OnePlus phone cameras simply can’t compare to what you get on Apple and Samsung phones, but according to a new leak, help might be on the way. The company is reportedly partnering with Hasselblad on the upcoming OnePlus 9 Pro.
The latest details on OnePlus’ next flagship phone were revealed somewhat circuitously, when a random fan dropped into YouTuber Dave2D’s Discord server claiming to have info about the OnePlus 9 Pro.
After reaching out to the fan, Dave2D eventually got a number of screenshots showing what appears to be a genuine OnePlus 9 Pro, including a new quad camera module in back with clear Hasselblad branding, support for a 3.3x optical zoom, and a few other noteworthy specs.
It’s entirely possible these screenshots are faked, but based on previous renders for the standard OnePlus 9, which featured a nearly identical rear camera module but with two camas instead of four, this leak seems to pass the initial sniff test.
Unfortunately, when Dave2D reached out to OnePlus CEO and co-founder Pete Lau, Lau didn’t confirm the leak or indicate that a similar camera system would be available on the standard OnePlus 9. But Lau has already gone on record saying that one of OnePlus’ big goals for 2021 is a focus on camera quality. With other phone brands having partnered with notable camera companies (see Huawei’s relationship with Leica and HMD’s with Zeiss for multiple Nokia phones), a collaboration between OnePlus and Hasselblad not only seems quite plausible, but also a very good idea for a company looking to upgrade its camera game.
Aside from the 9 Pro’s cameras, the leak also detailed support for a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate similar to what’s available in the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and Galaxy S21 Ultra, along with 11GB of RAM (which is kind of a weird number) and 256GB of storage. And while there was no mention of what processor the phone used, based on OnePlus’ previous history with mobile chips, it’s a safe bet that the company will probably go with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888.
And in a separate leak from Max Jambor, it appears the OnePlus 9 Pro will also feature faster 45-watt wireless charging and support for reverse wireless charging, up from the 30-watt wireless charging OnePlus introduced on the OnePlus 8 Pro.
OK, so when will we know more for real? OnePlus’ next batch of phones is expected to be announced later this spring, with a recent report from Android Central claiming there will be some kind of launch event set for sometime in March.