Cleer Audio has announced the follow up to last year’s super long life Enduro 100 over-ear headphones. The San Diego-based company’s new Enduro ANC headphones claim an impressive 60 hours of playback with noise-cancelling and Bluetooth engaged – around two to three times more than is typically offered by the class leaders.
And if you make it through 60 hours of listening and still want more, a quick five minutes of charging via USB-C should give you two further hours of battery life.
Cleer says the new model has been designed in response to customer frustration at not being able to use power-draining features like noise-cancelling for long haul journeys without keeping a charging cable handy.
The company has achieved this feat of power management courtesy of a close industry relationship with Qualcomm, allowing it to become one of the first brands to implement Qualcomm’s new QCC5126 chip.
In addition, to blocking out noise up to 30dB, Cleer’s Enduro ANC offers customizable noise cancelling levels based on your ambient surroundings to optimise the balance between limiting unwanted noise and audio performance. Using Cleer’s ‘Connect’ app, users can adjust settings for specific situations, such as travelling by aeroplane, working in a cafe or walking outdoors.
Designed with long listening sessions in mind, the Enduro over-ears are made from lightweight, high grade moulded plastic with a flexible headband and memory foam earpads.
The headphones feature Google Fast Pair 2.0, Bluetooth AAC and aptX HD, while the 40mm drivers utilise Cleer’s patented Ironless technology, which promises a bold and articulate sound.
The Enduro ANC comes in navy or light grey and are available now for £149/$149.
MORE
Best noise-cancelling headphones 2021
Best audiophile headphones 2021
Why I will never own a pair of noise-cancelling headphones
Xiaomi has announced its latest flagship, the Mi 11 Ultra. It’s based on the excellent new Mi 11, but has a more advanced camera system — including a second screen housed inside the camera bump.
The Mi 11 Ultra has three cameras on the back: a 1/1.12-inch 50-megapixel main sensor, a 48-megapixel ultrawide, and a 48-megapixel 5x periscope telephoto. Those sensors should be upgrades across the board when compared to the regular Mi 11, which had a smaller 108-megapixel main sensor, a 13-megapixel ultrawide, and a 5-megapixel macro camera.
The camera bump dominates the top portion of the Mi 11 Ultra, and its secondary screen is the reason why. It’s a 1.1-inch 126 x 294 OLED display with a peak brightness of 450 nits and a power-saving mode. Xiaomi says it can be used as a selfie viewfinder, an always-on display, or a way to check notification alerts when the phone is face-down.
Rear display demonstrated for selfies.Image: Xiaomi
The specs are otherwise similar to the regular Mi 11. There’s a 6.8-inch 120Hz 1440p OLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. The battery has been boosted to 5,000mAh and is now capable of being fast-charged at 67W both wirelessly and with a cable.
Xiaomi is also launching a cut-down version of the Mi 11 called the Mi 11 Lite 5G. It looks similar to the regular Mi 11 but it’s more of a mid-range device. It’s the first phone to launch with the new Snapdragon 780 processor that Qualcomm announced last week, for example. The emphasis is on its slim and light design — it’s just 6.81mm thick.
Elsewhere you’ll find a 6.55-inch 1080p 90Hz OLED display, which is smaller, slower, and lower-resolution than that of the Mi 11. The triple-camera system includes a 64-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide, and a 5-megapixel macro. The battery is also a little smaller at 4,250mAh, though you do at least get a headphone jack with the Mi 11 Lite, unlike the Mi 11.
Xiaomi hasn’t provided pricing or release details for the Mi 11 Ultra and the Mi 11 Lite just yet — stay tuned.
Vivo has announced its latest international flagship phones, the X60 series. The highest-end model is the X60 Pro Plus, which is coming first to India, while the X60 and X60 Pro are also launching in the UK and several other markets. Vivo previously launched the X60 series in China but with substantially different specs to these new global models.
Vivo’s main focus with the X60 series is the cameras. The company has started a new partnership with Zeiss that it says includes the use of T* optical coating and swirly bokeh simulation based on the lens maker’s classic Biotar design. These kinds of collaborations tend to be more marketing hype than genuine selling points, but the X60 Pro Plus’ formidable camera bump at least looks the part.
Whether Zeiss had anything to do with it or not, the X60 Pro Plus has some impressively versatile camera hardware. Its quad-camera setup consists of a 50-megapixel Samsung GN1 primary sensor, a 48-megapixel ultrawide with Vivo’s gimbal-style stabilization, a 32-megapixel 2x telephoto, and an 8-megapixel 5x periscope telephoto, as well as a 32-megapixel selfie camera. We’ll have to see how the system performs in practice.
The rest of the X60 Pro Plus’ spec sheet is suitably flagship-level. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor and comes in a single blue vegan leather model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The display is a 6.56-inch 1080p OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. The battery is 4,200mAh and fast-charges at up to 55W, though unfortunately (as is universally the case for Vivo) there’s no wireless charging.
The X60 and X60 Pro step down to a triple-camera system with a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 13-megapixel ultrawide, and a 13-megapixel 2x telephoto. They both use a Snapdragon 870 processor, which is paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage on the X60 Pro and 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage on the X60.
The X60 Pro Plus will cost Rs. 69,990 (~$960) in India, while the X60 Pro is Rs. 49,990 (~$690) and the X60 is Rs. 41,990 (~$580). Preorders begin today and the phones will be available on April 2nd. Details on the release in Europe and other markets will be announced later.
Qualcomm has announced its latest 7-series processor, the Snapdragon 780G, which trickles down features from the company’s flagship Snapdragon 888 chipset, while still offering manufacturers (and, by extension, consumers) a more affordable phone.
The 780G takes the new top slot in the 7-series lineup, replacing the 765G / 768G (the latter being largely a frequency-boosted version of the former). Obviously, there’s the usual boost in performance: the 780G features Qualcomm’s Kryo 670 CPU, which the company says offers a 40 percent boost in performance, and a new Adreno 642 GPU for up to 50 percent faster graphics compared to the 765 model.
But the 780G also enables some new functionality, like the Spectra 570 triple ISP (image signal processor), which, like the Snapdragon 888, allows for phones to capture three simultaneous photo or video feeds at the same time.
And like the Snapdragon 888, the Snapdragon 780G features Qualcomm’s sixth-generation AI engine running on a new Hexagon 770 processor, which can perform 12 trillion operations per second (TOPS) — twice that of its predecessor, even if it still pales in comparison to the 26 TOPS that the Snapdragon 888 offers. It also features the second-gen Sensing Hub that Qualcomm debuted on its flagship chipset.
Lastly, the 780G has improved connectivity features, with an integrated Snapdragon X53 5G modem that promises up to 3.3Gbps speeds on Sub-6 GHz 5G networks. And like its pricier sibling, the 780G adds support for Wi-Fi 6E, meaning phones with the new chip will be able to take advantage of the fastest Wi-Fi speeds around as well as Bluetooth 5.2.
The first phones with the Snapdragon 780G are expected to release in the second quarter of 2021.
(Pocket-lint) – The Oculus Quest 2 is an updated version of Oculus’ wireless virtual reality headset, but what makes it different to the original?
Buy the Oculus Quest 2
Well, there are a number of both aesthetic and technical changes that make the Quest 2 worth considering. It might well be a brilliant purchase for those looking to get into VR or a potential upgrade option for current Quest owners. Read on to find on what’s different.
The best VR headsets to buy: Top virtual reality gear
Best Oculus Quest and Quest 2 games: Top experiences worth owning for these wireless VR headsets
Oculus Quest 2 – new white finish, cloth/material straps with updated tightening system, flip-up visor, three IPD levels
The original Oculus Quest was one of our favourite VR headsets, with an excellent lightweight design and surprisingly capable hardware making it a viable alternative to much more expensive PC VR headsets. Without the need for an accompanying gaming PC or laptop, it made a lot of sense to buy and now has been improved upon in the Quest 2.
Quest 2 stands out from the original thanks to a bold white design versus the original black and grey theme. It features much more than a colour change though.
The Quest 2 has a new head strap design which makes it easier to adjust and offers a more comfortable fit. It’s also designed to be more accessible and easier to use too.
Where the original Quest had a manual IPD slider, the Quest 2 now has a system which lets you move the lenses into three different preset positions – 58mm (setting 1), 63mm (setting 2) and 68mm (setting 3). Oculus says this design is intended to be simplified and that most users will find one of the three settings is perfect for them, removing the hassle of measuring your IPD and adjusting the levels in a granular manner.
Pocket-lint
Quest 2 has changed in other ways too. It’s 10 per cent lighter than the Quest (just 503g) and features a new and improved faceplate design that appears to let less light in while you’re gaming, resulting in a much more immersive experience. The visor also now has the ability to be flipped up slightly out of the way if you need to look at the world around you without taking the headset off.
Both the Quest and Quest 2 sport some impressive integrated, rear-firing speakers built into the strap and deliver the sound right into your ears without the fuss of extra wires from the headphones. The Quest 2 offers nifty positional audio and both headsets also have microphones to capture your voice for multiplayer experiences.
These speakers do lead to a little bit of sound bleed though, so if you need a more private experience then you’ll be pleased to hear there’s the option to use a 3.5mm headset or headphones instead.
Alongside the various aesthetic and comfort changes, the Oculus Quest 2 has been given a boost in power and specs versus the original VR headset.
Quest 2 uses the latest and greatest Qualcomm system, with 50 per cent more RAM designed to help power the improved visuals and give game developers more power to play with.
The entry-level version of each headset has 64GB of internal storage for your games, but now Oculus has added significantly more storage with the Quest 2 also available with a 256GB option. The price has come down too, with that more storage-rich version costing the same as the smallest version of the original Quest.
squirrel_widget_352353
The extra power in the Quest 2 will hopefully give developers more freedom when developing games, while also enabling users to get even more enjoyment out of Oculus Link as well.
Both Oculus Quest and Quest 2 offer hand-tracking capabilities. This has been an experimental option with the Quest for some time, but is shipping as standard in the Quest 2.
Oculus Link has also come out of beta and is more readily available with Quest 2. Meaning it’s much much easier to connect it to your PC and play PC VR games from the Oculus store or via Steam if you so wish.
What is Oculus Link and how do you use it to play even more VR games?
The Quest 2 also supports a 90Hz refresh rate (and 120Hz in some cases), as well as other clever things like calorie tracking too.
Pocket-lint
Visuals
Oculus Quest – OLED display with 72Hz refresh rate and 1600 x 1440 pixels per eye
Oculus Quest 2 – Fast-switch LCD panel with 1832 x 1920 per eye 72Hz at launch; 90Hz support to come
Alongside the extra power under the hood, the Oculus Quest 2 has also been improved in the display department. The headset now offers 50 per cent more pixels than Quest. That’s close to 2K resolution per eye and it also comes with the promise of a faster refresh rate, which leads to a smoother and more enjoyable experience.
Where the Oculus Quest managed 72Hz refresh rate, the Oculus Quest 2 is apparently capable of 120Hz.
The 90Hz refresh rate option was rolled out a while back and needs developers to unlock it for their games in order to work, but it does mean the promise of better experiences alongside improved visuals thanks to the extra pixel count.
The Quest 2 continues to offer the Passthrough+ view which allows you to see the world around you using the inside-out tracking cameras and the intelligent guardian boundary play space system. This was available on the first Quest and is just as good on the newer device, making it easy to re-orient yourself or see the real-world without having to take the headset off.
This is nicely designed so you can simply double-tap on the side of the headset to activate it. This means you can quickly and fairly clearly see the world around you in an instant without needing to take the headset off.
As you’d expect, when it comes to games, the Quest 2 supports the same games as the original Quest, meaning you now have access to well over 200 games. Thanks to Oculus Link you can also play many more PC virtual reality games too if you have the right equipment.
Pocket-lint
Controllers and battery life
Improved battery life
The controllers for Quest 2 have had some slight design changes. The new design is inspired by a mix of the original controllers and those on the Oculus Rift S. You’ll note a familiar shape and style, but the Quest 2 controllers have a slightly larger space at the top with more room for your thumb to move about and access the buttons and thumbstick.
Both controllers use a single AA battery, but the Quest 2 controllers have been redesigned with less internal tracking LEDs to improve battery life. Oculus claims this means the Quest 2 controllers work four times longer than the original Quest controllers, without compromise of tracking capabilities.
The Quest 2 also has numerous intelligent battery management systems in place to maximise battery life both in the headset and the controllers. This includes settings to send the Quest 2 to sleep when it’s not in use and a nifty system which automatically turns controllers on when you put the headset on and pick them up.
Still, like the Quest, the Quest 2 can only manage between two and three hours of use before it needs charging. Both headsets are charged via a USB-C cable and the Quest 2 can reach full charge in around 2.5 hours.
Conclusion
We thought a lot of the Oculus Quest when we first reviewed it and we have a lot of good things to say about the Oculus Quest 2 for similar reasons. Both headsets are surprisingly capable considering they don’t need a PC to run, with impressive tracking, excellent visuals and a great line-up of games to play too.
Quest 2 features some nice enhancements in terms of visuals, power under the hood and a stylish design too. If you already own a Quest, you might find the changes aren’t quite enough to warrant the upgrade.
If you’re new to VR then the Quest 2 is a no-brainer though. It’s more affordable than the Quest was when it launched and offers a fantastic experience complete with hand tracking, wire-free VR gaming, superb visuals and much more besides. With recent software updates it’s just got better and better.
(Pocket-lint) – Motorola’s Moto G100 marks a big occasion for the brand. Why? Because it’s a G series phone with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 processor inside. That, on the face of it, contradicts what a G series is supposed to be all about: affordability. Which, in turn, would typically mean entry-level specification – not a high-end processor such as this.
But, no, the G100 is all about change. It’s the phone to say, “hey, you don’t need that big, expensive flagship when you can have this for half the price”. Which might sound like an echo of, say, what OnePlus has been shouting from the rooftops with its Nord model, as one example.
Yet the Moto G100 feels genuinely different. Having recently reviewed a glut of Chinese-borne phones – such as the Poco X3 Pro, the Redmi Note 10 Pro – where sub-flagship affordability is the key selling point, the lighter touch of the Motorola software feels simply refreshing.
So what gives? Well, the G100 can’t pretend to have the biggest, fanciest cameras. Because it doesn’t. It’s not got a Hasselblad partnership like OnePlus. It’s not got a Zeiss partnership like Vivo. But, you know what, we don’t care – because the Moto G100 is a half-price flagship that adds up to oh so much more.
Curiously the G100 has already been released elsewhere in the world: it’s called the Edge S in China. Which, um, makes absolutely no sense to us – as we thought the ‘Edge’ series was all about having a curved screen edge.
Pocket-lint
The G100 does not have a curved screen, it’s flat, so there’s nothing ‘edge’ about it. It’s also an IPS LCD panel, not an AMOLED one, so you might not call it ‘cutting edge’ either.
That said, it sits perfectly well in a device like this a you don’t really lose out on brightness or resolution at this level. Plus the IPS part of the tech means viewing angles are good without causing colours to skew. Speaking of which: the colours – available in natural, boosted and saturated configurations within the settings – hold up really well, delivering realistic rather than ridiculous hues.
Best smartphones 2021 rated: The top mobile phones available to buy today
By Chris Hall
·
The best smartphones you can currently buy, covering the best of iPhone and Samsung, and everything Android has to offer
The only thing that we’re a little less keen about with this panel is the surface’s coating, which is a little more reflective than some. Oh, and the double punch-hole camera is, well, exactly that: two holes burning into the corner of the screen that are more distracting than just the one (but at least it’s not a giant pill-shaped hole).
Pocket-lint
Flip the G100 over and, what’s this, a finish that’s actually fun? Hurrah. After the dodgy palette of the Moto G30, it’s good to see that the colour palette people at Motorola have got their mojo back. This model pictured is called ‘Iridescent Sky’, because it looks like one of those pink/blue spring-time sunsets we suppose.
That finish is good at hiding how fingerprints catch on the surface, too, because they are there aplenty – we’ve just been cautious when photographing the handset. It’s easy to wipe clean, though, as the surface is nice and smooth – even the ‘batwing’ Motorola symbol on the rear is holographic-like in appearance, not debossed or textured onto the surface.
That the Moto logo lives on the rear and doesn’t serve a function hints at the fingerprint scanner’s location too: it’s found within the power button on the side of the phone, foregoing the in-display option. Much as we like the display-based sign-in, this fingerprint scanner is a decent operator. And there’s face unlock available too.
Pocket-lint
Keeping with being a G series handset, the G100 also features a 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD card expansion slot. Good to see it’s not forgotten its roots.
While the G100 supports such legacy features as card expansion and wired headphones, in other departments it’s very much all about embracing the future. There’s no sloppy Wi-Fi connection, as you’ll suffer in the lower-down-the-ranks G10. The 128GB storage is reasonably generous, but it’s UFS 3.1 to ensure fast read/write access for best performance.
Pocket-lint
But above all else, the big sell of this phone is the Qualcomm platform at its heart. Here it’s the Snapdragon 870 – which, while part of the 800 series, isn’t the very, very top-end processor, it’s only a whisker away. Which is to say: it’s mighty fast, a step up from many of those using 700 series processors, and if you want to dabble in a bit (or a lot) of gaming then it’s a really good choice.
That’s one of the things about the Moto G100: it’s kind-of like a budget gaming phone. Things will run super smooth thanks to the processor, the fast RAM, but also the smooth 90Hz refresh rate of the display. No, you won’t see that bump in refresh affecting everything all of the time – plus you’ll need to activate it within the settings, as it’s off by default – but it’s a good place for a phone such as this to exist.
Even plugging away at games for hours at a time doesn’t cause too much trouble where battery is concerned. The 5,000mAh cell is a big part of the reason for the G100’s above average weight, but it’s a great capacity to have at your fingertips. We’ve seen its drain be very linear – around 30 per cent every 8 hours – even with an hour of gaming thrown in during such a time-frame.
Given the capability of the processor, the screen refresh rate, and the presence of 5G (we’ve been outside of such networks for this review though), that’s really solid performance.
As we’d alluded to before, the software in the Moto G100 is lovely to use. It’s close to stock Google Android, with a single Moto app to control gestures, themes/styles, display notifications, and gaming controls (such as do not disturb). You don’t have to dabble in the Moto app, indeed you could entirely ignore it. But what’s particularly great about the software is that it doesn’t need lots of tinkering, it just works – and without glitches, such as the notification delays issue with our Xiaomi Mi 11.
Pocket-lint
There’s another sideline part of the G100 puzzle too: it’s the first Motorola phone to be compatible with the company’s Ready For system. Which is a bit like ‘Moto DeX’ if you’re familiar with Samsung’s desktop-based DeX system. We’re not going to dig deep into the system for this review as, frankly, we don’t think it’s the core appeal of why people will buy a G100. It’s a niche extension option, complete with a camera dock that may have its uses instead of a Facebook Portal, but that’s as much as we can say right now.
Whereas many flagships make a big song and dance about their camera arrangements, the G100 doesn’t really earn the right to do so. That’s the thing about top-end devices these days – so much of the cost comes from additional lenses, co-engineering partnerships, and so forth. The G100, on the other hand, keeps things fairly simple.
Pocket-lint
: Main cameraMain camera
Well, kind-of simple. The claim of “quad camera” on the rear is nonsense as that apparently includes both a depth sensor and time-of-flight sensor, which would more or less do the same thing – both are there to ultimately make up the numbers as if “quad” is better than “triple”, even if it isn’t due to lack of core, usable lenses.
Anyway, let’s focus on what is here: a usable main camera and less commendable wide-angle one. There’s a gallery above showing how the two compare, and the quality drop-off from the wide-angle option is quite significant.
The main lens is 64-megapixels, using a four-in-one processing method to output at 16-megapixels total – although the processing is often heavy handed, oversharpens and can’t discern detail in all situations (the daylight country scene below being one such example – the trees are all blocky and indistinguishable, if you look at the 100 per cent crop).
Pocket-lint
: Main cameraMain camera
Where subjects are a little closer to camera – but not too close as it struggles to focus and the macro mode is poor (avoid this when prompted) – there’s more ability to resolve detail from a scene. Whether a dim-lit puzzle board or the fur of a toy bear, there’s enough detail to tick the main camera’s “usable” box.
But we touched upon this at the very beginning: if you don’t want the biggest and fanciest of cameras then the G100 does the job. Not the best job, but it gets by. And with features such as HDR (high dynamic range) to balance out shadows and highlights, various shooting modes, and the hardware to capture without delay, there’s enough to keep this camera setup from being the very baseline of entry-level kit for 2021.
Verdict
The Moto G100 is a shake-up for the G series, bringing performance levels not before seen in this line-up. While that might be a little perplexing on the face of it – especially as it’s not a G series device in China, it’s the Edge S, muddying the naming convention further – it’s a rather refreshing take in a section of the market where there’s not a tonne of great options.
If you’re willing to forego the usual camera hype and pizzazz that top-end flagships tend to promise – as there’s really very little of that here – and having a high-end processor and performance potential is high up your roster, then the Moto G100 is a strong sell. It’s got the software right – which, in our opinion, can’t be said of the Xiaomi MIUI and Oppo ColorOS competition – the visuals tight, and performance is at peak height.
That’s the Moto G100 in a nutshell: a budget gaming-capable phone that foregoes the AMOLED screen hype and camera cost implications to deliver a half-price near-flagship that, in use, adds up to oh so much more.
Also consider
Pocket-lint
OnePlus Nord
squirrel_widget_305633
Also 5G capable, with a 90Hz refresh screen, but a little less power and, therefore, a little lower asking price. If every penny counts then it’s a savvy alternative.
Sustainable smartphone manufacturer Fairphone has gotten Google’s certification for its Android 9 update for the Fairphone 2. Getting certification for a nearly three-year-old version of Android doesn’t sound that impressive until you realize that it’s running on a phone originally released five years ago when it ran Android 5. The roll-out of the software starts today, and will continue until April 18th, Fairphone says.
It’s a length of support that’s basically unheard of among Android phone manufacturers. Although Fairphone 2 owners aren’t going to be able to enjoy the latest Android 11 features, the more important thing is that they’re running a version of Android that’s still officially supported. Google’s latest Android security bulletin from this month includes multiple fixes for security issues in Android 9.
The Fairphone 2’s Android 9 update has been in the works for a while and was released in beta way back in June 2020. At the time, Fairphone outlined the challenges it had in trying to support such an old phone, including the fact that Qualcomm no longer provides support for the processor inside the device, a Snapdragon 801, which originally announced back in 2014.
“To get Google certification for Android 9 for Fairphone 2 just as we hit five years of support for the smartphone is a huge achievement for Fairphone,” says CEO of Fairphone Eva Gouwens. “In order to get certification, we had to pass approximately 477,000 Google tests.”
“We want to show the industry that this kind of thing is possible, that a smartphone doesn’t have to be discarded after 2-3 years, we can prolong it’s lifespan,” the CEO added.
The only other smartphone manufacturer that offers a similar length of support for its devices is Apple, which last year released iOS 14, its latest phone OS, for its 2015 iPhone 6S. Android manufacturers, while behind Apple, are improving. Samsung now offers four years of security updates for its recent Galaxy devices, while Google offers three years of updates for its Pixel phones, and OnePlus says it plans to release Android 11 for its 2018 OnePlus 6 and 6T.
The Fairphone 2’s update to Android 9 this long after release bodes well for the company’s long-term support of its more recent Fairphone 3 and 3 Plus phones. The company says the phones should be updated to Android 11 in the second half of this year, with “one more major Android upgrade” coming thereafter. Software support and spare parts availability is set to continue until 2024.
(Pocket-lint) – OnePlus started off as that limited, small batch phone-maker that only insiders knew about, before growing into a proper big-time brand. And yet, despite being available through proper partner carriers and in real stores, it’s still not a company you’d consider hugely mainstream. It certainly doesn’t have that mindshare that Apple and Samsung have enjoyed for years.
Counting all the ‘T’ versions, however, we’re now into the 13th generation OnePlus flagship. And in all of those generations it’s always nailed the speed, performance and fluidity. The cameras, however, have always raised questions, never quite delivering to the same degree as the competition. To try and conquer this final frontier OnePlus has brought in some outside help from a partnership with Hasselblad.
So does the OnePlus 9 Pro, Hasselblad riposte at the ready, succeed in flying us to the moon and back?
So shiny
Finishes: Morning Mist, Forest Green, Stellar Black
Dimensions: 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7mm / Weight: 197g
IP68 water- and dust-resistant rating
Stereo speakers
OnePlus has three different finishes for the OnePlus 9 Pro. We’ve been using the silver coloured Morning Mist version, which is oh so shiny. At least, the bottom third of the back is. It’s reflective enough that you can see your face in it (which also makes photographing it a real pain – not that this would be a concern to 99 per cent of the people who buy one).
This reflective surface subtly gradients into a more misty, foggy look at the top. The surface of the glass on the outside is glossy and slippery, so attracts fingerprints like nobody’s business. All in all meaning you may just want to use the case, or pick up the frosted glass Forest Green variant instead.
Still, there’s plenty to like about the 9 Pro’s design. For one, the camera housing has a look about it that says the designers really cared about how it turned out. It’s not just a characterless rectangle stuck onto the back. It’s colour-matched to the back and each of the two main cameras has a metallic ring around the lens, making it stand out against the background. It’ll certainly make it stand out from the crowd.
The rest of the design is very familiar for anyone who’s used a OnePlus phone over the past year. The glass curves on the back towards the edges, making an otherwise quite large phone feel a bit more comfortable than it would if it were completely flat and square.
It’s not the lightest phone around, but in its size category, squeezing in below 200 grams is a good thing. It makes it perfectly bearable to use day in day out. Plus, all the buttons being within easy thumb reach means there’s not too much over-stretching going on to locate the alert slider or the volume rocker.
Pocket-lint
While we’re on the subject of practicality, the Pro has IP68 rating against water and dust ingress. So when this slippery fish does inevitably slip out of your hand into a sink full of water, it won’t get damaged (well, not from the water anyway!).
Unlike the standard ‘non-Pro’ version, the OnePlus 9 Pro doesn’t have a completely flat panel, but the curves on the screen are definitely smaller than in previous iterations. That does mean the phone feels a bit chunkier than 7 Pro from two years ago, but it means it’s less prone to accidental touches. Plus, the bezels are really skinny, giving an almost edge-to-edge screen with only a neat little selfie camera punching its way through the top corner.
Display and software
6.7-inch AMOLED display
QHD+ resolution (1440 x 3216 pixels; 525ppi)
Adaptive frame rate up to 120Hz
Oxygen OS 11 (over Android 11)
It’s not just in physical button placement where OnePlus has attempted to make its large phone comfortable to use. The software, Oxygen OS, went through a massive refresh for its Android 11-based version – which first launched on the OnePlus 8T. This update didn’t just radically change the entire look and feel of the previously Google stock-like experience, it was designed so that the bits you need to reach with your thumb are easy to get to. Buttons and controls are shifted down, so you don’t have to awkwardly stretch across to the top corner.
The thing that works against this somewhat is that OnePlus has fewer of its own apps than it used to. It’s gone all-in with Google, so apps like Messages and the Phone app are Google; similarly, as we saw with the 8T in 2020, the Shelf that used to live on the left of the Home Screen has been replaced by Google’s Discover feed.
None of these moves are bad, as Google’s Discover is far more useful and more relevant than Shelf. That in itself hasn’t disappeared completely, though, as you can get to it by swiping down on the Home Screen. It could be useful for things like getting quick access to favourite contacts, or remembering where you parked the car. We didn’t find it all that useful, so we just changed the setting so that a swipe on the Home Screen dropped down notifications instead.
As for the screen, it’s one of the best available on the market. It’s a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel that has a top refresh rate of 120Hz, meaning it cycles through 120 refreshes per second to give the sense of smoothness.
Like Samsung’s latest flagships – the Galaxy S21 Ultra at the top of the stack – the OnePlus also has adaptive refresh rate capabilities. Here, however it can go all the way down to just 1Hz when it detects a static page, which will help save battery life. It also means it’s pretty much identical to the screen on the Oppo Find X3 Pro.
It’s really bright and vivid, and – once you’ve enabled its maximum sharpness within the settings – it’s crisp to the eyes too. One clever little feature actually enables you to toggle on a battery saver mode when you choose the QHD+ resolution, which means the screen can switch to a lower resolution if it’s appropriate to do so.
As usual, there are plenty of additional features, such as the ability to tune the appearance to your preferences: be that dark mode for night time, comfort tone for automatically adjusting the white balance based on the ambient light, or reading mode for, um, you guessed it, reading.
On the whole, it’s a mighty fine display. Colours pop, bright areas are almost searing, and animations are smooth. There’s perhaps a bit too much contrast, while auto-brightness dims the output a bit much – as to not retain balance of highlights, shadows and colours – but most of the time we were impressed by it.
For those who want it there’s plenty of customisability too. The display settings menu lets you adjust the overall look of the screen, making it more or less vibrant and adjusting colours and white balance.
Best smartphones 2021 rated: The top mobile phones available to buy today
By Chris Hall
·
The best smartphones you can currently buy, covering the best of iPhone and Samsung, and everything Android has to offer
So to the all-important cameras. Both the primary and ultra-wide cameras use high-end Sony sensors – which is OnePlus showing off that it’s sourcing the best core kit for the job. For the most part, these sensors deliver good pictures.
The primary sensor looks like it’s had the most love from Hasselblad’s partnership, delivering natural-looking colours with good detail. Likewise, the ultra-wide sensor can take great pictures – and that’s no surprise given it’s the same sensor used by the Oppo Find X3 Pro in both of its two main cameras.
In good light you’ll get sharp mostly noise-free pictures, while the freeform ultra-wide lens will ensure you don’t get lots of curving and distortion at the edges. In fact, it’s very level and doesn’t suffer from that fish-eye effect you sometimes see from such lenses. It’s not as good in low-light situations as the primary sensor, neither is perfect once light levels drop. You’ll start to see image noise introduced when it gets a bit darker, particularly in greys and blues in any shadows.
The only inescapable problem isn’t with either camera individually. It’s when you compare them to each other. At some points it looks like results are from two different phones. Not in terms of angle of view, as that’s inevitable, but with the final aesthetic. The ultra-wide often boosts warmth and saturation to give a really vivid (almost more orange feel), while the primary lens delivers a more neutral, cooler image where blues are more standout.
You can see this difference when switching to Macro mode – which automatically switches to the ultra-wide sensor to perform the close-up shot – as well as when you shoot at night time using the Nightscape mode.
Nighstscape mode seems to have improved from previous generations of OnePlus phones, though, with the 9 Pro able to draw in decent light. We did sometimes struggle to get results looking sharp though, with finer details and edges blurring – not an out-of-focus blur, more like a motion blur as if the camera’s optical stabilisation can’t quite compensate for hand-shake enough.
It wasn’t the only time the phone’s camera struggled with detail either. Using the telephoto zoom lens – which is 3.3x that of the main camera, and can reach up to 30x digitally – we found that detail simply lacked. It’s not a great optical zoom.
Pocket-lint
: Ultra-wideUltra-wide
If you scroll through the gallery above – which cycles through the cameras at ultra-wide, 1x, 3.3x, 5x, 10x and 30x – you’ll see how the tree branches in the 3.3x shot turn into a weird-looking mush. And once you zoom past 3.3x the detail becomes increasingly ropey with the images at the top end looking more like an oil painting than a photograph.
As for macro mode, that’s pretty strong in good light. Details are sharp and in-focus, while the background blur adds depth and doesn’t suffer from unnatural and nauseating bokeh like some dedicated macro lenses do. That’s likely down to the fact the OnePlus 9 Pro is using the ultra-wide sensor, rather than have a poor low-resolution macro camera.
On the whole, then, the 9 Pro’s cameras are a bit of a mixed bag. It performs well, but the difference in colour balance between the primary and ultra-wide is confusing, especially given OnePlus’ insistence on using Hasselblad’s ‘strict’ tuning standards. The optical zoom lens is quite poor when it comes to detail, and night mode suffers a little with motion blur.
The primary lens is great for the most part, but we’d just love to see that consistency between the different lenses. It’d turn this system into one that truly competes with the market leaders. The hardware is obviously there, we just need to see attention to detail on balance still.
Speed, I am speed
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 platform, 5G connectivity
RAM: 8GB/12GB LPDDR5
Storage: 128GB/256GB (UFS3.1)
4,500mAh battery (2x 2250mAh cells)
Warp Charge 65T flash charging (1-100% in 28 minutes)
Warp Charge 50 wireless charging (1-100% in 43 minutes)
If there’s one thing you can virtually guarantee from OnePlus when it comes to its flagship phones: they’re all fast and fluid. For years the company has used whichever is Qualcomm’s latest top-tier processor. For 2021 that’s the Snapdragon 888.
In all areas, the OnePlus 9 Pro performs like a proper flagship should. It’s fast and smooth, loading any games and apps without stopping to think about it. We had no instances of stutter or delay. Part of that is also down to the screen’s refresh rate, but also its touch sampling rate – which can read your fingers taps and swipes at a rate of 240 times per second. The animation on screen responds virtually immediately, making it feel nimble and instant.
Even simple and mundane tasks like refreshing a Twitter feed or loading a web page is hassle-free. Plus, if you live in an area with 5G signal, you get that goodness too, for speedy cellular downloads.
During our testing there were moments where – after an hour or so of gaming – the phone became a little warm, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable. That’s likely down to having an efficient vapour chamber and graphite-based cooling system inside, making this the most non-gamer gamer phone on the market.
As for battery life, with the screen cranked up to its highest resolution and frame rate settings, the 4500mAh capacity is more than capable of pushing through a full day. Even on quieter ones, however, we never quite got the sense it’d make it through two full days.
On our heavier days with a three or more hours of screen time, we got to bed with somewhere around the 30 per cent mark left over. Here’s the thing though: battery anxiety is never an issue because when it comes to charging few phones compare to the OnePlus 9 Pro.
If you use the included 65W wired charger, you can get the battery from dead to 100 per cent in just 28 minutes. That’s a full charge in less than half an hour, which is mind-boggling. Plug the phone in for 10 minutes and that’ll provide enough to get you through a good few hours.
But there’s more: it charges fast wirelessly too. Using OnePlus’ latest Warp Charge Wireless stand (an optional extra, at your expense), you can get a full charge in 43 minutes. Of course, if it’s by your bed and you charge overnight you don’t need those speeds, but it can be programmed to go into bedtime mode which charges slower and, crucially, quieter. The fan it uses to keep itself cool during the faster charging speeds is shut off to allow you to get to sleep.
The Warp Charge Wireless is so quick that we’d often just leave the 9 Pro off charge at night, then put it on the stand while getting ready in the morning. It’s a bit of a game-changer.
It’s worth noting that – even though it charges quickly – OnePlus has kept its battery optimisation features in play, which ensure the device’s battery isn’t harmed by such speedy refills. It learns your charging routine and does the first chunk of charging quickly, before leaving it and then finishing the charge right before you wake up in the morning – which is good for battery health and longevity over an extended period of time.
Verdict
The OnePlus 9 Pro attemps to address the series’ historically biggest issue: the cameras. However, even with support from Hasselblad, it still doesn’t quite hit the mark in that regard. But the core of the phone impresses, with fast wireless charging a truly brilliant feature, and the display being top notch too.
While it’s possible to get great photos from the 9 Pro’s cameras, the imbalance of colour between the two main sensors – with photos often looking like they’ve come from two different phones – and the poor results from the telephoto zoom just don’t quite add up to what we’d expect. More hassle than Hasselblad, eh?
It’s also worth pointing out that the 9 Pro’s price has crept higher still, edging ever closer to the four-figure mark and, in so doing, sitting closer to other premium flagship competitors. That does mean it’s still more affordable than some of the other top tier phones out there, but it’s no longer the instant buy the series once was.
Overall, the OnePlus 9 Pro continues to deliver on the series’ well-established strengths. Its fast and fluid, has a cracking screen, mind-boggling impressive fast-charging, and all for a price that undercuts the established elite. But it continues the series’ ongoing weaknesses too, as those cameras still just aren’t class-leading.
Also consider
Oppo Find X3 Pro
squirrel_widget_4300049
In a lot of ways, the Oppo is very similar to the 9 Pro, offering similar hardware in terms of screen, battery size, charging and processing power. Where it differs is with a more consistent camera experience and a more refined designed.
Read our review
Samsung Galaxy S21+
squirrel_widget_3816733
Pricing isn’t all that much between Samsung’s S21+ and OnePlus’ latest top tier phone. It may have a plastic back, but its performance is strong in all the important ways. The cameras are a tad disappointing however.
The first benchmark results for Qualcomm’s 3rd Generation Snapdragon 8cx system-on-chip (SoC) for always-connected PCs has been posted to the Geekbench 5 database. The numbers show the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 beating its predecessors and even competing with Intel’s latest 11th Gen Core i7 “Tiger Lake” mobile chip in multi-threaded workloads.
Qualcomm has been fairly consistent in updating its Snapdragon 8cx family of SoCs for notebooks annually. This year, the company is expected to launch its third-generation Snapdragon 8cx chip, which is rumored to significantly change its architecture. Instead of integrating four high-performance CPU cores and four low-power ones, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 is expected to pack eight high-performance cores working at different clock speeds, omitting low-power cores. This should improve performance, but it’s unclear whether the chip will match its predecessor’s 7W thermal envelope.
Qualcomm yet has to formally announce its Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, but someone has already submitted test results of a Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD) platform running the new SoC to the Geekbench database, as spotted by NotebookCheck.
Just like other notebook development platforms, QRD platforms are meant for developers of hardware and software, so performance usually differs from that of retail products. Nonetheless, such platforms still tend to give a good hint of what to expect from new chips.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 Benchmarks
CPU
Single-Core
Multi-Core
Cores/Threads, uArch
Cache
Clocks
TDP
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3*
982
4,918
4C Kryo Gold+ + 4C Kryo Gold
? MB
2.69 GHz
?
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2
795
3,050
4C Kryo 495 Gold + 4C Kryo 495 Silver
? MB
3.15 GHz + 2.42 GHz
7W
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx Gen 1
725
2,884
4C Kryo 495 Gold + 4C Kryo 495 Silver
? MB
2.84 GHz + 1.80 GHz
7W
AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS
1,540
8,225
8C/16T, Zen 3
16MB
3.30 ~ 4.53 GHz
35W
AMD Ryzen 9 4900H
1,230
7,125
8C/16T, Zen 2
8MB
3.30 ~ 4.44 GHz
35~54W
Intel Core i7-1160G7
1,400
5,000
4C/8T, Willow Cove
12MB
2.10 ~ 4.40 GHz
15W
Intel Core i7-1185G7
1,550
5,600
4C/8T, Willow Cove
12MB
3.0 ~ 4.80 GHz
28W
Apple M1
1,710
7,660
4C Firestorm + 4C Icestorm
12MB + 4MB
3.20 GHz
20~24W
*Chip not confirmed by Qualcomm
The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 showed notably higher results in single-thread workloads when compared to previous generations. It was 35% faster than the 8cx Gen 1 and 24% faster than the 8cx Gen 2. We don’t yet know the frequency of the 8cx Gen 3’s cores for sure, but it appears that the 8cx Gen 3 packs something better than Qualcomm’s Kryo 495 Gold (a custom version of Arm’s Cortex-A76).
On the other hand, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3’s performance paled in comparison to chips from AMD and Intel competing with the best CPUs for desktops. The latest Zen 3 and Willow Core microarchitectures can run at higher clocks and consume more power. Meanwhile, Apple’s M1 beat Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 (at least in its current form) in single-threaded workloads by 74%.
When it came to performance in multi-threaded workloads, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 clearly benefits from eight high-performance cores (albeit running at different clocks) inside. The new SoC outperformed the 8cx Gen 2 by over 60% and is on par with Intel’s four-core, eight-thread Core i7-1160G7, a 15W SoC.
The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 tested couldn’t compete with the higher-wattage Apple M1 and AMD’s Ryzen SoCs, but systems based on Qualcomm’s 8cx platforms are not really meant to compete against higher-end machines in terms of performance.
Overall, the benchmark results show the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 demonstrating single-thread and multi-thread performance improvements in a synthetic benchmark. Of course, it remains to be seen how commercial devices based on the new SoC will stack up against rivals in real-world applications.
Qualcomm is reportedly working on an Android-powered, handheld gaming console that’s similar to a Nintendo Switch, according to Android Police and XDA’s editor-in-chief Mishaal Rahman. The device would be powered by Qualcomm’s silicon, and could hit store shelves by next year — if it ends up being a real product at all.
According to the article, which cites images seen by Android Police, the device would feature detachable, Joy-Con-like controllers, an SD card slot, Android 12, and (of course) 5G. Also noted, and corroborated by Rahman, is a huge 6,000mAh battery. While the physical dimensions aren’t clear, Rahman tweeted that the screen could be 6.65-inches, with a resolution of at least 1080p (the Switch’s screen is 6.2-inches and runs at 720p). He also indicated that it could have a fan.
In other words, the device sounds like a big smartphone with attached controllers and active cooling, though that may not be a bad thing — the Switch kind of looks like a giant phone too. But it also has a library of great games that only it can play, which is its biggest draw. While there are plenty of good gaming experiences to be had on Android, from retro emulators to games like Fortnite and Genshin Impact, Qualcomm would have to give customers a reason why they should play those games on a separate device, rather than on their Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered gaming phones with built-in buttons or controller accessories (or on their regular phones).
The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate with a controller accessory. Photo by Cameron Faulkner / The Verge
Or at least, it will if it’s trying to sell the device to people — the Android Police article indicates that Qualcomm does want it to be commercially available, potentially at carrier retail stores. It also says that the price target for the device is $300, the same as a full-sized Switch. Currently, the cheapest phone I found with Qualcomm’s flagship 888 processor, the Realme GT 5G, costs roughly $430 (and is only sold in China).
However, Rahman notes that his source believed the product was closer to a reference design than something that would ever see store shelves. Chipmakers, including Qualcomm, often build sample devices to help other manufacturers design around their SOCs or radios. Sometimes, these reference products even end up being sold by other companies under different brands, known as whitelabeling.
It is worth noting that the disagreement between the sources could be due to uncertainty from Qualcomm itself — AP believes this project is almost a year from being finished, so the company may not yet know for sure what it wants this to become.
Whether the device ends up as a product or not (it could easily get canceled before it makes a public appearance), it seems like Qualcomm is actually designing and building a dedicated Android gaming device. It’s understandable why the company would be eying the handheld gaming market: it’s been heating up since Nvidia’s handheld Shield idea turned into the Nintendo Switch, with high-powered gaming phones, Windows PCs with Switch-like form factors, and a variety of mods, classic handheld redesigns, and novelty pocket gaming systems.
Intel has a new CEO, Pat Gelsinger, and he’s not wasting any time to make some big changes. At the company’s “Engineering the Future” announcement today, Gelsinger announced plans to outsource more of Intel’s chip production to third-party foundries; a $20 billion investment into two new fabs in Arizona; and a new branch of the company called Intel Foundry Services, which will see Intel’s foundries produce chips for other companies.
The announcements are part of a new “IDM 2.0” strategy for Intel’s design and manufacturing, which is made up of three parts. First, there’s Intel’s in-house manufacturing, which will continue to serve as a key part of Intel’s design and production of chips. Second, there’s an expanded use of external foundries, including TSMC, Samsung, and GlobalFoundries, for production of “products at the core of Intel’s computing offerings” for both consumer and enterprise chips, starting in 2023.
And third, there’s the newly announced Intel Foundry Services, which will see Intel open its gates to handle manufacturing of chips for other commercial customers, led by Randhir Thakur. Intel Foundry Services is a “standalone foundry business unit,” and it will develop x86, Arm, and RISC-V core chips for external clients using Intel’s manufacturing technology. And crucially for government work, Intel’s foundries will be located in the US and Europe, a benefit that competitors like TSMC don’t have. Partners include IBM, Qualcomm, Microsoft, Google, and more.
The expansion of Intel’s manufacturing efforts — which include a $20 billion investment into new fabs in Arizona that will expand Intel’s existing Ocotillo campus — come at a critical time: the ongoing global semiconductor shortage means that demand for chips is at an all-time high. Adding Intel’s foundries (and its new Foundry Services business) could help open up new avenues for companies to source the chips that are essential for everything from new video game consoles to new pickup trucks. Gelsinger also teased that more foundries are in the works, promising additional announcements of expansions in the US, Europe, and elsewhere in the world later this year.
Intel also announced a new R&D collaboration with IBM “focused on creating next–generation logic and packaging technologies.” Details are slim at the moment, however.
Lastly, Intel announced plans to bring back a spiritual successor to its Intel Developer Forum conference with a new Intel Innovation event planned for October in San Francisco this fall as part of a new Intel On series of events.
Intel stands at a critical junction right now: the company faces increased competition from companies like AMD and Apple’s Arm-based M1 series of chips. At the same time, it’s seen major shifts in leadership and delays of generations of its chips, all while being outpaced by competitors like TSMC in terms of production techniques. Today’s announcements represent Gelsinger’s first big moves to try to right the ship.
(Pocket-lint) – OnePlus announced the OnePlus 9 and the 9 Pro during an event on 23 March.
You can read how the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro compare to each other in our separate feature, but here we are looking at how the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro compare to the Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra.
squirrel_widget_4335124
Design
OnePlus 9: 160 x 74.2 x 8.7mm, 192g
OnePlus 9 Pro: 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7mm, 197g
S21: 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9mm, 172g
S21+: 161.5 x 75.6 x 7.8mm, 202g
S21 Ultra: 165.1 x 75.6 x 8.9mm, 228g
The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro both have a punch hole camera in the top left corner, but the 9 has a flat display and a plastic frame, while the 9 Pro has a slightly curved display and a metal frame.
Both devices have a prominent rectangular camera housing in the top left corner of their glass rears, with two stand out lenses. The 9 has a third smaller lens, while the 9 Pro has two additional smaller lenses. Both devices feature Hasselblad branding.
The Samsung Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra all have a centralised punch hole camera at the top of their displays. The S21 and S21+ both have flat displays and plastic rears, while the S21 Ultra has a curved display and glass rear. All three Samsung devices have a metal frame.
On the back, the S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra all have a rectangular camera housing that moulds into the frame, making for a slightly different design. There are three large lenses on all three devices, but the S21 Ultra has an additional fourth smaller lens.
The three Samsung devices are all IP68 water and dust resistant, but only the OnePlus 9 Pro is out of the two OnePlus devices. In terms of size, the Samsung Galaxy S21 is the smallest, followed by the OnePlus 9, S21+, OnePlus 9 Pro and the S21 Ultra is the largest.
Display
OnePlus 9: 6.55-inches, 2400 x 1080, 120Hz
OnePlus 9 Pro: 6.7-inches, 3216 x 1440, 1Hz-120Hz
S21: 6.2-inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 48-120Hz
S21+: 6.7-inches, 2400 x 1080 pixels, 48-120Hz
S21 Ultra: 6.8-inches, 3200 x 1440 pixels, 10-120Hz, S Pen
The OnePlus 9 has a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution for a pixel density of 402ppi. It has a 120Hz refresh rate, though this isn’t adaptive, and it has an aspect ratio of 20:9.
The OnePlus 9 Pro meanwhile, has a slightly larger 6.7-inch display with an AMOLED panel with LTPO. It offers a Quad HD+ resolution for a pixel density of 525ppi and an adaptive refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz. Its aspect ratio is 20.1:9.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 has a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display, which makes it the smallest of the devices being compared in this feature. Like the OnePlus 9, it has a Full HD+ display, putting its pixel density at 424ppi. It has an adaptive refresh rate between 48Hz and 120Hz.
The Galaxy S21+ has a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display, like the OnePlus 9 Pro, but it has a Full HD+ resolution instead of a Quad HD+ resolution like the 9 Pro. This results in a pixel density of 393ppi, and like the S21, it has an adaptive refresh rate between 48Hz and 120Hz, so it doesn’t drop quite as low as the 9 Pro.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra meanwhile, has a 6.8-inch Super AMOLED display with a Quad HD+ resolution for a pixel density of 516ppi. It offers an adaptive refresh rate between 10Hz and 120Hz, so still not as low as the 9 Pro, but it has support for Samsung’s S Pen stylus.
Both the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, supported by 8GB or 12GB of RAM and with 128GB or 256GB of storage. Neither have microSD support for storage expansion.
The two OnePlus devices both have a 4500mAh battery and both offer Warp Charge 65T fast charging. The OnePlus 9 has 15W wireless charging in Europe and North America, while the OnePlus 9 Pro has Warp Charge 50 Wireless, which is 50W wireless charging.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 devices all run on either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset or the Exynos 2100, region dependent. The S21 and S21+ are available with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB of storage or 256GB. The S21 Ultra comes with 12GB or 16GB of RAM and in 128GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options. Like OnePlus, none of the Samsung devices have microSD support.
The Galaxy S21 has the smallest battery of the five devices being compared in this feature with a 4000mAh cell. The S21+ has a 4500mAh battery and the S21 Ultra has a 5000mAh. All three devices support for fast charging and wireless charging.
The five devices being compared in this feature all have under-display fingerprint sensors. They are also all 5G capable.
squirrel_widget_3816714
Camera
OnePlus 9: Triple (48MP + 50MP + 2MP), 16MP front camera
OnePlus 9 Pro: Quad rear (48MP + 50MP + 2MP + 8MP), 16MP front camera
S21: Triple rear (12MP + 12MP + 64MP), 10MP front camera
S21+: Triple rear (12MP + 12MP + 64MP), 10MP front camera
S21 Ultra: Quad rear (108MP + 12MP + 10MP + 10MP), 40-megapixel front camera
The OnePlus 9 has a triple rear camera made up of a 48-megapixel main camera with 1.12µm pixels and an aperture of f/1.8, a 50-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with an aperture of f/2.2 and a 2-megapixel monochrome lens.
The OnePlus 9 Pro has a quad rear camera that offers the same three lenses as the OnePlus 9 but adds a 8-megapixel telephoto lens with an aperture of f/2.4 and 1.0µm pixels. Both the OnePlus 9 and the 9 Pro have a 16-megapixel front camera and both offer the Hasselblad partnership.
The S21 and S21+ both have a triple rear camera, made up of a 12-megapixel main sensor with 1.8µm pixel size, f/1.8 aperture and optical stabilisation (OIS), a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with 1.4µm and f/2.2, and a 64-megapixel telephoto sensor with 0.8µm, f/2.0 and OIS. There’s a 10-megapixel, 1.22µm, f/2.2 front camera.
The Galaxy S21 Ultra meanwhile, has a quad rear camera made up of a 108-megapixel main sensor with 0.8µm pixels, f/1.8 aperture, OIS and laser autofocus, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor (1.4µm, f/2.2) and two 10-megapixel telephoto lenses, one with 1.22µm, f/2.4 (3x optical) and the other with 1.22µm, f/4.9 (10x optical). It also has a 40-megapixel selfie camera.
The three Samsung devices offer 4K 60fps video capture from all the cameras, with 8K 24fps offered on the rear too. The OnePlus 9 offers 4K video at 60fps and 8K at 30fps, while the OnePlus 9 Pro offers 4K at 120fps and 8K at 30fps.
Price
OnePlus 9 series: From £629
Samsung Galaxy S21 series: From £769
The OnePlus 9 comes in Winter Mist, Arctic Sky and Astral Black colour options. It starts at £629 in the UK.
The OnePlus 9 Pro comes in Morning Mist, Stellar Black and Pine Green and starts at £829.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 starts at £769 in the UK and €849 in Europe. It comes in four colour options: Phantom Grey, Phantom Violet, Phantom Pink and Phantom White. The S21+ starts at £949 in the UK and €1049 in Europe. It comes in five colour options: Phantom Violet, Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Gold and Phantom Red.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra starts at £1149 in the UK and €1249 in Europe. It comes in five colour options: Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Titanium, Phantom Navy and Phantom Brown.
squirrel_widget_3816752
Conclusion
The OnePlus 9 is the cheapest of the five handsets being compared in this feature, followed by the Galaxy S21 and then the OnePlus 9 Pro. The Galaxy S21 Ultra is the most expensive by £200 in the UK so budget will likely come into play when choosing between these handsets.
The hardware between the OnePlus 9 series and the Samsung Galaxy S21 series is similar, though the OnePlus 9 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra both offer more RAM as an option, as well as more storage in the case of the S21 Ultra. The Ultra also has a slighty larger battery capacity than the others, while the 9, 9 Pro and S21+ are identical.
The camera make up differs across the models, but the S21 Ultra delivers excellent results in our experience, and the S21 and S21+ are good too, while we found the OnePlus 9 Pro to be good, but a little inconsistent during our review.
Ultimately, the decision between these devices will come down to budget and which features are most important to you. If you want the best camera, then the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra is probably your best bet, but if you want decent specs for a good price, OnePlus is on the money.
(Pocket-lint) – OnePlus announced the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro during an event in March. The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro succeed the OnePlus 8T that arrived in the latter half of 2020, as well as the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro from early 2020, but how do they compare?
We’ve put the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro up against the OnePlus 8T, OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro to help you work out what the differences are and which you should buy.
OnePlus 9 vs Samsung Galaxy S21: What’s the difference?
squirrel_widget_4335174
Design
9: 160 x 74.2 x 8.7mm, 192g
9 Pro: 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7mm, 197g
8/8T: 160 x 72.9 x 8mm, 180g / 160.7 x 74.1 x 8.4mm, 188g
8 Pro: 165.3mm x 74.35mm x 8.5mm, 199g
All the OnePlus devices being compared in this feature have a punch hole camera in the top left of their displays.
The OnePlus 9, 8T and 8 all have flat displays and are water resistant, while the OnePlus 9 Pro and 8 Pro have curved displays and carry an official IP68 water and dust resistance rating.
On the back, the OnePlus 9, 9 Pro and 8T all have a rectangular camera housing in the top left corner, though the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro have two more prominent lenses within the housing compared to the 8T, making for a more interesting design. The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro have a slim rectangular housing in the centre of their rears.
In terms of materials, all of the OnePlus devices being compared here have a glass rear and they all have a metal frame, except for the OnePlus 9 that offers a plastic frame. The slimmest and lightest is the OnePlus 8, while the largest and heaviest is the OnePlus 8 Pro.
Display
9: 6.55-inch, Full HD+, 120Hz
9 Pro: 6.7-inch, Quad HD+, LTPO, 120Hz variable
8/8T: 6.55-inch, Full HD+, AMOLED, 90Hz / 6.55-inch, Full HD+, AMOLED, 120Hz
8 Pro: 6.7-inch, Quad HD+, AMOLED, 120Hz
The OnePlus 9, OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 8 all feature a 6.55-inch AMOLED display with a Full HD+ resolution, while the OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 8 Pro have a 6.7-inch display with a Quad HD+ resolution.
All have AMOLED panels but the OnePlus 9 Pro has an AMOLED panel with LTPO that allows for a variable refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz. The OnePlus 9, 8T and 8 Pro all have a 120Hz refresh rate, while the OnePlus 8 has a 90Hz refresh rate.
As mentioned before, the OnePlus 9 Pro and 8 Pro have curved displays, while the OnePlus 9, 8T and 8 all have flat displays. All devices being compared here offer under-display fingerprint sensors.
The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro both run on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipset, while the OnePlus 8T, 8 and 8 Pro all run on the slightly older Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor. All five models are 5G enabled.
All five models also come in a choice of 8GB or 12GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB of storage and none offer microSD support for storage expansion.
The OnePlus 9 Pro, 9 and OnePlus 8T all have a 4500mAh battery capacity, while the OnePlus 8 Pro has an ever so slightly larger 4510mAh capacity. The OnePlus 8 is a little smaller at 4300mAh.
The OnePlus 9 Pro, 9 and 8T all offer support for OnePlus Warp Charge 65, which is 65W wired charging, while the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro use Warp Charge 30T. There is no wireless charging on the OnePlus 8 or 8T, but there is on the 9, 9 Pro and 8 Pro. The 9 Pro supports 50W wireless charging though.
Camera
9: Triple rear (48MP+50MP+2MP), 16MP front
9 Pro: Quad rear (48MP+50MP+2MP+8MP), 16MP front
8T: Quad rear (48MP+16MP+5MP+2MP), 16MP
8: Triple rear (48MP+16MP+2MP), 16MP
8 Pro: Quad rear (48MP+48MP+8MP+5MP), 16MP front
The OnePlus 9 Pro offers a quad rear camera, while the OnePlus 9 has at triple rear camera. Both have the Hasselblad partnership, which involves colour tuning and sensor calibration.
The OnePlus 9’s triple camera is made up of a 48-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture, a 50-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera with f/2.4 aperture and a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor.
The OnePlus 9 Pro also offers a 48-megapixel main sensor with f/1.8 aperture but it’s a custom Sony IMX789 sensor and it supports optical image stabilisation (OIS), while the 9 has a Sony IMX689 sensor and no OIS. A 50-megapixel ultra wide sensor is also on board the 9 Pro, along with a 2-megapixel monochrome sensor, but it also adds an 8-megapixel telephoto sensor with f/2.4 aperture.
Meanwhile, the OnePlus 8T comes with a quad rear camera, comprised of a 48-megapixel main camera, 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera, 5-megapixel macro camera and a 2-megapixel monochrome lens so there’s no telephoto lens for optical zoom on this model.
The OnePlus 8 Pro also has a quad camera, made up of a 48-megapixel main, 48-megapixel ultra-wide, 8-megapixel telephoto and 5-megapixel photochromatic sensor.
Lastly, the OnePlus 8 has a triple rear camera made up of a 48-megapixel main, 16-megapixel 116-degree ultra-wide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor.
As you can see, all the camera make ups across these five models differ. It’s worth bearing in mind that more megapixels or more lenses doesn’t necessarily mean better so head to our full reviews for each device to find out how the camera performs on each model in our experience.
The OnePlus 9, 9 Pro, 8 Pro, 8 and 8T all have a 16-megapixel front camera.
squirrel_widget_233185
Conclusion
The OnePlus 9 Pro and 9 offer a faster processor, more capable cameras on paper and a more exciting design than the 2020 OnePlus models. The OnePlus 9 Pro also adds a variable refresh rate and faster wireless charging.
The OnePlus 8T and 8 Pro both have the same battery capacity as the 9 and 9 Pro though, as well as the same RAM and storage options. The 8 Pro also has waterproofing like the 9 Pro.
The decision between these devices is likely to come down to price, as well as what features are most important to you. If you want the latest design and features like a variable refresh rate then the 9 Pro is likely the one for you, but if you want to save some money, then it’s well worth considering the 9 or 8T.
The wraps are finally off the OnePlus 9 Pro and OnePlus 9 smartphones and the features are very much what we would expect of a pair of 5G flagship Android handsets seeking to impress on the audio and video front.
The more premium OnePlus 9 Pro looks to be the one to choose for movies on the move with its 6.7in QHD+ (1440x3216px) gently curved, 1300nit, AMOLED display, including LTPO power saving technology. It is capable of 10-bit colour depth and a dynamic refresh rate up to 120Hz, but that can be controlled automatically to bring the speed down to something kinder on battery life when not gaming.
The 6.55in OnePlus 9 is a little lower-specified, but it still offers a healthy-sounding 2400x1080px, 1100nit, flat display with a pixel density of 402ppi (compared with 525ppi). There’s no LTPO with the AMOLED screen this time, and although there is the 120Hz refresh rate, there’s no dynamic switching.
Both units support HDR10+ and Dolby Atmos sound which should add some AV appeal. They support playback of MKV, MOV, MP4, H.265 (HEVC), AVI and other video formats, with both Apple lossless and FLAC enabled on the audio side.
Both phones will allow 8K video capture at 30fps, 4K video at 120fps (60fps with the OnePlus 9) and Super Slow Motion at 720p as well for those looking to make movies of their own.
OnePlus, like most manufacturers, continues its stance against the 3.5mm headphones socket. Instead, wired listening is done through the USB-C port, as is wired charging, via the OnePlus Warp Charge 65T power adaptor that’s included in the box. It allows a complete recharge of the 4500mAh battery in the OnePlus 9Pro and OnePlus 9 in just a claimed 29 minutes. The Warp Charge 50 Wireless charger (£70) is available to buy for both and should do the job in 43 minutes.
For wireless audio, there’s Bluetooth 5.2 with aptX and aptX HD included as well as LDAC technology which allows hi-res audio streaming over Bluetooth at up 24-bit/96 kHz.
Running the show for both mobiles is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chip and either 8GB or 12GB of RAM depending on whether you opt for the 128 or 256GB storage version respectively.
(Image credit: OnePlus)
Expect that space to disappear pretty quickly too if the Hasselblad cameras on these phones are as good as OnePlus is hoping. The OnePlus 9 range is the first of a three-year partnership between the two companies.
The 9 Pro features a four-camera array with the 48MP Sony IMX789 behind the main lens, a 50MP ultra-wide shooter, an 8MP telephoto with 3.3x optical zoom and a monochrome lens specially tweaked by Hasselblad to capture even more black and white information. The Swedish optical company has calibrated all of the cameras to provide what it feels are the best and most natural colours possible. Both phones get a 16MP front facing camera too but the OnePlus 9 doesn’t get the telephoto lens.
(Image credit: OnePlus)
The camera bumps on these devices have been designed to be more streamlined and in tune with the bodies of the phones than on previous OnePlus models. The 197g chassis on the 9 Pro is made of an aluminium frame and measures 163 x 74 x 9mm. It’s also IP68-rated for water and dust resistance. The OnePlus 9 is a 182g fibre glass infused polymer build of 160 x 74 x 9mm.
Both phones run Android 11 with the OnePlus Oxygen OS interface on top. They’re available to buy now in Astral Black, Arctic Sky or Winter Mist (OnePlus 9) and Stellar Black, Morning Mist or Pine Green (OnePlus 9 Pro). The Morning Mist and Astral Black 9 Pros come with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage and cost £829/$969/€899. The souped-up Pine Green is the 12GB/256GB version and comes in at £929/$1069/€999.
As for the OnePlus 9, the Winter Mist colour (£729/$829/€799) indicates the better-specified phone, with 12GB RAM and 258GB of storage. The other two finishes are 8GB/128GB phones and cost £629/$729/€699.
The phones are available to pre-order from 3.30pm GMT today at OnePlus.com, Amazon, John Lewis and Three, with open sales from 31st March (OnePlus 9 Pro) and 26th April (OnePlus 9).
MORE:
Take a look at the best Android phones 2021: Google-powered smarties for budgets big and small.
And how about a pair of the very best headphones to go with them?
Xiaomi-owned Poco has returned with two new phones that have some notable processor choices at low prices. Both the X3 Pro and the F3 use new Qualcomm chips that are essentially updated and repurposed flagship-class processors from the past couple of years, which make them an interesting price-performance proposition.
First up is the Poco X3 Pro (pictured above and below), which is essentially identical to last year’s Poco X3 NFC but with a new processor. That means there’s still a 6.67-inch 120Hz 1080p LCD, a 5,160mAh battery with 33W fast charging, and a quad-camera setup headlined by a 48-megapixel primary sensor.
What’s new is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 860 SoC, which hasn’t previously been announced. The processor appears to be a new version of the Snapdragon 855, Qualcomm’s flagship part from two years ago found in phones like the Galaxy S10 and the Pixel 4. It uses the same Kryo 485 core based on ARM’s Cortex-A76 CPU, but the clock speed has been slightly bumped to up to 2.96GHz.
Poco describes the 860 as “the leading 4G flagship processor in 2021,” which doesn’t strike me as a field with a whole lot of competition. Still, it will likely outperform newer mid-range 5G chips like the 765.
The Poco F3, meanwhile, is a higher-end device that’s one of the first phones to use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 870, which was announced a couple of months ago. The 870 is a similar idea to the 860 but based on the one-year-newer 865, which was Qualcomm’s highest-end chip in 2020. The CPU clock speed has again received a slight bump to a max of 3.2GHz. The 870 won’t be as fast as the 888, but another way to think of it is that it would’ve been the fastest Android phone chip in the world a couple of months ago.
The F3 itself is a rebranded version of Xiaomi’s Redmi K40, which was recently released in China. It has a 6.67-inch 120Hz 1080p OLED display, a 4,520mAh battery with 33W fast charging, and a triple-camera setup including a 48-megapixel main sensor, an 8-megapixel ultrawide, and what seems to be the same 5-megapixel “telemacro” found on the Xiaomi Mi 11.
Poco hasn’t announced full global release details yet, but the X3 Pro costs €199 for a model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (or €249 for 8GB/256GB), while the F3 is €299 for 6GB/128GB and €349 for 8GB/256GB. Those are early-bird prices — all models will be bumped up by €50 after April 1st for the X3 Pro and April 6th for the F3. Even after that, though, they look like very good value for their segment. Both phones will go on sale later this week.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
