2. Display -

One of the most important aspects of any smartphone is its display. Even the most powerful processor or the best camera can't supersede the requirement of a quality display unit.
For OnePlus 9RT 5G, the display is a flat-screen display.
Display Specifications:
Size: 16.81 cm ( 6.62 inches) measured corner- corner
Resolution: 1080*2400 ( FHD+), 397 PPI
Aspect ratio: 20:9
Refresh rate: 120 Hz
Type: E4 120 Hz AMOLED
support sRGB, Display P3
Cover glass: Corning® Gorilla® Glass 5
In a world of 4K display, the OnePlus 9RT adopted FHD+ ( 2400 x 1800) resolution E4 panel with a 120 Hz AMOLED display. ( It's an 8-bit display).
E4 Panel is one of the best available screens on a smartphone that is bright at the same time it's efficient.
The color produced is Punchy & vibrant
For an average user, the display is brilliant, and if you are a geek, you need to know some facts about the OnePlus 9RT 5G's screen.
The 6.62-inch screen sounds big, but I could find the thick chin, so there is something to figure out. ( I have already mentioned that I have a catch in the display).
The screen size is 6.62 inches ( 168 mm), but the actual usable screen size measured is 6.41 inches (163mm).
Now, some simple math on display resolution:
Number of shades in an
8 Bit screen = 256x256x256 = 16777216 i.e around
17 million colors.
Whereas for a
10-bit panel in the most similar budget smartphone, The Number of shades = 1024x1024x1024 = 1073741824 i.e
10.7 billion colors.
The equation says a 10-bit display has far more color accuracy than an 8-bit display which the OnePlus 9RT should have brought.
So, there is no True HDR support for the OnePlus 9RT 5G neither they claim to have it. Though the HDR is enabled in the software, the experience of a true HDR in a 10-bit panel is definitely missed.
The video transition in an 8-bit display does not feel weird. I have Watched almost 20 numbers 4K & 8K videos & minutely observed to find issues related to display banding & I have noticed almost no banding issues in them. Even the lagging problem is not there. The color production is sometimes inconsistent. Sometimes the screen is more vibrant and saturated while sometimes it's better than the 4K display on the television.
A comparison video of the 4K display on my LG TV vs FHD+ display on the OnePlus 9RT 5G ( I know they both stand in a different league and screen size shouldn't be compared, But I feel it's worth a watch)
20:9 is a good aspect ratio for the screen size.
The viewing angle of the screen is a little above average,
These points mentioned above may not be noticed by an average user because there is some good optimization in the software part. Such as-
1. The Super video resolution enhances the video quality.
2. The adaptive brightness adjustment works smoothly in the mid-segment of the brightness level. Thanks to the multi-level dimming algorithm.
The Video image sharpener and Video color enhancer work really well.
The display has some capabilities, but most apps are limited to 60 Hz. The gaming experience on the device is one of the best, but again, not many are allowed above 60 Hz. The touch sampling rate of the display is 300 Hz which can further increase to 600 Hz in case of requirement. I don't know these Hz games, but the touch is very responsive & for a non-gamer like me, I can feel like I am into the game like a pro.
Please note the touch response while playing the Subway surfer
The display can hit 1300 nits of brightness in extreme daylight & you can watch your favorite movies/ receive a call from your colleague while watching the caller ID. Though I have faced some issues with the viewing angles during extreme sunlight, I didn't face such issues indoors.
People like OnePlus because of the options for customization. The OnePlus 9RT does have plenty of customization features in the display segment.
The following features under personalization, Ambient display, Display & brightness are pre-installed in the device.
There are two options to choose from - Light/ Dark modes.
While dark modes are better for battery optimization, I could find something strange in the light mode. There is a rainbow pattern tint throughout the screen. It does not affect the screen but looks weird while testing for pixel burn.
The adaptive brightness works nicely in the middle level but, sometimes behaves weirdly in the lower & higher level. I am not sure if this applies to the review unit only or is a general issue.
There are options to select the screen color temperature between cooler and warmer.
One more customization option is available for the Font & display size with three options to choose from ( Roboto, OnePlus Sans & Sans) and 4 step font & 3 step display size.
The display color profile has four modes to choose from -
Vivid ( DCI-P3 for color accuracy)
Gentle ( sRGB for natural color display)
Cinematic ( Display P3 for wide color gamut)
Brilliant ( Enhanced color display)
The screen refresh rate has 2 options to chose from -
Standard (60 Hz)
High ( max. 120 Hz)
After using 120 Hz, one will switch back to a 60 Hz display, I doubt.
AOD has improved a lot. The analog clocks, digital clocks & text clocks have plenty of options for customization & the featured AOD is one of the best in terms of usability.
Horizon light is also an important feature to get a quick visual notification.
Though I don't believe a lot in synthetic tests/ scores, as a reviewer, tried the typical tests, and I am happy to announce, It just passed all the tests. Gamers, good news for you - the GPU scores are really high so does the real-life performance ( more in the Performance section).
There are a few things I liked about the display. such as -
The Hyper touch 2.0 is the best implementation on the OnePlus 9RT 5G,
The 120 Hz refresh rate feels buttery smooth.
The superfast Optical fingerprint scanner's response is a delighter to have.
The face-unlock feature works instantly.
My take on the Display:
The display provides a great experience in terms of touch sensitivity, brightness, software optimization & customization, but the selection of an 8-bit panel instead of a 10-bit panel & an FHD+ instead of a 4K display are the OFIs.
Rating:
4/5 stars for display.
My next segment is on Camera performance. Stay tuned.