What you need to know
- OnePlus CEO Pete Lau wrote a heartfelt post detailing the official departure from Hasselblad on its devices for its in-house DetailMax Engine.
- This new engine, per Lau, will focus on delivering “clarity and authenticity” for users, as it won’t mask photos with “over-beautification or distortion.”
- Rumors all summer have said OnePlus could shift from Hasselblad, but confirmation gives us concrete information to work with.
In a heartfelt letter to Hasselblad, OnePlus is announcing its official departure from its old imaging partner, as it treks a path toward something new and in-house.
Today (Sep 5), OnePlus CEO Pete Lau discussed the “next chapter” for the company as it ends its Hasselblad partnership. Lau confirmed that OnePlus is in the process of developing its new DetailMax Engine to deliver “clarity and authenticity” for users and their captured photos. Lau states that, to create the DetailMax Engine, he was involved in interviews with a wide range of users about what they want most out of such software.
Users informed OnePlus that they want “clear and real” photos, and pictures that remain crisp and detailed even when pinching to zoom.
Lau says the company’s DetailMax Engine computational imaging software has evolved to a point where it can “capture and interpret vastly more data, delivering images with unmatched depth and realism.” The company states its new in-house engine will never mask photos with “over-beautification or distortion,” once again highlighting the true-to-life, in a way, appeal of a user’s photography.
Lau informs users that testing for the early prototype is underway, and that he’s been involved in it so far. The company says the engine should be ready by launch, meaning all the wrinkles and things should be ironed out. Lau thanks Hasselblad for guiding OnePlus toward this imaging future it’s racing toward and states it’s excited for new opportunities, whatever those may be.
The End of an Era
We’ve had to settle with rumors about OnePlus’ supposed departure from Hasselblad thus far, and the most recent ones shed more (alleged) light on it. After some initial rumors in June, what’s been theorized recently is that the new OnePlus engine could focus on delivering enhanced details in low-light scenarios, and for skin tones and even “video processing.” Supposedly, the Chinese OEM is working on new algorithms that could further enhance this engine’s newfound capabilities.
Rumors have continuously stated that this new OnePlus engine could arrive on its next flagship, the OnePlus 15. If true, we’d either see this device toward the end of 2025 or early in 2026.
Other rumors claim the OnePlus 15 could even arrive with a design change, one that drops its typical circular camera array for one that looks like Apple‘s iPhones. Aside from that, a 50MP primary lens and a 7,000mAh battery were also rumored.
