We just gave the Samsung Galaxy S21 our “Most Wanted” award, but OnePlus started selling a valuable competitor this week: OnePlus 9. Both phones are very similar in size, hardware and price, with their own advantages and disadvantages. , then deciding between the two can be a little difficult. But we are here to help and guide you through the nuances and differences of this post.
Hardware
Superficially, the two phones could not be more similar. Both have the latest generation Qualcomm processor, the Snapdragon 888, and start with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. The screens are OLEDs and have a refresh rate of 120 Hz, although the screen of the S21 is only 6.2 inches, while the OnePlus is 6.55. Although both are compatible with Wi-Fi 6, OnePlus saved some money on Bluetooth by choosing version 5.0 instead of 5.2. This is a drag because of some improvements in low-power audio streaming to headphones. Neither phone has a headphone jack or expandable storage, unfortunately, and both are phones with a single SIM in the US.
Samsung Galaxy S21.
Things diverge a little in the battery and charging department. The OnePlus 9’s 4,500 mAh battery charges up to 65 W with the included pad, allowing a full charge in less than an hour. The S21 has to settle for a 4,000mAh power supply that charges a maximum of 25W If you charge overnight, it shouldn’t bother you too much, but it’s always good to have an extremely fast charge in case you need to recharge just before you leave – and, unlike Samsung, the OnePlus provides a charging pad in the box.
Unlike Samsung, the OnePlus has an excellent alert slider above the power button, which allows you to switch between silent, vibrate and ring without having to unlock your phone. You can also choose between an extremely well made matte plastic back with a metal frame on the S21 and a glass back with a plastic frame imitating metal on the OnePlus 9.
| OnePlus 9 | Samsung Galaxy S21 | |
|---|---|---|
| Chipset | Snapdragon 888 | Snapdragon 888 |
| RAM | 8/12 GB (LPDDR5) | 8 GB (LPDDR5) |
| Store | 128/256 GB (UFS3.1) | 128/256 GB (UFS3.1) |
| Exhibition | 6.55 inch OLED, 2400×1080, 120 Hz | 6.2 inch OLED, 2400×1080, 120 Hz |
| Battery and charging | 4,500 mAh, 65 W Warp Charge, 15 W wireless Qi, wireless reverse charging | 4,000 mAh, 25 W fast charging, 15 W wireless Qi, wireless reverse charging |
| Rear cameras | 48 MP primary, 50 MP ultra wide, 2 MP monochrome | 64 MP telephoto, 12 MP wide, 12 MP ultra large |
| Front cameras | 16 MP | 10 MP |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, 5G sub-6 | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, 5G sub-6 |
| Headphone plug | Not | Not |
| Colors | Astral Black, Arctic Sky, Winter Mist | Phantom Violet, Phantom Gray, Phantom White, Phantom Pink |
| Dimensions (mm) | 160 x 74.2 x 8.7 mm | 151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm |
| Weight | 192g | 171g (for US mmWave model) |
| Software | OxygenOS 11 / Android 11 | One UI 3.1 / Android 11 |
| Price | $ 730 (8/128 GB), $ 830 (12/256 GB) | $ 800 (128 GB), $ 850 (256 GB) |
OnePlus phones have historically been mediocre in the camera department, but thanks to the company’s new cooperation with Hasselblad, the tides are changing slightly. In our review, we noticed that the image processing of the OnePlus is still not entirely to our liking with excessively sharp edges and aggressive smoothing of details, and the camera also suffers from questionable white balance and specks in low light. Things have gotten much better, though, and the new flagship line from the OnePlus is almost on par with Samsung’s image processing. The inclusion of an ultra-wide-angle “free-form lens” is great for macro shots, although we are confused by the decision to add an almost useless 2MP monochrome sensor.
OnePlus 9.
Meanwhile, our biggest problem with the Galaxy S21 camera is Samsung’s tendency to saturate colors and destroy texture turbidity in low light situations, but overall, the camera is even more reliable and versatile than the OnePlus 9, thanks to a better selection of lenses (large, ultra-large, tele). You can read more about this in our full review of the Galaxy S21.
Software
Both phones come with Android 11 at launch and both have their own software issues to solve. Although Samsung’s software has become incredibly good over the years, the company has some annoying default settings that you may want to change once you purchase the device. Samsung also has a bad habit of placing ads in its notifications, which are difficult to disable. Once you have everything set up the way you want it, things should go well, and you will find almost everything you could ask for and more. The manufacturer has also become incredibly good at software updates over the years and promises up to three years of software updates and four years of security fixes – currently the only (mainstream) Android manufacturer to do so.
Samsung UI.
Things are a little different for the OnePlus. We used to praise the company for its great experience, almost similar to that of Pixel, with relatively quick updates, but over the years, OnePlus has lagged behind in release schedules and the software has been buggy, with Android Auto and navigation flaws of the system in our analysis unit. Most of the time, the experience is smooth and there are some well thought out additions to Android, such as scrolling images, gestures to turn off the screen, parallel applications (to run two instances of the same application with different accounts side by side) and much more.
OnePlus UI.
If you rely heavily on background apps, the two phones won’t necessarily make you happy right out of the box – Samsung and OnePlus are incredibly aggressive when it comes to eliminating background activity. You will have to work around the restrictions by exempting applications in the system settings of any of the phones, and even then, some applications will still have problems.
Verdict
Even though the Galaxy S21 is a little more expensive than the OnePlus 9 ($ 800 vs $ 730), the Samsung phone will be able to service you for a long period of time thanks to its extensive software update policy, if you plans to keep it for years to come. And despite Hasselblad’s cooperation with OnePlus, Samsung’s camera game is still perfect and often superior to OnePlus. In short, this makes the Galaxy S21 the best choice for most people, although the OnePlus 9 may still appeal to you with its lower starting price, the excellent 65W fast charging pad in the box and some unique features like the control alert slider and ad-free interface. You won’t go wrong with either phone, so be sure to choose the one that best suits your preferences.
Left: OnePlus 9. Right: Samsung Galaxy S21.