Google Pixel 6 vs OnePlus 9: Which should you buy?

(Pocket-lint) - If you're successful the marketplace for a telephone that acts and performs similar a due flagship telephone but don't privation to wage apical dollar for it, there's a precise bully accidental you've recovered yourself drawn to the latest Pixel telephone from Google. 

The Pixel 6 has large cameras, large artillery life, unsocial plan and a almighty processor, each successful a telephone that doesn't outgo anyplace adjacent arsenic overmuch arsenic the ultra premium phones from the likes of Apple, Samsung and Oppo. It's not unsocial successful this abstraction though. This is OnePlus' domain. So however does the Pixel 6 comparison to the OnePlus 9, and which should you buy? Read connected oregon ticker our video to find out. 

Design 

• Pixel 6: 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9mm - 207g
• OnePlus 9: 160 x 74.2 x 8.7mm - 192g
• Pixel 6: Corning Gorilla Glass Victus and Aluminium framework - IP68 rating
• OnePlus 9: Corning Gorilla Glass 5 and Plastic framework - No IP rating
• Pixel 6: Stormy Black, Kinda Coral, Sorta Seafoam
• OnePlus 9: Astral Black, Winter Mist, Arctic Sky

Comparing numbers ne'er tells the full story, but if you look astatine the measurements of some the Pixel 6 and OnePlus 9 you’ll announcement the 2 phones are precise akin successful size. Pixel 6 does measurement a tiny spot shorter, but is ever truthful somewhat thicker and wider than the OnePlus. In information though, there’s thing successful it. What makes a bigger quality to however they consciousness successful the manus is the materials utilized and the shaping of the sides. 

The existent framework connected the OnePlus is simply a spot slimmer and seems to commencement rounding disconnected sooner, and that makes it consciousness a spot much compact.

OnePlus’ telephone has a glossy integrative framework versus the matte finished aluminium chassis connected the Pixel 6. That gives Google’s telephone a somewhat much robust but besides heavier feel. It’s besides coated successful Gorilla Glass Victus which is Corning’s astir durable solid yet, and much durable than the Gorilla Glass 5 connected the OnePlus 9.  

What’s more, Google’s telephone has an authoritative IP68 standing for water and particulate resistance, whereas Oneplus doesn't. Although, the institution does accidental it should past splashes and insignificant interaction with water. Just not submersion.

There’s besides a large quality successful camera plan due to the fact that - let’s look it - the camera module connected the Pixel 6 is similar thing other connected the market. It stretches crossed the full backmost of the phone, meaning there’s nary wobble erstwhile you spot it connected its backmost connected a surface. However, it does protrude rather far, and has a wont of scraping retired and collecting bits of fluff from the pocket. 

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On the front, some the phones person a level surface - which we similar - due to the fact that that makes it easier to benignant connected than a curved display. But determination is simply a antithetic attack to the signifier and bezels. Google’s gone with a overmuch tighter right-angled country internally, giving the surface a overmuch squarer look compared to the rounder corners connected the OnePlus. Those - similar the framework signifier - marque it look and consciousness much compact. 

Display 

• Pixel 6: 6.4-inch AMOLED - afloat HD 2400 x 1080 - 20:9 ratio
• OnePlus 9: 6.55-inch AMOLED - afloat HD 2400 x 1080 - 20:9 ratio
• Pixel 6: 90Hz adaptive refresh - HDR10+ support
• OnePlus 9: 120Hz adaptive refresh - HDR10+ support

Look astatine the 2 telephone screens broadside by broadside and it tin beryllium rather hard to spot overmuch successful the mode of wide quality betwixt them successful presumption of brightness and sharpness. In fact, they’re precise similar. Both are the aforesaid fulHD+ solution aft each and some person AMOLED based screens. To our eyes, the highest brightness seemed a small brighter connected the OnePlus, successful fact, wide the surface is brighter, and that helps assistance the darker portions oregon shadows successful video. But successful truth, there’s truly not a batch successful it.

How colours look connected the displays depends precise overmuch connected however you acceptable the calibrations. Each has its ain enactment wrong the paper to set the wide appearance. Switch them some to vivid oregon boosted mode and colours volition pop, with OnePlus somewhat going a spot much implicit the apical with the over-saturated look. Switch to ‘natural’ mode and colours go a small much muted connected some phones, with the 2 looking rather akin here. 

In their default modes, with Pixel acceptable to Adaptive and OnePlus acceptable to Vivid, they’re precise similar. OnePlus has a inclination to somewhat over-egg the colours and contrast, but past OnePlus does person a database of much precocious colour options allowing you to bash much to tune the surface to your preference. 

OnePlus’ surface has a higher maximum refresh rate astatine 120Hz, versus 90Hz, and telling the quality is truly rather hard. For movie watching and for astir games, there’s nary benefit. It’s lone successful the idiosyncratic interface, scrolling done the app drawer oregon settings paper you mightiness spot immoderate difference, and lone past if you look precise very closely. 

Because it’s specified good margins, we wouldn’t basal our purchasing determination connected the display, it’s not a important capable origin to marque a immense magnitude of quality to your experience. 

The bundle mightiness beryllium though. Pixel 6 comes loaded with the marque new Android 12, implicit with the theming, whimsical widgets and privateness features. OnePlus 9 lone has Android 12 successful beta, and its mentation of beta doesn’t person each of those features. What’s more, Pixel 6 volition get you 5 years of regular, timely information updates. 

Performance and battery

• Pixel 6: Google Tensor spot - 5nm - Octa-core
• OnePlus 9: Snapdragon 888 - 5nm - Octa-core
• Pixel 6: 8GB RAM and 128GB/256GB storage
• OnePlus 9: 8GB/12GB RAM and 128GB/256GB storage
• Pixel 6: 4614mAh artillery - 30W wired charging - 21W wireless (w/ Pixel Stand)
• OnePlus 9: 4500mAh artillery - 65W Warp Charge - 15W wireless

It’s successful show wherever we were astir funny to compare, if lone due to the fact that Google has built its ain customized silicon called Tensor for the Pixel 6. It offers flagship performance, but tin it truly comparison to the Snapdragon 888?                                                                                                                                                                

If you benchmark the two, you’ll find the Snapdragon powered OnePlus volition people successful astir 800 points higher successful the multi-core score, but successful wide each time usage you’ll besides spot a fewer insignificant differences. When it comes to opening up apps, some load games rapidly and erstwhile loaded they consciousness likewise quick. 

One happening we noticed erstwhile games were loaded, ample download files wrong those games would download quicker connected the OnePlus, utilizing the aforesaid Wi-Fi web arsenic the Pixel. It would astir ever load the games somewhat faster too, but we're talking tiny margins and thing that volition marque a important quality successful regular experience. 

Once wrong the crippled there’s a flimsy feeling the OnePlus is ever truthful somewhat much reponsive to gestures than the Pixel, apt down to the faster refresh connected the screen. But there’s not capable successful this really. What we did announcement nevertheless was the Pixel does thin to get lukewarm down the near broadside of the telephone whenever it’s undertaking powerfulness intensive tasks similar gaming, oregon utilizing the camera for a while. 

Even erstwhile it comes to artillery beingness there’s nary important quality betwixt the 2 phones here. Pixel 6’s 4614mAh capableness is somewhat larger than the 4500mAh artillery successful the OnePlus. Depending connected usage, and what you bash with the phones, the artillery beingness volition disagree but successful our acquisition they’re precise similar. With emblematic mean regular usage - with 2-3 hours of surface clip - we'd decorativeness astir days with some phones determination betwixt 40-50 per cent.      

What does marque a quality is complaint speeds. Pixel 6 maxes retired astatine 30W wired speeds, wherever OnePlus has much than treble that astatine 65W and tin wholly capable the telephone successful astir the aforesaid magnitude of clip it takes the Pixel to get halfway. If that doesn’t fuss you due to the fact that you’re a nighttime clip charger, some person akin adaptive charging tech that volition guarantee it charges dilatory and is filled up by the clip your greeting alarm goes off. That mode the artillery should support successful bully wellness for a longer play of time.                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Camera 

• Pixel 6: 50MP superior camera - f/1.9 - PDAF/OIS/LDAF
• OnePlus 9: 48MP superior - f/1.8 - PDAF
• Pixel 6: 12MP ultrawide - f/2.2 
• OnePlus 9: 50MP ultrawide - f/2.2
• OnePlus 9: 2MP monochrome 

Moving connected to cameras, and different country that’s rather absorbing to compare, since some person a dual camera strategy with a superior and ultrawide sensor. Technically OnePlus has 3 cameras, but the 3rd is simply a debased solution monochrome sensor and doesn't instrumentality photos connected its own. It's conscionable determination for data.

For the main camera it’s 50-megapixels connected the Pixel vs. 48-megapixels connected the OnePlus, and connected the ultrawide it’s 12-megapixels connected the Pixel and 50-megapixels connected the ultrawide. But it’s not successful pixel number you’ll truly spot the quality erstwhile pointing and shooting. It’s successful the representation processing. 

What we’ve recovered erstwhile shooting assorted images indoors and outdoors, utilizing either camera, is that that we mostly similar the results from the Pixel. Shooting works beingness we recovered that OnePlus would often boost the colours excessively overmuch and springiness them an unnatural hyper-real look. Pixel’s was a batch much existent to life, and had nicer earthy extent of field.

Similarly, we recovered that successful immoderate instances erstwhile HDR kicked successful - shooting landscapes oregon seascapes - the OnePlus had this wont of over-egging the contrast, peculiarly successful the ultrawide camera, making colours excessively acheronian and not doing good astatine lifting the shadows and midtones. Unlike Pixel, which look to woody with immoderate concern well. 

It was a akin concern erstwhile utilizing the 2 phone’s nighttime modes. What we noticed erstwhile utilizing them was that the Pixel seemed to automatically permission the shutter unfastened for longer, and of course, its representation processing is precise advanced, and truthful - connected the full - it takes amended debased airy photos successful this mode too.

Again, it lifted the shadows overmuch much to springiness a better, much balanced look to the photograph alternatively than OnePlus which would often person precise acheronian shadows, giving the photos a overmuch much contrast-heavy look. And - successful situations wherever determination was precise small existent airy to play with - OnePlus struggled to assistance it astatine all. And tin often beryllium seen applying thing of a greenish tint to everything, portion Pixel’s defaults to a much lukewarm tone. 

Pixel - unsurprisingly besides takes the amended selfies, whether you’re successful daylight oregon nighttime time. In the time OnePlus would often conflict with exposure, but besides permission the tegument looking a spot excessively soft. 

The 1 happening OnePlus has up its sleeve is simply a macro mode that lets you get overmuch person to a tiny taxable than the Pixel will. 

Price

• Pixel 6 - from £599
• OnePlus 9 - from £629

If you look astatine the afloat recommended retail prices, the OnePlus 9 comes successful somewhat much costly than the Pixel 6. In the UK it's £30 much than the Google phone. 

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However, with the Pixel 6 being caller and the OnePlus 9 being not-so-new anymore, you'll apt beryllium capable to find the OnePlus telephone astatine a little price, making it a truly bully woody if you find a discount. 

Conclusion

One the whole, to maine determination are lone 2 factors that marque a large quality to the acquisition of utilizing these 2 phones: Design and the cameras. If you privation the champion results from the camera with the slightest magnitude of effort, the Pixel is the mode to go. It besides has a much durable physique and it has Android 12.

However, the OnePlus 9 has its appeal. It decidedly feels much compact and comfy to usage successful 1 hand, and it inactive has that somewhat faster/zippy consciousness from the higher refresh complaint surface and mostly feels a spot faster to implicit tasks similar downloading ample files and has faster charging. 

Writing by Cam Bunton. Originally published connected 1 November 2021.