The OnePlus 9 Pro has been officially unveiled, and it’s OnePlus’ most powerful phone to date. It has a new and improved camera setup, a QHD display and the powerful performance and fast charging technologies. How does he compare to the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, that other powerhouse?
OnePlus 9 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
OnePlus today put a new series of devices in the spotlight. The OnePlus 9 series consists of the Pro version and the cheaper OnePlus 9. At first there was also a cheaper OnePlus 9R model, but it is not yet on the market with us. This time we compare the top device, the OnePlus 9 Pro with another mastodon: the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. How do they compare on paper and which one deserves your attention?
Specifications
| Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra | OnePlus 9 Pro | |
| Housing: | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus on front and back, aluminum frame | Corning Gorilla Glass 3D, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions and weight: | 165.1mm x 75.6mm 8.9mm, 227g | 163.2mm x 73.6mm x 8.7mm, 197 grams |
| Screen: | 6.8″ Dynamic AMOLED (QHD+ 3200 x 1440 pixels), 120 Hz, 515 ppi, HDR10+, 1500 nits (peak) | 6.7-inch AMOLED (QHD+ 3216 x 1440 pixels), 120 Hz, 525 ppi, 20.1:9, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| Processor: | Samsung Exynos 2100 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 |
| Random access memory: | 12GB/16GB, LPDDR5 | 8GB/12GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage Memory: | 128GB / 256GB / 512GB, UFS 3.1 | 128GB / 256GB, UFS 3.1 |
| Rear cameras: | 108 MP main camera (f/1.8 and OIS), 12 MP wide-angle camera (f/2.2), 10 MP telephoto camera with 10x optical zoom (f/4.9 and OIS), 10 MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom (f/2.4 and OIS) | 48 MP main camera (f/1.8 and OIS), 50 MP wide-angle camera (f/2.2), 8 MP telephoto camera with 3.3x optical and 30x digital zoom (f/2.4), 2 MP monochrome camera |
| Cameras for: | 40MP (f/2.2) | 16MP (f/2.4) |
| Battery: | 5,000 mAh, 25W fast charging, 10W wireless charging, USB PD 3.0 | 4500 mAh, Warp Charge 65T (65W), wireless charging (50W), USB PD |
| Android version: | One UI3.1 based on Android 11 | OxygenOS based on Android 11 |
| Extras: | S Pen support, UWB, Wifi 6E, IP68, AKG stereo speakers, 5G | Dolby Atmos, dual speakers, Alert Slider, 5G, Wifi 6, IP68 |
| Colors: | Phantom Black, Phantom Silver | Morning Mist, Pine Green, Stellar Black |
| Recommended retail price: | 1,249 / 1,299 / 1,429 euros | 899 / 999 euros |
QHD screens
The screens of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the OnePlus 9 Pro are very well matched. The main difference is that OnePlus opts for curved screen edges, compared to a flat screen with the Samsung phone. It is a personal choice for every smartphone user to determine what is most pleasant. Curved edges provide a high-quality look, but it doesn’t work as well with screen protectors. Although OnePlus says it has made improvements that make it less likely to suffer from unwanted touches on the edges.
If we dive further into the specifications, we see equivalent screens with a high QHD resolution and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. Samsung’s screen is slightly larger in size and has two more small trump cards. First of all, the slightly higher peak brightness of 1500 nits and the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection against scratches and drop damage. OnePlus also uses Corning Gorilla Glass, but does not share information about the type, indicating that it is not the latest version. Yet, with its lower price tag, OnePlus manages very well to compete with the Samsung flagship with its screen.
The best performance
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 can be found under the casing of the OnePlus 9 Pro, while the Samsung phone uses the Exynos 2100 processor. Both are very evenly matched, but our benchmarks with comparable smartphones have already shown that the Qualcomm processor takes the upper hand. Although we are looking forward to also examining the performance of the OnePlus 9 Pro.
The OnePlus 9 Pro and S21 Ultra each use the fastest form of RAM and storage. OnePlus starts with a model at 8 GB, while Samsung only has a 12 GB or 16 GB variant of its most powerful device. The latter model also comes with extra storage: 512 GB. Neither device has expandable storage.
Warp Charge 65T dominates
If we look at the battery, we see that Samsung has the largest battery with a 5000 mAh battery, and that is not surprising because the housing of the S21 Ultra is also somewhat larger and heavier. OnePlus does have a very big advantage when it comes to charging.
With the Warp Charge 65T fast charging technology, the smartphone is fully charged in 25 minutes, while Samsung uses an inferior 25 watt fast charging technique. The S21 Ultra also comes without a charger, and OnePlus is clearly taking the lead when it comes to wireless charging.
Camera hardware compared
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has the most advanced camera setup of the two on paper. Its 108MP main camera is a slightly larger sensor than the new Sony IMX789 OnePlus uses and they have the same aperture. OnePlus’ 50 MP wide-angle camera appeals more to the imagination because it captures images at a wider angle, and it involves a much larger sensor.
Samsung will make the difference with its dual telephoto camera that allows up to 10x optical zoom. The sensors also support optical image stabilization. The telephoto camera of the OnePlus 8 Pro only reaches up to 3x hybrid zoom. Although, especially after a camera test, we will have to see how the OnePlus 9 Pro camera performs together with its new Hasselblad improvements in software.
Software and updates
Samsung and OnePlus are releasing their One UI 3.1 and OxygenOS 11 software shells, respectively. Both have their own pros and cons, and neither is clearly less good than the other. It is only noticeable that Samsung, as a large tech manufacturer that is active in many product segments, pushes its ecosystem of products forward more than OnePlus.
Samsung is by far the better manufacturer when it comes to updates. The S21 Ultra will receive three years of version updates and four years of security updates. In the first three years, the device will receive monthly patches and then switch to a quarterly system.
OnePlus will support its phones for two years and provide them with updates every two months. It’s also noticeable that OnePlus is apparently struggling to release version updates smoothly as it has expanded its lineup of products in recent months.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the OnePlus 9 Pro are two flagship monsters, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses. In terms of the screens, it is the same, but OnePlus does have the better fast charging performance. Samsung, on the other hand, is master when it comes to software support and it will also be very interesting to see how the OnePlus 9 Pro camera has improved. Although we do not expect that it will be able to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra when it comes to the zoom range.
Of course, keep in mind that you will pay an extra 249 euros for the Samsung phone. Whether the strong aspects of the S21-Ultra are worth the extra cost to you is of course a personal choice.
Buy OnePlus 9 Pro
The OnePlus 9 Pro is available via pre-order from 4.30 pm in the colors Morning Mist, Pine Green and Stellar Black via OnePlus.com. Official sales for the OnePlus 9 Pro will start on March 31
- OnePlus 9 Pro (8 GB + 128 GB) – OnePlus.com, Belsimpel, Coolblue, T-Mobile, Tele 2 and Mobiel.nl – 899 euros
- OnePlus 9 Pro (12 GB + 256 GB) – OnePlus.com, Belsimpel, Coolblue, T-Mobile, Tele 2 and Mobiel.nl – 999 euros
Buy Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra has been in stores since January 29. Below you will find the prices.
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (12GB+128GB) – 1249 euros
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (12GB + 256GB) – 1299 euros
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra (16GB + 512GB) – 1429 euros
- Media market, bol.com, Belly simple, Mobiel.nl, Vodafone, T-Mobile, KPN
– Thanks for information from Androidworld.