Recognition: Eric Zeman / Android Authority
OnePlus has slowly made its way into the premium arena with its phones, but the new OnePlus 9 series goes even further, offering impressive screens, fast wired and wireless charging, and cameras that can finally keep up with the best. Wondering what else is there before you buy? Here are some of the best OnePlus 9 alternatives that you should check out.
The best OnePlus 9 alternatives
1. Xiaomi Mi 11
Recognition: Eric Zeman / Android Authority
Much like OnePlus, Xiaomi is no stranger to offering cheaper flagship phones, although it has also moved up towards the premium territory. Nevertheless, the Xiaomi Mi 11 for 749 euros is a great alternative to the OnePlus 9 made of vanilla.
The Mi 11 offers some powerful innards, similar to the Vanilla OnePlus phone, but it also offers a sharper screen (QHD + 120Hz OLED) if you like the OnePlus 9 Pro display but don’t want to pay that much.
Our verdict: Xiaomi Mi 11 review
The Xiaomi flagship also offers features such as a 4,600 mAh battery, wired charging with 55 W and wireless charging with 50 W. On the back there is a 108-megapixel main camera, a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens and a 5 -Megapixel telephoto macro camera. You don’t get a telephoto shooter or a high-resolution ultra-wide camera, but you do get some fancy features like clone mode, night video, and more.
2. Samsung Galaxy S21
Recognition: David Imel / Android Authority
Samsung is arguably OnePlus’ biggest rival in North America and Europe, and the Galaxy S21 range is the Korean company’s newest and biggest flagship. The base Galaxy S21 starts at $ 800, which is $ 70 more expensive than the standard OnePlus 9. If you choose this phone, you get water resistance and a pseudo-telephoto camera. Ultra-wide camera with resolution and much faster wired and wireless charging.
Our judgments: Samsung Galaxy S21 review | Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus review | Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra review
At the other end of the spectrum is the S21 Ultra, which costs ~ $ 230 more than the OnePlus 9 Pro. For the extra money you get two telephoto cameras (3x and 10x), a larger battery and S Pen support. However, you’re missing out on faster wired and wireless charging by opting for the Samsung device over the best in the OnePlus 9 series.
Samsung has also committed to providing updates to Android versions for three years and security patches for four years. OnePlus usually makes an effort to offer the former some of its flagships, but this is not a formal guideline.
3. Apple iPhone 12 series
Recognition: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Apple’s iPhone 12 devices are the first iPhones to feature 5G silicon, but they offer more than just faster connectivity. We have four models in this generation, ranging from the iPhone 12 Mini for $ 699 to the iPhone 12 Pro Max for $ 1,099.
All of these phones have 60 Hz OLED screens, comparatively slow wireless charging, water resistance, and the lightning-fast A14 Bionic chipset. You also get access to the sleek iOS platform and Apple ecosystem.
Our judgments: Apple iPhone 12 Mini review | Apple iPhone 12 review | Apple iPhone 12 Pro review
However, Apple’s phones don’t have many of the OnePlus 9-series features. These include high refresh rate screens, fingerprint scanners, 8K recording, and fast wired / wireless charging. The non-Pro iPhones also save on telephoto cameras (similar to the Vanilla OnePlus 9), offer only 64 GB of basic memory and have small batteries.
Still, these phones are worth considering if you’re curious about iPhones or want to get into the Apple suite of services. They’re also great OnePlus 9 alternatives if you value a long commitment to software updates.
4. Oppo Find X3 Pro
Recognition: Eric Zeman / Android Authority
Do you like the idea of the OnePlus 9 Pro but want something eye-catching and unique? This is where the Oppo Find X3 Pro comes in. Oppo’s premium flagship features a stunning glass design that our own Eric Zeman has compared to a Star Wars spaceship, making it one of the coolest designs of the year. However, the phone offers more than just clean hardware.
The Find X3 Pro has a 50MP IMX766 camera sensor for the main and ultra-wide cameras, resulting in a similar level of detail and color consistency. You also get a 3x telephoto camera and a 3MP micro lens. The latter is capable of unprecedented microscope-style shots that a macro camera simply cannot compete with, even though the resolution is low.
Our verdict: Oppo Find X3 Pro review – form and function, but not entirely flawless
Otherwise, Oppo’s phone comes with a premium QHD + 120Hz OLED panel, Snapdragon 888 SoC, 65W wired charging, 30W wireless charging, 4,500mAh battery, and IP68 water / dust resistance. So you get a lot of the features that make the OnePlus 9 Pro stand out. However, one of the biggest drawbacks is the price. The price of 1,149 euros is significantly more expensive than the OnePlus 9 Pro.
5. Google Pixel 5
Recognition: Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Google’s latest Pixel flagship represents an entirely different strategy for the company as it ditched flagship silicon in favor of mid-range 5G hardware. So, you can skip this if you plan to play a lot of games on your device.
The Pixel 5 also lacks some other features found on OnePlus 9 series devices, such as: B. Fast wired / wireless charging, a high-resolution ultra-wide camera and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. In any case, you have some nice features like a 90 Hz OLED panel, IP68 rating, standard wireless charging and a 4,080 mAh battery – everything cheaper than the standard OnePlus 9.
Our verdict: Google Pixel 5 review
Google’s Pixel phones also excel in image quality, and you get a 12-megapixel main / 16-megapixel ultra-wide rear camera setup. Other notable features include a clean version of Android and a longstanding commitment to software updates.
6. Poco F3
Poco’s latest phone is a great fit for the exclusive OnePlus 9R on paper in China and India. It sports the same Snapdragon 870 SoC and a very similar 120 Hz FHD + OLED screen. The two phones also have a similar battery size (~ 4,500 mAh) and a 48-megapixel main camera.
The Poco F3 otherwise differs from the OnePlus 9R in terms of wired charging (33 W compared to 65 W of the OnePlus phone) and secondary rear cameras (8 MP ultra-wide and 5 MP tele-macro compared to 16 MP ultra-wide, 5 MP macro, 2 MP depth). Another differentiator is the software, as the OnePlus 9R uses the Oxygen OS 11 skin while the Poco device uses the MIUI-based Poco Launcher.
Finally, the Poco device is available for the 6GB / 128GB variant at a standard retail price of 349 euros, while the OnePlus 9R is available at 39,999 rupees (about $ 551).
7. OnePlus 8 Pro
You don’t have to get the latest and greatest as the OnePlus 8 Pro is still a great OnePlus 9 alternative as well. It offers a number of features that make the OnePlus 9 Pro stand out, such as: B. QHD + 120 Hz OLED display, IP68 water / dust resistance and fast wireless charging.
Thanks to a 48-megapixel main camera and a 48-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, you get a really great camera experience here too. An 8MP 3x Tele-Snapper processes zoom images, while the 5MP color filter camera is essentially a gimmick.
See also: OnePlus 8 Pro revisited – the good and the bad six months later
The OnePlus 8 Pro is currently available for $ 699 on Amazon and the OnePlus Store. That makes it cheaper than the OnePlus 9. Sure, you’re missing out on the latest in silicon and faster wired charging, but you get a sharper screen and water / dust resistance than standard.
That’s it for our rundown of the best OnePlus 9 alternatives! Are there any other phones that come to mind? Then leave a comment below.