OnePlus 9 vs. iPhone 13: A Head-to-Head Battle of Flagship Power
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🏆 Quick Verdict
For the average user prioritizing long-term software support and a refined user experience, the iPhone 13 emerges as the winner. While the OnePlus 9 boasts significantly faster charging, the iPhone 13’s A15 Bionic chip and optimized software provide a smoother, more consistent performance profile.
| PHONES | ||
|---|---|---|
| Phone Names | OnePlus 9 | Apple iPhone 13 |
| 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 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 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, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 46, 48, 66 - A2633, A2634, A2635 |
| 5G bands | 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28, 38, 40, 41, 66, 78 SA/NSA - EU | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 71, 77, 78, 79 Sub6/mmWave - A2633 |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE Cat20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G | HSPA, LTE, 5G, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps |
| Technology | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / LTE / 5G | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE / 5G |
| 1, 3, 28, 41, 78, 79 SA/NSA - CN | 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 12, 20, 25, 28, 30, 38, 40, 41, 48, 66, 77, 78, 79 SA/NSA/Sub6 - A2634, A2635 | |
| Launch | ||
|---|---|---|
| Announced | 2021, March 23 | 2021, September 14 |
| Status | Available. Released 2021, March 26 | Available. Released 2021, September 24 |
| Body | ||
|---|---|---|
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass 5), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), plastic frame | Glass front, glass back, aluminum frame |
| Dimensions | 160 x 74.2 x 8.7 mm (EU/NA)160 x 73.9 x 8.1 mm (IN/CN) | 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.7 mm (5.78 x 2.81 x 0.30 in) |
| SIM | · Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM | · Nano-SIM + eSIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
| Weight | 192 g (EU/NA)183 g (IN/CN) (6.46 oz) | 174 g (6.14 oz) |
| IP68 (T-Mobile version only) | IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 min) Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified) | |
| Display | ||
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 5 | Ceramic Shield glass |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2400 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~402 ppi density) | 1170 x 2532 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~460 ppi density) |
| Size | 6.55 inches, 103.6 cm2 (~87.6% screen-to-body ratio) | 6.1 inches, 90.2 cm2 (~86.0% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Type | Fluid AMOLED, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1100 nits (peak) | Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision, 800 nits (HBM), 1200 nits (peak) |
| Always-on display | - | |
| Platform | ||
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz Cortex-X1 & 3x2.42 GHz Cortex-A78 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A55) | Hexa-core (2x3.23 GHz Avalanche + 4x1.82 GHz Blizzard) |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8350 Snapdragon 888 5G (5 nm) | Apple A15 Bionic (5 nm) |
| GPU | Adreno 660 | Apple GPU (4-core graphics) |
| OS | Android 11, upgradable to Android 13, OxygenOS 13 | iOS 15, upgradable to iOS 26.1 |
| Memory | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card slot | No | No |
| Internal | 128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 12GB RAM | 128GB 4GB RAM, 256GB 4GB RAM, 512GB 4GB RAM |
| UFS 3.1 | NVMe | |
| Main Camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Dual | - | 12 MP, f/1.6, 26mm (wide), 1/1.9", 1.7µm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS 12 MP, f/2.4, 120˚, 13mm (ultrawide), 1/3.4", 1.0µm |
| Features | Hasselblad Color Calibration, color spectrum sensor, dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama | Dual-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama) |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6" SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Triple | 48 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), 1/1.43", 1.12µm, multi-directional PDAF 50 MP, f/2.2, 14mm (ultrawide), 1/1.56", 1.0µm, AF 2 MP, f/2.4, (monochrome) | - |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120/240fps, HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60fps), stereo sound rec. |
| Selfie camera | ||
|---|---|---|
| Features | HDR | HDR |
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.4, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm | 12 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1/3.6", 1.0µm SL 3D, (depth/biometrics sensor) |
| Video | 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS | 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, 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 | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Positioning | GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (G1), BDS (B1), GALILEO (E1+E5a) | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| Radio | No | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.1, OTG | Lightning, USB 2.0 |
| 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, hotspot |
| Features | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass | Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
| - | Ultra Wideband (UWB) support | |
| Battery | ||
|---|---|---|
| Charging | 65W wired, PD, 100% in 29 min 15W wireless (EU/NA) | Wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min 15W wireless (MagSafe) 15W wireless (Qi2) - requires iOS 17.2 update |
| Type | Li-Po 4500 mAh | Li-Ion 3240 mAh (12.41 Wh) |
| Misc | ||
|---|---|---|
| Colors | Winter Mist, Arctic Sky, Astral Black | Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink, Red, Green |
| Models | LE2113, LE2111, LE2110, LE2117, LE2115 | A2633, A2482, A2631, A2634, A2635, iphone14,5 |
| Price | $ 145.00 / £ 200.00 / € 249.99 | € 304.00 / $ 249.97 / £ 248.00 |
| SAR | - | 1.18 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) |
| SAR EU | - | 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.98 W/kg (body) |
| Tests | ||
|---|---|---|
| Battery life | Endurance rating 87h | Endurance rating 89h |
| Camera | Photo / Video | Photo / Video |
| Display | - | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Loudspeaker | -24.5 LUFS (Very good) | -25.5 LUFS (Very good) |
| Performance | - | AnTuTu: 775519 (v9) GeekBench: 4645 (v5.1) GFXBench: 59fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
OnePlus 9
- Significantly faster 65W wired charging
- More customizable Android operating system
- Potentially brighter display (821 nits)
- Potentially less consistent performance than A15 Bionic
- Shorter software support lifespan compared to iPhone
Apple iPhone 13
- Superior performance with the A15 Bionic chip
- Long-term software support and updates
- Seamless integration with the Apple ecosystem
- Slower charging speeds compared to OnePlus 9
- Less customizable operating system (iOS)
Display Comparison
Both the OnePlus 9 and iPhone 13 feature excellent displays, but with subtle differences. The OnePlus 9 achieves a peak brightness of 821 nits, slightly exceeding the iPhone 13’s 802 nits, potentially offering better visibility in direct sunlight. However, the iPhone 13 boasts an infinite (nominal) contrast ratio, delivering deeper blacks and a more vibrant image. While both offer excellent color accuracy, the OnePlus 9’s display technology isn’t specified, while the iPhone 13’s is known for its color calibration. The lack of LTPO on either device means refresh rates are fixed, impacting power efficiency compared to adaptive refresh rate displays.
Camera Comparison
Both phones offer capable camera systems, but approach image processing differently. While both are capable of excellent photo and video capture, the specifics are limited by the provided data. The OnePlus 9’s camera system likely focuses on versatility, while the iPhone 13’s is known for its computational photography prowess. Without sensor size or aperture details, it’s difficult to make a definitive judgment. However, Apple’s image processing pipeline is generally regarded as more consistent and natural-looking, while OnePlus often leans towards more saturated colors. The absence of details on OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) makes it impossible to assess low-light performance differences.
Performance
The core of the performance difference lies in the chipsets. The OnePlus 9 utilizes the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5nm), an octa-core processor designed for high throughput. The iPhone 13, however, is powered by Apple’s A15 Bionic (5nm), a hexa-core chip renowned for its efficiency and single-core performance. While the Snapdragon 888’s Cortex-X1 core offers peak performance, the A15 Bionic’s Avalanche cores consistently outperform it in real-world tasks and benchmarks. The A15’s optimized architecture and tight software integration result in smoother multitasking and more efficient power consumption. Both devices likely utilize LPDDR5 RAM, but Apple’s memory controller is known for its speed and efficiency.
Battery Life
The endurance ratings are remarkably close, with the OnePlus 9 scoring 87 hours and the iPhone 13 achieving 89 hours. This suggests similar real-world battery life despite potentially different battery capacities. However, the charging speeds are drastically different. The OnePlus 9’s 65W wired charging can fully charge the device in just 29 minutes, a significant advantage over the iPhone 13’s 50% charge in 30 minutes. The iPhone 13 offers 15W wireless charging via MagSafe and Qi2 (with iOS 17.2), while the OnePlus 9 provides 15W wireless charging in EU/NA. The OnePlus 9’s faster charging is a clear win for users who prioritize quick top-ups.
Buying Guide
Buy the OnePlus 9 if you need blazing-fast 65W charging and prefer the flexibility of Android’s customization options. It’s ideal for power users who frequently top up their phones and enjoy tinkering with settings. Buy the Apple iPhone 13 if you prioritize a seamless user experience, long-term software updates, and a strong ecosystem integration. It’s the better choice for users invested in Apple’s services and seeking a reliable, polished device.