Expect to hear a lot about the OnePlus 9 this month. We’re due for a release of yet another flagship device from the upstart phone maker, with the company pointing to an announcement this Monday (March 8). We’re expecting to hear a lot about release plans for the OnePlus 9 on that date, possibly along with some concrete information about what kind of features we can expect when the new phone does arrive.
You figure that Samsung will be paying very close attention to whatever new info comes about the OnePlus 9. The electronics giant has just come out with a trio of well-received flagship phones as part of the Galaxy S21 launch. But as impressive as the S21 is — and it’s among the best Android phones you can currently buy — OnePlus has positioned its phones as lower-cost alternatives to Samsung’s phones. Expect that to continue with the OnePlus 9.
We won’t know exactly who wins a OnePlus 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 face-off until OnePlus’ phone comes out and we have a chance to test it. But enough specs about the OnePlus 9 have leaked to give us a sense of how it could compare to the Galaxy S21.
OnePlus 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 models
OnePlus is following Samsung’s example in one respect — its next phone launch is likely to include a trio of devices. Just as the Galaxy S21 lineup is made up of the standard Galaxy S21, a larger Galaxy S21 Plus and a tricked-out Galaxy S21 Ultra, the OnePlus 9 lineup will reportedly feature a higher-end OnePlus 9 Pro and an entry-level OnePlus 9E joining the regular OnePlus 9.
The Pro model is certainly no surprise — OnePlus has issued Pro versions of its phones for the past two years dating back to the OnePlus 7 and OnePlus 7 Pro launch. The OnePlus 9E will be a bit of a departure for the company, which has long been rumored to be working on a “lite” version of its flagship phones that remove some features in exchange for a lower price. Think of this as OnePlus’ version of the Galaxy S20 FE, a phone Samsung released last year that adapted many Galaxy S20 features while costing a couple hundred dollars less.
We’ll leave the OnePlus 9 Pro vs. Galaxy S21 Plus comparisons for later. At this time let’s largely focus on how the OnePlus 9 compares to the main Galaxy S21 model.
OnePlus 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 price and availability
It’s not hard to find a Galaxy S21, which is available from all the major U.S. carriers as well as from Samsung and other retail sites. Samsung’s flagship phone starts at $799 — a $200 discount from the debut price of last year’s Galaxy S20. For that, you get 128GB of storage; an extra $50 boosts the storage to 256GB. (And you may need that added capacity, as there’s no microSD card slot on the S21.)
Since OnePlus traditionally tries to undercut Samsung on pricing, the lower starting price on the S21 puts some pressure on the company. Last year’s OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8T still cost less than the S21, with starting prices of $699 and $749, respectively. But should the OnePlus 9 retain that pricing — it’s unclear right now exactly what OnePlus has planned — the OnePlus 9 vs. Samsung Galaxy S21 price gap won’t be as wide as it used to be.
