Not many flagship devices you find at discounted prices. But Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus is certain to change that with the new launches in the ultra-premium segment. The flagship series, OnePlus 9 is the latest to be released (March, 2021) in the market. It was launched alongside the OnePlus 9 Pro, and OnePlus 9R or OnePlus 9 Lite smartphones. Speaking of OnePlus 9, the ‘non-pro’ model is not far behind the pro model in terms of performance and quality. It houses a great display, same SOC, good cameras and feedbacks. All of which, that makes the phone an all round choice out there. It takes a lot of elements from its predecessors, OnePlus 8 series, and makes them better equipped.
Common Complaints & Issues
Design
This year’s OnePlus 9 series has kept the design very subtle in both of its devices. However, they have tried to cut cost on the OnePlus 9 in a lot of aspects. One of them is the design and frame. Although the design appears to be similar, the frame of the non-pro model is actually reinforced plastic as compared to the Pro model. This makes the phone very fragile and with so many drop tests/user reviews, it is clear that you need extra care every day with this phone.
Possible Solution: A very less number of people use a smartphone without a cover. It is always advised to use a premium back cover for the device to make the most out of the design as well as give it the extra protection it deserves. You could also opt for getting a drop protection plan from OnePlus support page.
Software/Operating System
The Oxygen OS has been regarded as one of the best android ROMS available because of its stock Android feel and smooth user interface. But it is filled with bugs like automatic disabling of screen orientation, low power mode and glitches in the homepage scrolling. A premium phone is not expected to have these at all, and OnePlus needs to act upon it.
Possible Solution: These issues have come up in the past as well, which were solved with software updates rolled by the company within few days of a smartphone’s release.
Camera
Hasselblad collaborated with OnePlus this year to roll out several hardware and software upgrades to the cameras of the smartphone. However, the back camera being adequate for the price, the selfie camera is just a compromise. It has not even upgraded from last year’s selfie camera which delivered very average pictures.
Possible Solutions: If you use the selfie camera a lot, it is suggested to use a third party camera app for the front facing camera. This would help to manually control the dynamic range and shutter for the front facing camera. While the camera hardware is capable, certain things can be made better with software input.
Heating Issues & Battery
It is not surprise that many OnePlus devices are known for the heating issues. While the service and support team is proactive in fixing, the issue seem to be prevalent in most devices newly released by them. This complaint was reported among many users, when playing games or taking pictures. They say the phone heats up so significantly that the OS makes the phone unusable for some time. The heating issue was also hampering the battery health of the smartphone, making a total disaster out of a flagship smartphone. Batteries drain faster than usual and also heated up the device while charging.
Possible Solution: OTA software update that carried a fix was rolled out for the device (build number 11.2.3.3) which helped curb this problem significantly. Further, you can kill background apps that contribute to the heating.
Support & Service
OnePlus has an edge in assisting customers reach out for technical help online as well as provide service at feasible locations offline.
Repair Service
The customer service in repairing is proactive and easy to book on their official website. All you have to do is follow the link, request your repair by filling in the service form and the pickup will be scheduled for you.
Social Media Support
Queries, technical questions and directional help is fast and convenient on their social media handles on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @Oneplus. They respond swiftly with possible solutions.
Phone Call Assistance
Quick customer support is available on all days at 1800 102 8411 (India) and +44 1252 236307(UK). You can browse the OnePlus website in your region for local contact information.
