Expect the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro to debut on March 23, and here’s everything we know so far.
The OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro smartphones (and possibly a OnePlus 9 Lite) are set to be revealed on March 23 at a virtual launch event for the company. Plus, the smartphone brand has revealed a new partnership with Hasselblad cameras. This is the next big Android phone of the year – the first was the Samsung Galaxy S21 in January – so it’s understandable that you’d want to know everything that’s leaked about the phones so far. OnePlus had a busy 2020 with the OnePlus 8T, the OnePlus Nord N10 5G and the OnePlus Nord N100 in the last few months of the year, and before that the OnePlus 8, OnePlus 8 Pro and OnePlus Nord. Perhaps the OnePlus 9 line will be a synthesis of all the best parts of its previous phones; now that the company has a mid-range line, it doesn’t need to court that price segment with its main series of devices, so the OnePlus 9 line could include some seriously premium phones. That’s why we’ve come up with this constantly updated collection of official news and unofficial rumors around the OnePlus 9 phones – and we’ve also added our own wish list of features and changes we’d like to see in the new models. Normally, we would have expected the OnePlus 9 release date to be April or May but the company has confirmed it will be revealing the new series of smartphones on March 23 this year. The official launch event is set to be a live stream – there won’t be a physical equivalent of this show – and it’ll begin at 7am PT / 10am EST / 3pm GMT (or March 24 at 1am for those in AEDT). The actual release date of the phones will likely be a week or two after that official announcement. That’s currently unclear though, and we expect to hear official information at the event. One source previously claimed you’ll be able to pre-order the OnePlus 9 range on March 23. That’d suggest the phone would be on sale soon after, but we’ll have to wait and see for those details. In terms of price, that’s hard to tell, especially because each successive OnePlus phone creeps into the premium pricing territory more and more, and because the OnePlus Nord means the OnePlus 9 doesn’t need to cater to people on a smaller budget. The OnePlus 8 started at $699 / £599 (around AU$1,100) and went up to $799 / £699 (around $1,372) for more RAM and storage, and the OnePlus 8 Pro started at $899 / £799 and went up to $999 / £899. Those are some high prices – not Samsung Galaxy S-level eye-watering costs, but pricier than OnePlus phones used to be. And given the Nord wasn’t a thing when the 8-series was launched, we could see the OnePlus 9 phones get pricier than that. There’s growing talk that a lower-end OnePlus 9E model is going to be introduced at some point, too – especially after a recent product listing seemed to accidentally reveal the names of three upcoming devices – which would perhaps offer a more affordable way into the 2021 range from OnePlus. If a cheaper model does indeed arrive, we’d anticipate a price in the region of $599 / £499 (around AU$900). You also might at least get a freebie with the phone, as a leak suggests that those who pre-order the OnePlus 9 will get a free pair of OnePlus Buds Z true wireless earbuds, while those who pre-order the OnePlus 9 Pro will get the Steven Harrington Edition of the Buds Z. We’ve heard quite a few leaks and rumors on the OnePlus 9, enough that we’ve split this section into four sub-sections. Before that, though, there’s a OnePlus 9 leak which doesn’t neatly fit into any of these sections – it’s around the codename, which is apparently ‚Lemonade‘. A reference to the popular sugary drink, the Beyoncé album, the Adam Friedman song, or just a random word chosen by someone at OnePlus to refer to the new phone? Probably the latter. The biggest piece of information on the design front comes direct from OnePlus, which has shown off part of the rear of the OnePlus 9 Pro, in the image you can see above. This shows off a large camera block with Hassleblad branding and four lenses (more on which below). This looks a lot like previously leaked renders supposedly showing the OnePlus 9 Pro, which you can see below. These include a quad-lens camera and a curved screen. Interestingly, only two of the rear camera lenses look big enough to house the likes of a main, ultra-wide or telephoto snapper, so one of those might be missing. We’ve also now seen a second set of renders which are near identical. One other leak meanwhile involves a set of real world photos and captured screenshots showing off the look of the standard OnePlus 9 – these would appear to be the genuine article, so see what you think of them in the images below. These are similar to other unofficial renders of the OnePlus 9 that we’ve seen (embedded below). And another source has also leaked images of both the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro. The design matches leaks elsewhere, but with the added detail that the standard OnePlus 9 might have a plastic frame, as there aren’t any antenna lines. The source speculates that the back might also be plastic, but they’re not sure. In all, the OnePlus 9 looks to have a similar design to the OnePlus 9 Pro, just with fewer camera lenses and a likely flat (rather than curved) screen. Some interesting schematic diagrams of the OnePlus 9 Pro have also found their way on to the web, which you can see below – they give us another look at the possible rear camera array. And if you’re hoping for water resistance in the OnePlus 9 range you might be in luck – but only with one model. A leaker claims that the OnePlus 9 Pro will have an IP68 rating (likely meaning it can be submerged up to 1.5 meters deep for up to 30 minutes), but that the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9E will have no official IP rating. Finally on the design subject, we also have an idea of the colors the range might be offered in, with a leaker claiming to have found evidence that the OnePlus 9 will be available in Arctic Blue, Arctic Sky, and Winter Mist colors (or Gloss black and Gloss gradient purple if bought on Verizon), while the OnePlus 9 Pro will come in Stellar Black, Forest Green, and Morning Mist shades.
