OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 8T

4comments
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 8T
The OnePlus 9 is now official, bringing the company's "flagship killer" experience to 2021. But if you own a OnePlus 8T, which was released in late 2020, will the OnePlus 9 offer enough over it, warranting an upgrade? Or should you just stay with the 8T? Alternatively, if you're planning to get the 8T, should you just go with the newer OnePlus 9 instead?

Let's compare the two OnePlus phones side by side, in order to find out how they measure up against each other and whether you should "never settle" on the 8T, or it will hold up just fine to the OnePlus 9 in 2021.

OnePlus 9

$729
Buy at BestBuy

OnePlus 9 Pro

$1069
Buy at BestBuy

OnePlus 8T

- Snapdragon 865, 5G, 12GB RAM, 6.6" 120Hz AMOLED
$599
Buy at OnePlus


You may also find interesting:

OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 8T: prices and design



The OnePlus 9 starts at the price of $729 for the 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage option. Alternatively, there's a $829 variant with 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.

The OnePlus 8T was also released with 8GB / 12GB of RAM variants, but those had less storage, 128GB / 256GB respectively. In the US OnePlus store, the 12GB of RAM OnePlus 8T still sells for $599.

In terms of design, the OnePlus 9 features a Gorilla Glass-covered back and an aluminum frame, just like the OnePlus 8T.

Both phones share a similar modern design with curved edges, a rectangular camera module on the back, and about the same small, unobtrusive hole punch selfie camera embedded into the top-left corner of their displays.

As for color options, the OnePlus 9 is offered in three color variants:
  • Winter Mist
  • Astral Black
  • Arctic Sky (not available in North America)

The OnePlus 8T is available in:
  • Lunar Silver
  • Aquamarine Green

In terms of feel in the hand, both phones are about equally thin and light, and look the same in terms of width and height. When looked from the front they're almost indistinguishable, as both have the same size hole punch selfie camera and display with curved corners.

Unlike the 8T, the OnePlus 9 doesn't have visible antenna lines on top, and its power key is slightly raised closer to the lock switch, but again, those are minimal differences nobody would be able to notice unless comparing them side by side.

From the back is where the real visual difference stands, as the camera module of the OnePlus 9 is larger, with larger sensors, but blends more into the body of the phone due to its color matching the back color. The camera module of the 8T is all dark and stands out.

The OnePlus 9 has a glossy back, while the OnePlus 8T has a matte back, which does better at hiding fingerprints.

OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 8T: displays



The two phones share the same 6.55-inch display size and exactly the same pixel resolution of 2400 x 1080. Both phones' screens are also AMOLED, offering superior contrast and colors as compared to the average LCD phone screen. Both are also protected with Gorilla Glass.

The OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 8T's displays also support Ambient Display (aways-on display), and both can either run at 120Hz screen refresh rate or the more traditional 60Hz.

The screen sharpness between the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 8T isn't visibly different, as both have 402 PPI (pixels per inch).

It's worth noting that the OnePlus 9 supports Comfort Tone / Adaptive Display, which can change the screen color temperature based on the lighting conditions in the user's environment, similar to True Tone on iPhones. The OnePlus 8T doesn't have that feature.



OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 8T: hardware and performance



The OnePlus 9 packs the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor (which has a built-in 5G modem) and comes in 8GB and 12GB of RAM variants. The OnePlus 8T uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865, it is also a 5G phone and it too comes with 8GB / 12GB of RAM.

The lesser RAM variant on either OnePlus phone isn't normally something most users would notice or should worry about. Technically, less RAM suggests that during usage less apps will be able to remain open in the background, with some restarting when the user switches back to them after a while. But even power users who multitask all the time likely won't see this happen too often.

Regardless, both the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 8T are great performers. Users shouldn't face performance-related issues, such as stutters, during both gaming and general usage.

The only noticeable difference in terms of speed between the two phones is due to the OnePlus 9 having faster interface animations over the 8T, making the OnePlus 9 feel snappier.

Both the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 8T are running Android 11 and Oxygen OS 11 at the time of writing this comparison.

Higher is better
OnePlus 9
1127
OnePlus 8T
890


OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 8T: cameras



The OnePlus 9 comes with a 48MP main camera, a 50MP ultra-wide camera and an additional 2MP monochrome camera. As for its front-facing selfie camera, it's 16MP. Those camera sensors are larger than on previous OnePlus phones, in order to capture more light for clearer photos, and were designed in partnership with iconic camera maker Hasselblad.

The OnePlus 8T also sports a 48MP main camera, a 16MP ultra-wide camera and a 5MP macro camera, in addition to a fourth 2MP monochrome sensor. On the front, its holepunch selfie camera is 16MP, like the one on the OnePlus 9.

Recommended Stories
Both the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 8T have up to 10X digital zoom. In addition, both phones have Pro camera modes and can take Portrait shots with both their main and front cameras.



As can be seen above, the OnePlus 9 takes visibly brighter photos over the OnePlus 8T, while you could argue that the 8T produces more realistic-looking photos, particularly when it comes to the lighting.


We see similar results when comparing the OnePlus 9's wide angle camera against the one on the OnePlus 8T. The OnePlus 9 again has brighter colors and a generally clearer image, while the OnePlus 8T's wide angle camera produces darker images with stronger contrast in some areas.


Portrait (bokeh) shots from the 8T's main camera appear to be better in terms of keeping the subject in focus and only blurring the background. Note how in the OnePlus 9 portrait photo part of the hat is wrongly blurred and the face of the subject is less detailed too. We also see a big difference in color vibrancy between the two phones, particularly in the shirt.



Selfie shots look a bit too artificially over-sharpened on the OnePlus 8T, while the OnePlus 9 produces more natural selfies with less aggressive sharpness.


And lastly, when comparing portrait selfies from the OnePlus 9 against the OnePlus 8T, we can conclude that besides the difference in brightness, both phones arguably produce satisfactory selfie portraits that successfully separate the subject from the background. Again the OnePlus 8T's photo is a bit too over-sharpened, but whether that looks better or not is up to the individual user's preference.

OnePlus 9 video sample


Video Thumbnail


OnePlus 8T video sample


Video Thumbnail


When it comes to video, the OnePlus 9 can record at up to 8K at 30 frames per second, or 4K at 60. The OnePlus 8T on the other hand can only shoot at up to 4K, 60 frames per second. While both phones have solid video stabilization, we can easily see a difference in colors and detail between the two, with the OnePlus 9 producing overall more realistic-looking and detailed videos. This is to be expected, in part due to its larger sensors and higher video recording resolution, should the user choose to film at 8K.

OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 8T: battery life


The OnePlus 9 packs a 4,500 mAh battery and supports the impressive 65W Warp Charging, plus it even comes with a Warp Charge 65 Power Adapter out the box. With that charging brick, the OnePlus 9 can charge from zero to 100% in just 30 minutes. The European and US versions of the OnePlus 9 also support 15W Qi wireless charging.

As for the OnePlus 8T, it has the same size 4,500 mAh battery and also comes with a 65W charger, which can charge the OnePlus 8T completely in just about 32 minutes. No wireless charging support on the OnePlus 8T, though.

Browsing test 60HzHigher is betterBrowsing test 120Hz(hours)Higher is betterVideo Streaming(hours)Higher is better3D Gaming 60Hz(hours)Higher is better3D Gaming 120Hz(hours)Higher is betterFull Charge(hours)Lower is better
OnePlus 911h 45 min
11h 29 min
9h 16 min
9h 6 min
No data
0h 30 min
OnePlus 8T10h 54 min
No data
8h 48 min
No data
5h 15 min
0h 32 min


In our battery performance tests the OnePlus 9 always outlasted the OnePlus 8T, notably with almost an hour particularly in the 60Hz browsing test.

OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 8T extended specifications


OnePlus 9 OnePlus 8T

Design

Dimensions
6.30 x 2.92 x 0.34 inches
160 x 74.2 x 8.7 mm
6.33 x 2.92 x 0.33 inches
160.7 x 74.1 x 8.4 mm
Weight
6.77 oz (192.0 g) 6.63 oz (188.0 g)
Materials
Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass)
Frame: Aluminum
Back: Glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5)
Frame: Aluminum
Biometrics
2D Face unlock, Optical in-screen fingerprint 2D Face unlock, Optical in-screen fingerprint
Keys
Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key, Other Left: Volume control; Right: Lock/Unlock key
Colors
Winter Mist, Arctic Sky, Astral Black Aquamarine green, Lunar silver

Display

Size
6.5-inch 6.5-inch
Resolution
2400x1080px, 20:9 ratio, 402 PPI 2400x1080px, 20:9 ratio, 402 PPI
Technology
AMOLED AMOLED
Refresh rate
120Hz 120Hz
Screen-to-body
87.27 % 86.86 %
Features
HDR support, Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor Scratch-resistant glass (Corning Gorilla Glass), Ambient light sensor, Proximity sensor

Hardware

System chip
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (5 nm) Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SM8250-AB (7 nm)
Processor
Octa-core
2840 MHz
Kryo 680
Octa-core
2840 MHz
Kryo 585
GPU
Adreno 660 Adreno 650
RAM
8GB (LPDDR5) 12GB (LPDDR4)
Internal storage
128GB (UFS 3.1) 256GB (UFS 3.1)
Storage expansion
not expandable not expandable
OS
Android (11), OxygenOS UI Android (11), Oxygen OS UI

Battery

Capacity
4500 mAh 4500 mAh
Charging
OnePlus Warp Charge, Qi wireless charging OnePlus Warp Charge
Charge speed
Wired: 65.0W
Wireless: 15.0W
Wired: 65.0W

Camera

Rear
Triple camera Quad camera
Main camera
48 MP (PDAF)
Aperture size: F1.8
Focal length: 23 mm
Sensor size: 1/1.4"
Pixel size: 1.12 μm
48 MP (OIS, PDAF)
Aperture size: F1.7
Focal length: 26 mm
Sensor size: 1/2"
Pixel size: 0.8 μm
Second camera
50 MP (Ultra-wide)
Aperture size: F2.2
Focal Length: 14 mm
Sensor size: 1/1.56"
16 MP (Ultra-wide)
Aperture size: F2.2
Focal Length: 14 mm
Sensor size: 1/3.6"
Pixel size: 1 μm
Third camera
2 MP (Black and White) 5 MP (Macro)
Aperture size: F2.4
Fourth camera
2 MP (Black and White)
Aperture size: F2.4
Flash
Dual LED Dual LED
Video recording
7680x4320 (8K UHD) (30 fps), 3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (480 fps)
HDR, Continuous autofocus, EIS
3840x2160 (4K UHD) (60 fps), 1920x1080 (Full HD) (240 fps), 1280x720 (HD) (480 fps)
Time-lapse video, EIS
Front
16 MP (EIS) 16 MP (EIS, HDR), Video capture: 1920x1080 (Full HD)

Connectivity & Features

Bluetooth
5.2 5.1
WLAN
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,ax(Wi-Fi 6),dual-band
MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
802.11 a,b,g,n,ac,ax(Wi-Fi 6),dual-band
MIMO, Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
USB
Type-C, USB 3.1 Type-C, USB 3.1
Location
GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning GPS, A-GPS, Glonass, Galileo, BeiDou, Dual-band positioning, Cell ID, Wi-Fi positioning
Sensors
Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, Barometer
Other
NFC NFC

Multimedia

Headphones
No 3.5mm jack No 3.5mm jack
Speakers
Earpiece, Loudspeaker, Multiple speakers Earpiece, Multiple speakers
Features
Dolby Atmos Dolby Atmos, aptX-HD
Screen mirroring
Wireless screen share Wireless screen share
Additional microphone(s)
Noise cancellation Noise cancellation

Cellular

5G
Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n25, n28, n38, n40, n41, n48, n66, n71, n77, n78 Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n25, n41, n66, n71, SA, NSA
4G (FDD)
Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 30(2300 WCS), 32(1500 L-band), 66(AWS-3), 71(600) Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(AWS-1), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700 a), 13(700 c), 17(700 b), 18(800 Lower), 19(800 Upper), 20(800 DD), 25(1900+), 26(850+), 28(700 APT), 29(700 d), 30(2300 WCS), 66(AWS-3), 71(600)
4G (TDD)
Bands 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+), 46, 48(3600) Bands 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900+), 40(2300), 41(2600+), 46, 48(3600)
3G
Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 8(900), 9(1700), 19(800) Bands 1(2100), 2(1900), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 6(800), 8(900)
Data Speed
LTE-A Pro Cat 20 (2000/150 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS LTE-A Pro Cat 18 (1200/150 Mbit/s), HSDPA+ (4G) 42.2 Mbit/s
Dual SIM
Yes
SIM type
Nano SIM Nano SIM

Regulatory Approval

FCC approval
Date approved: Mar 24, 2021
FCC ID value: 2ABZ2-EF136
Date approved: Apr 13, 2021
FCC ID value: 2ABZ2-EF009
Measured SAR
Head: 1.20 W/kg
Body: 0.78 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.48 W/kg
Wireless Router: 1.18 W/kg
Head: 1.09 W/kg
Body: 0.73 W/kg
Simultaneous Transmission: 1.29 W/kg
Wireless Router: 1.04 W/kg

Buyers information

MSRP
$ 729 $ 749 / € 699
In The Box
Warp Charge 65 Power Adapter, Warp Charge Type-C to Type-C Cable, Quick Start Guide, Welcome Letter, Safety Information and Warranty Card, OnePlus Sticker, SIM Tray Ejector Warp Charge 65 Power Adapter, Warp Charge Type-C to Type-C Cable, Quick Start Guide, Welcome Letter, Safety Information, LOGO Sticker, Case (Excl. North America), Screen Protector (Pre-applied) (Excl. T-Mobile Version), SIM Tray Ejector

Availability

Officially announced
Mar 23, 2021 Oct 14, 2020
See the full OnePlus 9 vs OnePlus 8T specs comparison or compare them to other phones using our Phone Comparison tool


Loading Comments...

Latest Discussions

by Doug Fresh 123 • 4
by DomtheCuber • 5

Recommended Stories

FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless