The OnePlus 9 series will launch globally on March 23rd, following heightened conjecture around the release date, spurred by a recent announcement from the firm’s Twitter page.
Now, the company has finally cast the date in stone, with the upcoming OnePlus 9 series smartphones hitting shelves in India and several other markets from March 23.
Besides the OnePlus 9 series date, the company has confirmed the Hasselblad tie-up, which sees the Chinese company pair up with famous camera manufacturer, Hasselblad.
The OnePlus 9 Pro will use the Hasselblad-branded cameras, unveiling a first look at the premium flagship that will aim to topple the likes of the iPhone 12 and Samsung Galaxy S21 to become the best mobile device on the market.
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OnePlus has confirmed the launch via a Twitter post, clarifying that it's entering a three-year relationship with Hasselblad, which will co-produce the “next generation of smartphone camera systems for future OnePlus flagship devices.”
Pricing isn't confirmed; however, the OnePlus 8 started at $699 / £599 (around AU$1,100), while the OnePlus 8 Pro launched at $899 / £799 / AU$1,371. Therefore, we can probably expect similar pricing tiers, but there will undoubtedly be a price hike.
OnePlus has, reportedly, carved out a significant R&D budget to dial-up its camera capabilities over the three years; specifically, its Hasselblad partnership will boost the OnePlus 9 Pro cameras through a newly developed color solution that aims to adjust the cameras’ color balance to offer a more natural look.
According to reports, the flagship phones will include the ultra-nippy Snapdragon 888 chipset, sport 256GB internal storage, a maximum of 12GB RAM, and provide support for 65W fast charging. It follows recent coverage that points to OnePlus dropping Qualcomm SoCs for MediaTek chipsets for a potential follow-up to the OnePlus Nord.
The OnePlus 9 series is expected to include the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro: while a OnePlus 9R model is tipped as well, it's only the OnePlus 9 Pro model that is expected to offer the Hasselblad-branded cameras.
The OnePlus 9R model, which had been an enigmatic entry to the range, is likely to come with the less powerful, but no less capable Snapdragon 690 chipset, 48MP camera, and a silky smooth FHD+ 90Hz display.
OnePlus has been making serious moves with its handsets, and the OnePlus 9 Pro should be a particularly exciting follow-up to the sublime OnePlus 8 Pro. OnePlus phones regularly feature on T3's best smartphones list and are some of the best Android phones you can buy.
