OnePlus & Hasselblad partnership: Co-developing the next generation of flagship smartphone cameras

OnePlus and Hasselblad recently announced their partnership, which aims to revolutionize the world of smartphone photography. Embarking on the journey of leading the next generation of smartphone cameras and making sure they deliver superior quality pictures and videos with better colour correction, lower distortions and amplifying the overall power of smartphone photography, this three-year partnership is already creating a buzz around the world.
Hasselblad had first made a buzz in the camera industry when it captured NASA’s moon landing with extreme precision.The iconic picture of Neil Armstrong’s first steps on the moon has to be one of the most awe-inspiring clicks of this century. The first creation of this collaboration will be available for consumers as early as March as the OnePlus 9, with Hasselblad camera, is set to launch on March 23.
In the past 80 years, Hasselblad has played a key role in capturing various historic shots and has been the go-to camera for various celebrated photographers. From British Phtotographer Gered Mankowitz, who has been using Hasselblad cameras ever since he embarked on his photography career to Swedish photographer Sven Gillsäter, who captured stunning wildlife photography from all corners of the globe with the Hasselblad from the 1950s to 1990. In fact, the iconic 1960s picture of Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones that defined the rock music of the era was captured on a Hasselblad. The camera has gone out in space and even underwater when Hasselblad Master Karim Iliya ventured underwater in 2018 to capture some phenomenal pictures of the whales and turtles. In the post-pandemic world, photographers continue to capture and explore the new normal with Hasselblad. And OnePlus is aiming to take this legacy of Hasselblad to the next level with the OnePlus 9.

OnePlus is keen on improving the overall image quality of smartphone cameras with Hasselblad. From working on the colour calibration to increasing the scope of capture by introducing ultra-wide cameras with a 140-degree field of view, the brand has some exciting plans under wraps.

Hasselblad’s 80-year long heritage, paired with OnePlus’ motto of Never Settle, is sure to challenge the smartphone camera industry. While we have already experienced some breakthroughs from the brand, whether it is in the night photography feature or in the form of super-steady video captures, OnePlus is raising the bar with the OnePlus 9.
The brand has confirmed that the OnePlus 9 will use a custom Sony IMX789 sensor for the largest and most advanced main camera sensor ever on an OnePlus device. The first project under the OnePlus X Hasselblad partnership has also been revealed! It is a revamp on the way colour calibration works on pictures captured by a smartphone.
Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad - Explained
Advanced colour calibration is key in improving the quality of any picture. And this first collaboration between OnePlus and Hasselblad will ensure that the pictures shot on OnePlus are much more natural-looking. Co-developed by OnePlus and Hasselblad, the Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad is a new colour solution, which took months of thorough verification and fine-tuning. Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad will be OnePlus’ new standard of colour calibration for its future smartphones and aims to bring more perceptually accurate and natural-looking colours to photos taken on OnePlus devices.
What to expect from OnePlus X Hasselblad Partnership
Another key area of work for OnePlus and Hasselblad has been in improving the output of ultra-wide-angle lenses in mobile photography. Now that most of our devices have been acing the 123o field of view, OnePlus is all set to introduce the 140o field of view, thanks to its partnership with Hasselblad. In addition to this, OnePlus and Hasselblad are also working on developing a freeform lens – to be first introduced on the OnePlus 9 Series – that practically eliminates edge distortion in ultra-wide photos.
The partnership is focused on developing four major research and development labs worldwide, including two innovative imaging labs based in the United States and Japan. OnePlus and Hasselblad are also working on introducing T-lens technology for lightning-fast focus in the front-facing camera, thereby ensuring that the world of smartphone photography is truly revolutionized from every angle.
What does the OnePlus 9 have in store for us?
The recently announced OnePlus 9 will be the first device to have the Hasselblad camera improvements. Powered by the Hasselblad Pro Mode, this device is sure to deliver stellar quality images with superior colour correction and much more clear resolution. Already touted to be the most advanced camera sensor in any OnePlus device, the Hasselblad camera for mobile also promises improved HDR video recording, 4K 120 FPS video captures and 8K 30 FPS video captures.

With 12-bit RAW, it will be up to 64-times more colourful than before, delivering more dynamic and vibrant colours in pictures and giving professional photographers more room for additional post-editing. The OnePlus 9, packed with all these features will launch on the OnePlus website on March 23 at 10 AM. And this launch is sure to create a ripple in the smartphone industry!