The new OnePlus 9 is coming on March 23 and should feature a killer camera

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OnePlus has decided we’ve had enough teasing about the long-rumored OnePlus 9 and has set the reveal date to March 23. The big news? Hasselblad, the camera maker for NASA among others, has collaborated with OnePlus on the range, so the camera is going to be pretty sweet.

CEO Pete Lau had this to say in the press release announcing the event: “With OnePlus’ top-of-the-line hardware and computational photography and Hasselblad’s rich aesthetic knowledge in traditional photography, I am confident that the OnePlus 9 Series will be a major leap forward in our ability to deliver a premium, flagship camera.” 

Rumor has it that three phones are going to be unveiled, the OnePlus 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Lite. The announcement of Hasselblad’s involvement lends credence to a video from YouTuber Dave2D last month, when he had images of a purported OnePlus device with the Hasselblad branding.

OnePlus was also teasing the Hasselblad connection earlier this month, with a series of shots taken by NASA astronauts, which used modified Hasselblad cameras. Will that pedigree mean that the OnePlus will finally have a camera able to rival that of Samsung, Google, and Apple?

One can hope, and the announced features do look impressive. You’ll probably get natural, accurate colors as Hasselblad put their knowledge to work here. The Pro camera mode will shoot in 12-bit RAW, and let you edit using an interface inspired by Hasselblad’s Phocus app. HDR recording has been improved, and you’ll be able to record 4K at 120FPS, or 8K 30FPS.

That four-lens bump from the earlier leaks seems accurate too, using Sony’s new IMX789 sensor for the main camera, and the ultra-wide lens will limit barrel distortion so your images look crisp. We’ll see how crisp at the launch event, so mark your calendars for 9 am EST on March 23.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.