Following months of rumors, leaks, and (possible) delays, Samsung finally released the Galaxy 21 FE on January 3, 2022 — the ‘FE’ standing for ‘Fan Edition.’ The phone is a sequel to the much-loved Galaxy S20 FE, and mainly serves as a more budget-friendly version of last year’s Galaxy S21. The phone will also presumably be the budget alternative to the upcoming Galaxy S22 series, but without final pricing information on those phones, we can’t be sure yet.
The late release of the Galaxy S21 FE means there are many factors to consider. If you already own a Galaxy S21, should you upgrade to it? If you don’t have either phone, which is a better use of your money? We’ll attempt to answer those questions (and others) in this comparison guide. Also, we’re only comparing the base model Galaxy S21 to the Galaxy S21 FE in this guide, not the more-expensive Galaxy S21 Plus or Galaxy S21 Ultra.
About this article: Samsung sent us a Galaxy S21 FE to review in January. The company did not have any input on the contents of this article.
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Specifications
Specification
Galaxy S21
Galaxy S21 FE
Build
Plastic back, metal frame
Plastic back, metal frame
Dimensions & Weight
151.7 x 71.2 x 7.9 mm
171 grams
155.7 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm
177 grams
Display
6.2-inch FHD+ AMOLED
2400 x 1080
120Hz refresh rate
6.4-inch FHD+ AMOLED
2340 x 1080
120Hz refresh rate
SoC
USA: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
International: Exynos 2100
USA: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
International: Exynos 2100
RAM & Storage
8GB RAM/128GB storage
8GB RAM/256GB storage
No microSD card slot
6GB RAM/128GB storage
8GB RAM/256GB storage
No microSD card slot
Battery & Charging
4,000mAh battery
25W wired fast charging
15W wireless charging
4.5W reverse wireless charging
4,500mAh battery
25W wired fast charging
15W wireless charging
4.5W reverse wireless charging
Security
In-display fingerprint scanner
In-display fingerprint scanner
Rear Cameras
Primary: 12MP, f/2.2, 123˚ FoV
Wide-angle: 12MP, f/1.8, 79˚ FoV
Telephoto: 8MP, f/2.4, 32˚ FOV
Primary: 12MP, f/1.8, 120˚ FoV
Wide-angle: 12MP, f/2.2, 123° FoV
Telephoto: 64MP, f/2.4, 3X optical, 30X space zoom, OIS
Front Camera
10MP, f/2.2, 80˚ FoV
32MP, f/2.2, 81˚ FoV
Port(s)
USB Type-C
No headphone jack
USB Type-C
No headphone jack
Audio
Stereo speakers
Stereo speakers
Connectivity
Sub6/mmWave 5G
4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/x (dual-band)
Bluetooth 5.0
Sub6/mmWave 5G
4G LTE
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/x (dual-band)
Bluetooth 5.0
Ultra Wide Band (UWB)
Software
One UI 4.0/Android 12 (Android 11 at launch)
One UI 4.0/Android 12
Other Features
Samsung Pay with NFC
IP68 rating
Samsung Pay with NFC
IP68 rating
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Design and Hardware
The hardware design of the Galaxy S21 FE is nearly identical to the Galaxy S21 that came before it. Both phones have glass-covered displays and plastic rear casings, a metal frame inside the device, three cameras on the back, and a primary speaker and USB Type-C port on the bottom. Neither phone has a headphone jack or a microSD card slot, unfortunately.
Galaxy S21 (left) and Galaxy S21 FE (right)
The main difference between the two is the physical size. The base model Galaxy S21 has a 6.2-inch screen, while the Galaxy S21 FE has a slightly larger 6.4-inch panel. Both screens are AMOLED, both have the same 2340 x 1080 resolution, and both have a refresh rate of 120Hz — the only difference is that the Galaxy S21 FE display is a bit larger.
Besides that, the camera array on the back isn’t quite as pronounced. Even though it still sticks out from the back of the phone, like the cameras on most other premium smartphones, the color matches the casing and the sides are sloped. That’s not a ground-breaking change by any means, but still worth noting.
Since the Galaxy S21 FE is a bit larger, Samsung was able to fit in a larger 4,500mAh battery (compared to the 4,000mAh battery on the Galaxy S21). There’s also only 6GB RAM on the cheapest Galaxy S21 FE, compared to the 8GB on all versions of the Galaxy S21, but the pricier 256GB Galaxy S21 FE bumps the memory back up to 8GB.
Besides those differences, the two phones are more or less identical. They both have Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 chipsets in the US and Exynos 2100 elsewhere, they both have Android 12 and One UI 4, they both support 5G, and so on.
Samsung Galaxy S21 vs Galaxy S21 FE: Cameras
The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 FE have almost identical camera setups, with ultra-wide, wide-angle, and telephoto rear cameras on both devices. However, there are minor differences between them. The ultra-wide on the Galaxy S21 has a slightly higher pixel size than the ultra-wide on the Galaxy S21 FE (1.4μm vs 1.12μm), so the quality is a bit better on the regular Galaxy S21. The most significant difference is with the telephoto camera — it’s 64MP on the Galaxy S21, but only Galaxy 8MP on the S21 FE.
In real-world usage, photos captured with these phones are nearly identical to each other. I struggled to find any differences between the two, even after copying them to my computer to view them on a much larger display. The primary camera performs about the same on both phones, even though the Galaxy S21 has a slight edge on paper, and wide-angle photos are also close.
The only area where the Galaxy S21 FE produced noticeably-worse photos was with the telephoto camera, but only in some situations. The lower-resolution telephoto lens on the Galaxy S21 FE can still handle brightly-lit areas about as well as the regular Galaxy S21, but if you keep zooming in (especially in darker environments), photo quality degrades a bit quicker than with the S21.
Conclusion: Which one should you get?
The Galaxy S21 Fan Edition is definitely a confusing phone. It’s almost identical to the base model Galaxy S21, except it has cheaper materials and one extra generation of OS updates (so it should receive Android 13, 14, and 15, while the Galaxy S21 will stop at 14). The Galaxy S21 was $799.99 at launch, but it dropped to $699 on more than one occasion, while the Galaxy S21 Fan Edition starts at $699.99. Samsung might drop the price of the FE over the next few months to make the phone more of a deal, but the company hasn’t done anything yet.
If you already have a Galaxy S21, and you’re wondering if you should upgrade, the answer is a resounding no. The Galaxy S21 FE is not significantly better than the Galaxy S21, and in some ways (such as the telephoto camera), it’s a bit worse. The screen is slightly larger, and it has three major Android OS updates left (as opposed to 2 updates left on the Galaxy S21), but that’s not enough to warrant spending more money.
For people with an older device, or someone looking to move away from an iPhone, the answer is a bit more complicated. The Galaxy S21 FE is a good phone, but it’s not the same absolute bargain that the Galaxy S20 FE was when it was first released. It’s a slightly-different Galaxy S21, at a higher price than the Galaxy S21 has been for much of the past six months.
Galaxy S21 128GB pricing on Amazon (Source: Keepa)
The entire Galaxy S21 family is starting to go out of stock at retailers, which indicates Samsung might sell the Galaxy S21 FE as the only available Galaxy S21 model from this point on. If that’s true, cross-shopping the two phones is a bit of a pointless exercise, unless you’re deciding between a new Galaxy S21 FE and a used/refurbished Galaxy S21.
In summary: if you want a new phone, your only choice between the two will probably be the Galaxy S21 FE. I’d still recommend waiting for a sale if you can, though — it doesn’t make much sense to pay $700 for a phone that is almost identical to the $800 phone from a year ago, even if Samsung is throwing in one more Android update.
Last year's Galaxy S21 is still a great phone, with a speedy Snapdragon 888 chipset and two major Android OS updates left. Just make sure you only get it on sale.
If you’ve been remotely active on Twitter in the past couple of weeks, you’re sure to have encountered colored boxes on your timeline accompanied by the text Wordle. You’re either super intrigued to know what it’s all about or annoyed to the point where you’ve muted the word. Nonetheless, it’s a trend that has taken the internet by storm. If you too want to jump onto the bandwagon to tackle your FOMO, we’ll tell you everything about Wordle and how you can play this game on your smartphone.
Wordle is a web-based word game that refreshes every day. The aim of the puzzle is to guess the word of the day. You get six tries to guess a five-letter word with color-coded boxes to help you place letters in the right positions. We’ll talk more about the nuances of the game and how to play it in the subsequent sections of this article. To give you a basic understanding of Wordle, you can think of it as a puzzle that gives you a new challenge every day.
Josh Wardle, a software engineer, created the game for his wife who was hooked to word games like Spelling Bee and Crossword. The name of the game is unsurprisingly a wordplay on Josh’s last name. While the game was initially meant just for the couple to play, it was made public in October 2021 and started to get traction in the subsequent weeks thanks to the power of social media FOMO. The idea behind Wordle seems to be similar to that of a British game show called Lingo.
Of course, unlike the game show, you don’t win any money for guessing the right word on Wordle. What you win, though, is bragging rights for the number of turns you took to arrive at the right word. Wordle is played via a website that has no ads and its success is purely based on word of mouth. The fact that millions of users are playing the game all over the world intrigued by a random set of green boxes on a social media platform seems like just the kind of marketing Wordle needed to become popular! Think of it as Among Us for the Omicron wave, as the peak in the game’s popularity coincided with the recent COVID lockdowns, giving people reasons to find creative ways to spend their time indoors.
Why has Wordle become so popular?
What makes Wordle so interesting is that it’s available to play just once a day. The anticipation to play the game again the next day is what brings users back to it. It’s also not very time-consuming as you only get six attempts to solve the puzzle, and how much time you spend per attempt is dependent on your English vocabulary. Given that a new word is available every morning, it’s also a great way to churn your brain and begin the day on a high. The fact that the same word is available to everyone all over the world also brings in an element of unison.
I’ve seen several people mentioning how a dormant group on WhatsApp suddenly became active after Wordle started gaining popularity. It’s good to see that a simple internet game can be a conversation starter while also adding a hint of competition to see who can guess the word in the least number of attempts.
Our school friends group has turned in a wordle group. It used to be that useless Good morning flower group… but it’s a bright and better change!
Another reason for Wordle to become so popular is the boxes you see on Twitter. Multiple well-known personalities on Twitter have shared their Wordle scores on the platform. As a result, a bunch of their followers would also have tried the game and that’s how the word spreads. Alright, now that you know what Wordle is all about and how it came to being, let’s try solving our first Wordle together!
How to play Wordle?
The best and the “official” way to play Wordle is by heading to the website — https://www.powerlanguage.co.uk/wordle/ either on your computer or a smartphone. Once you’re on the website, you will see 5 columns and 6 rows followed by an on-screen keyboard. The 5 columns indicate that you need to guess a five-letter word while the 6 rows mean you have 6 chances to guess the right word.
The game begins when you start with your first guess. Your first guess can be any random five-letter word, but there are various strategies you can apply here. The most popular one is beginning with a word that has as many vowels as possible. The idea here is that most words in the English language have at least one vowel. If you start with a word that has multiple vowels, there’s a good chance you’ll get at least one letter right in the word. Examples of five-letter words with multiple vowels are AUDIO, ADIEU, AURAE, IRATE, RAISE, AROSE, etc. Let’s start with AROSE for this tutorial. Input the word and hit Enter.
You will now see that the background of all the letters you entered has changed. Some letters may have a green background, others may have a yellow or gray background. This is the important bit that you need to understand. If a box has turned green, it indicates that you’ve guessed the right letter in the right position. In this case, the letter R has turned green which means R is the second letter in the word. If a box turns yellow, which it hasn’t in this case, it means that the letter is right, but it’s not in the correct position in the word. If a box is gray, it means the letter isn’t present in the word.
Now, keeping in mind that R is the right letter in the right place, think of another word with R as the second letter. Also, make sure that the word you think of doesn’t have any of the gray letters. In this case, you need to think of a word that doesn’t have the letters A, O, S, E. If a letter turned yellow, make sure to use the same letter but in a different position from your initial guess.
Let’s now try the word DRINK.
As you can see, we have three green squares now which means the letters R, I, K are correct and in the right positions. The letters D, N are not present in the word. We just have to guess two more letters now to arrive at the correct word. Think of the different permutations and combinations of letters that you can come up with to form a word with these letters. The possible combinations I can think of are BRICK, PRICK, TRICK. Let’s try TRICK.
Alright, we’ve now got the last 4 letters of the word as RICK. Let’s try the other combinations from the previous step.
Since B has turned gray, the only other possible guess I could think of is PRICK.
That’s it, we’ve successfully guessed the right word! Congratulations on solving your first Wordle!
It took us five attempts to solve the Wordle which is the number you see accompanying the boxes in tweets. Wordle (5/6) indicates that we guessed the word in five attempts out of 6. Once you’ve guessed the word, you will be shown your statistics along with the option to share your performance. Social media shares also mention a number besides Wordle, which is just how many daily Wordles have been there so far, so you can compare your performance on the same number with others.
If you choose to share it on Twitter, the game will automatically create those colored boxes for you based on your guesses along with the number of guesses. You can also see the time remaining for the next word displayed here. Once the timer elapses, you can come back to the same page and try guessing the new word.
While having a rich English vocabulary does help, luck also plays a big factor in determining whether or not you’ll be able to guess the right word. Nevertheless, the objective of the game is to have fun so guess your way to the top, tweet your scores, share them with your friends, and challenge them to get the word in lesser attempts!
Wordle alternatives on Android/iOS
The original Wordle game can be played only via the website mentioned above, and it is quite convenient to simply bookmark the website and play through your phone browser. Some people may prefer playing on an app instead. There were some cloned versions of the game turned into apps going by the same name — Wordle. Those have been taken down now but there still are some word-based puzzle games that can work as alternatives on both the Google Play Store as well as the Apple App Store.
Primel
Hannah Park has created an open-source version of Wordle that developers can now make use of to create their own variations of the game. Twitter user DavidLawrenceMiller has taken advantage of this and created a mathematical version of the game — Primel. Instead of guessing words like you would on Wordle, you take chances to guess a five-digit prime number on Primel. This is meant to be a tongue-in-cheek take on Wordle, but if you would rather scratch your head finding prime factors of a number than revising your vocab, this could be your thing!
Word Bound
Word Bound is a word-based puzzle game that is similar to Wordle. You need to guess the right word using various combinations. There are multiple levels and you can even play online against your friends. The game claims to have over 1,000 puzzles with a daily word challenge. If you want something more extensive than Wordle since the latter only allows you to play once a day, you can check this game out.
Scrabble is one of the most popular word games across the globe. You are given a board on which you need to make words using the available letters. You get a certain number of points for each word that you make. You can play offline or against a friend, and the person with the most number of points wins. It’s a fun game that’s different from Wordle but still revolves around making words.
This is a proper replica of Wordle but in an app form for iOS devices. Wordlets gives you the same amount of guesses to arrive at a five-letter word as Wordle and with the exact same layout. This app is for those who want to play the exact same game but on an app instead of on the website.
Wordly
Wordly is a game on iOS that displays a 4×4 box with different letters. You have to draw lines inside the box to connect various letters to form a meaningful word. This is a slightly different take on a word game and I’m glad that it brings something unique to the table instead of being a blatant copy of an already existing game.
Wordle Tips and Tricks
Wordle is a pretty straightforward game. You just have to guess the right word in six attempts. However, there are some tips and tricks for Wordle that can improve your experience while playing the game. A basic tip as already mentioned earlier is to start off with a word that covers a lot of vowels or frequently used letters in the English alphabet. Letters like S, T, A, E, I, R are frequently used and hence, might give you a good start with a few yellow or green squares.
This isn’t really a trick but an Easter Egg present on Google when you search for Wordle. When you enter Wordle on Google and hit the Search button, you will see an animation resembling how Wordle works. Neat!
The next trick involves going back in time (at least, on your phone’s clock) and playing Wordle with past words. Technically, Wordle can only be played once a day. There’s a new word every day and once you’ve guessed that, you have to wait for the timer to reset before playing the game again with a new word. However, if you’re new to Wordle and want to guess the previous days’ words, there’s a small hack discovered by Reddit user r/pompeusz. All you need to do is change the date on your smartphone to a day in the past and open the website. You will now be able to play that day’s Wordle.
Using this trick LeagueBright9916 has created a Wordle Archive where you can play all 215 Wordles till now in random order. This is a great way to pass time if you’ve already solved the current puzzle and want to get the hang of the game by guessing older words.
Another basic trick is to tap on the small gear icon on the top-right corner to access some settings. You can enable/disable dark mode from here, along with the option to change the color scheme if you’re colorblind. You can also toggle a Hard Mode if you want the game to be more challenging.
That’s pretty much everything you need to know about the latest fad on social media — Wordle! If you haven’t played the game yet, start today by heading over to the link and following the tutorial above. If you’re unsure of what to do or are stuck somewhere, feel free to leave a comment below. It’s quite addictive though, so tread with caution!
Over the years, OnePlus had cemented its place in the Indian market as a brand catering to enthusiasts. It didn’t take long for OnePlus to achieve the premium tag thanks in large to top-end specifications and more importantly, clean software. OxygenOS was a fan favorite due to multiple reasons — it felt close to stock Android, had fast animations, and was fairly feature-rich. In fact, OxygenOS became one of the key selling points of a OnePlus device. It wasn’t the case for long, though, since the OnePlus-OPPO merger meant that the beloved OxygenOS was now getting the ColorOS treatment.
While OnePlus received a lot of backlash for this move, it didn’t stop the brand from making good phones that continued its legacy of speed. The OnePlus Nord 2 is a solid mid-range option and the OnePlus 10 Pro also looks promising. While we wait for the latter to arrive in India, OnePlus has launched the successor to its affordable flagship from last year — the OnePlus 9RT. When the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro launched last year, OnePlus also unveiled the OnePlus 9R in India targeted towards mobile gamers. It was a cheaper alternative that had the previous year’s flagship chipset.
The OnePlus 9RT carries over the same legacy. It packs in the Snapdragon 888 from last year and is made specifically for mobile gamers who don’t want to spend too much but also don’t want to compromise on speed, while also looking for a phone that doesn’t go overboard on its “gamer aesthetic”. While you don’t get the coveted OxygenOS anymore, the performance DNA from previous OnePlus phones carries over to the OnePlus 9RT making it a Really Tempting option for gaming. But, is there more to the phone than just raw performance? Is it also a good option for a standard user who doesn’t play games on their phone? Let’s answer those questions.
About this review: OnePlus India sent us the OnePlus 9RT and the device was used for a period of ten days before writing this review. OnePlus did not have any input into the contents of this review.
OnePlus 9RT: Specifications
Specification
OnePlus 9RT
Build
Glass back
Metallic frame
Dimensions & Weight
163.2 x 73.2 x 8.7mm
197g
Display
6.62-inch FHD+ Samsung E4 AMOLED
120Hz refresh rate
600Hz touch sampling rate
1300nits peak brightness
1000000:1 contrast ratio
100% DCI-P3 coverage
HDR10+
SoC
Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
1x Kryo 680 (ARM Cortex X1-based) Prime core @ 2.84GHz
When I mentioned initially that OnePlus had attained the premium tag in India, it wasn’t only about what was under the hood. Externally too, OnePlus has been doing a great job with the way its phones look and feel. Right from the beginning, OnePlus has tried doing something different, be it the sandstone back on the OnePlus One or the Silk White finish on the OnePlus 6. The OnePlus 9RT also gets the same premium treatment in the design department.
This is one of the best black-colored phones I've used recently
The phone is available in two color options — Hacker Black and Nano Silver. For what it’s worth, both these finishes are similar to what we saw on the flagship OnePlus 9 Pro from last year. OnePlus sent me the Hacker Black variant of the device and boy, does it feel great to look at and hold! It’s got a silky texture on the back that feels great to hold and when light falls on it, you almost see a velvet-like pattern. It’s hard to describe exactly how the phone looks, but this is one of the best black-colored phones I’ve used recently.
Black is generally considered a boring color on smartphones since its ubiquitous. Full marks to OnePlus here for making the black color stand out. The camera module has a slightly different finish but it matches the rest of the back very well. The rings around the camera also have a darker chrome finish that gives the phone an elegant look. The back is made of glass with aluminum side rails that also have a black paint job.
Apart from the good-looking back, OnePlus has also done a good job with the weight distribution on the OnePlus 9RT. The phone doesn’t feel heavy even when you’re using it with one hand. The alert slider, one of OnePlus’ hallmark features is present on the right edge and works as intended. The phone has a dual-SIM slot and a dual speaker setup. OnePlus also bundles a case inside the box that’s different from the traditional clear cases manufacturers provide. It’s still a TPU case but a matte black one that provides basic protection. It’s rather slippery and feels cheap, thus spoiling the premium look of the phone. I recommend getting a better aftermarket case.
The OnePlus 9RT feels like a premium high-end smartphone
The attractive back coupled with a solid mid-frame and good weight distribution means that the OnePlus 9RT feels like a premium high-end smartphone. I’m glad that OnePlus hasn’t made any compromises in this department, especially at this price point.
Display
This is another department that’s in favor of OnePlus. The OnePlus 9RT uses a Samsung E4 AMOLED display measuring 6.62-inches. It is a Full HD+ panel with a refresh rate of 120Hz. While the refresh rate is quite standard, the touch sampling rate of the display is 300Hz which can further increase to 600Hz in supported games. This is massive since competitive gamers need the added advantage of registering a touch as fast as possible.
Anybody buying this phone will be absolutely content with the display
During my usage, I could actually tell that the phone was registering touches faster while gaming at 600Hz. If you play a lot of games and want to get into the e-sports arena, you’re going to have a slight edge with the OnePlus 9RT’s display. Apart from the refresh rate and touch sampling rate, the quality of the display itself is fantastic. The colors look great, the contrast levels are excellent, and there’s little to no color-shift and viewing the display off-axis. Anybody buying this phone will be absolutely content with the display and the media consumption experience.
You can also enjoy watching your favorite shows and movies in HDR on Netflix with the peak brightness hitting 1300 nits. The phone has Widevine L1 certification, so there’s no resolution cap on streaming platforms. While the 1300 nits value can be achieved only while consuming HDR content, the display is adequately bright even without that boost. I had no problems viewing the display outdoors either. One thing I observed is that the OnePlus 9RT comes with a pre-installed screen protector that gets smudged easily and ruins your experience. I would suggest getting rid of it and it replacing it with a good quality tempered glass screen protector.
The OLED display houses an in-display fingerprint scanner under the panel which is both fast and accurate. The position of the scanner is slightly lower than I would’ve wanted and it took a couple of days for me to get used to it. I would’ve liked it if it would have been slightly higher since that would be the natural resting position for my thumb.
OnePlus 9RT: Performance and Software
OnePlus is marketing this phone as a performance powerhouse and the OnePlus 9RT actually lives up to it. I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said that this is one of the best-performing Snapdragon 888 phones I’ve used. Of course, the chipset by itself packs in a lot of punch, but OnePlus has done a few additional things to ensure you get the best performance out of the hardware on this phone. While the Snapdragon 888 was one of the most powerful chipsets of last year, some phones with the SoC exhibited thermal buildup with prolonged usage.
This is one of the best-performing Snapdragon 888 phones I've used
The OnePlus 9RT tackles that with a large vapor chamber for cooling. I ran BGMI at Smooth + Extreme graphics and had no signs of throttling even with prolonged gameplay. The phone performed consistently even on Call of Duty Mobile. The fact that you can push the Snapdragon 888 chip to its limits while not impacting sustained performance is a great sign, especially for gamers who spend long hours at a stretch.
The vapor chamber seems to be making a difference
The vapor chamber seems to be making a difference. Another aspect that makes a difference is the high touch sampling rate that I already talked about. It just makes the entire experience feel smoother when you’re gaming. The third aspect that contributes to good performance is the software. Now, of course, OxygenOS isn’t what it used to be, but it’s still nimble and well-optimized.
There’s a dedicated gaming mode to boost performance along with additional perks like mistouch prevention. The OnePlus 9RT has three Wi-Fi antennas instead of two which should help with better network reception. When you combine these features, the OnePlus 9RT is an excellent option for mobile gamers. It does get warm to the touch, but the performance of the phone does not get affected which is important.
OxygenOS isn't what it used to be, but it's still nimble and well-optimized
Coming back to the software, you will see a lot of ColorOS elements in the UI like the camera app and multiple options in the Settings app. This doesn’t impact the usability of the phone, though, since everything flies through the UI just like it did on older OnePlus phones. I did not encounter any bugs either during my usage. What’s slightly disappointing is that being a premium phone, the OnePlus 9RT still runs Android 11 out of the box despite being launched in 2022.
OnePlus does promise 3 Android version updates and 4 years of security patches, but that’s technically only two more years of Android updates since Android 12 should be out for the device any day now. Ideally, the phone should have launched with Android 12 with a promise of three additional version updates. The OnePlus 9R from last year will also get the same amount of updates as the OnePlus 9RT which isn’t justified since the 9RT has just been launched.
Cameras
The recent generation of OnePlus phones has improved considerably in the camera department. The OnePlus 9R last year had underwhelming cameras but the OnePlus 9, 9 Pro, Nord 2, and now the OnePlus 9RT have substantially improved camera systems. The primary sensor on the OnePlus 9RT is the IMX 766 which is the same 50MP sensor used on the ultra-wide camera on the OnePlus 9 Pro. It’s paired with a 16MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP macro lens.
Shots from the OnePlus 9RT look great in terms of color reproduction but the dynamic range could have been better. Shadows tend to get crushed especially if there’s not a lot of light in the scene you’re capturing. The shots are detailed for the most part at the center of the frame but get softer as you move to the corners. I’m not a big fan of the way the OnePlus 9RT captures skin tones. It tends to add a slightly reddish tinge that’s not very pleasing.
When you move to low-light situations, the OnePlus 9RT’s primary shooter holds its own and captures images with a good amount of detail with Night Mode enabled. The images aren’t very noisy thanks to ISO levels staying low, but I would have liked to see slightly better colors. The camera leans towards warmer color temperatures in low-light situations. The ultra-wide camera is good in daylight but starts to get noisy at night. There’s a noticeable difference in the color parity between the two lenses which isn’t ideal.
The cameras have improved considerably but are still not flagship-grade
Selfies haven’t looked great on OnePlus devices for a while now and that’s, unfortunately, the case with the OnePlus 9RT as well. The OnePlus 9 Pro clicked selfies which were soft and did not depict skin tones that well. The same can be said about the OnePlus 9RT. This is even more apparent in low-light conditions. The 2MP macro camera is there when you need it but the images it took look sort of muddy.
The OnePlus 9RT has a good set of cameras that have considerably improved from the last-gen OnePlus 9R. However, they’re still not flagship-grade and something like the Xiaomi 11T Pro would serve you better if your primary requirement is a great set of cameras.
Battery Life and Charging
The OnePlus 9RT has a 4,500mAh battery which gave me about 5-5.5 hours of screen-on time on average. That’s good, but nothing extraordinary. If you play a lot of games, you will end up draining the battery faster. This is a one-day battery phone at best. But for when you are running low on juice, OnePlus gives you a 65W charger in the box that can top-up the phone from around 5% to 100% in 32 minutes in my experience. That’s pretty good since you gain a considerable amount of charge even with a short break while you’re gaming.
This is a one-day battery phone at best
There’s no wireless charging on the OnePlus 9RT which is no surprise since the Indian version of the OnePlus 9 didn’t have it either. I would’ve liked to see a 5,000mAh battery on this phone which would probably have resulted in much better endurance. The battery life isn’t bad, but a phone that’s targeted towards gamers ought to last longer.
Verdict: Should you buy the OnePlus 9RT?
The OnePlus 9RT starts at ₹42,999 (~$580) in India, which if you read the performance section of this review, is a tempting deal for gamers. You’re getting last year’s flagship chipset, a premium design, an excellent display, a good set of cameras, and 65W fast charging. However, Xiaomi just launched the Xiaomi 11T Pro in India which also gets the same Snapdragon 888 chipset but comes with a bunch of additional perks over the OnePlus 9RT such as a 10-bit display, a 108MP camera setup, a larger 5,000mAh battery, and crazy 120W fast-charging — all for ₹3,000 cheaper.
The OnePlus 9RT is a solid phone that is unfortunately overshadowed by its competition
The Xiaomi 11T Pro starts at just ₹39,999 and is a better deal compared to the OnePlus 9RT. There’s no particular aspect about the OnePlus 9RT that stands out and justifies the additional premium, except the performance maybe. The vapor cooling chamber keeps the thermals under check and enables excellent performance, but the Xiaomi 11T Pro isn’t going to be too far behind either. There was a time when I would have recommended the OnePlus 9RT for the better software experience that OxygenOS provides, but there’s not a lot of difference in that department now. In fact, MIUI has improved so much that I would even prefer it over OxygenOS in some instances.
The OnePlus 9RT is a tempting option for gamers, but not the best value proposition for everyone else
Not to forget, the iQOO 9 is also expected to launch sometime soon in India with a similar set of specifications. If history is anything to go by, iQOO will definitely price the phone very aggressively which will bring a third competitor into the mix. The OnePlus 9RT is a solid phone that is unfortunately overshadowed by its competition. It’s a tempting option for gamers, but not the best value proposition for everyone else.
The OnePlus 9RT is a good phone that delivers on almost all fronts. However, there are better phones out there with more aggressive pricing that make the OnePlus 9RT feel slightly expensive.
Screenshots via ko2_wn on the OnePlus Community forums
The latest OxygenOS 12 release for the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro (firmware version C.44) includes several bug fixes, optimizations for vibration feedback while gaming, camera improvements, and the Android security patches for January 2022. Check out the section below for the full changelog.
Changelog: OxygenOS 12 (C.44) for the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro
System
Improves system performance in some scenarios.
Fixes a display issue with charging animations that would occur in certain scenarios.
Fixes a display issue with the notification drawer that would occur in certain scenarios.
Fixes a scrolling lag issue with the notification drawer.
Apps
Optimizes vibration feedback for some gaming scenarios.
Camera
Fixes an issue where Camera might sometimes crash.
Fixes an issue where Camera might occasionally not respond when you want to take a video.
Security
Integrates the January 2022 Android security patch to enhance system security.
It’s worth noting that while the previous OxygenOS 12 updates for the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro only reached those who had installed the buggy initial release, the latest update is rolling out widely and it’s available on devices that are still running OxygenOS 11. If you haven’t received the update yet, you should get the OTA notification in the next few days. Alternatively, you can download the firmware package from the links provided below to install the update manually.
Download OxygenOS 12 (vC.44) for the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro
At the moment, we have access to the firmware package for the global variants of the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro only. We’ll update this post with the rest of the download links as soon as they become available.
The Galaxy S22 series is just around the corner. While we have already seen a couple of flagship launches in 2022 so far, it’s the Galaxy S22 series that will set the necessary tone for premium flagships coming out this year. To make it easier for Galaxy S22 fans to connect with like-minded people, take part in discussions, and collaborate on custom development projects, we have now opened up XDA forums for the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, and Galaxy S22 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy S22
The Galaxy S22 will be the smallest and cheapest model in the lineup. As far as the design is concerned, we’re not expecting the Galaxy S22 to deviate too much from the Galaxy S21. The phone will reportedly feature a 6.06-inch AMOLED display, Exynos 2200 SoC (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in select markets), a 50MP GN1 primary camera, and a 3,700mAh battery with fast charging support.
The Galaxy S22 Plus is the middle child that will sit between the vanilla Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Ultra. The Galaxy S22 Plus is expected to retain the same design as the vanilla model but in a larger body. We don’t know the display size but considering the Galaxy S21 Plus featured a 6.7-inch panel, the Galaxy S22 Plus should ideally get a similarly sized display. Just like the regular model, the Galaxy S22 Plus will pack an Exynos 2200/Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC and a 50MP GN1 rear camera.
The top-tier Ultra model is set to get a big upgrade this year. The Galaxy S22 Ultra is widely believed to be a spiritual successor to the Galaxy Note 20. It would reportedly feature a curved display and an S Pen slot similar to the Galaxy Note lineup. It’s rumored to pack a big 5,000mAh battery and may support 45W fast wired charging. Recent leaks suggest the phone will pack a quad-camera setup consisting of a 108MP primary shooter along with a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 10MP 10x telephoto camera, and a 10MP 3x telephoto camera.
Samsung will reportedly launch its next flagship tablet lineup early next month, alongside the Galaxy S22 series. While the company hasn’t made an official announcement regarding the upcoming tablets, over the last few weeks we’ve seen several leaks highlighting their design and hardware specifications. So far, we’ve learned that the Galaxy Tab S8 lineup will include three tablets — the vanilla Galaxy Tab S8, the Galaxy Tab S8 Plus, and the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra.
Leaked renders and live images of the tablets have revealed that the regular and Plus variants will feature a design similar to the Galaxy Tab S7 lineup from last year, but the Ultra model will feature some unique changes. Now, retail listings of all three tablets have popped up on Amazon Italy and Amazon France ahead of the official launch, revealing some additional details.
According to Pocketnow, the Amazon Italy listings reveal that all three tablets in the Galaxy Tab S8 lineup will be available in both 5G cellular and Wi-Fi-only variants. While the listings mention that all three tablets will feature Qualcomm chipsets, they don’t specify exactly which chipset will be found on each model. Based on previous leaks, we speculate that the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will pack the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip, while the other two models might feature the Snapdragon 888.
The listings further reveal that the Galaxy Tab S8 and Galaxy Tab S8 Plus will be available in three colorways — Black, Silver, and Pink. The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, however, will only be available in a Black finish. All three tablets will also feature support for the S Pen, which will magnetically attach to the back of the tablets.
Images: Pocketnow
Furthermore, the Galaxy Tab S8 listing reveals that it will feature an 11-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels and go by the model number X706B. It will feature a single 13MP rear-facing camera and a front-facing camera in the top edge. The tablet will measure 25.38 x 16.53 x 0.63 cm and weigh 507 grams. It will pack an 8,000mAh battery and run One UI 4 based on Android 12 out of the box.
Images: Pocketnow
The Galaxy Tab S8 Plus listing states that it will feature a 12.4-inch display with a resolution of 2800 x 1772 pixels, it will go by the model number X806B, and feature the same camera setup as the regular variant. However, it will include a larger 10,090mAh battery. The tablet will measure 28.5 x 18.5 x 0.57 cm and weigh 572 grams. On the software front, the tablet will also run One UI 4 based on Android 12.
Image: Pocketnow
Lastly, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra listing reveals that it will feature a 14.6-inch display with a resolution of 2960 x 1848 pixels, a single 13MP rear-facing camera, two front-facing sensors housed within a notch, and an 11,200mAh battery. The tablet will measure 32.64 x 20.86 x 0.55 cm and weigh 728 grams. The Ultra variant will also launch with One UI 4 based on Android 12.
Screenshots: Pocketnow
Although the Amazon Italy listings don’t reveal the pricing details, an Amazon France listing of the flagship Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra states that it will be available for €1,308.10 (~$1,482) for the 128GB cellular variant and €1,159.32 (~$1314) for the Wi-Fi-only model. The listing further adds that the top-of-the-line variant will become available for purchase on February 25.
Screenshot: Pocketnow
What do you think of the upcoming Galaxy Tab S8 lineup based on this information? Do you think the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra will be worth the aforementioned price? Let us know in the comments section below.
