Tuesday, May 4, 2021

OnePlus 9 5G Hands-on

OnePlus has always been that smartphone brand that is expected to change the game every time it releases a new flagship smartphone. For 2021, the brand attempts to shake things up a bit with the launch of the OnePlus 9 Series, appealing to users who are into mobile photography by collaborating with Hasselblad. Check out our initial thoughts about the OnePlus 9 5G below.

The OnePlus 9 comes in two colors, Astral Black and Winter Mist. What we have is the latter. It’s like a pearlescent color that transitions between pink and purple. It also features a gradient that makes it appear darker at the lower part.

Being a premium flagship, the OnePlus 9 is clad in metal and glass. The rear part, as expected, is a fingerprint and smudge magnet, so it’s a good thing that the package comes with a protective case. In addition, it’s easy to hold, thanks to the narrow frame and tapered sides.

On the front, we have a 6.55-inch Fluid AMOLED screen with Full HD+ resolution or 402ppi and 120Hz refresh rate. On the upper left corner is a hole punch for the 16MP selfie camera, then right above the center at the bezel is the earpiece that also doubles as a secondary loudspeaker. Protecting all of it is Corning Gorilla Glass.

On the left, we have the volume buttons, while on the right are the power button and alert slider. The buttons are quiet but tactile.

On the other hand, the alert slider is textured and is used to quickly set the device’s audio profile between Ring, Vibrate, and Silent.

Up top, we have a secondary microphone, while down at the bottom is the USB-C port, main microphone, dual-nano SIM card slot, and main loudspeaker.

At the back, we have the protruding camera module for the triple cameras consisting of a 48MP main, 50MP ultra-wide, and 2MP monochrome. You’ll also notice the LED flash and the Hasselblad branding to indicate the collaboration between brands for the device’s camera technology. More on that in our review. Found in the middle of the body is the OnePlus logo.

The OnePlus 9 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 with Adreno 660 GPU, 12GB LPDDR5 RAM, 256GB UFS 3.1 storage, Oxygen OS 11.2 based on Android 11, and a 4,500mAh battery with 65W Warp Charge 65T. It’s a powerful configuration worthy of a flagship device. We’ll put it to the test in our full review.

The OnePlus 9 5G comes with a price tag of PHP 38,990. It will be available for pre-order at select Digital Walker stores, as well as through the newly launched Digital Walker PH website. Stay tuned for our full review.

OnePlus 9 5G specs:
6.55-inch FHD+ (2400 x 1080) Fluid AMOLED display, 402ppi
120Hz, sRGB, Display P3
Corning Gorilla Glass
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Adreno 660 GPU
12GB LPDDR5 RAM
256GB UFS 3.1 storage
Triple-rear cameras (Hasselblad):
• 48MP Sony IMX689 F1.8 main
• 50MP Sony IMX766 F2.2 ultra-wide
• 2MP monochrome
16MP Sony IMX471 F2.4 front camera
Dual-SIM
5G, 4G LTE
WiFi 6
Bluetooth 5.2
NFC
GPS (L1+L5 Dual Band), A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo (E1+E5a Dual Band), Beidou
USB-C
Dual-Stereo Speakers
Dolby Atmos
Fingerprint scanner (in-display)
Face Unlock
OxygenOS (Android 11)
4,500mAh battery w/ 65W Warp Charge 65T
160 x 73.9 x 8.1 mm
183 g
Astral Black, Winter Mist