phone is a bit quieter.

As before, trebles are a bit overemphasized at maximum volume, but when you lower the volume, the speakers sound very balanced. You get very good sound, but we've also heard better speakers before.

The USB-C port is responsible for wired sound output. You can also connect 3.5 mm headphones using an adapter. In terms of wireless sound transmission, the OnePlus 9 Pro has received a version update compared with the predecessor: Bluetooth 5.2 is implemented now. This allows the simultaneous transmission of sound to multiple wireless headphones, and hearing aids are supported. Naturally, aptXHD, an important codec for high-quality Bluetooth audio, is also on board. 

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs204344.22536.835.83136.829.94030.631.8503432.3632930.28025.521.810029.322.512523.93016014.241.120011.346.625011.754.23159.757.14009.358.250011.861.663013.761.380017.363.4100016.269.5125011.169.6160010.373.1200010.471.7250011.668.2315012.670.3400013.970.4500015.268.9630015.663.9800016.367.71000016.565.11250016.461.31600017.154.6SPL70.970.660.268.865.971.426.481.1N26.125.712.522.219.226.50.848.4median 14.2median 63.4median 36.4median 45.5median 42.5median 49median 13.6median 64.7Delta5.29.923.823.323.422.512.816.342.342.240.741.631.131.634.337.634.738.828.930.823.826.526.229.12233.120.742.62149.418.653.217.757.617.260.61962.41764.615.268.517.371.315.476.418.573.815.973.515.176.114.475.614.871.215.168.715.363.215.665.515.965.416.160.616.654.467.428.384.419.31.156median 17median 63.2median 70.2310.714.2hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseOnePlus 9 ProOnePlus 8 Pro
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
OnePlus 9 Pro audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 64.7% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 64.7% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 64.7% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (119% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 86% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 5% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 96% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

OnePlus 8 Pro audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 70.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 70.2% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 70.2% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (123.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 90% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 2% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 97% of all tested devices were better, 2% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery life – Fully recharged extremely fast

Energy consumption

Looking at the energy consumption of the OnePlus 9 Pro, it's noticeable that the smartphone is much less demanding than the predecessor in less challenging scenarios. At the same time, the iPhone 12 Pro or Samsung's Galaxy S21+ are still considerably more energy-efficient. The OnePlus 9 Pro consumes a lot of power under high load.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.6 / 2 / 2.4 Watt
Load midlight 6.2 / 11 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
OnePlus 9 Pro
4500 mAh
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
2815 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S21+
4800 mAh
OnePlus 8 Pro
4510 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 11
4600 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
53%
29%
-25%
3%
21%
28%
Idle Minimum *
1.6
0.64
60%
0.74
54%
2.2
-38%
1.57
2%
1.066 ?(0.46 - 1.8, n=23)
33%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
44%
Idle Average *
2
1.22
39%
1.27
36%
3.3
-65%
1.92
4%
1.58 ?(0.74 - 2.6, n=23)
21%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
27%
Idle Maximum *
2.4
1.24
48%
1.33
45%
3.7
-54%
1.94
19%
1.733 ?(0.78 - 3.1, n=23)
28%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
32%
Load Average *
6.2
3.04
51%
6.32
-2%
5.9
5%
6.32
-2%
5.46 ?(3.87 - 6.7, n=23)
12%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
10%
Load Maximum *
11
3.86
65%
9.61
13%
8.3
25%
11.65
-6%
9.79 ?(5.89 - 11.7, n=23)
11%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
25%

* ... smaller is better

Battery life

We're already familiar with the battery's dual-cell design from the OnePlus 8T. This means that OnePlus doesn't install one battery, but two cells that can be charged simultaneously instead. Like the OnePlus 8 Pro, the OnePlus 9 Pro has a total battery capacity of 4,500 mAh.

Battery life is slightly better than with the 8 Pro. Our review sample also outperforms the comparison devices with 16:42 hours in our Wi-Fi test.

Warp Charge 65T is the name of the charging technology that has been somewhat improved compared with the OnePlus 8T. The OnePlus 9 Pro now charges at up to 65 watts, which naturally requires a slightly larger and heavier power adapter, but that never really bothered us in practice. Since the charging technology is primarily integrated into the power adapter, the smartphone also stays cooler while charging.

The manufacturer promises a complete charge in 29 minutes, and we can confirm this in our tests. Compared with the OnePlus 8 Pro with 30-watt charging technology and only one battery, the charging time has once again been reduced significantly.

The smartphone can also be charged using the Qi standard, i.e. without a cable. The charging speed has even been increased fivefold compared with the OnePlus 8 Pro: While the predecessor still charged at a maximum of 10 watts, the OnePlus 9 Pro can be charged wirelessly at up to 50 watts (25 watts per battery). Consequently, a full charge only takes 43 minutes. Of course, you also need a corresponding Qi charger for this.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
35h 13min
WiFi Websurfing
16h 42min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
17h 56min
Load (maximum brightness)
5h 16min
OnePlus 9 Pro
4500 mAh
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
2815 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S21+
4800 mAh
OnePlus 8 Pro
4510 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 11
4600 mAh
Battery Runtime
-5%
-13%
-5%
-34%
Reader / Idle
2113
2091
-1%
1780
-16%
2103
0%
1144
-46%
H.264
1076
1117
4%
1174
9%
1023
-5%
971
-10%
WiFi v1.3
1002
781
-22%
651
-35%
923
-8%
527
-47%
Load
316
311
-2%
282
-11%
296
-6%
214
-32%

Pros

+ up-to-date and smooth software
+ stylish and stable case
+ accurate positioning
+ good battery life
+ very fast charging
+ 4K videos at 120 fps possible
+ high performance

Cons

- usually a maximum of 60 fps in games
- noticeable throttling under prolonged load
- microphone tends to drone with loud voices
- display with slow response times and low contrast
- no eSIM

Verdict – Top charging technology, good camera

In review: OnePlus 9 Pro. Test device provided by OnePlus Germany.
In review: OnePlus 9 Pro. Test device provided by OnePlus Germany.

The Chinese manufacturer offers the OnePlus 9 Pro at a very competitive price of 899 Euros (~$1,055). Samsung's and Apple's devices have long since surpassed this price and cost over 1,000 Euros (~$1,173). Sure, Apple has some special features like LIDAR sensors or magnetic interfaces in addition to the closed ecosystem, but otherwise, the OnePlus 9 Pro offers much of what more expensive smartphones can do.

You get a high-quality device, a lot of performance, good battery life, a highly color-accurate display, a flexible camera, fast-charging technology, and up-to-date as well as fast communication features.

The OnePlus 9 Pro is at a high level in terms of photo quality, but this is currently not enough for a top ranking despite the cooperation with Hasselblad. However, OnePlus has revealed that the collaboration with Hasselblad will also include the hardware, presumably the lens design. Therefore, a significant quality leap could follow in future generations.

The OnePlus 9 Pro is a very good high-end smartphone that is offered at a fair price.

However, the manufacturer also has a strong competitor in the OnePlus 9, which barely lacks essential features for 200 Euros (~$235) less and also offers the same storage configuration as the OnePlus 9 Pro. This should make matters clear for those who want to save money. However, those who appreciate the additional features, such as the power-saving display, the additional macro camera, and the higher display resolution, will get a high-quality device at a fair price with the OnePlus 9 Pro.

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Price and availability

The OnePlus 9 Pro is available for $1,069 both on Amazon (to be released on April 2, 2021) and on OnePlus's website.

OnePlus 9 Pro - 08/31/2022 v7
Florian Schmitt

Chassis
90%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 87%
Pointing Device
97%
Connectivity
53 / 70 → 76%
Weight
88%
Battery
91%
Display
94%
Games Performance
62 / 64 → 97%
Application Performance
83 / 86 → 96%
Temperature
88%
Noise
100%
Audio
76 / 90 → 84%
Camera
77%
Average
82%
89%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > OnePlus 9 Pro smartphone review: High-end phone charges twice as fast
Florian Schmitt, 2021-04- 1 (Update: 2021-04- 5)