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Review | OnePlus 9 Pro 5G, OnePlus 9 5G review: great cameras, superfast charging on new flagship phones from the Chinese brand

  • OnePlus says its new phones can go from an empty battery to a full charge in 29 minutes with the included Warp charger
  • The 9 Pro 5G has a great screen, tons of RAM, storage and high-quality camera lenses by Hasselblad, which has a three-year partnership with the phone company

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Why you can trust SCMP
Superfast charging speeds and great cameras make the OnePlus 9 Pro 5G (right) and the OnePlus 9 5G great alternatives to the top flagship phones by Samsung and Apple. Photo: TNS

Back in 2014, OnePlus introduced the OnePlus One, which was only available by invitation. This created a bit of buzz from the Android community, and it increased the demand for the new phone. The OnePlus One had a price of US$299 and was touted as a flagship killer.

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As OnePlus phones evolved, the prices have increased along with the features. The company recently introduced two flagship models, the OnePlus 9 Pro 5G and the OnePlus 9 5G, that come with top specs and are still reasonably priced.

Design and hardware

Like Apple, OnePlus uses the “Pro” designation for its higher-end phones. The 9 Pro features a 6.7-inch Amoled screen that curves down at the sides. It has a resolution of 3,216 by 1,440 pixels.

The screen has a 120-hertz refresh rate that changes dynamically depending on need. This means the screen refreshes up to 120 times per second, but only if the current task requires it. If your phone is sitting on your desk open to the home screen, the refresh rate slows down to save battery power.

The front and back of the phone are made of scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass 5. The charge/sync port is USB-3.1, and there is no headphone jack. The 9 Pro is IP68 dust- and water-resistant.
Colours for the 9 Pro include grey and green.
Colours for the 9 Pro include grey and green.

Software and features

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