OnePlus 9 Pro test: the Hasselblad mention does not do everything in photography

Last March, OnePlus unveiled two new high-end smartphones, the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. The latter relies on interesting features, starting with a photo block designed in partnership with Hasselblad. Thus adorned, it simply aims to compete with the best models on the market. What about on the ground? Does the alliance with Hasselblad really lead to a substantial improvement in image quality? To answer it, we used it as our main phone for almost a month. Here is our complete test of the OnePlus 9 Pro.

Buy the OnePlus 9 Pro

OnePlus 9 Pro: like a serious upgrade

Launched just 8 years ago, the OnePlus brand quickly became famous in the “flagship killer” segment. The goal: to offer smartphones with an ultra-complete technical sheet, but sold at prices much lower than those of high-end terminals.

But today, the brand is seeking to go beyond this paradigm, and to enter the highly prized segment of high-end terminals. To do this, OnePlus did not hesitate to offer the services of Hasselblad, a big name in European photography – recently passed under the Chinese flag since its acquisition by DJI in 2017.

With this new terminal, OnePlus' ambitions are clear: definitively get out of the role of outsider and compete head-on with Samsung's terminals, among others. With the difficulties encountered by Huawei, the various Chinese brands are no longer hiding their ambitions, and are doing everything to win the hearts (and wallets) of European consumers.

Giant 6.7-inch screen, super-powerful Snapdragon 888 processor, photo part designed in partnership with Hasselblad, 48 and 50 Mpx photo sensors... the OnePlus 9 Pro puts a number of arguments in the balance to become one of the best photophones of this first half of 2021.

After a first satisfactory grip last March, does the OnePlus 9 Pro live up to our expectations? This is what we will see together during this test.

Here are the full specs of the OnePlus 9 Pro:

Display: AMOLED, 6.7 inches

Definition: 1440 x 3216 pixels

Back photo sensors:

48 MP (1/1.43 inch), 23 mm wide-angle, f/1.8, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS

50 MP (1/1.56 inch), 14 mm ultra-wide angle, f/2.2

8MP, 77mm telephoto, f/2.4, PDAF, OIS

2 MP, f/2.4 (monochrome)

Front camera: 16 MP (1/3.06 inch), 26 mm, f/2.4

Video: 8K (30 fps), 4K (up to 120 fps), FHD (up to 240 fps),

OS: Android 11, OxygenOS 11 overlay

Processor: Snapdragon 888

RAM: 8 or 12 GB

Battery: 4500mAh

Storage: 128 or 256 GB

Dimensions: 73.6 x 163.2 x 8.7mm

Weight: 197g

Price: from €919

The OnePlus 9 Pro with a shell that imitates a carbon rendering

OnePlus 9 Pro: minimalist design and giant screen

Let's start this test with something obvious: the OnePlus 9 Pro is... very big. Equipped with a 6.7-inch screen, it can in no way pass for a compact smartphone. Count 16.3 cm high, 7.4 cm wide and 8.7 mm thick. Dimensions very similar to those of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, to within a few millimeters. But unlike the Samsung, the OnePlus 9 Pro manages to stay below the 200 g mark, with “only” 197 grams.

The screen, let's talk about it: the latter is a nice surprise. Due to its large size (6.7''), it should delight those who like to read long articles or watch videos. The AMOLED panel offers very good color and contrast reproduction. Very bright, it offers good readability in direct sunlight.

Set by default to the "Vivid" mode, the color calibration has an "Advanced" mode, which allows you to select the sRGB or Display P3 mode for greater color fidelity. To appeal to all users (including lovers of saturated colors), OnePlus offers a host of options to adjust the intensity of colors.

Still on the subject of the screen, let's mention its definition of 1440 x 3216 pixels. It's (very very) a lot, but is it absolutely necessary? On mobile, Netflix limits the display of our films and series to Full HD (1080p)!

Let's also mention the small punch, located in the upper corner of the screen. It comes to house the front camera. Like almost all terminals on the market (with the notable exception of the iPhone), OnePlus ignores the “famous” notch … but also secure facial recognition, too bad. In this regard, let's also mention the fingerprint reader, located under the screen. The latter is sufficiently fast for our taste, but it is placed too low on the device.

With its high format, the device offers a very good grip. Inevitably, one-handed use is not the easiest. Especially since OnePlus has not included a dedicated mode, which is a shame. In some cases, the device can also protrude from the pockets of certain jeans: be careful when riding a bicycle, for example.

In general, the terminal offers a design with fairly soft and minimalist lines. On the right side of the device, there is the "traditional" small switch, which allows you to quickly choose the "vibrate" or "silent" mode without having to use the screen. At the bottom of the terminal, the USB type C port takes place, as well as a single speaker. Alas, no jack plug, missing from OnePlus since the second half of 2018.

Note also that the edges of the screen of the OnePlus 9 Pro are slightly curved – unlike the “classic” OnePlus 9 whose edges are completely flat. Like the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, this curvature is very discreet. Like the latest flagship OnePlus 9 Pro also inherits adaptive refresh technology. In practice, the frequency of the screen adapts automatically according to use (from 1 to 120 Hz) in order to save energy.

The back of the device is rather sober. The device is available in three colors: gray (morning mist), pine green (pine green) and black (stellar black). Very shiny, the back side is ultra-sensitive to fingerprints. Finally, the optical block takes place in the upper right corner, and seems simply placed on the rear face. Too bad the OnePlus designers couldn't make it a little more aesthetic...

OnePlus 9 Pro: fruit of the new partnership with Hasselblad

Before discussing the quality of the photos and videos of the OnePlus 9 Pro, let's go back to the new partnership signed in early March 2021 between OnePlus and Hasselblad.

This 3-year partnership is very reminiscent of the alliance between Huawei and Leica, or more recently that between Vivo and Zeiss. In addition, OnePlus must invest no less than 150 million dollars for the development of the photo modules of its smartphones.

First sign of this partnership: the mention "Hasselblad", which takes place at the bottom of the photo block on the back of the smartphone. As indicated above, the Swedish Hasselblad has been under the Chinese flag since 2017 and its takeover by DJI. Concretely, the Shenzhen giant's objective is to open up Hasselblad's technologies to other high-tech players, in order to derive a significant financial windfall. A fairly common practice, known as licensing.

In fact, this new partnership must materialize at the level of the optics of the device, but also of the restitution of the colors. Finally, a “Hasselblad Pro” mode appears in the shooting interface, which has been revised for the occasion. We will have the opportunity to return to this point during our test.

The OnePlus 9 Pro is adorned with 4 optics on the back, in order to offer a complete experience. At the helm is the Sony IMX689 sensor – derived from the IMX686 – and which we had already come across on its predecessor the OnePlus 8. This large sensor (1/1.43 inch type) has 48 Mpx. It uses pixel binning to produce final 12MP shots. It is surmounted by a 23 mm lens and opening at f / 1.8.

Unlike many other smartphones, on which the so-called "secondary" optics are under-equipped, the OnePlus 9 Pro incorporates a 50 Mpx sensor for the ultra wide-angle. It therefore has the luxury of being more defined than the main sensor! This sensor, a Sony IMX766, is of the 1/1.56 inch type. Certainly a little smaller than the main sensor, it is significantly larger than almost all the sensors dedicated to the ultra-wide-angle of competing models. Finally, note that this sensor is surmounted by a 14 mm optic composed of 7 lenses, opening at f / 2.2. This lens has "Freeform" lenses, which should minimize distortion.

On the telezoom side, the OnePlus 9 Pro is very shy and opts for a 77 mm lens. It therefore offers a x3.3 zoom compared to the main lens. This is quite a bit, especially compared to what some smartphones offer. We really regret that OnePlus ignores a long-range telephoto lens (135 mm, or even 240 mm). Exit the “periscope” zoom – unlike some high-end models like the recent Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

The x3.3 telezoom, which opens at f / 2.4, is powered by a sensor of only 8 Mpx – whose dimensions remain unknown.

Finally, the terminal embeds a 2 Mpx monochrome sensor. The latter must help the main sensor to increase the level of detail in the photos – and, of course, to produce better monochrome photos.

Image quality of the OnePlus 9 Pro

But on the ground, how does the OnePlus 9 Pro behave? This is what we will now see together. As usual, do not hesitate to click on the photos to see them in better quality.

The interface offered by OnePlus – and revisited for the new partnership with Hasselblad – is clear and pleasant to use. We obviously note the bright orange color of the trigger – we like it or not. The different shooting modes are arranged by tabs. To view them more easily, just drag their name upwards: a maneuver that we discovered by chance.

As mentioned above, the terminal offers a focal range from 14 to 77 mm. Versatility certainly appreciable, but which turns out to be much lower than what some models of the competition offer.

In the field, the OnePlus 9 Pro is capable of generating very beautiful daytime photos. The HDR mechanism sometimes lacks subtlety, with a high level of contrast. Similarly, when the subject has bright colors, the smartphone algorithms sometimes have a bit of a heavy hand. Blue and yellow tones are particularly concerned.

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/3501s, ISO 125

The unblocking of shadows is sometimes quite pronounced, especially on cloudy skies. These take on a very “dramatic” aspect, certainly pleasant for Instagram, but lacking a tad of realism.

Find below a selection of vernacular photographs captured with the main sensor of the OnePlus 9 Pro:

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/21969s, ISO 250

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/97s, ISO 400

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/15s, ISO 2500

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/58s, ISO 2500

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/459s, ISO100

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/268s, ISO100

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/186s, ISO 125

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/100s, ISO100

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/3501s, ISO 125

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/391s, ISO100

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/1208s, ISO 125

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/4992s, ISO 125

On the autofocus side, the main sensor of the OnePlus 9 Pro does well. Focusing is achieved instantly, and the camera shoots without delay. For its part, the ultra wide-angle 14 mm is also very satisfactory. Thanks to its “freeform” lenses, distortions are fairly contained, which should delight architecture enthusiasts. Even so, in the most extreme cases (and with subjects placed at a distance), distortions are fairly unavoidable. Thus, deformations appear on the objects located at the edges of the image. A fairly consistent phenomenon, and ultimately quite predictable.

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/104s, ISO100

In the field, the ultra wide-angle is on par with the main lens in terms of color and detail reproduction. A very good point for this terminal. Similarly, the level of detail in the angles is much higher than what the competition offers. We are therefore pleasantly surprised by this ultra wide-angle, which we really enjoy using on a daily basis.

OnePlus 9 Pro, Ultra wide-angle 14mm, f/2.2, 1/2492s, ISO 125

Find below a gallery of architectural photos captured with the ultra wide-angle lens of the OnePlus 9 Pro:

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/1536s, ISO 250

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/792s, ISO 125

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/151s, ISO 200

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/1536s, ISO 250

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/155s, ISO 200

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm ultra-wide angle, f/2.2, 1/2567s, ISO 125

OnePlus 9 Pro, Ultra wide-angle 14mm, f/2.2, 1/4029s, ISO 250

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm ultra-wide angle, f/2.2, 1/1967s, ISO 125

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/100s, ISO 200

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/2354s, ISO100

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/1508s, 125USO

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/344s, ISO100

The monochrome sensor, meanwhile, provides additional information to the two main sensors. What is surprising is that the capture of black and white images is not the subject of a dedicated mode: you have to get it by scrolling through the (long) list of filters.

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, ISO 400

And the telephoto lens, in all this? Well, it turns out... quite disappointing, much to our regret. How we would have liked OnePlus to integrate the same sensor for the telezoom as for the ultra wide-angle! Alas, the OnePlus 9 Pro has to make do with a very small sensor. Thus, the lens is really small on the back of the smartphone, when compared to the 2 “main” sensors.

Beyond its focal length, which is nothing exceptional (77 mm equivalent), we note above all the level of detail which is clearly set back compared to the other 2 lenses. To compensate, the device accentuates the microcontrasts, which can give images with a rather artificial rendering. It is also very sensitive to rolling shutter: impractical if you like to follow the movement of your subject. Worse, the color rendering is different from that of the other 2 lenses. The yellows often tend towards orange.

Rolling shutter – OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/288s, ISO 100

Find below a gallery of images captured with the OnePlus 9 Pro's x3.3 telephoto lens:

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/2932s, ISO100

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/218s, ISO100

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/56s, ISO100

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/313s, ISO 200

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/50s, ISO 160

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/753s, ISO100

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/100s, ISO100

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/889s, ISO100

OnePlus 9 Pro, 76mm, f/2.4, 1/117s, ISO100

Similarly, the autofocus is set back on the telephoto lens: where the 2 “main” sensors are very fast, that of the telephoto lens is slower, and sometimes delivers photos where the focus is imperfect.

It is unclear ! – OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/229s, ISO 125

Clearly, this telephoto lens is a real disappointment. We feel that the rendering optimization work has clearly been focused on the standard wide-angle and the ultra wide-angle: why has the telephoto lens been left out in this way? Why does it ignore the most distant focal lengths, forcing too often to use digital zoom? For a smartphone wishing to compete with the most premium models, these points are unfortunate.

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/41s, ISO 250

Like competing devices, the OnePlus 9 Pro has a Portrait mode. The latter is capable of capturing beautiful images. To quibble, we only regret a background blur that is a little too pronounced for our taste, and a sometimes quite artificial smoothing of the subject – a feature common to many Chinese smartphones, even if some do much worse in this area. To obtain a more natural rendering, we prefer the “classic” photo mode. Note that Portrait mode automatically applies a x2 zoom – which can be deactivated to vary the framing.

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/958s, ISO100

OnePlus 9 Pro, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/1641s, ISO 125

Like some of its competitors with very defined sensors, the OnePlus 9 Pro offers a "high resolution" mode. It makes it possible to exploit all the pixels of the main sensor (48 Mpx) and of the UGA sensor (50 Mpx). Enough to get ultra-detailed photos, says the manufacturer. Problem: the restitution of details is much worse than in “normal” mode. Similarly, the images are very noisy and have a lot of parasitic artifacts.

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/3065s, ISO 125

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/3065s, ISO 125

OnePlus 9 Pro, 26mm, f/1.9, 1/4568s, ISO 125

OnePlus 9 Pro, 26mm, f/1.9, 1/5066s, ISO 125

Finally, let's mention the new Tilt Shift mode. As the name suggests, it aims to mimic the look you might get with tilt-and-shift optics. The goal: to produce photos reminiscent of models rich in detail. In fact, the device is content to apply a blur effect at the top and bottom of the image. The net area is tiltable and resizable. Only here: in practice, this mode is quite limited, and the effect very artificial. A long telephoto zoom would have been much more useful...

OnePlus 9 Pro, tilt shift mode, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/1027s, ISO 125

Hasselblad Pro mode

Main argument of the OnePlus 9 Pro, the Hasselblad Pro mode must come to transcend the photo on smartphone. In particular, it promises greater color fidelity, in order to provide a “healthy” basis for photo editing. Images can also be captured in 12-bit RAW for greater post-processing adjustment latitude.

Another sign of the partnership between OnePlus and Hasselblad: the sound of the shutter is supposed to imitate the traditional “click-clack” of the Swedish manufacturer’s photo boxes. In the field, the shutter emits a really cheap and unpleasant sound, which can be deactivated by switching the phone to vibrate mode (and fortunately).

On the ground, this mode is indeed very attractive. By removing the artifices of HDR, the OnePlus 9 Pro allows you to capture images that are pleasing to the eye, and which can be easily post-processed with your favorite photo editing software. Thus, the colors are more accurate (even if the white balance is a little yellow), the contrasts less pronounced, the details better restored – so many points that we can only salute. Once passed through the grinder of our favorite software, the images reveal their full potential, and are of excellent quality.

Lone man walkin' – OnePlus 9 Pro, Hasseblad Pro mode – Raw 12 bit – 23mm, f/1.9, 1/1250s, ISO 100

Mystic sunset – OnePlus 9 Pro, Hasseblad Pro mode – Raw 12 bit – 23 mm, f/1.9, 1/700s, ISO 100

The only concern is that the app tends to systematically overexpose photos when the settings are set to Auto mode (equivalent to P mode on your camera body). The camera seems to measure exposure in dark areas – something that cannot be manually changed. In fact, we often found ourselves with photos with a "burnt" sky, impossible to catch up with in our post-processing software. A shame for photos captured in Raw...

No doubt, it's burnt – OnePlus 9 Pro, Hasseblad Pro mode – Raw 12 bit – 23 mm, f/1.9, 1/100s, ISO 125

Conversely, the app can recover a large amount of information in dark areas, and fortunately. In fact, you will have to think about underexposing your images captured in Raw with the OnePlus 9 Pro.

By under-exposing the image manually, the image is perfectly usable and we can recover a good amount of data in the dark areas. OnePlus 9 Pro, Hasseblad Pro mode – Raw 12 bit – 23mm, f/1.9, 1/710s, ISO 100

The trouble is that this "Hasselblad Pro" mode is served by an interface... questionable, again. Very classic in appearance, it does not revolutionize the genre. Like many other manufacturers, this advanced mode allows you to regain control of the various shooting parameters: shutter speed, focusing distance, white balance, ISO sensitivity, etc.

However, the settings are sometimes quite complicated. The exposure compensation slider, for example, is difficult to fine-tune because touch scrolling is too fast. When we try to reduce exposure by 1/3 of a stop, we find ourselves all too often lowering it by 2 stops all at once.

In short, this Pro mode leaves us with a taste of unfinished business. Yes, this new mode is very interesting for the images it allows to capture. But it's a shame that the interface is not at the level of competing applications in terms of usability. And what a pity that this mode is only available with the main sensor, and not with the ultra wide-angle!

Quality of night images with the OnePlus 9 Pro

Traditionally, night photography has always been the Achilles heel of smartphones, due to the small size of their photo sensors. But in recent years, manufacturers have been competing in ingenuity to find software solutions to optimize the rendering of night shots.

In practice, the OnePlus 9 Pro is a good student... even if the results are quite uneven, again. With the main sensor and the ultra wide-angle, you can easily get good capture photos. However, four problems quickly arise.

On the one hand, you have to wait 1 to 3 seconds after each photo, the time that the device can process the images. And during this time, impossible to trigger to capture another image. A defect that quickly becomes frustrating, especially since it is not found on competing models.

On the other hand, the ultra-wide-angle fails to capture the same amount of light as the “standard” wide-angle. On the darkest scenes, the main lens is able to render the scene well – with or without Night mode. On the other hand, the ultra wide-angle is struggling and delivers underexposed shots. A point that we had already seen on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, that said.

23mm wide-angle

14mm ultra-wide angle

23mm wide-angle

14mm ultra-wide angle

In addition, the dedicated Night mode offers contrasting results. Indeed, the unclogging of the shadows is often too pronounced.

OnePlus 9 Pro, Night Mode, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/10s, ISO 2000

But the real concern is that the level of detail is not higher with the Night mode than with the normal photo mode. By zooming in, you quickly realize that the details are blurred – both with standard optics and with ultra wide-angle.

OnePlus 9 Pro, Night Mode, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/11s, ISO 2000

OnePlus 9 Pro, Night Mode, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/10s, ISO 2000

OnePlus 9 Pro, Night Mode, 23mm, f/1.9, 1/25s, ISO 1000

OnePlus 9 Pro, 14mm, f/2.2, 1/11s, ISO 1600

Finally, the night images delivered by the telephoto lens are frankly indigestible. Already set back in broad daylight, the sensor delivers night photos well below our expectations, with a big drop in detail and very pronounced smoothing. Result: images unworthy of a 2021 smartphone.

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/14s, ISO 2000

Note that the Night mode is not available with the telezoom: another technical decision that we are struggling to understand – but which is certainly linked to the very small size of the sensor.

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/20s, ISO 1000

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/14s, ISO 2500

OnePlus 9 Pro, 77mm, f/2.4, 1/17s, ISO 2000

8K video at 30 fps and 4K at 60 fps: the OnePlus 9, king of video?

In video, the OnePlus 9 stands out from its predecessors by being able to shoot in 8K at 30 fps. In doing so, it is on par with the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, which also allows you to shoot very high resolution images. However, the OnePlus 9 Pro spoils its politeness by allowing filming in 8K both with the main sensor … and with the ultra wide-angle. Of course, the OnePlus 9 Pro also allows you to shoot in 4K at 60 fps.

In practice, the images captured in video have the same qualities and the same defects as in photo. Thus, we find the quite pronounced HDR rendering, with very expressive skies, very pronounced contrasts and colors that are sometimes a little too bright. However, we appreciate the fact of being able to switch from one sensor to another during the video – something impossible on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, for example. Still, 4K video recording is limited to 5 minutes – quite an odd limitation considering the optics and processor used.

On the stabilization side, the OnePlus 9 Pro is an excellent student. At the cost of a very significant cropping (which it is not possible to deactivate, by the way), the device manages to effectively eliminate the tremors and movements of its owner. In short, the stabilization is very satisfactory, and illustrates the progress made by smartphones in recent years.

Only here: in video, the OnePlus 9 Pro offers a rather limited zoom, and only allows a x2 zoom. After investigation, it turns out that the OnePlus 9... does not film with the telephoto lens. In reality, it relies exclusively on the sensors of the ultra wide-angle and the main optics, and completely ignores that of the telephoto lens. In fact, this x2 zoom is based on the use of a digital zoom, which greatly degrades the image quality. A strange technical decision... and very questionable, especially on a high-end smartphone.

OnePlus also relies heavily on 8K video at 30 fps. Unfortunately, we are facing a problem playing 8K video files on a medium other than the smartphone. Once the files are transferred to a computer, they are simply unusable. On the other hand, they remain perfectly readable on the device and can be exported to YouTube without worry.

Is this bug related to the latest firmware version? We have contacted OnePlus, and very much hope that this major problem will be fixed quickly. Because it is a shame that 8K, touted by OnePlus as one of the main selling points of this model, is not fully operational.

The OnePlus 9 Pro also allows you to film in 4K at 120 fps. This mode makes it possible to obtain images with a slow motion x4. On the other hand, you will have to go through a third-party application (or your favorite editing software) to slow down the video. Indeed, the videos are played at normal speed (x1) by the smartphone. Odd. However, we appreciate filming images in slow motion in 4K, a fact rare enough to be underlined.

However, there is a “real” slow motion video mode. The latter allows you to shoot in Full HD (1080p) at 240 fps, and in 720p at 480 fps. Enough to produce extremely pronounced slow motion... despite an inevitable drop in detail in 720p. However, these 2 modes are pleasant to use and deliver interesting results.

Finally, a word on the general fluidity of the videos. At the beginning of our tests, the device sometimes delivered quite choppy sequences – probably due to not quite finalized firmware. During our test, the device received numerous updates, all aimed at increasing the quality of the device's images. If video bugs have largely diminished, they now seem to have been corrected – except in 8K.

OnePlus 9 Pro performance and interface

The OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are based on the same technical basis, and use a latest generation Snapdragon 888 chip. It aims to offer (very) high-end performance, but must also succeed in saving the battery. It is accompanied by 8 or 12 GB of RAM depending on the version.

At the helm, we find Android 11 (the latest version of Google's OS), accompanied by the in-house interface Oxygen OS 11. On a daily basis, the OnePlus 9 Pro shows impeccable fluidity. Thanks to the various updates, there are no slowdowns and transitions between applications are perfectly managed – even when the phone is performing a lot of resource-intensive tasks.

The OnePlus interface is very close to "bare" Android (without overlay, like on the Google Pixel). However, the manufacturer adds a large number of additional features, and makes it very easy to customize your phone. A black point, however: despite the size of the phone, there is no “one-handed mode”, as on Samsung terminals for example.

On the other hand, on the storage side, OnePlus could have been a little more generous. The internal memory goes up to 256 GB. Problem: the terminal ignores the micro-SD slot – a tradition at OnePlus, that said. This point could put off some buyers – especially those with many files (photos, videos, music, etc.) on a micro SD card and who would like to transfer them to their new smartphone in the blink of an eye.

On the gaming side, the OnePlus 9 Pro comes out with the laurels. Excellente console de jeux, l'appareil fait tourner les jeux les plus gourmands sans la moindre difficulté, même avec les graphismes poussés au maximum. Notons aussi que la montée en température est particulièrement bien maîtrisée. Même après une demi-heure de jeux, l'appareil chauffe extrêmement peu.

Du côté du son, les haut-parleurs sont de bonne facture : une fois l'appareil à l'horizontale, l'image stéréo est équilibrée, et le son n'est pas (trop) métallique. En revanche, petit regret quant à la prise jack 3,5 mm, hélas portée disparue.

Quelle autonomie pour le OnePlus 9 Pro ?

Avec sa batterie de 4500 mAh, le OnePlus 9 Pro devrait offrir une autonomie très confortable. Malheureusement, les choses sont un peu différentes sur le terrain. L'autonomie du OnePlus 9 Pro n'est pas mauvaise... mais nous nous attendions à mieux. En utilisation « mixte » (photo, vidéo, jeux, navigation Internet, réseaux sociaux), le OnePlus 9 Pro peine à durer 1 jour et demi. Trop souvent, nous avons dû recharger le téléphone à la fin de la journée. Il fait moins bien que le Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, alors qu'ils reposent sur une base technique similaire et qu'ils utilisent la même technologie d'écran « adaptative ».

Si le OnePlus 9 Pro se décharge assez vite, du côté de la recharge, en revanche, les choses sont nettement plus brillantes. Grâce à la technologie WarpCharge 65W, le téléphone passe de 3 à 50 % en moins d'un quart d'heure. La recharge complète s'effectue en 35 minutes environ. Une performance record, que nous ne manquerons pas de saluer.

Et contrairement à Apple ou Samsung, OnePlus continue de fournir le câble USB et le bloc secteur avec ses smartphones. Mieux encore : la puissance offerte par ce chargeur est suffisante pour alimenter et même charger un MacBook Pro 15 pouces en USB-C !

Le OnePlus 9 Pro dispose aussi de la recharge sans fil réversible (standard Qi). Par ailleurs, la version « Pro » se différencie en disposant de la technologie Warp Charge 50 Wireless (50W). Particulièrement rapide, elle permet de recharger l'appareil en 3/4h environ.

Pour limiter la surchauffe, le chargeur sans-fil de OnePlus se dote d'un petit ventilateur. Et c'est ne pas de trop, car le téléphone chauffe beaucoup lors de la charge sans-fil. Ce dernier émet un bruit similaire à celui d'un ordinateur portable – ce qui, dans une pièce calme, peut devenir agaçant. Heureusement, la marque prévoit un « mode nuit » qui diminue la puissance de la charge et désactive le ventilateur susmentionné.

À qui s'adresse le OnePlus 9 Pro ?

Traditionnellement, les smartphones de OnePlus ciblent les technophiles et, plus spécifiquement, celles et ceux qui recherchent un niveau de performances sans compromis.

De ce point de vue, promesse tenue. Si vous regardez beaucoup de vidéos, si vous jouez souvent à des jeux ou si vous aimez lire de longs articles, le OnePlus 9 saura vous séduire sans difficulté, grâce à son (très) grand écran AMOLED de 6,7 pouces. D'autant que le smartphone offre une grosse réserve de puissance : il pourra donc endurer les usages les plus intensifs.

Côté photo, le OnePlus 9 Pro pourra satisfaire celles et ceux voulant capturer de belles images avec le grand-angle et l'ultra grand-angle, avec des couleurs riches et une très bonne gestion des distorsions. Ce modèle conviendra aussi très bien à celles et ceux qui capturent beaucoup de vidéos. Capable de filmer en 8K, le terminal se distingue surtout par sa stabilisation très efficace.

In fine, en termes de performances pures, le OnePlus 9 Pro est un excellent smartphone. En photo/vidéo, en revanche, il doit affronter une concurrence très affutée, incarnée notamment par le Google Pixel 5 ou le Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Le OnePlus 9 Pro face à la concurrence

De par son positionnement haut de gamme et ses grandes ambitions côté photo, le OnePlus 9 Pro entre en concurrence avec les meilleurs smartphones du marché.

Ainsi, impossible de ne pas évoquer le Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra. Véritable porte-étendard du constructeur sud-coréen, il s'avère ultra-complet. Les deux terminaux partagent d'ailleurs quelques similarités : tous deux utilisent la même technologie d'écran dite « adaptative », et tous deux disposent d'un processeur gravé en 5 nm.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

Néanmoins, le Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra conserve une longueur d'avance par rapport au OnePlus 9 Pro. Avec sa plage focale allant de 13 à 240 mm (hors zoom numérique), le Samsung se montre beaucoup plus polyvalent. On apprécie notamment ses 2 télézooms x3 et x10, qui permettent de capturer les sujets les plus lointains.

Certes vendu plus cher, le Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra est l'un des meilleurs smartphones du moment. Il est disponible à partir de 1259 €.

Dans la même veine, impossible de passer à côté de l'iPhone 12 Pro Max. Le modèle le plus haut de gamme d'Apple offre un niveau de prestations de très haute volée, notamment en photo et en vidéo.

iPhone 12 Pro Max

Il possède en effet à un triple module dorsal de très bonne qualité – y compris au niveau du télézoom. À ce titre, notons que le capteur principal est stabilisé sur 5 axes, afin de livrer des vidéos ultra-stables – et avec un rognage moins prononcé que sur le OnePlus 9 Pro. Disponible lui aussi à partir de 1259 €, il se situe un cran au-dessus du smartphone de OnePlus.

Cependant, le OnePlus 9 peut incarner une alternative intéressante à l'iPhone 12. Si le télézoom ne vous est pas indispensable, ce modèle pourra pleinement vous satisfaire. D'autant plus qu'il est disponible à partir de 899 €.

Enfin, mentionnons le Google Pixel 5. Il permet de capturer de photos et vidéos de très bonne qualité en toute circonstance, de jour comme de nuit, grâce à la profusion d'algorithmes de Google. Pour pallier l'absence de téléobjectif, le Pixel 5 utilise d'ailleurs un zoom « algorithmique », qui offre un très bon rendu – et même meilleur que le « petit » téléobjectif du OnePlus 9 Pro.

Google Pixel 5

Léger, compact et très agréable à utiliser au quotidien, le Google Pixel 5 plaira indubitablement à celles et ceux qui n'ont pas envie d'avoir un pavé dans la poche. Disponible à 629 €, il offre l'un des meilleurs rapports qualité-prix, toutes catégories confondues.

OnePlus 9 Pro : un smartphone tout en contrastes

Au terme de ce test, le OnePlus 9 nous laisse une impression... contrastée. Il possède en effet de nombreuses qualités – mais aussi plusieurs défauts difficiles à omettre.

Au rayon des qualités, mentionnons la qualité de l'écran AMOLED, qui offre une excellente lisibilité. En termes de performances brutes, le OnePlus 9 Pro est capable d'endurer les usages les plus gourmands sans flancher. On aime aussi beaucoup sa recharge (très) rapide, avec ou sans fil. De ce point de vue, le OnePlus 9 Pro est très satisfaisant.

Seulement voilà : tout n'est pas encore parfait dans le royaume du OnePlus 9 Pro. Oui, l'optique « standard » et l'ultra grand-angle permettent de capturer de belles images, en photo comme en vidéo. De même, la lentille « freeform » de l'ultra grand-angle est efficace pour minimiser les distorsions. La stabilisation en vidéo est efficace. Enfin, la capture en Raw 12 bits avec le mode Pro permet d'obtenir une bonne base de travail en vue du post-traitement.

Mais plusieurs ombres viennent ternir ce tableau. Ainsi, l'appareil fait l'impasse sur les plus longues focales. Là où la concurrence offre un zoom x5 ou x10, le OnePlus 9 Pro se contente d'un « petit » zoom x3,3. Pire, le capteur de ce téléobjectif est nettement en retrait par rapport aux 2 autres capteurs principaux, tant en termes de qualité d'image qu'au niveau de l'autofocus. En vidéo, l'appareil se permet de faire l'impasse sur ce téléobjectif et offre seulement un zoom numérique x2 ! Enfin, l'autonomie s'avère trop juste, peinant à atteindre une journée et demie loin d'une prise secteur.

De fait, le OnePlus 9 Pro ne parvient pas à nous convaincre totalement, malgré d'évidentes qualités. Si le OnePlus 9 Pro est certainement le meilleur smartphone de OnePlus, il n'est, hélas, pas le meilleur modèle haut de gamme. Nous lui préférons donc des modèles comme le Google Pixel 5 – ou le Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, certes plus cher, mais autrement plus polyvalent.

Le OnePlus 9 Pro est disponible aux tarifs de 919 € (8 Go de RAM, 128 Go de stockage) et de 999 € (12 Go de RAM, 256 Go de stockage).

Acheter le OnePlus 9 Pro

OnePlus 9 Pro test: the Hasselblad mention does not do everything in photography

Très bel écran

Recharge filaire ultra-rapide

Grosse réserve de puissance sous le capot

Interface très fluide et agréable à utiliser

Très bonne qualité d'image en RAW 12 bits

Optique principale et ultra grand-angle de bonne facture

Qualité d'image en vidéo 4K

Stabilisation efficace en vidéo

Très bonne qualité audio en appel

5G-enabled

Plutôt léger compte tenu de sa taille (moins de 200 g)

Chargeur fourni

Des bugs !

Portée du téléobjectif limitée (zoom x3,3)

Téléobjectif en net retrait, et encore plus la nuit

Pas de vrai zoom en vidéo

Qualité moyenne des photos de nuit

Mode "Paysage nocturne" indisponible avec le téléobjectif

Interface du mode "Hasselblad Pro" manque de finitions

Clichés du mode Pro surexposés (avec réglages auto)

Impossible d'utiliser l'ultra grand-angle en mode Pro

Mode "tilt shift" assez gadget

Traitement HDR parfois un peu lourd

Autonomie un peu juste

Pas de mode à une main

Pas de port micro SD

(Pas de prise jack 3,5 mm)

7.9

Final note

Design

8

Ergonomie et prise en main

8.2

Features

8

Image quality

7.3