OnePlus 9 Pro vs. OnePlus 8 Pro: Which Flagship Reigns Supreme?
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For most users, the OnePlus 8 Pro offers a better overall value. While the 9 Pro boasts a more powerful processor, the 8 Pro’s significantly superior battery life (103h vs 86h endurance) and often lower price point make it the more practical choice. The 9 Pro is best suited for power users who prioritize raw performance.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | OnePlus 9 Pro | OnePlus 8 Pro |
| Network | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1800 / 1900 / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - EU | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 66 - EU |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA - EU | 1, 3, 7, 28, 78 SA/NSA - EU |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (5CA) Cat18 1200/150 Mbps, 5G 7.5 Gbps DL |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 3, 28, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - CN | 78 SA/NSA - IN | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, March 23 | 2020, April 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, March 30 | Available. Released 2020, April 21 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 163.2 x 73.6 x 8.7 mm (6.43 x 2.90 x 0.34 in) | 165.3 x 74.4 x 8.5 mm (6.51 x 2.93 x 0.33 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 197 g (6.95 oz) | 199 g (7.02 oz) |
| IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min) | IP68 dust/water resistant | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 |
| Resolution | 1440 x 3216 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~525 ppi density) | 1440 x 3168 pixels (~513 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 108.4 cm2 (~90.3% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.78 inches, 111.7 cm2 (~90.8% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | LTPO Fluid2 AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1300 nits (peak) | Fluid AMOLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+ |
| Always-on display | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55 | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Qualcomm SM8250 Snapdragon 865 5G (7 nm+) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Adreno 650 |
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 14, OxygenOS 14 | Android 10, upgradable to Android 13, OxygenOS 13 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | UFS 3.0 | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Hasselblad Color Calibration, dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | Laser AF, 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) | 48 MP, f/1.8, 25mm (wide), 1/1.43", 1.12µm, multi-directional PDAF, OIS 8 MP, f/2.4, (telephoto), 1/1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 48 MP, f/2.2, 14mm, 116˚ (ultrawide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF 5 MP, f/2.4, (Color filter camera) |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm | - |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60/120fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm | 16 MP, f/2.5, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, 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 | 5.2, A2DP, LE, aptX HD | 5.1, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 65W wired, PD, 100% in 29 min 50W wireless, 100% in 43 min 5W reverse wireless | 30W wired, 50% in 23 min 30W wireless, 50% in 30 min 3W reverse wireless |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Po 4510 mAh, non-removable |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Morning Mist, Forest Green, Stellar Black | Glacial Green, Ultramarine Blue, Onyx Black |
| Models | LE2121, LE2125, LE2123, LE2120, LE2127 | IN2023, IN2020, IN2021, IN2025 |
| Price | € 246.17 / $ 264.95 / £ 287.00 | About 310 EUR |
| Pricing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 128GB 8GB RAM | - | $ 428.39 |
| 256GB 12GB RAM | - | $ 853.51 |
| RENEWED | - | $ 486.00 |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 86h | Endurance rating 103h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.1 LUFS (Very good) | -23.5 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 573276 (v8) GeekBench: 3374 (v5.1) GFXBench: 24fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
OnePlus 9 Pro
- Faster processor for demanding tasks
- Brighter display for outdoor visibility
- Faster wired and wireless charging
- Significantly shorter battery life
- Potentially higher price
OnePlus 8 Pro
- Superior battery life
- More affordable price (typically)
- Excellent overall performance for everyday use
- Older processor
- Slower charging speeds
Display Comparison
Both phones feature excellent displays with an 'Infinite' contrast ratio, but the OnePlus 9 Pro edges ahead with a measured peak brightness of 859 nits. While both offer vibrant colors and smooth scrolling, the 9 Pro’s higher brightness translates to better visibility in direct sunlight. The 8 Pro’s display, while excellent, lacks the peak luminance for optimal outdoor viewing. Neither specification details refresh rate, but both are known to support 120Hz.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer versatile camera systems, but detailed sensor information is limited in the provided data. Both are capable of excellent photo and video capture. The 9 Pro benefits from the newer image signal processor (ISP) within the Snapdragon 888, potentially leading to improved image processing and low-light performance. Without specific sensor size or aperture details, it’s difficult to definitively declare a winner, but the 9 Pro’s newer chipset provides a computational advantage.
Performance
The OnePlus 9 Pro’s Snapdragon 888 (5nm) represents a significant architectural leap over the 8 Pro’s Snapdragon 865 (7nm+). The 888’s Cortex-X1 prime core delivers a noticeable performance boost in CPU-intensive tasks. However, the 865’s Cortex-A77 cores are still highly capable. The 5nm process of the 888 also offers improved thermal efficiency, potentially mitigating throttling during sustained workloads. The 9 Pro’s chipset is demonstrably faster, but the 8 Pro remains remarkably fluid for everyday tasks.
Battery Life
This is where the OnePlus 8 Pro truly shines. Its endurance rating of 103 hours significantly surpasses the 9 Pro’s 86 hours. While the 9 Pro boasts faster charging – 65W wired (29 min to 100%) and 50W wireless (43 min to 100%) versus the 8 Pro’s 30W wired (50% in 23 min) and 30W wireless (50% in 30 min) – the larger battery capacity and more efficient chipset of the 8 Pro provide substantially longer usage between charges. The 9 Pro’s faster charging is convenient, but doesn’t compensate for the reduced endurance.
Buying Guide
Buy the OnePlus 9 Pro if you demand the absolute fastest performance for demanding tasks like gaming and video editing, and are willing to accept a shorter battery life. Buy the OnePlus 8 Pro if you prioritize all-day battery life, a consistently smooth experience, and a more affordable price, making it ideal for everyday use and media consumption.