I am not a user of oneplus, but I have had a Nord N10, so I have some comparison available.
I have however watched every MKBHD review of OnePlus devices, Unboxed therapy, and multiple tech review sites, as well as having kept track of the look and feel of devices when they started to hit stores. I didn’t see anything that got my attention yet, but the 9 has grabbed me 100%.
Imma tell you right now, the N10 is a pile of shit. I gave it praise for what it was, but from where I came from, an LG V20, it was as feature-full as an LG optimus G that was a little bigger and had a bigger camera. But in general workflow, horribly designed.
The 9, as I have been using it, is designed to be a partner device. It is designed for someone like me who doesn’t use their phone constantly, who isn’t obsessed with them, but wants a high quality device when they need to use it. It has the nicities that a device should have, long ago laid out by apple, and provides some tooling to make features like the optical sensor out of the way for those who want to use the always on display as a watch.
It is of my opinion that devices designed like this are over-reviewed by enthusiasts like Marques Brownlee. Having watched the company for many years, OnePlus started as a stand out brand for the 2-400 dollar phone enthusiast. Over time as things got tighter in production, numbers creep up. Tech improves, etc. What OnePlus has developed into, In My Opinion, and this is NOT a bad thing, OnePlus is the Apple of Android Device Design.
What do I mean by that?
Apple’s design language of their phones is inspired by the other products users know them for. The mute switch comes from the ipod, the airplay and NFC functions are from the Mac, it takes designs from its other products that it has already produced.
OnePlus is not a company that started out making a million things. They started with phones, using user-sign-up programs and feedback reports to design a phone for how a human uses a phone. As it happens, a person who doesn’t want to use their device all the time like me appreciates the 3 mode switch immensely. But, its a feature left over FROM the iphone, NOT the ipod. The usability factor has been changed to better fit an android workflow and device space, and I think it works rather well.
Every factor of usability and human failure has been accounted for with this device in terms of day to day durability. Face Unlock is intended to be the main unlock system, the in-screen optical sensor is fast, but out of the way, the mute switch can be edited to have other functions, as well as the power button and volume functions be changed, and if you forget to charge it when you go to bed, plug it in to the charger and get ready for work and when you’re done brushing your teeth and pooping your phone goes from 14% to 100%. The add-in software is nonintrusive, and even helpful if you are a writer and hacker like me.
I noticed many people complaining about the placement of the sensor in the screen, but I haven’t seen anyone talk about the face recognition or the speed at which it works. They don’t need a fancy ass dot projector, they just use the extra little bit of juice the CPU has that the end user likely isn’t using while the phone has been in their pocket to do a point by point computed comparison. I actually might say that… its faster than apples. By a HAIR, and that barely matters, but I think for the record of recyclability and actually taking the phone apart, OnePlus outdoes apple. Having less components on the board means less solder gasses in the air. It makes me wonder how much of the engineering that went into the phone mobos apple uses now was actually necessary, and if it was an anti-repair move.
In the hand, with a dbrand case, the OnePlus 9 feels actually pretty amazing. However, I think I want to upgrade to a 9 Pro. I would like the functionality of an infrared camera for my work in site-security testing and board analysis. For a person working in the IT industry, working with tech, or just work focused in general and wanting the device to not be in the way, the OP9 should be a serious choice on anyone’s board.
As for the 10, I think for the ‘enthusiasts’ that don’t understand the design principals behind their phones, who literally want the gimmicks over the technique, the 10 is probably to get them to shut up. The sensor was moved, the design complaints that were had were kind of off target for what OnePlus had intended, and as a result the 10 was a “Ok fuck you guys heres your stupid OP3 now shut the hell up”
Just because Carl Pei isn’t there, doesn’t mean that the company is going to die. In fact, I would say OnePlus put the 10 out specifically as a full company middle finger to reviewers specifically. They know the 9 and 9 Pro are out, asnd the 10T can be the one they put some effort into for those who like the device. As for reviewers who herald the old days and don’t shut up? Their phones can break in half.
Its the most chinese thing ever and I fucking love it. I applause OnePlus for the 10 and I don’t need to use it. Its not for me 
To the “Old OnePlus” and Carl Pei fans, why the hell are you bitching at a company who doesn’t have Carl Pei for a Carl Pei designed phone? At the same time as Carl Pei starting a new company and releasing a new device, at that at about the same time? Its a device filled with all the gimmick tech you want, and its a carnival in your pocket at that.
OnePlus is still the company that it was, its just actually developed into a company now, not a start up that you need an eclusive invite to. If you need Exclusivity, buy UniHertz or BlackShark. Don’t bog a company that is starting to actually add real competition to the market down with your stupid foolishness. Doing so would have more and more phones LIKE the 10 come out.
I may be hedging a bet for right now about OnePlus, but I almost bet the 11 will not be the break in half middle finger the 10 initially was.