The OnePlus 9RT is probably the last smartphone we’ll see in the 9 series. The ‘T’ phones traditionally bring about minor improvements to performance and design, and in this case the upgrades are geared towards the main rear camera. 

If you already have the OnePlus 9 then the OnePlus 9RT probably isn’t worth getting but if you have an older OnePlus or an older phone in general, then you may want to consider getting the 9RT.  

Price

The OnePlus 9RT starts at Rs. 42,999 for 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, and Rs. 46,999 for 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. 

You might want to consider the second model even if you don't need an extra 12GB of RAM, because for a few thousand rupees extra you are getting double the storage.

The 9RT comes in stealthy Hacker Black and the flashy Nano Silver. 

Design

The Hacker Black’s matte, sandstone-like finish looks amazing, and the glass back panel is extremely smooth to touch. It can get easily marked if you run your fingernail across it but that can be wiped off easily.

The redesigned camera module looks great and blends well with the phone’s overall aesthetic. This is certainly one of the better looking smartphones on the market.

The 9RT is comfortable to hold due to the rounded edges of the aluminum frame, even though it weighs 195.5 g. 

The AMOLED display is quite large, 6.62 inches, and has a 120 Hz refresh rate and a full HD plus resolution, as well as a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for scratch protection.  

OnePlus hasn't succumbed to the trend of reducing bundled accessories. The 9RT comes with a case, USB cable, and 65W charger in the box, along with other things such as stickers.

Software Specs

The OnePlus 9RT uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC. This is actually the only 9-series phone to support as many as eight 5G bands, which certainly future-proofs the phone. 

The 9RT has three Wi-Fi antennas, instead of the standard two, for a smoother gaming experience.

And there is a new, larger vapour chamber cooling system which should keep the phone cool at all times.

The 9RT’s screen also has great touch response, up to 600Hz for certain games.

But the 9RT misses out on wireless charging and IP rating, which is certainly disappointing. Samsung has these premium features with its FE phones. 

The OnePlus 9RT comes with OxygenOS 11.3, which is based on Android 11. Eventually the next OS will be based on Android 12 but that is still under development.

Performance

The 9RT has speedy software and a rugged body, the in-display fingerprint sensor is lightning fast at authentication, and navigating the phone’s menus is fast and convenient. 

The seamless switching between apps is not diminished by multitasking. 

Multimedia playback is good, with standard and HDR video, and streaming apps like Netflix can detect the display’s HDR capability.

The stereo speakers sound good and the Dolby Atmos setting allows you to pick from different sound profiles. 

The display's touch response is very good when playing games, which is crucial for competitive multiplayer games like Call of Duty: Mobile.

As mentioned above the phone handles heat well, and only gets mildly warm after a long session of gaming.

Battery Life

The 4,500mAh battery can last for 20 hours while playing an HD video clip on loop and with ordinary use (which includes calls, camera, gaming, social media), the 9RT can last for a full day and a half. The Warp Charge 65T charger that comes in the box can charge the phone from 0 to 100 in less than 30 minutes.

Camera

The OnePlus 9RT uses the 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 sensor, which can capture a high dynamic range video if the subject is framed against bright light. 

The other sensors are the and a 16-MP selfie camera, a 2-MP macro camera and 16-MP Sony IMX481-based ultra-wide camera.

The selfie camera has limited video capabilities – 1080 video recording only. And the skin tones of the subject aren’t that good.

When shooting videos during the day, the main camera captured details quite well but the colours looked artificial if the AI button was enabled.

Images captured using Portrait mode were a hit or miss as some portions of the subject became blurry.

The main camera captures great photos in low light even without Night mode, but the photos have a heavily processed look if you zoom in. 

The OnePlus 9RT can shoot up to 4K 60fps video. Under favourable light, video quality is good and video stability is also good. But the quality in low light is bad and some graininess and instability is also present.

 

Verdict

The OnePlus 9RT is a dependable powerhouse, itt's beautifully crafted and has great performance and great battery life. The camera is pretty good as long as the lighting is good. The 9RT is definitely a step up from the 9 and 9R and given the price, it has decent value for money. But the Realme Gt, Xiaomi 11T Pro 5G, and Samsung Galaxy S20 FE 5G are also tempting options in this price range so do consider those options as well.

TAGS: OnePlus, OnePlus 9RT