The OnePlus 9 Pro and the OnePlus 9 have finally been unveiled, marking one of the signature flagship phone announcements of 2021 so far.
As expected, these two phones pack in plenty of improvements over the OnePlus 8 Pro and the OnePlus 8 respectively, especially with the new Hasselblad-tuned cameras that aim to fix earlier OnePlus phones’ photographic shortcomings. But the question the question we’re here to answer is: how do they compare to one another?
What does going Pro really get you, and is it worth the premium you’ll have to pay for privilege? Let’s take a closer look at how these two phones stack up.
OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 9 Pro price and availability
The OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro (Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)
Both the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro represent a price bump over their predecessors, the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro respectively.
But we’ll leave discussions about that for another feature. What’s important to us here is how they compare to one another, and on that front there’s also been some movement.
Prices for the OnePlus 9 start from $729 / £629 (about AU$940) for the 8GB of RAM / 128GB model, and move up to $829 / £729 (about AU$1070). for the 12GB of RAM / 256GB model. The OnePlus 9 Pro, on the other hand, starts at $969 / £829 (about AU$1,250) for 8GB / 128GB, and goes up to $1,069 / £929 (about AU$1,400) for 12GB / 256GB.
That’s a considerable $240 difference across the board. This means that the gap between these two phones has increased by $40 over the OnePlus 8 range.
Design
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OnePlus 9 (Image credit: Magnus Blix)
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OnePlus 9 Pro (Image credit: Aakash Jhaveri)
OnePlus hasn’t exactly made any bold design moves with the OnePlus 9 Pro and the OnePlus 9. These are two tidy, well-built phones – or “burdenless” to use the OnePlus vernacular. They undoubtedly lack the visual panache of Samsung’s and Apple’s latest iPhone 12 series, but they aren’t unattractive, either.
Of the two, the OnePlus 9 Pro is the better looking and feeling phone. That might sound obvious given its Pro status, but last year’s OnePlus 8 was roughly of a piece with its OnePlus 8 Pro sibling, and the two were tough to differentiate. Not so here.
The reason for this shift lies on the OnePlus 9 side of the equation. While the OnePlus 9 Pro is more or less a continuation of the OnePlus 8 Pro’s design – barring a less prominent camera module – the OnePlus 9 represents a bit of a regression.
No longer is the cheaper phone’s chassis made up of aluminum. Instead, OnePlus has traded in for a “fiberglass-reinforced polymer frame” – that’s fancy plastic to you and I. While it looks fine, and you still get a glass back, it undoubtedly makes the phone feel cheaper and lower grade than the Pro.
The finishes are slightly different too. While the OnePlus 9 Pro offers the glossy silver Morning Mist, matte Forest Green, and glossy Stellar Black, the OnePlus 9 comes in the light purple gradient Winter Mist, light blue Arctic Sky, and glossy Astral Black.
Also, while the OnePlus 9 Pro is 3mm taller than the OnePlus 9 at 163.2mm, it’s also half a millimeter narrower. This is because the OnePlus 9’s smaller display is completely flat, with more of a side bezel. The OnePlus 9 Pro’s is slightly curved, with thinner bezels, giving it a tighter and more premium appearance. (Interestingly, the side of the display has less curve than the OnePlus 8, as users found their fingers slipping off the edge.)
Despite the difference in size and materials, both phones weigh nearly the same. The OnePlus 9 Pro comes in at 197g, while the OnePlus 9 weighs 192g.
Both phones sport the signature OnePlus alert slider on the right hand edge, which lets you set your phone to silent, vibrate, or ring tone with a satisfying click.
Display
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OnePlus 9 (Image credit: Magnus Blix)
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OnePlus 9 Pro (Image credit: TechRadar)
The OnePlus 9 Pro’s display is better than the OnePlus 9’s in virtually every way. It’s bigger at 6.7-inches compared to the OnePlus 9’s 6.55-inches.
You also get a sharper screen with the Pro, to the tune of 3216 x 1440 resolution aka QHD. The OnePlus 9’s display is 2400 x 1080 or FHD. This makes for a much more pixel-dense picture for the Pro at 525 ppi when compared to the OnePlus 9’s 402 ppi.
Both are AMOLED displays, and boast similarly punchy colors and deep blacks. But even there the OnePlus 9 Pro scores higher, with a higher peak brightness of 1300 nits (versus 1100 nits) and native 10-bit color depth.
While both displays support a 120Hz refresh rate (an improvement for the OnePlus 9 over the 90Hz OnePlus 8), the OnePlus 9 Pro has more tech features. Thanks to the addition of LTPO technology, it can adjust its frame rate from 1Hz to 120Hz depending on what’s being displayed (looking at a saved photo vs. playing an intense online game, respectively), saving power. It also has a faster touch sampling rate with its Hypertouch feature, recognizing finger touches faster than ever for peak game performance.
Both displays are great in their own right, but the OnePlus 9 Pro screen feels like it’s half a generation ahead. Which, given that the OnePlus 9 display is taken directly from the late–2020 OnePlus 8T, doesn’t appear to be far from the truth.
Run side by side, the OnePlus 9 Pro display is clearly the brighter, more vibrant, and more color-accurate of the two. But of course, the vast majority of people won’t be comparing them in this way.
Another shared point to note here is the presence of a speedy in-display fingerprint sensor on both phones, though accuracy may suffer if you don’t have your thumb exactly on the reader.
Camera
OnePlus 9 Pro (Image credit: TechRadar)
The OnePlus 8 Pro was the first OnePlus phone to feature a genuinely good camera. Both the OnePlus 9 Pro and the OnePlus 9 continue in the same vein.
In the case of the OnePlus 9, the debt to the OnePlus 8 Pro is clear. It packs the same 48-megapixel Sony IMX689 main sensor, albeit without the same OIS assistance. Still, it captures bright, reasonably crisp shots.
The OnePlus 9 Pro takes things to the next level with a new custom 48-megapixel Sony IMX789 sensor. It’s the same size as its predecessor at 1/1.43″, and it produces the same 12-megapixel shots with 2.24 μm pixels using pixel binning techniques.
Both phones benefit from OnePlus’s new partnership with Hasselblad. While the Swedish camera maker hasn’t gotten involved in the camera hardware side of things as yet (stay tuned for that in later OnePlus phones), it has turned its attention to the color science. As a result, both phones are capable of taking shots that pop with color, aided by the ability to shoot photos in 12-bit RAW format.
That said, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s snaps definitely stand out more, with richer colors, greater dynamic range, and more detail when you really zoom in and start pixel-peeping. The dynamic range enhancements come partly from the provision of Digital Overlap High Dynamic Range (DOL-HDR) technology, which makes it so that both bright and dark data can be presented at the same time.
The OnePlus 9 Pro’s Nightscape mode is also capable of taking crisper, clearer, brighter shots than its brother. No doubt that’s aided by the inclusion of OIS.
Going back to the hardware, The OnePlus 9 Pro also benefits from the inclusion of a dedicated 8-megapixel telephoto lens, which can take 3.3x optically zoomed shots. The OnePlus 9, by contrast, gets no such telephoto provision.
The rest of the camera package is the same across the two phones. Both have impressive 50-megapixel Sony ultrawide IMX766 ultrawide sensors, which are 3.2 times larger than the iPhone 12 Pro Max equivalent. They also pack freeform lenses, which means that wide angle shots suffer from far fewer edge distortions than most smartphone ultra-wide lenses. You also get a 2-megapixel monochrome with both phones, which enhances any arty black and white shots you might take.
Both phones also come with a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471 front camera, which is a pretty capable selfie snapper.
Specs and performance
OnePlus 9 (Image credit: Magnus Blix)
While the OnePlus 9 Pro has had the clear upper hand in every category so far, it and the OnePlus 9 are largely even on performance. Both are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 SoC, which is the go-to chip for early–2021 Android flagships.
This is backed by either 8GB or 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM in both cases, depending on the model you choose. Sure enough, performance is similarly snappy across the two phones, although the OnePlus 9 Pro seems to take the slightest edge in benchmarking.
We ran Geekbench 5 simultaneously on both phones, and the OnePlus 9 Pro would consistently finish a fraction quicker and with a slightly higher score. We recorded average multicore scores of 3739 for the OnePlus 9 Pro and 3587 for the OnePlus 9. It’s a slight but unmistakable edge.
Unsurprisingly, given the top tier specifications, it’s possible to play something like PUBG Mobile on maxed out settings on both phones, with remarkably fluid performance. In the case of the OnePlus 9 Pro, that means a UHD resolution and an Ultra frame rate.
That gaming performance is helped by the inclusion of larger vapor chambers for both, providing more effective heat dissipation when under sustained load. Those snappy CPUs and GPUs can run at full whack for longer without needing to be throttled back.
Even the onboard storage provision is the same, with a choice of either 128GB or 256GB – though it can’t be expanded as there’s no microSD slot.
Both phones benefit from stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. OnePlus has also fitted both phones with improved haptic motors, and of course both phones support sub-6 and mid-band 5G, too – though only the OnePlus 9 Pro supports mmWave 5G.
Battery
You get dual-cell 4500 mAh batteries with both phones, which probably explains why they have similar weights despite their slightly differing materials.
From a practical perspective, this shared spec might worry prospective OnePlus 9 Pro customers. After all, the more expensive phone has a bigger, brighter, and sharper display to drive.
However, the inclusion of LTPO screen technology helps rein in some of that extra power consumption. Unlike the the OnePlus 9, the Pro’s screen can drop from 120Hz right down to 1Hz when appropriate.
The result of this is general parity when it comes to stamina. You’ll be able to get through a full day of moderate to heavy usage with both phones, though intensive use will definitely drain things faster.
Both phones come with a Warp Charge 65T charger in the box, which is a poke in the eye for Samsung and Apple. And not just because it’s bundled in either – 65W charging is way quicker than either the Samsung Galaxy S21 or the iPhone 12 family supports.
Using this power brick, both phones can recharge from 1 to 100% in just 28 minutes, which is quite frankly ridiculous.
Only the OnePlus 9 Pro supports fast wireless charging, however. You’ll need to buy the bespoke Warp Charge 50 Wireless charger from OnePlus, but if you do you’ll be able to go from 1 to 100% in just 43 minutes. The OnePlus 9 only goes up to 15W wireless charging, but that’s still competitive with those aforementioned premium rivals.
Takeaway
OnePlus 9 Pro (Image credit: TechRadar)
OnePlus has created two more compelling devices in the OnePlus 9 Pro and the OnePlus 9.
In the OnePlus 9 Pro you have a genuine flagship contender, with all of the specifications and refined components that you’d expect for the money. In the OnePlus 9, you have an affordable flagship to rival phones like the Samsung Galaxy S21 and iPhone 12.
The OnePlus 9 Pro is without doubt the better phone of the two. It’s got a superior screen, a stepped up camera, and a more premium design, all in a package that isn’t much bigger or heavier.
However, for those looking to spend less, the OnePlus 9 still gives you top notch performance and a solid camera. Indeed, the differences only become readily apparent when you use these two phones side by side, which most people simply won’t be in a position to do.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The tiny Mideast nation of Kuwait has banned the release of the video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which features the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and is set in part in the 1990s Gulf War.
The video game, a first-person shooter, follows CIA operators fighting at times in the United States and also in the Middle East. Game-play trailers for the game show burning oilfields, a painful reminder for Kuwaitis who saw Iraqis set fire to the fields, causing vast ecological and economic damage. Iraqi troops damaged or set fire to over 700 wells.
There also are images of Saddam and Iraq’s old three-star flag in the footage released by developers ahead of the game’s launch. The game’s multiplayer section, a popular feature of the series, includes what appears to be a desert shootout in Kuwait called Scud after the Soviet missiles Saddam fired in the war. Another is called Babylon, after the ancient city in Iraq.
Activision acknowledged in a statement that the game “has not been approved for release in Kuwait,” but did not elaborate.
“All pre-orders in Kuwait will be cancelled and refunded to the original point of purchase,” the company said. “We remain hopeful that local authorities will reconsider, and allow players in Kuwait to enjoy this all-new experience in the Black Ops series.”
Kuwait’s Media Ministry did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press over the decision.
“Call of Duty,” which first began in 2003 as a first-person shooter set in World War II, has expanded into an empire worth billions of dollars now owned by Microsoft. But it also has been controversial as its gameplay entered the realm of geopolitics. China and Russia both banned chapters in the franchise. In 2009, an entry in the gaming franchise allowed players to take part in a militant attack at a Russian airport, killing civilians.
But there have been other games recently that won praise for their handling of the Mideast. Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” published last year won praise for its portrayal of Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age in the 9th century.
