Hasselblad and OnePlus are teaming up for the upcoming OnePlus 9 Pro smartphone. Just as the rumors suggested, OnePlus brought in Hasselblad to help develop the smartphone.
OnePlus confirmed the existence of the OnePlus 9 Pro in a tweet. In the tweet’s video, we see the Hasselblad name next to the smartphone’s four-back camera. The tweet teases the smartphone’s announcement date: March 23rd at 10 AM EDT.
OnePlus 9 Pro: a leap forward for both companies?
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau claims the OnePlus 9 Series “will be a major leap forward in our ability to deliver a premium, flagship camera.” Engadget says we all should expect more accurate and natural-looking colors in photos taken on the smartphone. Additionally, in the smartphone’s pro mode, ISO, focus and exposure time are all adjustable. The Hasselblad Pro mode also shoots photos as 12-bit RAW files.
For video recording, the OnePlus 9 Pro shoots 4K 120FPS and 8K 30FPS video and supports “improved” HDR recording.
Getting serious about smartphone photography
In the past, OnePlus released smartphones with lackluster cameras. It seems the company’s now investing more effort into its camera technology. For the next three years, OnePlus will invest $150 million to “further develop” four-camera research. It will also experiment with new camera components and technologies.
While OnePlus has some catching up to do, its partnership with Hasselblad and its financial investments puts it on the right track. Samsung and Apple already have high-functioning video and photo cameras. OnePlus looks focused on advancing its photography. However, we’re sure improvements to video shooting on its smartphones will come as well. To see the OnePlus 9 Pro launch event, tune in to OnePlus’ launch event on March 23rd at 10 AM EDT.
