OnePlus 9RT 5G: A good choice for trendy, young customers

OnePlus needs no introduction for Indian customers. The brand has steadily earned a name for high-powered phones that pack top-end hardware and features at affordable prices. The latest device, OnePlus 9RT 5G, is a case in point. The OnePlus 9RT is an upgraded extension of the OnePlus 9R that comes equipped with top-tier performance-oriented specs, good blend of hardware-software and designed solely with speed in mind. The new device is equipped with Qualcomm’s powerful Snapdragon 888 processor, a bright and attractive 120Hz E4 OLED flat display, the 9 series flagship IMX766 sensor on the main camera, Warp Charger 65T, a large 4500mAh battery for all-day use and the company’s clean and smooth OxygenOS. And, at a time when gaming on a mobile phone is more popular than ever, this device is capable of running the most demanding mobile games.

The OnePlus 9RT 5G comes in two colours, Hacker Black, and Nano Sliver, starting at Rs 42,999 (8+128GB) and Rs 46,999 (12+256GB). Our trial unit was the Hacker Black, 12+256GB variant. The edges of the chassis feature a 12-point curve to deliver a hand-comforting smooth curvature.

Switched on, the OnePlus 9RT features a 6.62-inch E4 AMOLED flat display with 120Hz refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate (increased to 600Hz while gaming), 100% DCI-P3 wide colour gamut coverage, and multiple-display technology, making it one of the finest flat display panels in the market currently. The phone is equipped with two front and rear light sensors to accurately identify ambient light. 

Performance is one of the core tenets of the OnePlus product philosophy, and the OnePlus 9RT 5G is the embodiment of that thought. To effectively mitigate the heat generated by the high-performance hardware, the phone features an advanced heat dissipation mechanism to keep the overall system cool and breezy.

The OnePlus 9RT is fitted with Tri-eSport Wi-Fi Antennas with Adaptive Switch, to provide high network speeds and undisturbed connectivity. Also, higher touch-sampling rates mean faster response, which is crucial for mobile gamers. Herein, the OnePlus 9RT 5G comes with a 600Hz Touch Response Rate with Hyper Touch 2.0; the latter unlocks the potential of the 300Hz response rate IC hardware on the OnePlus 9RT 5G, doubling it to a blazing hyper-sensitive 600Hz. Armed with a large 4,500mAh battery and Warp Charge 65T, it takes 15 minutes to charge from 1% to 65%, and 100% in just 29 minutes.

On the camera front, we are looking at a triple camera setup (50MP + 16MP + 2MP) in the rear and a 16MP front camera. The OnePlus 9RT comes equipped with the Sony IMX766 Image Sensor, which is arguably the flagship camera sensor this year. The OnePlus 9RT is able to deliver an excellent signal-to-noise ratio and produce cleaner and clearer images with significantly less noise. Furthermore, with the addition of OIS (optical image stabilisation), a fine image foundation is established to ensure crisp and stable videos are captured. The OnePlus 9RT can dramatically reduce over and under-exposed videos with its dedicated DOL-HDR technology—AI Highlight Video Mode. Subjects captured against backlights will appear just as clear and detailed with the bright areas not over-exposed, and the dark areas treated with a natural gradient.

During my usage, the OnePlus 9RT came across as a nifty device. Its user interface is a breeze, the camera quality is great with plenty of features. Browsing the internet on this device, watching videos or playing graphics-intensive games – everything runs very well on this phone. All in all, a good choice for trendy young consumers.

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 16.2 x 7.5 x 0.8 cm; 199g
Display: 6.62-inch E4 AMOLED Display, 1080 x 2400 resolution
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset
Operating system: OxygenOS based on Android 11
Memory & storage: 8/12GB RAM, 128/256GB storage
Camera: 50MP + 16MP + 2MP (rear), 16MP front camera
Battery: 4,500 mAh, Warp Charge 65T
Estimated street price: Rs 42,999 (8+128GB), Rs 46,999 (12+256GB)