Weekly poll: the OnePlus 9 series shoots for the moon, but are you on board?

28 March 2021
OnePlus tapped Hasselblad to lend some name recognition for its cameras - but can the 9 series compete against the major players?

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STE FAR 05, 29 Mar 2021Amazon isn't fake though. Are you on about the other person?Yeah I was talking about the anonymous guy with the nickname "Wongwatt", he said you could get the S21 Ultra from Ultra Online for £800, but that's a scammy website.

    i still remember year 2019, the time we're getting hot chinese flagships for half a price. Wow, Mi9 - sexy, thin, 30W wired AND compatible, 30W wireless AND compatible, notification light(!), light(!) phone, fingerprint under display (kudos to 6T actually to be the first)..

    That was when I left Samsung, after SPlus, Note2, Note3, .., S6Edge, S7Edge, S8, Note9, S10. Slow Samsung fingerprint added to the mood.
    I used to have Mi9, 6T, 7T, and even 8Pro. It made sense to me, and i convinced myself I can live with literally empty OS to get faster charging while being ripped off by same omissions the others made (disappearing notif light, jack and sd card). Price wise it was justifiable, sure. What a ride.
    And than 2020 strikes in and prices double, huuuge bricks are being sold. 200grams+ a new standard, covid inflation boomed, insane charging speeds surfaced. I can't believe how expensive 8Pro was for a (great) phone without software. Still bought it. But it was the tip of the iceberg. I'm converting back to Samsung. For the money, I need more value. Bought 2 recent Note20s as a starter and i'm enjoying what I see. And that is the added value in the software. Easily overlooked by the spec hunters. It's worth of hundreds of dollars. The functions like SmartStay (kudos to Sony for their version), magnifier (now frikking 4 ways to trigger it, can you see those Aliexpress pictures that can't zoom?), spen itself, spen remote control, spen productivity shortcuts (e.g. grab or translate unselectable text), active flip covers, active AOD a.k.a. AOD lockscreen, Edge lightning, notification bubbles or popups, easy split screen, notification reminders, fantastic Edge panel which I had to moniker using paid unreliable apps, very visible screen all day (uncomparable to any other brand, you have one eyes), sound profile custom to your ears (you hear less in time), bluetooth share, audio splitter (wtf..crazy), app pin, kid mode (yeah both help), accidental touch protection since forever, onehand mode (OnePlus??), rotating wallpaper, safer fingerprint, network lockdown, roaming clock, nice apps like calendar with maps&weather / music / video, lot of accessibility options, continue app on another device, frikking D.E.X., Flow to open your screen on PC, call gestures, call recording in rich native app, bixby routines, always audio and screen recorder available, dual messenger, rich samsung keyboard competing with gboard, encrypted sd card, camera assisting you with modes and tips, camera voice control (loved this since s7), camera motion photo (loved this since s7), camera QR code, bixby image analyzer (yup i debloat only main bixby app), camera automatic document scanner, camera auto hdr, camera stereo recording, video zoom to mic, supersteady, ....... i don't see 90% of these features in the flagship clones or they don't work well.. why i am kidding myself to miss this and buy the cheap (i mean expensive now) clones? It's over.
    Back to where ama belongs. True flagships game. Cancelling 1+9, X1iii plans. Shovel your vanilla OS a.k.a. minimal investment to yer greedy ar$e. You're actually overpriced. Selling 8Pro now, 9 is a complete joke at a price higher than Note20Ultra.

    Coming up next: foldable with spen. Tasted ZFlip and it was highly likeable but spec crippled too much for anyones taste. ZFold not my style, need to bend the Note into half, that is my endgame. ZFlip3!

    Bonus story: in 2013, i bought Alcatel Hero. Monster huge 6" phone at that time, even with pen! Correctly recognized the future. But the OS was bland just like Oxygen or Xperia. There was nothing compared to Samsung and HTC. Just physical aspect, and maybe specs. It was the first time I returned the phone in 1 day (something I do nowadays frequently). From now i'm gonna treat Xiaomis, Onepluses the same way. No tolerance for mediocrity!

      Anonymous, 30 Mar 2021And see 2-3 new Pixel release every 10 month with 'lea... moreStill better than seeing no pixel at all.
      In many markets pixel is not even present.
      A brand should cater all the markets more or less.
      About hardware just imagine samsung like camera sensors with Google software. Why limit potential for great camera quality and performance. It doesn't make any sense.
      Google is so full of profits they don't even care about their hardware division any more.

        • B
        • Blackidus
        • pW1
        • 30 Mar 2021

        Upgraded from my OnePlus 7 Pro, but not to another Oneplus.
        Got myself the Xperia 5 II instead, might go back to OnePlus again if they remove the holepunch again and a make smaller one ( the xperia 5 II is so comfy with it's narrower footprint).

        I would have kept the 7Pro if I hadent promised my son he could have it when my subscription ended.

          • K
          • KH
          • uC3
          • 30 Mar 2021

          Why doesn't it has OIS? :*(

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • 8js
            • 30 Mar 2021

            Anonymous, 29 Mar 2021Let's wait patiently for the next 2-3 years IF they d... moreI would say no1 is the most likely and with Oppo. And with the way things are going, I would say two years is enough...

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • 8js
              • 30 Mar 2021

              Jasper5774, 29 Mar 2021Carl pei should lead the Googles phone division. Google has... moreAnd see 2-3 new Pixel release every 10 month with 'leaks' at 6 month? Google isn't about hardware. They built hardware to flamboyant their software. Pei simply doesn't fit in that.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • 8js
                • 30 Mar 2021

                Anonymous, 29 Mar 2021There can be no better option at any price, as long as OneP... moreIf that truly the case, you must never've used Pixel.

                  limecheesecake, 29 Mar 2021The retailer he referenced is a 4 month old online retailer... moreAmazon isn't fake though. Are you on about the other person?

                    STE FAR 05, 29 Mar 2021Retailer? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-Smartphone-Andro... moreThe retailer he referenced is a 4 month old online retailer with no known ownership and non-existent customer service, don't buy a thing from that website, just search for some of the abysmal reviews for "Ultra Online". It is most likely a scam website that ships products to a few lucky people to make them seem somewhat legit, with cheap prices, so the people order, and don't get what they bought.

                      Anonymous, 29 Mar 2021I seriously don't get you angry nerds ... I just bough... moreI agree, I live in the UK and I feel that the OnePlus 9 Pro was the best choice for me, anyway, the Mi 11 Ultra and Pro will both probably be China only phones.

                        Anonymous, 29 Mar 2021I seriously don't get you angry nerds ... I just bough... moreYou sound even more of a nerd than the ones your talking bout.

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • 9IK
                          • 29 Mar 2021

                          I seriously don't get you angry nerds ... I just bought the 8/128 9 pro. Why?
                          Coz I live in Europe!
                          Should i buy a ~1050 euro (current pricing) S21 Ultra? With an Exynos? Fuck no. Yea better battery, slightly better camera in some situations, but twice as slow charging and ugly and chunky as all fuck.
                          Maybe I should've bought the Mi 11? 150 euro cheaper? Check. Better glass (victus vs 5)? Check! Overheating? Check? Abysmal battery life that Xiaomi themselves JUST acknowledged during the Ultra launch event? Check?! Good camera but no better then OP9Pro? Check ... Ughh no.
                          Speaking of Mi 11 Ultra, Xiaomi just slam dunked every other phone on the market! I should go cancel my OP9Pro order! Wait what?! 1200 euro to START for the Mi 11 Ultra?! I dont have that kinda scratch ...
                          Soooo then what should i get? Maybe a plastic S21? Or a last year flagship? Oh I know maybe an Note 20 Ultra ohhh Exynos.

                          Bottome line, you nerds are bitching coz of the Hasselblad hype. Nobody in their right mind really expected that to make a sliver of difference. Bitching that 'ugh no headphone jack no sd card' NO FLAGSHIP has them anymore ... 2 years of updates - yea you got something there - my last phone is a Mi Mix 2s. Got 3 androids, true. OP should really make a change there.

                          Think for a tiny second that for 900 euros you are getting a free 50w wireless charger, a 65 wired charger in the box (dont take that for granted), a free backpack (if you bought the 9 series bundle), for a phone with top tier spec, THE best display (yea lower nits then S21U but with 1hz), a subjectively great design. If Xiaomi mi 11 didnt have the abysmal battery life and overheating issues it would have been better. If Samsung came with a 888 it would have been better. If Xiaomi mi 11 Ultra didnt cost a kidney it would have been better. But taking all of this into account, the 9 series is currently perfectly priced, positioned and for my priorities, a bang of the buck even!

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • 7kd
                            • 29 Mar 2021

                            Too much hype. Too little substance. Many companies believe just by adding a old European or American brand name or association would guarantee success. It might have worked better if Oneolus instead had worked with sensor manufacturer, lens maker and hired some good talent in the ISP department instead.

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • rJB
                              • 29 Mar 2021

                              There can be no better option at any price, as long as OnePlus does not mess up OxygenOS.

                              I, personally, would buy it even it were twice the price. Software is where it's at.

                                Carl pei should lead the Googles phone division. Google has resources but extremely poor decision making body. Carl can help bring best in Google and help them be one of the top handset manufacturers.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • U@R
                                  • 29 Mar 2021

                                  Price is very high

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • wrb
                                    • 29 Mar 2021

                                    Anders, 28 Mar 2021Overpriced trash that no one buys anyway. They've mass... moreLet's wait patiently for the next 2-3 years
                                    IF they don't go back to the old Oneplus which offer bang for buck, they'll be forced to take 1 of 3 options below:
                                    1. Merged with one of its sister company (vivo, oppo, realme, iqoo).
                                    2. Sold to Xiaomi or Meizu
                                    3. Filed bankruptcy

                                    With Carl Pei gone, that's already one big sign that something's wrong on Oneplus.
                                    Why would people even pay big money for a phone with questionable support, both software & hardware? with Samsung, at least the phone would last for a long time (s5, s6 & s7 (not the edge) are one durable fellows)

                                      • S
                                      • Shiva
                                      • U@B
                                      • 29 Mar 2021

                                      They have bad road ahead and with this pricing they ensured that they might close down the road sooner than anticipated