All the Details on the OnePlus 9 Series Flagship Launch and the First-Ever OnePlus Watch

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Have you been eagerly awaiting more information on the latest OnePlus 9 Series phones and hoping for a glimpse of the first-ever OnePlus Watch, too? Well then, today is your day! Read on for more info on these exciting new phones and the watch!

OnePlus 9

The OnePlus 9.

While we already knew that the latest OnePlus 9 Series would have their best-ever cameras with Hasselblad Camera for Mobile on-board, which was reason enough to be excited about the company’s latest phones, we have some new information of what that entails.

OnePlus has worked with Hasselblad to optimize the color performance and of the 9 series cameras. They call this color optimization solution “Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad.” You’ll appreciate it in the accuracy of skin tones, natural colors, and superior details even when zooming in. If you’re a pro user, you’ll really appreciate pro mode, where authentic post-editing colors are delivered using 12-bit RAW.

Using bigger sensors with less edge distortion than normally found on any mobile phone, you’ll get cleaner, crisper, highly detailed photos — even in low light. Following how a traditional DSLR or mirrorless camera produces images without computational photography like HDR, the result is that “the color from Hasselblad Pro Mode (especially from the 12-bit RAW file) is more accurate.”

OnePlus’s cooperation with Hasselblad will be a long-term process, and they will continue to optimize the One Plus 9 Series’ Natural Color Calibration through over-the-air updates.

Let’s take a look at the phones!

OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 9

One Plus 9 Pro in Morning Mist and OnePlus 9 in Winter Mist.

OnePlus 9

The OnePlus 9 features the same excellent 6.55″ flat panel AMOLED Corning Gorilla Glass display (2400 x 1080p at 402ppi) that I have greatly enjoyed on the OnePlus 8T; it also has a 120Hz refresh rate with a peak brightness of up to 1,100 nits with HDR10+ certification. The OnePlus 9 uses a 120Hz Fluid Display, which can support a 60Hz or 120Hz refresh rate.

Adding to that fab screen will be the OnePlus 9’s dual stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos and the new Qualcomm WCD9385 audio codec and Qualcomm Aqstc platform for a crisp, 3D sound experience. Gaming and watching videos should be fab!

OnePlus 9

The OnePlus 9 will run the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G mobile platform, and it will also feature Wi-Fi 6. Of course, it will work with older Wi-Fi protocols, too — like the one at my house. Ha!

If you’re a gamer, you’ll appreciate that both OnePlus 9 Series phones have been optimized for cooling, “using a five-layer heat dissipation structure which is equipped with a large-area VC soaking plate, graphite, copper foil, thermal gel, copper carbon, etc.”

You’ll be able to unlock it with the in-display fingerprint reader or with Face Unlock. The curved case back is made of 3D Corning Gorilla Glass.

Like the 8T, the One Plus 9 also has a dual-cell 4,500mAh battery; it can be charged from 1-100% in just 29 minutes using Warp Charge 65T. Unlike the 8T, the OnePlus 9 will also support up to 15W Qi-wireless charging.

The OnePlus 9 runs Oxygen OS 11, which is built on Android 11. Using RAM compression, which makes data kept on the RAM smaller, as well as VirtualRAM, which turns user storage into RAM, so your phone has more RAM to work with, the OnePlus 9 series boasts Turbo Boost 3.0 memory optimization, so you can keep 25%+ more apps open in the background than before.

OnePlus 9

Enjoy that sneak-peek of the OnePlus Watch!

The OnePlus 9 features a triple Hasselblad Camera for Mobile system with a 50-megapixel ultra-wide 1/1.56” Sony IMX766 sensor (f/2.2) with a uniquely curved Freeform Lens to minimize edge distortion. You can also use this camera to capture macro photos from as close as 4cm away from your subject.

The 48-megapixel main camera has a custom-designed 1/1.43” Sony IMX689 sensor (f/1.8), 2×2 on-chip lens, with electronic image stabilization, the ability to shoot in 12-bit RAW, dual native ISO, and DOL (digital overlap)-HDR. The OnePlus 9’s camera system will offer faster focus speeds, 64-times more color information than traditional 10-bit sensors, cleaner daytime and night shots, and a higher dynamic range in videos.

The camera system even has a tilt-shift mode built-in, which will be fun to play with. There’s also a new Hasselblad Pro Mode which beings “Hasselblad-level sensor calibration to a smartphone for the first time.” Hasselblad Pro Mode has a refreshed UI based on their processing software. With Hasselblad Pro Mode on the OnePlus 9 series, you’ll be able to manually adjust your ISO, exposure time, white balance, focus, and more.

A dedicated monochrome camera will work with the main camera for detailed and layered black and white photos, and dual-LED flash will ensure that you have the best lighting for every photo.

The front camera will have a 16-megapixel fixed-focus Sony IMX471 sensor (f/2.4) with electronic image stabilization.

Concerning videos, the OnePlus 9’s main camera can shoot 8K video in 30fps, giving you 16X the pixel count of standard 1080p. You can also shoot time-lapse videos, and Nightscape Video 2.0 allows you to capture better videos even in dim lighting.

In North America, the OnePlus 9 will be available in two nature-inspired colors that include Winter Mist, which is described as a “relaxing purple mist that gently fades away and Astral Black, which is described as a matte black film underneath the glossy glass that reduces fingerprints for a clean and subtle look.

OnePlus 9 Features

OnePlus 9 Features

The OnePlus 9 will measure 6.29″ long by 2.92″ wide by 0.34″ thick, and it will weigh 6.77 ounces. It will include a Warp Charge 65 power adapter in the box (you can even use it to charge your tablet or 45W laptop), a Warp Charge Type-C to Type C cable, and a pre-applied screen protector.

The Astral Black and Winter Mist versions are available with 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB user memory for $729 ($999 in Canada); Astral Black will also be available with 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB user memory for $829 ($1,149 in Canada). All will be available on the OnePlus site for pre-order on March 26th and open sale on April 2nd. A third color, Arctic Sky, will not be available in North America.

“The OnePlus 9 will be a flagship for flat-screen lovers,” like me.

OnePlus 9 Pro

Much about the OnePlus 9 Pro builds upon what I’ve already mentioned in the OnePlus 9, but there are obviously some differences. I’ll point them out as I go, but otherwise, realize that both flagships have the same top-of-the-line Snapdragon 888 5G processors and wireless protocols. They are similar in many ways once beyond the size, cameras, wireless charging speeds, and display differences I’ll be mentioning.

OnePlus 9 Pro

OnePlus 9 Pro photo by Chloe.

The OnePlus 9 Pro has a 6.7″ LPTO AMOLED Corning Gorilla Glass display (1440 x 3216p at 525ppi) that is gently curved for a premium feel while being optimized to minimize discoloration and mistouches.

One Plus is calling the display on the 9 Pro “Fluid Display 2.0”. It integrates LTPO, or low-temperature polycrystalline oxide technology, to enable the OnePlus 9 Pro’s display to automatically adjust from its 120Hz refresh rate (perfect when you are playing games or scrolling) to 24Hz (when watching movies, for instance), all the way down to 1Hz (which is great for viewing photos or reading text), based on what you are doing on-screen. The result is better battery life when you aren’t taxing it.

Still, you’ll get extremely fast response times when playing games, as the syncing speed between the processor and the display will accelerate at up to 360Hz, which is 6X faster than before. And your 9 series phone won’t get hot due to its superior heat dissipation.

The display can go up to 1,300 nits at peak brightness, and it offers “native 10-bit color depth, E4 emitting material, HDR10+, MEMC, automatic color, temperature adjustment, front and back ambient light sensing and more.”

The OnePlus 9 Pro also unlocks with the in-display fingerprint reader or with Face Unlock.

The OnePlus 9 Pro has a dual-cell 4,500mAh battery; it can be charged from 1-100% in just 29 minutes using Warp Charge 65T. Because of this dual-cell battery design, both battery cells can wirelessly charge at 25W; the 9 Pro supports Warp Charge 50 Wireless, which can fully charge your smartphone from 1-100% in 43 minutes, wirelessly, even when in horizontal mode!

The OnePlus 9 Pro also runs Oxygen OS 11, built on Android 11, and it utilizes the same RAM compression and Turbo Boost 3.0 memory optimization mentioned under the OnePlus 9’s information.

OnePlus 9 Pro photo by Chloe.

Let’s talk about the cameras! The OnePlus 9 Pro has a Quad Hasselblad Camera for Mobile system on the back with the same 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 ultra-wide lens found on the OnePlus 9, as well as the same monochrome camera that will work with the main camera. It also uses the same 16-megapixel front-facing camera.

The 48-megapixel main camera has a 1/1.43” Sony IMX789 sensor (f/1.8), with electronic image stabilization as well as optical image stabilization. It is also able to shoot in 12-bit RAW, dual native ISO, and DOL-HDR. And yes, the 9 Pro’s camera system also has a tilt-shift mode, if you were wondering.

An 8-megapixel telephoto lens offers 3.3X (77mm) optical zoom with up to 30X digital zoom; optical image stabilization helps reduce blur when using this lens. Dual LED flashes are also in the camera module, as well as an additional laser focus and microphone for zoom audio; when shooting a video, the sound can also “zoom” as you zoom in or out.

You’ll be relieved to know that the OnePlus 9 Pro will also have an IP68 rating for dust- and water-resistance.

The OnePlus 9 Pro measures 6.43″ long by 2.9″ wide by 0.34″ thick, weighing 6.95 ounces. The phone includes a Warp Charge 65 power adapter in the box, a Warp Charge Type-C to Type C cable, and a pre-applied screen protector.

OnePlus 9 Pro Features

OnePlus 9 Pro features.

In North America, the OnePlus 9 Pro will be available in Morning Mist, described as shimmering from silver to black, resembling fog on a glossy mirror, and Pine Green, which uses a double matte finish resulting in a softer and warmer hand feel with fewer fingerprints. Green is my favorite color, and I am excited to see phones coming in green!

The Morning Mist and Pine Green versions are available with 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB user memory for $1,069 ($1,499 in Canada); Morning Mist will also be available with 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB user memory for $969 ($1,349 in Canada). All versions of the OnePlus 9 Pro will be available on the OnePlus site for pre-order on March 26th and open sale on April 2nd.

OnePlus Watch

OnePlus Watch

And finally, we have the first global wearable device ever made by OnePlus, the OnePlus Watch. Emulating a classic watch with its round design and smooth arc on the side of its 46mm case, the OnePlus Watch has a 2.5D curved glass face and a “subtle yet radiant glossy CD pattern on the display bezel.”

The 5ATM and IP68 dust- and water-resistant OnePlus Watch seamlessly connect to your OnePlus phone, allowing you to view and respond to notifications, make and answer phone calls, play music, and take photos. It comes with 110+ workout types, and it has automatic workout detection for jogging and running.

Loaded with sensors, the OnePlus Watch has built-in GPS to track your workouts without your phone accurately. It measures pulse, distance, steps, sleep, blood oxygen saturation monitoring, stress detection, breathing straining, rapid heart rate alerts, and has sedentary reminders. It keeps all of your data in the OnePlus Health App.

The OnePlus Watch comes with about 2GB of usable memory (of the 4GB onboard), so there is enough room to load over 500 songs. The watch is compatible with most Bluetooth earbuds, so you can enjoy wireless music playback without needing your phone while exercising.

If you have a OnePlus TV, your watch can control the volume and turn the TV on or off; if you get an incoming call while watching TV, the watch will turn the TV’s volume down so you can answer the call from your wrist. If you fall asleep while watching TV, the watch will communicate that with your TV, and it will turn off the TV after 30 minutes of sleep.

OnePlus says that their watch’s 402mAh battery will last for up to 2 weeks of sustainable use, and even the most active users can expect to get up to a week’s battery life.

OnePlus Watch Features

OnePlus Watch Features

The Classic Edition OnePlus Watch will come in Midnight Black or Moonlight Silver, and it will sell for $159 ($219 in Canada), starting on April 14th.

OnePlus Watch

If you like fancy things, keep an eye out for the OnePlus Watch Cobalt Limited Edition. It builds upon the minimal aesthetic of the Classic Edition, but it uses luxury materials like cobalt alloy and specially-treated sapphire glass with a Mohs hardness rating of 9 — which means your watch crystal will stay bright and scratch-free. We don’t have any pricing or availability information yet, but we will update it once we do.

You can replay the whole OnePlus 9 Series Launch event here.

While you wait until pre-orders open up, you can take this Hasselblad Quiz for a shot at winning a new OnePlus 9 Series device.

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About the Author

Judie Lipsett Stanford
Judie is the co-owner and Editor-in-Chief of Gear Diary, which she founded in September 2006. She started in 1999 writing software reviews at the now-defunct smaller.com; from mid-2000 through 2006, she wrote hardware reviews for and co-edited at The Gadgeteer. A recipient of the Sigma Kappa Colby Award for Technology, Judie is best known for her device-agnostic approach, deep-dive reviews, and enjoyment of exploring the latest tech, gadgets, and gear.

5 Comments on "All the Details on the OnePlus 9 Series Flagship Launch and the First-Ever OnePlus Watch"

  1. looks cool

  2. I had not heard of OnePlus until this post. Will have to check it out.

  3. I love my OnePlus 7T! Can’t wait to get myself this one in, a couple years. Lol. Just bought my 7T last Christmas season.

  4. Robert Burns | March 28, 2021 at 3:11 pm |

    This looks like a nice phone…lots of buzz this week

  5. Carol Ezovski | March 31, 2021 at 3:31 am |

    I must be the only person around that does not own a smart watch! LOL
    Carolsue

    digicats {at} sbcglobal {dot} net

Comments are closed.