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OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 11: Is it time to upgrade?
The OnePlus 11 is the latest flagship smartphone from OnePlus, but the OnePlus 9 was an impressive package for its day that still holds up in certain respects. No regular OnePlus 10 has been released, so two generations later, the OnePlus 11 certainly offers higher-end features and improved performance, meaning it might be time to upgrade. In this comparison article, we’ll look at the differences between the OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 11 to find out what’s new, what’s the same, and whether the 11 is worth your money.
OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 11: At a glance
Wondering what's new with the OnePlus 11? Here's a brief look at some of the key differences:
- The OnePlus 11 has a higher resolution display than the OnePlus 9, with a QHD+ resolution compared to the OnePlus 9's FHD+ resolution.
- The OnePlus 11 has improved durability with its Gorilla Glass Victus display, compared to the OnePlus 9's Gorilla Glass 5 display.
- The OnePlus 11 has a more powerful chipset with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 than the OnePlus 9's Snapdragon 888.
- The OnePlus 9 is currently cheaper than the OnePlus 11, retailing at around $400 compared to $699.
- The OnePlus 9 featured a 2MP monochrome rear camera, which the OnePlus 11 has swapped for a 32MP portrait telephoto.
- The OnePlus 11 supports faster wired charging at 80W compared to the OnePlus 9, which is limited to 65W wired charging. However, the OnePlus 11 does not support wireless charging, while the OnePlus 9 supports 15W Qi wireless and reverse charging.
OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 11: Specs
| OnePlus 9 | OnePlus 11 | |
|---|---|---|
Display | OnePlus 9 6.55-inch flat AMOLED 20:9 aspect ratio 2,400 x 1,080 at 402ppi 120Hz refresh rate (static) | OnePlus 11 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED 20.1:9 aspect ratio 3,216 x 1,440 resolution 120Hz variable refresh rate (1 to 120Hz) 525ppi |
Processor | OnePlus 9 Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 | OnePlus 11 Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
RAM | OnePlus 9 8GB or 12GB LPDDR5 | OnePlus 11 8GB or 16GB LPDDR5X |
Storage | OnePlus 9 128GB UFS 3.1 or 256GB UFS 3.1 No external storage support | OnePlus 11 128GB UFS 3.1 or 256GB UFS 4.0 No expandable storage |
Power | OnePlus 9 4,500mAh battery 65W wired 15W wireless charging | OnePlus 11 5,000mAh battery 80W wired No wireless charging |
Cameras | OnePlus 9 Rear:: - 48MP main (Sony IMX689) 1/1.43-inch sensor 1.12μm/46MP or 2.24μm/12MP ƒ/1.8, EIS - 50MP ultra-wide (Sony IMX766) 1/1.56-inch sensor ƒ/2.2 - 2MP monochrome Selfie: - 16MP single (Sony IMX471) 1.0μm with EIS ƒ/2.4, fixed focus | OnePlus 11 Rear: - 50MP wide, 1/1.56-inch sensor, OIS, EIS, ƒ/1.8, 1.0μm, Sony IMX890 - 48MP ultrawide, 1/2-inch sensor, ƒ/2.2, 115-degree FoV, Sony IMX581 - 32MP portrait telephoto, 1/2.74-inch sensor, ƒ/2.0, Sony IMX709 Selfie: - 16MP, EIS, ƒ/2.45, 1.0μm, Sony IMX471 |
Connectivity | OnePlus 9 5G Bluetooth 5.2 NFC Wi-Fi 6 | OnePlus 11 5G Bluetooth 5.3 NFC Wi-Fi 7 eSIM |
Dimensions | OnePlus 9 160 x 74.2 x 8.7mm | OnePlus 11 163.1 x 74.1 x 8.53mm |
Software | OnePlus 9 Android 11 Oxygen OS 11 | OnePlus 11 Android 13 Oxygen OS 13 |
Durability | OnePlus 9 Gorilla Glass 5 front and back No IP rating unless you buy with T-Mobile (IP68) | OnePlus 11 Gorilla Glass 5 back Gorilla Glass Victus display IP64 rating |
The OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 11 share many similarities, but the OnePlus 11 has a few notable improvements. For starters, the OnePlus 11 features a slightly larger 6.7-inch display with a higher resolution of 3,216 x 1,440 pixels compared to the OnePlus 9’s 6.55-inch display with a resolution of 2,400 x 1,080 pixels. And while they share the same refresh rate of 120Hz, the OnePlus 11 is variable, while the OnePlus 9 is static.
Regarding processing power, the OnePlus 11 is powered by the newer Snapdragon Gen 2 chipset, providing better CPU performance. But, the OnePlus 9 is reliable enough with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 processor, which still has a higher GPU frequency. The OnePlus 11 also offers a version with more RAM at 16GB compared to the OnePlus 9, which maxes out at 12GB. Otherwise, the base version of both phones is 8GB of RAM. The storage options are the same for both phones, and neither is expandable.
The OnePlus 9 launched with Oxygen OS 11 based on Android 11 with three years of OS updates. The OnePlus 11 launches with Oxygen OS 13 based on Android 13 with four years of OS updates, which makes it more future-proof. Both phones are 5G compatible and can connect to Wi-Fi 6 networks.
Regarding durability, the OnePlus 11 features a stronger Gorilla Glass Victus display than the OnePlus 9’s Gorilla Glass 5 front. The OnePlus 11 also has an IP64 rating, whereas the OnePlus 9 didn’t even have an IP rating unless you bought one from T-Mobile.
OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 11: Camera
The OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 11 have triple-camera setups, but the OnePlus 11 has a few improvements in this area. The OnePlus 11’s primary camera has a larger 50-megapixel sensor than the OnePlus 9’s 48-megapixel sensor. The ultrawide cameras are the reverse story, however, with the OnePlus 9 sporting a larger 50MP ultrawide lens and the OnePlus 11 having a now-standard 48Mp ultrawide. This gives the OnePlus 9 a slightly larger field of view, making it ideal for landscape shots.
There's no telephoto camera on the OnePlus 9, but the OnePlus 11 has one to zoom in for greater detail.
On the other hand, if you like to zoom into your shots to get an up-close look, you’re out of luck with the OnePlus 9. The OnePlus 9 doesn’t feature a telephoto camera; anything beyond a 2x zoom will look blurry without detail. On the other hand, the OnePlus 11 features a 32MP telephoto camera which can easily handle between 5x to 20x zoom, even if punching in loses a bit of detail.
The OnePlus 9 did feature a unique 2MP monochrome camera if you like to get artsy with black and white images. Although, it was very low resolution, and it wasn’t entirely clear how much of a difference the monochrome camera really made compared to using a filter.
Both phones have 16MP front-facing cameras, both of which are punch-hole designs in the top left corner. However, the OnePlus 9’s selfie camera is much worse in low light conditions, resulting in noisy, dark images. Regarding video recording capabilities, both phones can record 4K video at 60 frames per second. Still, the OnePlus 9’s 8K video recording option was slightly faster at 30 fps than the OnePlus 11, which maxed out at 24 fps.
OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 11: Battery and charging
The OnePlus 11 also has a slightly larger 5,000mAh battery, compared to the OnePlus 9’s 4,500mAh battery, and supports faster wired charging at 80W compared to 65W. In our reviews of the phones, both would take less than half an hour to charge fully, which is plenty fast.
With wired charging, both phones can reach a full battery in under 30 mins. But the OnePlus 11 is sorely lacking wireless charging support.
However, while the OnePlus 9 supports Qi wireless charging at 15W, the OnePlus 11 loses support for wireless charging altogether. The OnePlus 9 also supported reverse wireless charging for topping up low-power wireless gadgets like compatible earbuds. If those are features you value with the OnePlus 9, you should maybe stick to that phone or consider other options.
Regarding battery life, the OnePlus 9 can last a full day but won’t quite carry you into a second day of use, especially if you are a heavy gamer. The OnePlus 11 has more endurance and can last close to two days with moderate use, meaning a mix of social media, light gaming, and web browsing.
OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 11: Price
- OnePlus 9 (8GB/128GB): $729
- OnePlus 9 (12GB/256GB): $829
- OnePlus 11 (8GB/128GB): $699
- OnePlus 11 (16GB/256GB): $799
While the OnePlus 9 was released in early 2021 and had a higher asking price than the OnePlus 11, it is much more affordable nowadays. For example, on Amazon, you can pick up the base version of the OnePlus 9 for $398. The OnePlus 9 isn’t available on OnePlus’s website anymore, as it is an older model. But if you have a OnePlus 9, OnePlus offers a $100 trade-in value if you upgrade to the OnePlus 11.
The OnePlus 11 was released in early 2023 and is available directly from OnePlus’s website and retailers like Amazon or Best Buy. It has one of the broadest carrier support yet, with sub-6GHz 5G connectivity (no mmWave) from all three major US networks and many of their MVNOs.
OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 11: Should you upgrade?
If you’re using a OnePlus 9 and finding it a bit dated, you’ll likely notice some improvements in display quality, processing power, and camera performance with the OnePlus 11. Specifically, the added telephoto lens allows you to zoom into pictures without losing much detail, and the Snapdragon Gen 2 chipset is currently the best processor for new Android flagships. This is the last year of OS updates for the OnePlus 9, so if you want continued software support for Android 14, you’ll have to upgrade to the OnePlus 11.
If you want continued software support and the latest and greatest hardware, the OnePlus 11 is a worthwhile upgrade.
However, suppose you don’t want the latest and greatest software and are happy with your OnePlus 9. In that case, it’s not necessarily worth the upgrade, mainly if you rely on wireless and reverse charging, features which the OnePlus 11 is curiously missing.
Alternatively, if you’re in the market for a new phone and want to save some money, consider the OnePlus 10T. It doesn’t have as good cameras and performance as the OnePlus 11, but it does get you faster 125W wired charging and is currently only $499 (23% off) from the OnePlus website. Overall, all three phones offer great value for money and are solid choices for Android enthusiasts.
Would you rather get the OnePlus 9 or the OnePlus 11?
Blazing-fast wired charging
Excellent software promise
FAQs
Yes, the OnePlus 11 is available in the United States starting at $699.
The OnePlus 11 has an IP64 rating for dust and water resistance.
The OnePlus 9 was first released in March 2021.