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There was a time when the OnePlus line of phones were easy to understand, but as the brand has grown so have its offerings. Now when you plan to buy a OnePlus device, you have to contend with numbers, letters and descriptors, sometimes at the same time (the OnePlus 7T Pro is a phone that exists). But what does all of this mean, and ultimately, which phone should you buy? Let’s get into it.
The Snapdragon 888 controversy
Before we go too far here, we need to address the controversy that has been unfolding around OnePlus in recent weeks.
In early July, OnePlus was caught intentionally limiting the performance of hundreds of popular apps on the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro. The company was quick to admit and even defend the practice, claiming that the Snapdragon 888 chipset that both devices run on is “overkill in certain scenarios” and that the performance of its throttling app is intended to improve battery life. . He also said his “test team makes sure that the actual user experience is not negatively affected” when choosing which apps to limit and to what extent.
This could very well be true; The Snapdragon 888 is blazingly fast by Android 2021 standards, but it’s also a known battery hog and tends to generate a lot of heat under load. I can’t say if OnePlus’ power management is the perfect fit, but it’s not hard to see why people are upset: the OnePlus 9 Pro costs over a thousand dollars, apparently in large part because ‘he’s so powerful. For the company to scramble phones with the most expensive parts possible and then surreptitiously limit the top speed those parts allow (#neversettle) is not cool.
If this is too much of a red flag for you, we certainly won’t judge. Maybe opt for a Samsung phone instead. Otherwise, read on to see our top OnePlus picks.
Premium: $ 700 and more
OnePlus has made a name for itself with surprisingly competent mid-range phones, but its high-end offerings have gotten more expensive over the years – to the point that you don’t save a lot of money buying a top OnePlus phone. range on a Galaxy device or even an iPhone. Yet, as they got more expensive, they got better (for the most part, anyway) as well.
OnePlus 9 Pro
The OnePlus 9 Pro is OnePlus’ premium flagship, but our relationship with the phone is a bit complicated.
On the one hand, this is very solid hardware: the 120Hz display in particular is exceptional, and the camera performance is some of the best that OnePlus has put together so far (although a little inconsistent). The company has also promised three years of software updates and four years of security, with the best of them on Android. It will remain fully up to date until spring 2024 and secure until the same time 2025.
But there is also the controversy that we mentioned above. Sure, the phone has a Snapdragon 888 and 12 gigabytes of RAM – but will you see the full benefit of all that punch with OnePlus? optimizations? As long as you’re ok with that compromise, it’s a great phone. It’ll set you back $ 1,069 at full price.
Where to buy the OnePlus 9 Pro:
Oneplus 9
The OnePlus 9 is OnePlus’ non-Pro flagship this year. This means that there are downgrades including the lack of a telephoto lens, slower wireless charging, and no official water resistance rating in operator-unlocked models – albeit given that the version sold by T-Mobile. is rated, it’s a safe bet that all models are sealed inside. It also has “only” eight GB of RAM, but it’s considerably more affordable than the 9 Pro at an MSRP of $ 730.
It has the same update commitment as the OnePlus 9 Pro, but also the same performance limitation issue of the Snapdragon 888. But then again, if you don’t mind, it’s still a great phone – and better value for money than the Pro for many buyers. Read our full review here.
Where to buy the OnePlus 9:
Mid-range: $ 300 to $ 600
Formerly the whole wheelhouse of OnePlus, the mid-range market seems to be less of a priority for the company lately – there’s a huge increase in the price of a cheap OnePlus phone to an expensive phone, with little in between. both. Still, if you’ve got a little extra cash to deposit on a phone but not $ 700 or more, there are some solid choices here.
OnePlus 8T
In our review, we called the OnePlus 8T one of the best phones of the past year – and we back it. At a regular price of $ 599 (down from its launch MSRP of $ 749), it offers excellent build quality and a fantastic 120Hz display, and it pulls a lot of speed out of its Snapdragon 865 and 12 GB of RAM. However, the camera’s performance isn’t in the same league as OP’s more expensive phones (not to mention competition from Google, Samsung, and Apple), and it doesn’t have wireless charging.
Where to buy the OnePlus 8T:
OnePlus Nord N10 5G
OnePlus’ Nord devices channel classic OP energy: they’re surprisingly competent phones with surprisingly low price tags. At $ 299, the N10 5G sits at the upper end of the North range.
For your $ 300, you’ll get real all-day battery life (seven or more hours on a charge, in Ryne’s experience), a perfectly decent 90Hz LCD display, and sufficient performance (with 5G!) Thanks to the Snapdragon 690. chip inside. Security updates are also guaranteed until January 2024. Build quality is down from the 8T however, and camera performance is not great. The N10 also lacks the OnePlus brand alert slider.
At that price, you might consider saving an additional $ 50 to get a Pixel 4a or similar – but if you have a strict $ 300 set aside for a OnePlus phone, the Nord N10 is a good choice.
Where to buy the OnePlus Nord N10 5G:
Budget: From $ 180
While it is true that OnePlus’ best phones have gotten more expensive compared to the competition, the company has also started to introduce more budget options in recent times.
OnePlus Nord N200 5G
The Nord N200 5G is one of the cheapest 5G phones on the market at $ 240. Technically, it’s just a 5G phone on T-Mobile and Google Fi, which should give users from other carriers a break. But it’s still a fully functioning 4G device on AT&T or Verizon.
Its display is an unexpected highlight: despite the phone’s relatively low MSRP, it has an LCD screen that is both 1080p and 90Hz. The build quality is also very good compared to other phones in this segment. You won’t think you’re using something that costs two or three times as much, but it’s nicer than its price suggests by a hefty margin.
Of course, at a price like this, no phone is perfect. Like other Nord phones, there is no OnePlus alert slider, and the N200 does not support the Enterprise Warp Charge bonkers, which means that charging will take longer than most. OP phones. For our full thoughts, check out Ryan’s review.
Where to buy the OnePlus Nord N200 5G:
OnePlus Nord N100
The Nord N100 is the only device on this list that AP has no direct experience with, but at $ 180 it seems like a steal. It’s a fairly standard low-cost Android phone, with a Snapdragon 460 chipset and four GB of RAM. The display is 720p, but it’s 90Hz, which is unprecedented for such a cheap device. It also has a powerful 5,000 milliampere-hour battery which, thanks to the aforementioned low-wattage parts, should last forever.
Being as cheap as it gets, this phone certainly won’t take stellar photos or get years and years of software support. But if you just need a phone for a year or two and have around $ 200 to spend, you could definitely do worse.
Where to buy the OnePlus Nord N100:
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