Apple iPhone Air vs OnePlus 9
The Verdict
The Apple iPhone Air and OnePlus 9 sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The OnePlus 9 is the cheaper of the two at $729 versus $1,199, a difference of about $470. The Apple iPhone Air is the newer release, which usually means a faster chipset and longer software support. Apple iPhone Air stands out for thinnest iphone ever at 5.6mm, while OnePlus 9 is praised for 65w warp charge fills battery in 29 minutes. Use the side-by-side spec table below to compare cameras, displays, battery life and connectivity in detail and decide which one fits your priorities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Apple iPhone Air if…
- →Thinnest iPhone ever at 5.6mm
- →Only 165g with titanium frame
- →A19 Pro chip in ultra-slim design
Buy the OnePlus 9 if…
- →65W Warp Charge fills battery in 29 minutes
- →Excellent main and ultrawide cameras
- →Hasselblad color calibration
Pros & Cons
Apple iPhone Air
Pros
- Thinnest iPhone ever at 5.6mm
- Only 165g with titanium frame
- A19 Pro chip in ultra-slim design
- 3x more scratch-resistant Ceramic Shield 2
Cons
- Smaller 3149 mAh battery limits endurance
- Only 2x telephoto (no periscope)
- No ultrawide camera
- $1199 for fewer cameras than Pro
OnePlus 9
Pros
- 65W Warp Charge fills battery in 29 minutes
- Excellent main and ultrawide cameras
- Hasselblad color calibration
- 120Hz AMOLED display
- Competitive pricing at $729
Cons
- No telephoto camera
- 2 MP monochrome sensor is useless
- No official IP rating for water resistance
- Plastic frame feels less premium
- Snapdragon 888 heating issues
Full Specifications
| Spec | Apple iPhone Air | OnePlus 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Software | iOS 19 | Android 11, OxygenOS 11 |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 165 g | 192 g |
| Material | Titanium frame, Ceramic Shield 2 | Plastic frame, Gorilla Glass 5 |
| IP rating | IP68 | No official rating |
| Dimensions | 155 x 73 x 5.6 mm | 160 x 74.2 x 8.7 mm |
| Camera | ||
| Main camera | 48 MP, f/1.6, OIS | 48 MP, f/1.8, OIS (Hasselblad tuned) |
| Front camera | 24 MP, f/1.9, Center Stage | 16 MP, f/2.4 |
| Video | 4K@60fps, Dual Capture | 8K@30fps, 4K@60fps |
| Telephoto | 12 MP, f/2.8, 2x optical zoom | — |
| Mono | — | 2 MP, f/2.4 |
| Ultrawide | — | 50 MP, f/2.2, freeform lens |
| Memory | ||
| RAM | 12 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage options | 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB | 128 GB, 256 GB |
| Battery | ||
| Capacity | 3149 mAh | 4500 mAh |
| Charging | 27W wired | 65W Warp Charge wired |
| Wireless charging | 15W MagSafe | 15W wireless |
| Display | ||
| Size | 6.5 inches | 6.55 inches |
| Type | Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion | AMOLED |
| Resolution | 1290 x 2796 | 2400 x 1080 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 2000 | 1100 |
| Processor | ||
| CPU | 6-core | Octa-core (1x2.84 GHz + 3x2.42 GHz + 4x1.8 GHz) |
| GPU | 6-core GPU | Adreno 660 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 |
| Connectivity | ||
| 5G | ||
| NFC | ||
| USB | USB-C 3.2 | USB-C 3.1 |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 7 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Bluetooth | 5.4 | 5.2 |
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This comparison is based on verified manufacturer specifications covering display, performance, camera, battery, and build quality. Scores are generated by analyzing specs across weighted categories on a 10-point scale. Learn more about our methodology.
Explore more in phones, see all Apple products or all OnePlus products. View full details for the Apple iPhone Air or the OnePlus 9.