OnePlus 9 'Moonshot' Launch Date Confirmed, Budget OnePlus 9R And Smartwatch Rumored
Last April, OnePlus launched the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro, which brought Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 brawn to the brand. Since then, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 888, a new mobile platform SoC for 5G flagships, including the rumored OnePlus 9. Now, it is nearly time for OnePlus to make an announcement, and we are starting to hear rumblings of a OnePlus device launch on March 8th.
Today, founder and CEO of OnePlus, Pete Lau, told people to “Stay tuned for March 8th” with a link to a new OnePlus webpage called “Moonshot.” That webpage says, “Something new is on the horizon,” with another notice to stay tuned to the webpage. We can only speculate that March 8th will bring the launch of the OnePlus 9 and other rumored devices, so what do we know so far?
OnePlus 9/OnePlus 9 Pro
Year over year, OnePlus launches the OnePlus base device and a higher cost and spec device with the “Pro” moniker. This year, the OnePlus 9 supposedly leaked, powered by a Snapdragon 888, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a nice 2400x1080 display running at 120Hz. The OnePlus 9 Pro is slated to have the same processor. 12GB+ of RAM and 256GB of storage, as well as a display resolution of 3120x1440 at 120Hz. Furthermore, it is rumored that the OnePlus 9 Pro will have a high-quality Hasselblad camera.
If we want to put on our tin-foil hats, March 8th converts to 3/8 or 888, signifying the Snapdragon 888. Also, the first camera to be sent to the moon was a Hasselblad, so perhaps that is what the moonshot reference is. We will have to wait and find out, but perhaps these are little easter eggs for the keen OnePlus fans.
OnePlus 9 Lite/E/R
Whatever the name may be, we have repeatedly heard about a lower-end OnePlus 9 phone. This device is rumored to be powered by either the Snapdragon 690 or the Snapdragon 865, the last-generation flagship chip. Moreover, the OnePlus 9 Lite/E/R will likely share many specs with the previous OnePlus 8T. Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how OnePlus decides to price both this phone and the last generation of devices.
OnePlus Smartwatch
Back in December, Pete Lau made a tweet confirming the existence of a OnePlus smartwatch. At present, it is not entirely clear if OnePlus will use Google’s WearOS or adapt the OxygenOS to the new wearable. Either way, if this device wants to compete with smartwatch juggernauts like Apple and Samsung, the new OnePlus watch needs to have health monitoring features while still being stylish.
Overall, March 8th should be an exciting day for OnePlus fans as we will likely get to see several new devices. Perhaps the upgrades that the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro receive, coupled with a reasonable price, will springboard the brand back to the best flagship value-proposition. Moreover, the new Lite device and the rumored watch will hopefully bring in new customers who are not looking for the most expensive or top-of-the-line devices. In any case, it will be worth sticking around on March 8th, so keep an eye on HotHardware for OnePlus updates.
