View attachment 1578968
[The Lab] OnePlus 9 Review - Cutting the right Corners?
Hey everyone in the OnePlus Community!
In the last couple of weeks, OnePlus itself created a hype around the new OnePlus 9 series which was co-developed with Hasselblad. The Swedish camera manufacturer is known for its high-end cameras that were used to create iconic photos such as the
Blue Marble or the cover of the Beatles album
Abbey Road.
Once again, the OnePlus Community called for reviewers with their annual tradition
The Lab. OnePlus gives a selection of the community, so ordinary people like myself, the opportunity to review their new devices. This time, 25 people were chosen in two phases to give their honest opinions on either the OnePlus 9 or OnePlus 9 Pro. I am thrilled to be part of this experience, however, I can guarantee you that I won't hold back with criticism - I want you to have an undistorted view of the device. As you already guessed, I am reviewing the OnePlus 9 in the following. Make sure to check out the other reviewer’s pages and their great work in which they invested a lot of time and effort!
Deciding which smartphone to buy is a tough decision as the market is flooded with tons of different devices. Since your smartphone is also your daily companion and probably the most used tech gadget (besides maybe a computer) it should be chosen wisely. So, my goal is to present you unbiased information from the perspective of someone who knows the strengths and weaknesses of OnePlus to help you decide whether the OnePlus 9 is the right device for you. I will try to give you a compact, yet detailed review of the most important features that the device offers and conclude with its overall user experience.
Since the OnePlus 7 series, OnePlus offered two devices: A fully packed Pro-version and a regular edition, in which some of the high-end features were cut. So, let's see what the OnePlus 9 offers and how close of a flagship experience the device offers!
With that being said, thank you OnePlus for this great opportunity to share my thoughts. Special thanks go out to
@Crystal Z.,
@Eric X.,
@dsmonteiro for making this possible!
Let’s dive into the review!
-------------- Contents --------------
The review is structured into the following sections:
1) Unboxing (this post)
2) Product Design
3) Camera
4) User Experience: Display, Oxygen OS, Battery & Charging
View attachment 1578971
You only have one first impression. Even if this sounds weird, this time I had two first impressions of the OnePlus 9 - hear me out!
When I received my phone, I was loaded with excitement. Not knowing, which phone I was going to receive, I tore open the package and was welcomed by the elegant box in red. On the top, we're reminded that the phone was co-developed by the one and only Hasselblad. Naturally, I immediately unboxed it to see what's inside.
View attachment 1578922
The unboxing experience feels really premium: The box is made from thick carton and everything seems to be compostable! The most satisfying part has to be that over-engineered fit of the lid (which I really appreciate). The bottom part of the box slowly reveals itself and increases the tension until we get a first glimpse of the smartphone itself.
However, the true beauty is on the inside - let's have a look:
View attachment 1578972
The box includes:
- OnePlus 9 Winter Mist Edition 12/256 GB
- (pre-installed) screen protector
- Clear silicone case
- 65 Watts Charger (USB type-C to USB type-C)
- Safety information
- Quick Start Guide
- Welcome Card
- SAR values and contact information
This where I got my first impression. In a time, where some smartphone manufacturers "save the environment" (or let's re-phrase: save some money) by omitting a charging brick, we get not only one of the fastest chargers in the market, OnePlus supplies us with a clear, silicone case and a pre-installed screen protector. As always very nice touch, please don't ever change this!
In a nutshell, the unboxing was very pleasant. Therefore, I had high expectations for the device itself and anticipated a sophisticated smartphone with high production materials and quality. When I picked up the phone I noticed two things immediately: "That back glass and its color gradient look impressive" and "Hold up - this phone has a plastic frame!".
You heard me right: The OnePlus 9 has a plastic frame. Of course, this is not the first OnePlus with this kind of construction. The OnePlus Nord was built similarly. But here, we're talking about a > 700€ (800€ for this version) phone! Considering that my OnePlus X from 2015 had an aluminum frame, I was honestly quite surprised and also disappointed by this design decision.
View attachment 1578952
Otherwise, I am quite happy with the looks of the phone. It looks very clean and elegant. The "Morning Mist" color is very special without being too pungent. Beware of fingerprints, however! The glossy back catches fingerprints very easily!
Overall, The OnePlus 9 made a good first impression with that one caveat of a plastic frame (as you can probably see this quite bugs me). In the next post, we will take a closer look at the design of the OnePlus 9. Also, stay tuned for a dive into the Hasselblad camera system and my user experience over the first couple of days.
Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions or requests about what I should include in the upcoming posts!
Click to expand...
