The galaxy note 9 and the one plus 7 pro are two of the best phones on the market. For a premium smartphone experience without a premium smartphone price tag. But they each provide unique advantages which can make it difficult to decide between the two. Let us help you with it.

Display

Starting off with the biggest part of these phones, their screens.

Samsung Note 9

Now there’s absolutely nothing bad to say at all. About the note 9 6.4 inch AMOLED display. It is still preferred by many consumers considering it’s currently one of the few premium smartphones left on the market. Without any notches or hole punches in the display.

OnePlus 7 Pro

But the one plus’s 6.7-inch bezel-less screen takes the crown here. It is honestly the best display you can get right now. After a month and a half of usage, I am still amazed by it every day. And going back to other phones just don’t compare when you factor in the seven pros 90-hertz display. Which makes everything you see and do on the phone faster and smoother.

Battery Life

Now both of these phones pack a 4000 mah battery inside. Which simply means they have a lot of battery and will provide an all-day battery life. No matter how heavily you use your device.

Samsung Note 9

I think it’s funny when the note 9 was released the 4000 mah battery was praised. It was one of its main selling points and I was amazed to see how much more battery life I got out of my note 9 compared to the iPhone 8 plus I just had before it. Which already had a good battery.

One Plus 7 Pro

The 7 pro only has a 4000 mah battery that’s not good enough. And yes, the slightly larger screen and faster refresh rate of the 7 pro has the potential to drain your battery a bit more than the note 9. But after overall day-to-day usage, it has shown me that the battery life on both of these devices is excellent.

Charging

If your heavy phone user like myself and need to quickly top off your battery before heading out. It is nice knowing that both of these devices will keep you going with their fast charging capabilities. The 7 pro, does charge a bit faster dividing around 45% charge after 20 minutes. And the note 9 38% after 30 minutes but with real-life users in mind. You will not regret going with note 9. Even if it gives fewer percentage points when in a time crunch for charging.

Form Factor

The form factors of these devices are very similar. But there are a few things worth mentioning here.

OnePlus 7 Pro

Starting with the buttons I really like what one plus has done with their volume rocker. It is very easy to identify with the bumpy texture. And I prefer this over something like the iPhones up and down, volume silencer may be difficult to access if you’re using a case. The power button lies a bit lower on the 7 pro than on the note 9. I appreciate how tall these phones are.

Samsung Note 9

Looking at note 9. Now I am honestly not a huge fan of the Bigsby button. It’s in a perfect place to be accidentally pressed. And while yes, you can now remap it to open any application you want other than Bixby. I would just prefer this to not be here at all.

Biometrics

When it comes to unlocking your phone and getting into your device quickly. I’m going to say it is a tie between the 7 pro and note 9.

Samsung Note 9

Even though the note 9 offers more unlocking options with the addition of an iris scanner and face recognition. The fingerprint scanner is going to provide the fastest and most consistent access to your phone and this is very quick.

OnePlus 7 Pro

It is a bit different on the 7 pro with it being an in-display fingerprint sensor. Opposed to the reader is on the back of the note 9. But overall I don’t think this is a major deciding factor.

Audio

Both the 7 pro and note 9 have dual speaker setups. Which is a must-have for me for all of the youtube that I watch and music I listen to from my phone. The sound quality is good on both of these phones and gets loud enough for smartphone speakers. Just know that you won’t be disappointed here on either phone. Now I can’t go without mentioning that a headphone jack is present on the note 9 but missing on the 7 pro.

Cameras

When it comes to cameras on smartphones, in general, I think phones with the best point-and-shoot capabilities make for the best camera experience. This is something I have always enjoyed on the iphone. For example, when I take out an iPhone for a shot. I know it is always going to be reliable and of high quality.

The 7 pro as oneplus has been working hard on several updates since release and one of those had improved camera quality. Now I am no expert in photography but I certainly was not disappointed with the results a lot of photos came out really well. And being able to take wide-angle landscape shots is a very nice bonus over note 9.

UI and Experience

When it comes to the general usability of the phones. Both of these devices provide an excellent user experience.

OnePlus 7 Pro

The oxygen os on the oneplus 7 pro provides a smooth and buttery stock android experience. And gives the feeling of an extremely reliable os with no stutters or hiccups. It reminds me of ios and if you’re an iPhone user looking to switch over to android I would wholeheartedly recommend the 7 pro. With the 7 pro, I didn’t want to touch or change anything even though I could. Because I was so happy and content with how smooth and clean everything feels with daily usage of the phone.

Samsung Note 9

Note 9’s, 1 UI does also provide a simplistic user experience. But I feel like this phone and this experience is more for those who want to tinker. And adjust and customize their phone to the exact way they want.

Stylus

But now, I can’t make a review on note 9 without talking about the s-pen. It is the reason you buy this phone after all opposed to the galaxy s 9 or s 10. For example after using note 9 for an extended time and then switching to the 7 pro. It made me realize how much I used the s-pen as it didn’t take long for me to stack up a bunch of little notes all over the place. Which would have been written down and nicely organized on my note 9. Otherwise, while the pen may seem gimmicky at first glance. It is honestly what makes the Note 9 such a unique device over any other smartphone on the market.

Conclusion

So with all this said is there a clear winner here? Honestly, I don’t think so, no.

These are two premium devices with an acceptable price tag over their $1000 flagship counterparts and have a lot going for them. But I think these phones would serve better to different types of users. Which is why I made this review.

Samsung Note 9

To begin with, note 9 is for those who want to use their phone for everything they do in their lives. It gives you options and opportunities to make the most out of your purchase. And devoted note users know this all too well with the s-pen capabilities and the potential desktop replacement features of Samsung dex.

OnePlus 7 Pro

But the oneplus offers a premium phone, which serves as a perfect device for a stock android experience. And while lacking a few features when stacked up against the note 9. It still holds its ground with the superior screen and fast display married up with a clean os.

Jaskaran Singh

Jaskaran, a tech enthusiast from childhood, inspired by his father, began his tech journey by rooting Android phones. He now writes on various tech topics, aiming to simplify complex ideas for a broad audience. His writing is direct, concise, and flows effortlessly, making tech topics accessible and engaging.