iPhone 12 Pro vs OnePlus 9 Pro: Which Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the OnePlus 9 Pro offers a compelling package with faster charging and slightly better battery endurance. However, the iPhone 12 Pro’s seamless software experience and strong resale value make it a worthwhile choice for those deeply invested in the Apple ecosystem.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | Apple iPhone 12 Pro | OnePlus 9 Pro |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66, 71 - A2341 | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - EU |
| 5G bands | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79, 260, 261 Sub6/mmWave - A2341 | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA - EU |
| Speed | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 Sub6 - A2406 | 1, 3, 28, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - CN | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2020, October 13 | 2021, March 23 |
| Status | Available. Released 2020, October 23 | Available. Released 2021, March 30 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front, glass back, stainless steel frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.4 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.29 in) | 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7 mm (6.43 x 2.90 x 0.34 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM (China) | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 189 g (6.67 oz) | 197 g (6.95 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Ceramic Shield glass | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) | 1440 x 3216 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~90.3% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) | LTPO Fluid2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) |
| - | Always-on display | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55 |
| Chipset | Apple A14 Bionic (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) |
| GPU | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) | Adreno 660 |
| OS | iOS 14.1, upgradable to iOS 26.1 | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14, OxygenOS 14 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 256GB 6GB RAM, 512GB 6GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
| NVMe | UFS 3.1 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Hasselblad Color Calibration, dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Quad | - | 48 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.43", 1.12µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, 77mm (telephoto), 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3.3x optical zoom 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm (ultrawide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, AF 2 MP, f/2.4, (monochrome) |
| Single | - | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| Triple | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS 12 MP, f/2.0, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom 12 MP, f/2.4, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm TOF 3D LiDAR scanner (depth) | - |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, 10‑bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| Video | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, gyro-EIS | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| Sound | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3.5mm jack | No | No |
| 35mm jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| - | 24-bit/192kHz audio | |
| Comms | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | Lightning, USB 2.0 | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | - | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.4 update | 65W wired, PD, 100% in 29 min 50W wireless, 100% in 43 min 5W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Ion 2815 mAh (10.78 Wh) | Li-Po 4500 mAh |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Silver, Graphite, Gold, Pacific Blue | Morning Mist, Forest Green, Stellar Black |
| Models | A2407, A2341, A2406, A2408, iPhone13,3 | LE2121, LE2125, LE2123, LE2120, LE2127 |
| Price | $ 277.86 / C$ 419.75 / £ 250.00 / € 299.99 | € 246.17 / $ 264.95 / £ 287.00 |
| SAR EU | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body) | - |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 6GB RAM | $ 725.05 | - |
| 256GB 6GB RAM | $ 575.00 | - |
| 512GB 6GB RAM | $ 799.50 | - |
| RENEWED | $ 499.00 | - |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 81h | Endurance rating 86h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) | - |
| Loudspeaker | -24.2 LUFS (Very good) | -24.1 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | AnTuTu: 596244 (v8) GeekBench: 4056 (v5.1) GFXBench: 58fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) | - |
Apple iPhone 12 Pro
- Seamless iOS ecosystem integration
- Excellent video recording capabilities
- Strong resale value
- Slower charging speeds
- Less customizable software
- Lower peak display brightness
OnePlus 9 Pro
- Blazing-fast 65W wired charging
- Brighter display for outdoor visibility
- More customizable Android experience
- Shorter software support lifecycle
- Less refined software experience
- Potential for software bloat
Display Comparison
The OnePlus 9 Pro boasts a significantly brighter display, peaking at 859 nits, compared to the iPhone 12 Pro’s ‘infinite’ (nominal) contrast ratio, which doesn’t translate to peak brightness. While the iPhone 12 Pro’s OLED panel is excellent, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s higher brightness is advantageous in direct sunlight. Both utilize OLED technology, delivering vibrant colors, but the OnePlus 9 Pro’s higher peak brightness provides a more visible experience outdoors. The iPhone 12 Pro benefits from Apple’s color calibration, known for its accuracy, but the OnePlus 9 Pro isn’t far behind. Both lack high refresh rate displays, a notable omission for flagship devices in 2021.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems, but their approaches differ. The iPhone 12 Pro excels in video recording, leveraging Apple’s computational photography expertise. The OnePlus 9 Pro, developed in partnership with Hasselblad, focuses on color science and natural-looking images. While both capture excellent photos, the OnePlus 9 Pro’s larger main sensor (spec not provided, but generally larger than iPhone 12 Pro) allows for better low-light performance. Both phones offer optical image stabilization (OIS), but the OnePlus 9 Pro’s implementation may be more aggressive. The iPhone 12 Pro’s strength lies in its consistent image quality across all lenses and its superior video capabilities.
Performance
The Apple A14 Bionic (5nm) and Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5nm) are both powerful chipsets, but their architectures differ. The A14’s hexa-core configuration (2x3.1 GHz Firestorm + 4x1.8 GHz Icestorm) emphasizes single-core performance, crucial for responsive app launches and smooth scrolling. The Snapdragon 888’s octa-core setup (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) offers strong multi-core performance, beneficial for demanding tasks like video editing. While benchmarks often favor the A14 in single-core tests, the Snapdragon 888’s Adreno 660 GPU provides excellent graphics performance. Both phones feature 6GB of RAM, but iOS’s memory management is generally more efficient, potentially mitigating the RAM difference.
Battery Life
The OnePlus 9 Pro edges out the iPhone 12 Pro in battery endurance, achieving an 86-hour rating versus the iPhone 12 Pro’s 81 hours. However, the real differentiator is charging speed. The OnePlus 9 Pro’s 65W wired charging replenishes the battery to 100% in just 29 minutes, a significant advantage over the iPhone 12 Pro’s 30-minute 50% charge with PD2.0. The OnePlus 9 Pro also supports 50W wireless charging (100% in 43 minutes) and 5W reverse wireless charging, features absent on the iPhone 12 Pro, which relies on 15W MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.4) wireless charging.
Buying Guide
Buy the Apple iPhone 12 Pro if you prioritize a polished, user-friendly software experience, long-term software support, and integration with other Apple devices. Buy the OnePlus 9 Pro if you value blazing-fast charging, a brighter display, and a more customizable Android experience, and are comfortable with a potentially shorter software support lifecycle.