OnePlus 9 Launch: Hasselblad Camera System Revealed

Smartphone Camera Innovation: OnePlus and Hasselblad Join Forces

For a considerable period, smartphone cameras have been central to competition among manufacturers. Unless radically new technologies, such as foldable displays or unconventional designs, emerge, this trend is anticipated to persist in the coming years. Each year, companies emphasize advancements in imaging technology to distinguish their products.

This focus is logical. Smartphones have reached a level of performance where flagship models generally offer commendable quality. While camera improvements have contributed to this progress, substantial opportunities remain for enhancement, encompassing both hardware and the supporting software and artificial intelligence.

A Strategic Partnership

OnePlus recently announced its collaboration with Hasselblad, a renowned name in photography, to bolster its camera capabilities. This three-year agreement, valued at $150 million, was revealed earlier this month.

The partnership is strategically sound. OnePlus’s evolution from a provider of affordable, high-end devices to a competitor of established brands like Apple and Samsung has positioned it to challenge industry leaders. Given that both Apple and Samsung possess well-developed and long-standing imaging divisions, this collaboration appears to be a genuine effort to achieve parity.

It’s important to acknowledge that OnePlus is moving away from its roots as a budget-friendly option. The OnePlus 9 is priced starting at $729, while the Pro model begins at $969. While these prices are relatively competitive within the premium smartphone market, the introduction of the Nord series suggests that affordability will no longer be the primary selling point for OnePlus’s main product line.

OnePlus 9 Series Camera Specifications

The OnePlus 9 Pro benefits most from this initial phase of the Hasselblad partnership. Its main camera features a 48-megapixel Sony sensor, offering faster autofocus and improved color fidelity. The ultrawide camera utilizes a 50-megapixel Sony sensor, with a lens engineered to minimize distortion.

Notably, the company states that this lens is also effective for capturing detailed macro shots at distances as close as 4cm. A third camera is an eight-megapixel telephoto lens, providing up to 30x digital zoom, although image detail will be reduced at higher zoom levels.

A fourth monochrome camera is also included, primarily to enhance the quality of black and white photographs. The standard OnePlus 9 shares a similar configuration, but lacks the telephoto lens.

OnePlus highlights the contributions Hasselblad is making:

Additional Features and Availability

It’s crucial to remember that the partnership is still developing, with a significant portion of the investment allocated to research and development. Therefore, we can anticipate further integration of Hasselblad’s expertise in future iterations.

The display is consistent with that of the OnePlus 8T: a 6.55-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. Peak brightness reaches 1,100 nits, and the display supports HDR10+ certification.

The devices are powered by a Snapdragon 888 processor, paired with 8 or 12GB of RAM and 128 or 256GB of storage. Both models incorporate a 4,500 mAh battery, capable of charging from 0% to 100% in 29 minutes.

Pre-orders commence on March 26th, with shipping beginning on April 2nd.