These are the Best Chromebooks you can buy in March 2021!

Looking for something a bit more powerful than a tablet, but you don’t need a bulky laptop? A Chromebook may be the device you’re looking for. If you’re invested in the Google ecosystem, the ChromeOS is easy to use, although it doesn’t have the same software compatibility as other, more popular OSes. In fact, Chromebooks were originally conceived as machines that would run only Chrome and be used for online-based services. But, the devices have become so much more! They can now run Android apps, and you can even use Crostini or Crouton to install and run Linux applications. Whatever your needs, a Chromebook can likely help, and here are the best Chromebooks to buy right now!

Navigate this guide to the best Chromebooks:

• Best overall: Acer Chromebook Spin 713
• Best detachable Chromebook: Lenovo Chromebook Duet
• Best Chromebook for endurance: Google Pixelbook Go
• Best Chromebook on a budget: Acer Chromebook 514
• Best Chromebook for students: Samsung Galaxy Chromebook
• Best Chromebook for mobile data: Samsung Chromebook Plus V2
• Best Value: ASUS Chromebook Flip C434

Best Chromebook overall: Acer Chromebook Spin 713

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 has all the bells and whistles you would expect from a budget gaming laptop, not just a Chromebook. It has a 13.5-inch 2256×1504 touchscreen, a 128GB NVMe SSD, an i5-10210U processor, and 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM. These are pretty beefy specifications for a device of which competitors can frequently feature eMMC storage and much, much weaker chipsets. If that’s not enough, you can bump that up to an i7, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. A bit overkill for a Chromebook? Maybe.

If you think you’re going to be using Linux applications a lot or think you’re going to want the best of the best in terms of performance when it comes to all of your web-based applications, then the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is probably the best overall Chromebook that money can buy today. Oh, and it’s Project Athena certified, meaning Intel says it has good performance and good battery life.

Acer Chromebook Spin 713

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is one of the most powerful Chromebooks you'll be able to pick up today. With beefy specs that rival that of budget gaming laptops, performance will never be an issue.

$629 at Best Buy

Best detachable Chromebook: Lenovo Chromebook Duet

Detachable laptops differ from 2-in-1s, in that you can entirely remove them from their keyboard and use them entirely as a tablet. They tend to be a lot less bulky, although they may compromise on specifications as a result. The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is one of the best detachable Chromebooks on the market, though it features a MediaTek Helio P60T, 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. It’s a full HD screen too, so it’s a perfect media streaming machine when it’s engaged in tablet mode.

Want to use it for work? Reconnect the keyboard, and it turns back into a laptop with a fully functioning keyboard. It’s not going to be the fastest or the best, but it’ll get the job done. It’ll do it without breaking the bank, too, as it starts at $230 from Lenovo’s website.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet is one of the best detachable Chromebooks that you can buy today, and what's more, you're not going to need to break the bank to pick one up.

Starting from $230 at Lenovo

Best Chromebook for battery life: Google Pixelbook Go

Maybe the most important part of a Chromebook to you isn’t the performance, but its endurance. The Google Pixelbook Go offers modest specifications as it’s powered by an 8th gen M3, M5, or M7. However, you do get up to 256GB of SSD storage and up to 16GB of RAM, so it’s not as if you’re going to have any noticeable lags or stutters. The base model has a 13.3-inch full HD touchscreen, though there’s a 4K screen option too. What’s more, it comes in at just over 1KG for the FHD model.

The M3 series of Intel chipsets run fanless, which means they also use a lot less power. That, coupled with the 41.41 watt-hour battery, means that you’ll get up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge. When it runs out of battery, it has a 45W USB-C fast charger to quickly charge it back up. Google says 20 minutes of charge is enough for 2 hours of usage. With a starting price of $649, this may be well worth a look.

Google Pixelbook Go

The Google Pixelbook Go isn't going to be the best looking or most powerful Chromebook around, but what it will do is last you a full day of usage.

$649 at Google

Best Chromebook on a budget: Acer Chromebook 514

If you’re looking for the best Chromebook on a budget, then look no further than the Acer Chromebook 514. As you’ve seen here, many Chromebooks like to pack everything and the kitchen sink into a specification sheet, despite ChromeOS not being all that intensive. If you’re looking for a basic media machine with a touch screen that can get the job done, then the Intel Celeron N3450-powered Acer Chromebook 514 may do the job.

Packing 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, a Full HD 14-inch touchscreen, and 64GB of eMMC storage, it’s got all the basics covered for an excellent Chromebook experience on a budget.

Acer Chromebook 514

The Acer Chromebook 514 is by no means the best Chromebook out there, but it doesn't have to be to get the job done on a budget!

View at Amazon

Best Chromebook for students: Samsung Galaxy Chromebook

You want one of the best of the best Chromebooks for students? As a student myself, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook is a dream machine. It has a 13.3-inch 4K touchscreen with stereo speakers, the perfect setup for media streaming. In an age of online lectures, this will be perfect for catching up. Even better, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook comes with a Samsung Pen that hides inside the laptop’s body. When you’re done with work, you can then relax and watch Netflix or YouTube.

Worth noting is that they’re still just laptop speakers, though, so it might be worth investing in an external speaker or just a nice set of headphones for use with it. It’s got an i5-10210U and 8GB of RAM, which is more than enough for note-taking and media streaming. If you’re doing more intensive tasks, you can set up crouton or Crostini to use some Linux applications.

Samsung Galaxy Chromebook

As a student myself, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook ticks all the boxes for me. It has a big 4K touchscreen, a pen for taking notes, and a set of stereo speakers to facilitate media streaming.

$699 at Best Buy

Best Chromebook with mobile data: Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 (LTE)

While it’s certainly not going to be the fastest, the Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 (LTE) will do the job if you really need mobile data support on your Device. It’s powered by an Intel Celeron 3965Y, packs 4GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage. It’s got a 12.2-inch full HD touchscreen, which can be folded over to be used as a tablet. It comes with a pen too, so you’ll also be able to use this one to take notes if you need it!

Samsung Chromebook Plus V2

The Samsung Chromebook Plus V2 isn't going to turn any heads, but it's got LTE support which is pretty rare these days for a Chromebook! If you want mobile data, this is the best Chromebook choice.

$350 at Samsung

Best value: ASUS Chromebook Flip C434

It’s hard to pick just one; however, I settled on the ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 as the best Chromebook that money can buy, in terms of value. It’s not the most souped-up Chromebook in terms of hardware, but it features pretty much everything that you’d want in a Chromebook. It’s a 2-in-1, meaning that you can use it as a tablet, and the 14-inch touchscreen is full HD. The base model comes with an Intel Core M3-8100Y, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage for $499.99. You can bump that up to 64GB of storage or up to 8GB of RAM with 64GB of storage, and other models have an i5-8200Y processor or an i7-8500Y processor as well.

This isn’t exactly the most “flagship” package, but it’s the perfect balance of price to performance in a Chromebook that you’ll get. Chromebooks aren’t really designed to be powerhouse machines, and they’re lightweight enough that you don’t need beefy hardware or a lot of storage to get the most out of it. Want something for college work and other basic tasks along with the ability to watch YouTube or Netflix? Maybe give the ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 ago. You can probably even pick this one up second-hand if you do a bit of digging.

ASUS Chromebook Flip C434

It's not the most exciting Chromebook out there, but the ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 is a fantastic option for those looking for the perfect balance of price to performance. There's nothing overkill here, and it pretty much embodies exactly what a Chromebook should be.

View at Amazon

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Which Chromebook should you go with? It depends on what you’re looking for of course, but you can’t deny the appeal of the Google Pixelbook Go. It may not have the best specs but with long battery life and made by Google, you know it’s going to do everything you need it to with a Chromebook. If you need something a little more powerful, though, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook is a great bet–you just need to pay a premium for it.

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Samsung’s next Galaxy Watch could run Android instead of Tizen OS

Update 1 (03/02/2021 @ 04:30 PM ET): A small tidbit of evidence points to Samsung developing a Wear OS device code-named “merlot”. Click here for more information. The article as published on February 19, 2021, is preserved below.

It’s been several years since Samsung released a smartwatch running Android. You have to go all the way back to 2014 when the original Gear Live launched to find a Samsung wearable equipped with Google’s Android Wear (now known as Wear OS). Since then, the company has used its in-house Tizen platform, but a new report claims that could change.

Reputable Samsung insider Ice Universe said on Friday that an upcoming watch from Samsung will use Android, not Tizen. We assume that means the wearable will run Wear OS, but it’s also possible the device will feature Samsung’s own UI based on Android. The Tweet doesn’t divulge too much information, so we’re now left to speculate about Samsung’s plans.

Samsung's new watch will use Android to replace Tizen.

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) February 19, 2021

If the report is true, it would be a huge boost for Wear OS, which has floundered in recent years (to put it mildly). Seeing support from Samsung could help reinvigorate the platform and finally give Android users a worthy alternative to the Apple Watch. Right now, there are only a small handful of smaller companies showing consistent support of Wear OS. Not even Google has released a smartphone running the platform.

The question is: Why would Samsung jump to Android when Tizen has evolved into such a good wearable platform? By all accounts, the Tizen experience is superior to Wear OS, so this almost seems like a downgrade. We’re not entirely what’s behind the alleged move, but we’re hoping to get answers soon.

In a separate report from GalaxyClub, Samsung is said to be working on two new wearable devices (SM-R86x and SM-R87X). It’s speculated that the devices will fall in the Galaxy Watch Active product line, with a release expected sometime this summer. Information beyond that is still a mystery, but they could launch with Wear OS.

Google’s Wear OS platform possibly making a comeback wasn’t the headline we expected in 2021. But if this report is true, maybe we’ll finally see the software blossom into something that can actually go toe-to-toe with Apple’s watchOS.

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Update 1: “Merlot” device may run Wear OS

XDA Recognized Developer ivan_meler was digging through the latest kernel source code release for the Exynos Samsung Galaxy S20 (SM-G980F) when he discovered a new device code-named “merlot” in the WiFi driver. “Merlot” is referenced alongside “WearOS”, which may suggest this device is running Google’s Android OS for smartwatches. The device is expected to use Broadcom’s BCM43013 combination Bluetooth/WiFi chip and is mentioned elsewhere in the kernel source code alongside other Samsung devices that use Broadcom chips, including the Galaxy Tab A7 LTE and the Galaxy Watch 3. Sadly, there are no other references to “merlot”, either in the kernel source code or in the One UI 3.1 firmware. We’ll continue to look for evidence of “merlot” being Samsung’s Wear OS smartwatch.

Elsewhere in the source, MERLOT is mentioned alongside other Samsung devices that use Broadcom chips, including A7LTE (Tab A7 LTE) and NOBLESSE (Galaxy Watch 3). There are no relevant hits for MERLOT in the latest One UI 3.1 firmware, sadly.

H/T @Ivan_Meler

3/3 pic.twitter.com/XeViCc73vG

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) March 2, 2021

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Samsung is rolling out Android 11 with One UI 3.1 to the Galaxy Tab S6

Samsung has stepped up its update game in recent months, and as evidence of that, the One UI 3.1 update is rolling out to the Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 a few months ahead of schedule. One UI 3.1 brings a bunch of features over OneUI 3.0 to Samsung devices, along with new productivity features for tablets. Given that the Tab S6 skipped the One UI 3.0 update (just like the Galaxy Tab S7 did), this is an even bigger update for device owners than merely an upgrade from 3.0 to 3.1. The update comes in at roughly 2.2GB, packing the March 2021 security patches on top of Android 11, and in Germany, the build number of the Tab S6 LTE version is T865XXU4CUB7.

As reported by AllAboutSamsung‘s Max J., the One UI 3.1 update for the Galaxy Tab S6 was originally scheduled to arrive sometime in May, yet it appears to be rolling out in Germany already. Whether or not it will come to the rest of Europe soon remains to be seen, but it’s a good sign that tablet owners should at least expect the update to arrive earlier than expected. You shouldn’t need to wait too long for an update for those who own the Wi-Fi version of the Tab S6. Likewise, it’s possible that an early update may happen for the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite, which also had a projected update time for sometime in May. The upgrade from OneUI 2.5 to OneUI 3.1 also brings users to the latest Android version — Android 11.

Credits: Stefan W. via AllAboutSamsung

If you want to see if the Android 11-based One UI 3.1 update is available for your Galaxy Tab S6 already, you can go to your device settings and manually check for an update. Those living outside of Germany (or those with a Wi-Fi edition) may need to wait a little bit longer for the One UI 3.1 update to arrive, but hopefully refreshing over the next few days will show that the update has come in! If you get the update, be sure to let us know down in the comments.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Forums

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Pixel phones will soon always show the dark boot animation regardless of theme

Android’s boot animation consists of a bunch of images that are cycled through while the phone boots up, and it’s one of the simplest things for OEMs (and power users) to customize. Until Android 10 came along, the boot screen of Pixel phones had a blinding white-colored background. In Android 10, Google finally added a dark-themed boot option that is used whenever the system theme is set to dark mode. Google is now preparing to make this dark boot animation the sole option regardless of the user-defined system theme.

A new commit submitted to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) repository in the platform/hardware/google/pixel branch tweaks several lines of code in the common init file for Pixel phones. Previously, the code checked the value of the property persist.sys.theme to determine when to apply the dark boot flag. Now, the code simply checks to see if the device has been provisioned (ie. has completed the first-time setup process.) According to the commit description, this change is a result of the Pixel UI team deciding to “always use [the] dark boot after the device is provisioned…so users will see fewer disturbances when a scheduled update is taken at night.”

Once this commit is merged and an update rolls out to Pixel phones containing this code change, then users will no longer have the ability to change the boot animation’s theme. Instead, it’ll always be a dark boot animation. Personally, I think this is a good change, but I know that there are some people who aren’t a fan of the dark theme.

Thanks to XDA Recognized Developer luca020400 for the tip!

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OPPO Find 19 Pro and Find 19 Pro+ 5G reportedly launching in India next week

All eyes are set on OPPO’s upcoming Find X3 lineup, which is launching on March 11. But before that, the Chinese company is planning to warm up for the big day by launching two new mid-range smartphones in India: the OPPO Find 19 Pro and Find 19 Pro+ 5G. Ahead of their rumored launch next week, both devices have been leaked in their full glory.

 

The leak comes from Ishan Agarwal, who has revealed key specifications of the OPPO Find 19 Pro and Find 19 Pro+ 5G along with their official press renders. As per the leak, OPPO is set to unveil the lineup on March 8. Both phones are said to be pretty much identical in most regards but differ in areas such as chipset and charging speeds.

Both the Find 19 Pro and Find 19 Pro+ 5G will sport a flat 6.43-inch Super AMOLED punch-hole display on the front with a rectangular module housing a quad-camera array on the back. On the inside, the Find 19 Pro will reportedly pack a MediaTek Helio P95 chipset, backed by 8GB RAM and either 128GB or 256GB flash storage. On the camera side, the Find 19 Pro has a 48MP primary shooter, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and 2MP depth and macro lenses. It’s unclear if the Plus variant will offer different camera hardware or share this aspect with the regular model. But in any case, the 16MP shooter is said to be identical on both models.

Meanwhile, the OPPO Find 19 Pro+ 5G will be fueled by a more powerful MediaTek Dimensity 800U chipset, paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB/256 storage. OPPO will be the second OEM to launch a MediaTek Dimensity-powered smartphone in India, the first being Realme with its Realme X7.

In terms of battery, the Find 19 Pro will pack a 4,310mAh battery with 30W VOOC Flash Charge support. Although the Plus variant’s battery capacity is unknown, the leak says it will come with a 50W fast charger. Moreover, both phones will come equipped with an in-display fingerprints scanner, a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB Type C port, and Android 11 with ColorOS 11.1 on top. Finally, the OPPO Find 19 Pro will come in Black, Silver, and Purple colors, while the Find 19 Pro+ 5G will be offered in Black and Silver options.

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You can now get your hands on Fossil’s new Gen 5E smartwatches in India [Update: Michael Kors Darci]

Update 1 (03/02/2021 @ 08:36 AM ET): The Michael Kors Access Gen 5E Darci is now on sale in India. Scroll to the bottom for more information. The article as published on February 5, 2021, is preserved below.

Fossil’s latest lineup of Wear OS smartwatches, the Fossil Gen 5E, is finally available for purchase in India. First unveiled back in October last year, the new smartwatches offer almost all the features that you get with the premium Gen 5 lineup but at a more affordable price.

Fossil Gen 5E: Specifications

Specification	Fossil Gen 5E
Dimensions	44mm 22mm standard band 42mm 22mm standard band
Display	1.19-inch AMOLED (390 x 390 pixels)
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 3100
RAM	1GB
Storage	4GB
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, NFC
Sensors	Heart rate sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope
Water resistance	3 ATM
Battery & Charging	300mAh, 50 minutes to 80%
Software	Wear OS

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The Fossil Gen 5E lineup is based on last year’s Gen 5 series. It’s essentially the same lineup with a couple of missing features. As such, the new Gen 5E smartwatches feature a smaller 1.19-inch AMOLED display with a lower 390 x 390 resolution. They include almost all the fitness tracking features offered on the Gen 5 lineup, including sleep tracking, activity tracking, and continuous heart rate monitoring. You can also use the Fossil Gen 5E smartwatches to make and receive phone calls, control your smart devices with the Google Assistant, and make payments via Google Pay.

Since the Fossil Gen 5E smartwatches are based on the Gen 5 lineup, they feature similar hardware. They pack Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor, 1GB of RAM, and a 300mAh battery. The watches are also water-resistant up to 3ATM. However, Fossil has shaved off some features to keep the price low. Along with a lower resolution display, the Gen 5E lineup misses out on an ambient light sensor or standalone GPS, its internal storage has been halved to 4GB, and the crown on the watch doesn’t rotate for navigation. As a result, the new lineup is priced around ₹4,500 cheaper than the Gen 5 variants.

Pricing & Availability

The Fossil Gen 5E lineup is priced at ₹18,495, and it’s already up for sale at Fossil’s offline stores, the company’s website, Flipkart, and Myntra. The lineup includes two size variants — 42mm and 44mm — and a bunch of colorways. However, the pricing remains constant across all models.

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Update: Michael Kors Access Gen 5E Darci smartwatches can now be purchased in India

The Michael Kors Access Gen 5E Darci was launched globally back in CES 2021, and the smartwatch is now available to purchase in India. You can buy it from Amazon.in for ₹25,995 (~$355).

Michael Kors Access Gen 5E Darci

The Michael Kors Access Gen 5E Darci features a premium design and all the smartness you'd expect from a Wear S smartwatch. You get a nice OLED display, activity tracking, sleep monitoring, continuous heart rate monitoring, NFC and even Google Assistant support. Plus, you get that Michael Kors brand look to accentuate your social worth.

Buy from Amazon.in

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OnePlus 9 series: Here’s everything we know about the next flagship series from OnePlus!

2020 was a monumental year for OnePlus. The company started it off with the launch of its first “true” flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 8 Pro, which was followed by the company’s first mid-ranger in five years — the OnePlus Nord. OnePlus then further expanded its portfolio to include a couple of budget-friendly devices in the Nord lineup, and the company even dipped its toes in the TWS earbuds space. This year, we’re expecting the company to dial things up a notch and bring some much-needed refinements to its wide range of products, starting with its flagship lineup for 2021 — the OnePlus 9 series.

OnePlus is expected to unveil the OnePlus 9 series sometime next month, and the series is rumored to feature three devices this time. Over the last few months, we’ve seen plenty of leaks about these devices, and here’s everything we know about them so far!

OnePlus 9 series: Release Date

Shortly after the launch of the OnePlus 8T last year, we saw the first leak about the OnePlus 9 series. The leak revealed that OnePlus was planning on launching its next-gen flagship devices four weeks ahead of schedule. If that is, in fact, the case, the OnePlus 9 series could be unveiled sometime next month. While OnePlus has neither confirmed nor denied this rumor, Samsung’s move to launch the Galaxy S21 series much earlier than usual gives OnePlus plenty of reason to prepone its timeline as well.

OnePlus 9 series — Regular, Pro, and Lite variants

Unlike previous years, OnePlus is expected to launch three new devices as part of the OnePlus 9 series — the regular OnePlus 9, the flagship OnePlus 9 Pro, and a more-affordable OnePlus 9 Lite/9E/9R. While we’ve already seen plenty of leaks confirming the existence of the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro, details about the OnePlus 9 Lite have been scarce so far. Rumors suggest that the affordable flagship will either be called the OnePlus 9 Lite or the OnePlus 9E and that it will feature similar hardware to the OnePlus 8T. Latest leaks reveal that the affordable flagship may be called the OnePlus 9R.

It’s also worth noting that the OnePlus 9 series is, most likely, codenamed “lemonade,” according to evidence spotted in the Settings APK from Open Beta 3 for the OnePlus 8 series late last year. The lineup will include five variants, including lemonade, lemonadev, lemonadev, lemonadep, and lemonadept. Based on our understanding of OnePlus codenames, we believe that these devices would be:

• lemonade — OnePlus 9
• lemonadet — T-Mobile OnePlus 9
• lemonadev — Verizon OnePlus 9
• lemonadep — OnePlus 9 Pro
• lemonadept — T-Mobile OnePlus 9 Pro

The existence of five variants has also been confirmed by a separate leak, which lists the model numbers of the devices. According to the leak, the OnePlus 9 will go by the model numbers LE2110, LE2117, and LE2110, and the OnePlus 9 Pro will go by the model numbers LE2120 and LE2127. As of now, we haven’t been able to confirm the codename or model number of the OnePlus 9R.

It’s worth mentioning that when information first started popping up about the OnePlus 8 series last year, we saw plenty of leaks and rumors about a third, more affordable, device in the lineup. While this device did exist, it wasn’t launched alongside the OnePlus 8 series and it debuted as the OnePlus Nord later in the year. Therefore, it’s possible that the alleged OnePlus 9R is nothing but a OnePlus Nord successor that may not launch alongside the OnePlus 9 series next month.

Along with the three devices, OnePlus will also launch its first smartwatch at the upcoming event. The OnePlus Watch has leaked extensively over the last few months, and you can read more about it by following this link.

Design

Over the last few months, we’ve seen several leaked live images and renders of the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro that have given us a good look at their updated design. Here’s a brief overview of everything we’ve learned from the leaked images so far:

OnePlus 9

We got our first look at the OnePlus 9 in November last year when leaked renders of the device first popped up online. The renders revealed that the OnePlus 9 would feature a new back panel design, more in line with other phones that we’ve seen in the last couple of months. As you can see in the attached image, the device features a new rectangular camera island in the top-right corner with 3 sensors and an LED flash.

Over on the front, the OnePlus 9 features a flat display with a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera in the top left corner. The leak also revealed that the OnePlus 9 would feature a 6.55-inch display that will offer a peak refresh rate of 120Hz. It’s worth noting that while a prominent OnePlus leaker had expressed his doubts about these leaked renders, the design was confirmed shortly thereafter when we first saw leaked live images of the device.

The live images shed more light on the design, showcasing the glossy back panel finish, Ultrashot branding on the camera module, and an unusual logo instead of OnePlus branding. The live images also revealed that the device would feature a secondary noise-canceling mic on the top edge, a USB Type-C port at the bottom sandwiched between the speaker grille and SIM card slot, and the usual button layout on the left and right edges.

Furthermore, the report revealed that the device would feature a 6.5-inch hole-punch display with a peak refresh rate of 120Hz and FHD+ resolution (2400 x 1080p). It’s also worth mentioning that a prototype of the OnePlus 9 5G was sold on eBay for a whopping $6,000 late last year. The listing included a couple of live images of the device, which appear to be the same as those attached above.

OxygenUpdater recently unearthed information about all OnePlus 9 series color variants that will be available at the time of launch. According to them, the vanilla OnePlus 9 will be available in three colorways — Astral Black, Arctic Sky, and Winter Mist. The T-Mobile version of the device, on the other hand, will be available in two colorways — Astral Black and Winter Mist — and the Verizon version will be available in Gloss Black and Gloss gradient purple variants.

OnePlus 9 Pro

Renowned leaker OnLeaks first shared renders of the OnePlus 9 Pro back in November last year. The renders revealed that the device would feature a design similar to the OnePlus 9, albeit with a larger camera island containing an additional sensor and a rectangular LED flash. We also learned that it would feature a larger 6.7-inch curved display with a left-aligned hole-punch cutout.

Recently, YouTuber Dave2D gave us our first look at live images of a OnePlus 9 Pro prototype with Hasselblad branding on the camera module. The video confirmed that OnePlus’ flagship model would feature a curved display with a left-aligned hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera, a quad-camera setup on the back with two large and two small sensors, a circular LED flash (unlike the rectangular one seen in the previous renders), a laser AF sensor, and a rear-facing microphone in the camera island.

The live images also confirmed that the device would feature a QHD+ 120Hz display, a slimmer metal frame, and the same glossy gray finish like the one we saw in the leaked OnePlus 9 live images.

The leaked information shared by OxygenUpdater suggests that the OnePlus 9 Pro will launch in three colorways — Stellar Black, Forest Green, and Morning Mist. However, the T-Mobile variant of the device will only be available in the Morning Mist colorway.

OnePlus 9R

We currently haven’t seen any leaked renders or live images of the OnePlus 9R. We’ll update this post as soon as they surface online. The only bit of information we have about the OnePlus 9R’s design is that it may feature a plastic back panel and a “more mainstream design” to differentiate itself from the OnePlus 8T.

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OnePlus 9 series: Leaked Specifications

Specifications	OnePlus 9	OnePlus 9 Pro	OnePlus 9R
Build	–	–	Plastic back
Dimensions & Weight	–	–	–
Display	6.55″ FHD+ AMOLED Left-aligned hole-punch 120Hz refresh rate Flat panel	6.7″ QHD+ LTPO AMOLED Left-aligned hole-punch 120Hz refresh rate Curved panel	–
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888	Qualcomm Snapdragon 888	Qualcomm Snapdragon 870
RAM & Storage	8GB LPDDR5 + 128GB UFS 3.1	12GB LPDDR5 + 128GB UFS 3.1	–
Battery & Charging	4,500mAh 65W wired fast charging 30W wireless charging Reverse wireless charging 65W charger included in the box	4,500mAh 65W wired fast charging 45W wireless charging Reverse wireless charging 65W charger included in the box	–
Security	In-Display Fingerprint Scanner	In-Display Fingerprint Scanner	–
Rear Camera(s)	Primary: 48MP Secondary: 48MP ultra-wide Tertiary: –	–	–
Front Camera(s)	–	–	–
Port(s)	USB Type-C	USB Type-C	–
Audio	–	–	–
Connectivity	–	–	–
Software	OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11	OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11	OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11
Other Features	–	–	–
Colors	Astral Black, Arctic Sky, Winter Mist, Gloss Black (Verizon), Gloss gradient purple (Verizon)	Stellar Black, Forest Green, Morning Most	–

OnePlus 9

As mentioned earlier, the OnePlus 9 allegedly features a 6.55-inch HD+ display with a peak refresh rate of 120Hz. The device will, most likely, feature Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 chip, which will be paired with at least 8GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage. A recent leak from reliable OnePlus leaker Max J. suggests that it will pack a 4,500mAh battery, with a leak from late last year revealing that it will support 65W wired fast charging, 30W wireless charging, and even reverse wireless charging. The leaker also claimed that the device will ship with a 65W charger in the box.

While information about the camera setup on the OnePlus 9 has been scarce so far, a report from 91mobiles claims that it will include a 48MP primary camera with a focal length of 6mm, a 48MP ultra-wide camera, and an unspecified third sensor. We suspect that the third camera could either be a monochrome sensor or a macro sensor. Currently, we haven’t seen any details about the selfie camera.

An APK teardown of the OnePlus Camera app has also revealed that the company may introduce several new camera features with the OnePlus 9 series. These include a Tilt-shift mode, Focus peaking, a Moon mode, and more. You can read more about these features by following this link.

A separate leak from TechDroider has shed more light on some of the key specifications of the OnePlus 9. The leak confirms that the device will feature Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 chip, coupled with 8GB of RAM, a 6.55-inch FHD+ display that will offer a peak refresh rate of 120Hz.

The leak also reveals some details about the camera hardware, claiming that the device will sport a 12MP rear-facing camera and a 4.1MP front-facing camera. However, based on previous leaks, we suspect that these numbers signify the output resolution of these sensors and not the resolution of the sensors themselves. The OnePlus 9 will likely employ quad pixel binning to deliver the aforementioned 12MP and 4.1MP images, meaning that the device will feature a 48MP rear-facing camera and a 16MP front-facing camera.

OnePlus 9 Pro

The flagship model in the OnePlus 9 lineup will feature a larger 6.7-inch QHD+ curved display with a peak refresh rate of 120Hz. As with the OnePlus 9, the 9 Pro will most likely feature the Snapdragon 888 SoC. However, live images of the device suggest that it will come with up to 12GB of RAM. As far as the storage is concerned, OnePlus will probably include at least 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage on the device, and it may go up to 512GB on the top model.

Surprisingly, the OnePlus 9 Pro is rumored to feature the same battery capacity as the non-pro variant — 4,500mAh. If that’s the case, the device may struggle to last a full day with its QHD+ display running at 120Hz. However, the rumored 65W wired fast charging support will address this to a great extent. As with its predecessor, the OnePlus 9 Pro will also feature wireless charging support. But this time around, it’s rumored to include support for much faster 45W wireless charging.

While we don’t know much about the OnePlus 9 Pro’s camera hardware, we can expect it to be better than what the company will offer with the OnePlus 9. For now, we only know that OnePlus is working with Swedish camera manufacturer Hasselblad to develop the camera system for its upcoming flagship.

A new leak from prominent OnePlus leaker Max Jambor reveals that the OnePlus 9 Pro may feature an LTPO display, instead of the standard LTPS AMOLED panel used on older models. For the unaware, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and the Galaxy S21 Ultra also feature an LTPO display, which draws less power and supports adaptive refresh rates without requiring additional hardware. Therefore, we can expect to see variable refresh rate support on the OnePlus 9 Pro.

OnePlus 9R

Back in December last year, an Android Central report revealed that the OnePlus 9R will feature similar hardware to the OnePlus 8T. The report claimed that the device will come equipped with a Snapdragon 865 chip, a 90Hz or 120Hz AMOLED panel, and 65W fast charging support. It further added that the device would feature the same camera setup as the OnePlus 8T.

Although we can’t confirm or deny the display and fast charging specifications at the moment, we have reason to believe that the OnePlus 9R will come equipped with the new Snapdragon 870 chip. The new chipset, which is merely a faster version of the Snapdragon 865, was unveiled earlier this year, and during the launch announcement, Qualcomm had revealed that it will make an appearance on a OnePlus device later this year. This, coupled with information shared in the aforementioned report, leads us to believe that the device will pack the newer Snapdragon 870 chip and not the Snapdragon 865.

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OnePlus 9 series: Price & Availability

The price of OnePlus phones has crept up steadily over the years, and we expect the same to happen this year. While we haven’t seen concrete leaks about the pricing yet, OnePlus may launch the OnePlus 9 around the same price as the OnePlus 8T. The device will likely go on sale at a starting price of around $750 for the 8GB/128GB variant.

The OnePlus 9 Pro, on the other hand, might be slightly more expensive than the OnePlus 8 Pro. The device could launch around the $950 mark, given the fact that it’s expected to feature a premium camera setup. The OnePlus 9R will be priced around $600, according to a report from Android Central.

Noted leaker Evan Blass has revealed that the OnePlus 9 series will be available for pre-order starting March 23rd and those who pre-book a OnePlus 9 will get a free pair of OnePlus Buds Z with the device. Those who pre-book the OnePlus 9 Pro, on the other hand, will get a free pair of Buds Z Steve Harrington Edition with the device.

Based on the leaks and rumors that we’ve seen so far, the OnePlus 9 series is shaping up to be quite a compelling lineup. While I am looking forward to testing the new camera system on the OnePlus 9 Pro, I’m most excited about the OnePlus 9R. It’s expected to usher in a new breed of affordable flagship killers that OnePlus fans have been clamoring for over the last few years, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

What’s your opinion of OnePlus’ upcoming flagship lineup? Is there any particular feature or improvement that you’d want to see on the devices? Let us know in the comments section below!

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