Budget flagships are still a big part of OnePlus’ identity, at least in markets like India, where the Nord 2 and 9R have consistently outsold the more premium OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro. Now, the OnePlus 9RT takes over as it attempts to fill in the gaps left by its predecessor. The new upper mid-range phone from OnePlus has a lot of great improvements to make it even more compelling. But it seems OnePlus is still struggling with the choices it made for OxygenOS, which will be a big factor when considering the OnePlus 9RT.
OnePlus 9RT
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There’s a lot to like about the OnePlus 9RT, especially at its affordable price. It’s certainly one of the best OnePlus phones to come out in a while, but the company’s complex software strategy is holding it back.
- Brand: OnePlus
- SOC: Snapdragon 888
- an offer: 6.62 inches OLED, 2400 x 1080, 120 Hz, Gorilla Glass 5
- ram: 8GB/12GB
- storage: 128GB/256GB
- battery: 4500 mAh, 65 W, wired, charger included
- Ports: USB 2.0 Type C
- Operating system: Android 11 with OxygenOS 11 operating system
- Front camera: 16 MP f/2.4
- Rear cameras: 50MP f/1.8 OIS 4k60 fps (main) + 16MP f/2.2 (ultrawide) + 2MP (macro)
- Contact: 5G (8 bands), Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
- Others: Stereo speakers, alert slider, in-display fingerprint scanner
- Dimensions: 162.2 x 74.6 x 8.29 mm
- colors: Silver and black
- weight: 198.5 grams
- price: Starting at INR 42,999 (~US$580)
- The build quality is top notch.
- Gorgeous 1080p 120Hz OLED display.
- Excellent performance with minimal heating.
- Ultra-fast charging with Warp Charge 65.
- Improved rear cameras.
- Battery management is a little less aggressive.
- It comes preloaded with Android 11, with no Android 12 update in sight.
- Oppo’s OxygenOS 11 release needs to fix some issues.
- The rear cameras suffer in low light.
- There are still no “premium” features like IP rating, wireless charging, and comfort tone.
Design, hardware and what’s in the box
Leave: OnePlus 9R, right: OnePlus 9RT.
The OnePlus 9RT looks much closer to the pricier 9 family than the 9R, largely due to its redesigned, two-tier rear camera bump. The matte black finish on the back has a shimmering effect and a nice smooth texture. It feels so good to the touch that you might be tempted to use the phone without a case. But that’s a risk because the back is made of glass (Gorilla Glass 5, specifically).
OnePlus used the same glass on the front to cover the 6.62-inch 1080p OLED display. It’s the same Samsung panel that the 9R uses, so you get the same excellent brightness, color accuracy, and 120Hz refresh rate (no variable rate here, unfortunately). However, the 9RT’s display shows signs of color shifting when viewed at a certain angle; It’s nothing major but still worth pointing out. On the plus side, the default color profile seems more balanced here, unlike older OnePlus phones which tend to have a warmer tone.
If there’s one feature that other brands should copy from OnePlus, it should be the alert slider. It’s very convenient to have a physical button to quickly put the phone on silent, without having to wake it up or even take it out of your pocket. The company has also improved the 9RT’s stereo speakers slightly, with a fuller sound and higher maximum volume, although the difference can only be seen when compared with the 9R side-by-side. You’ll also notice that the in-display fingerprint reader has been moved lower, closer to the chin. This may cause some discomfort for the first couple of days, but you will adjust to the new sensor position.
Leave: OnePlus 9R, right: OnePlus 9RT.
Inside the elongated bright red box, you’ll get the OnePlus 9RT and Warp Charge 65 charger (yes, it still comes with a charger), a USB-A to USB-C cable, some documents, and a matte black case.
Software, performance and battery life
OnePlus has had a tough time in the past few months. First, its decision to integrate OxygenOS into ColorOS was not warmly received. Recently, the OxygenOS 12 update pushed to the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro was so buggy that it had to be pulled. The 9RT ships with Android 11, with support up to Android 14 promised. It’s still a shame that a phone in this category launches with Android 11 – the same version that ran on the OnePlus 8T – but that’s not the worst part.
OnePlus’ software strategy is a mess right now, to say the least. There are two versions of OxygenOS 11 at the moment – the “native” one powered by 9R and the new Op-fied version that comes preloaded with Nord 2 and now 9RT. The latter is essentially a hybrid of the original OxygenOS and Oppo ColorOS, combining features and elements from both interfaces – unlike OxygenOS 12, which is essentially ColorOS but with a different name.
The OxygenOS 11 build on the OnePlus 9RT has picked up some design and app bits from ColorOS, like the camera app and revised phone settings that were borrowed from oppo. However, that doesn’t mean there’s a lot of bugs inherent in this OS — first-time OnePlus users won’t know what’s changed — but it’s long-time OnePlus fans who will be upset with the overall direction OxygenOS has taken.
During testing, I noticed the phone dropping a few frames here and there, even while using lightweight apps. The animations also sometimes look jerky and have now lost the finesse they had in 9R. For example, the brightness slider used to gently change the brightness level earlier, but now it’s an instant effect that looks unrefined.
The preloaded OS may still need some improvement, but one of the big improvements I noticed in this OxygenOS 11 release is that background app management is no longer as aggressive as it used to be. Apps like Synology Photos were able to run automatic backups in the background without having to open them in the foreground every couple of days. Although the more powerful power saving system kicks in when the battery level drops below 15%, sometimes it blocks apps from accessing the Internet. Fortunately, the processor isn’t controlled on a per-app basis this time around, as seen in the Speedometer 2.0 benchmark, although you do get a high-performance mode to boost CPU output further at the expense of battery life.
OnePlus has made up for these software issues by making some noticeable improvements to the phone’s performance. Powered by the Snapdragon 888 processor, the OnePlus 9RT now matches its more premium siblings and is more efficient at handling the heat. Even when charging some demanding games for over an hour, the internal temperature never exceeded 35°C (or 43°C with Genshin Impact running at 60fps), all thanks to the new, larger heatsink.
This is one of the reasons why OnePlus is targeting this phone at gamers. Another enticement is the 600Hz touch sampling rate (vs. 300Hz on the 9R) which you can enable while gaming for improved tactile feedback. The games I play don’t need these high polling rates, but I can imagine they would be useful during competitive gaming.
The entire battery system in the 9RT is carried over from the 9R. The 4,500 mAh battery lasted me all day with 6 hours of screen playback. This is done with AOD enabled and basic usage includes a bit of social media, emails, calls, messaging, video streaming and music. With games, the battery drains very quickly. After a 1.5-hour gaming session at the highest graphics settings, the battery dropped by more than 40%. But with the included 65W charger, you can charge the phone at super-fast speeds. As per the company’s claim, it takes less than 30 minutes for the phone to go from 10% to full.
Cameras
For the 9RT’s main camera, OnePlus has reused the 50MP Sony IMX 766 sensor from the Nord 2, giving the 9RT a nice boost in image quality. Images captured in daylight become sharper than the 9R and do not lose fine details even when zoomed in with the help of OIS. These photos also have noticeably more color accuracy, although you don’t get the OnePlus 9’s Hasselblad fine-tuning.
The primary camera also keeps most of the details indoors but produces muddy shots when it starts getting dark. Skin tones become more realistic when using Portrait mode versus the more saturated look of Normal mode. If you take full-sized 50-megapixel shots from the camera, you’ll end up with overly sharp images that don’t look as good as regular deleted photos. There’s also a high-resolution mode in the camera app that artificially ups the image resolution to 108 megapixels. I couldn’t find any physical use for this feature over the 50MP mode, except that these high-resolution shots are wider.
The 9RT gets a new 16MP ultra-wide camera that looks closer to the primary camera at a quick glance. But when you zoom in on the images, you’ll notice that detail isn’t preserved, and there’s a slight pink tint visible, especially on gray concrete surfaces. The same goes for its dynamic range, which is also not as good as the main camera.
Should you buy it?
probably. The OnePlus 9RT addressed many of our complaints about the 9R last year. From superior performance to better rear cameras, the 9RT checks off a lot of boxes, even for a phone that’s a few months late to the market. OnePlus also got the pricing right this time.
The main weakness holding it back is the software and the current direction of OxygenOS. The Android 12 update for the 9RT is still a few months away, and the rough state of Android 12 on the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro doesn’t generate much confidence.
If you’re willing to try out Xiaomi’s MIUI, you might consider the newly launched Mi 11T Pro instead. Not only does it cost less, it also offers a better 10-bit OLED display, a larger battery, and faster charging; Although you’ll still have to put up with Android 11. You can also take a look at the Galaxy S21 FE, which runs Android 12 out of the box, backed by Samsung’s stellar update history. However, the Indian version starts at INR 55,000 (~$740) and has an Exynos 2100 instead of the better Snapdragon chipset.
Buy it if…
- You play a lot of games and want to avoid overheating.
- Top notch camera quality is not a priority.
Don’t buy it if…
- Having the latest and consistent software experience is essential.
- You can spend more on a high-end phone from Samsung or Apple.
Buy OnePlus 9RT phone:
See at Amazon (IN) See at OnePlus Store (IN)
