OnePlus 9 Pro 128 GB / 8 GB (5011101612)

Hasselblad Camera

The main feature of the flagships of OnePlus 2021 are cameras developed in collaboration with the famous Swedish brand Hasselblad, which has been engaged in photographic equipment for more than a century and a half. The company was screaming about the new collaboration on every corner and devoted a lot of time to it at the presentation. But it turned out that the role of Hasselblad in the development of cameras is not so significant: if, for example, Huawei uses Leica optics in its smartphones, then OnePlus from Hasselblad got only software. To be more precise, the Swedes were engaged in colour correction and professional mode settings, which only the Pro model has.

The main camera of the smartphone includes a 48MP sensor that takes the lead role, a 50MP ultra-wide lens with autofocus, an 8MP telephoto lens, and a secondary 2MP sensor for black and white shots. Claimed optical stabilization, 3.3x zoom and video shooting in 8K at 30 frames. Probably, the most hyped collaboration with Hasselblad played against OnePlus here. Of course, the colours are excellent, but, in general, many expected more from the camera. Perhaps, only the “width” deserves praise, which is not inferior to the main sensor, but otherwise the camera is good, but far from the best. And although the smartphone still didn’t get into the TOP-10 of the DxOMark rating, it has a rather high score of 124 points, and this is even more than the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Therefore, the OnePlus flagship deserves a place in our selection.

Everything you need and even more

But not only the camera boasts OnePlus 9 Pro. In general, this is a well-balanced flagship with top-end hardware and a pleasant price tag, the performance of which will last for years to come. Almost the entire front panel is occupied by a 6.7-inch Fluid AMOLED display with high resolution (3216x1440), pixel density (525 ppi) and dynamic frequency change from 1 to 120 Hz, which significantly saves battery power. For example, in Always On Display mode, the frequency drops to 1 Hz, and when you start the game, it gives out its maximum rate for a smoother picture. The 16-megapixel selfie camera is located in a neat round cutout, and the screen has slightly curved edges — to the delight of many users, manufacturers refuse to display "waterfalls" with sharp curves, so there should be less accidental clicks and glare. The display of the smartphone is really excellent, which is confirmed by the high A + rating from DisplayMate experts.

The device is based on the top-end Snapdragon 888 processor, which, alas, is notorious for its “ardent character”. And although the smartphone has liquid cooling, it still heats up, although not critical — you can hold it in your hand, and the case does not burn like a hot pie straight from the oven. The base version includes the required minimum of 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB UFS 3.1 storage. But keep in mind that there is no slot for a memory card, and you should not blame the model for this. The lack of the ability to expand the memory and 3.5 mm audio jack is no longer a disadvantage these days, but a trend that can only be put up with. Complementing the picture is 5G support, IP68 water and dust resistance that allows short dives under water, a glass body with a metal frame, an in-display fingerprint scanner and Dolby Atmos-enabled stereo speakers.

Finally, the icing on the cake is a dual battery with a total capacity of 4500 mAh, which provides more than a day of battery life. First, it supports 65W fast wired charging, which takes about half an hour to fully charge the battery. Secondly, the charger is included in the kit — yes, yes, Apple, this is a stone in your garden. Thirdly, there is also a fairly fast 50W wireless charging. Perhaps, only reverse charging is missing for a complete set, but this is already a wish, not a complaint.