The newly launched OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro have great specs and features, but the real progress is OnePlus' much-vaunted partnership with popular camera company Hasselblad to improve the new phones' photographic capabilities. So how much better are these photos than the ones taken by OnePlus phones last year? Since we're a year or two away from OnePlus phones with Hasselblad lenses, we're only comparing software here: the OnePlus 9 benefits from Hasselblad color correction. Ideally, this results in more realistic colors in photos and our initial experience has confirmed these claims. But we wanted to see exactly how the new phone's cameras stack up against its older predecessors. Read on for side-by-side comparisons between photos taken by the OnePlus 9, OnePlus 8T (released in October 2020) and OnePlus 8 (released in April 2020). We will mainly compare the main cameras: the OnePlus 9 packs a 48MP f/1.8, 1/1.43" 1.12µm lens, while the OnePlus 8T and OnePlus 8 have the same 48MP f/1.8 1/2.0" 0.8µm lens with OIS. But since the software also applies to the front camera, we'll be comparing the selfie lenses too: all three phones use the same 16 MP, f/2.4, 1/3.06", 1.0µm shooter. If you need a TL;DR, It's this: Overall, the OnePlus 9 took the most balanced and detailed photos of the bunch, with the OnePlus 8T keeping some but using a flatter palette.The OnePlus 8 produces much brighter colors by default, but these look too saturated. by comparison and many dark segments lose detail in deep shadows as a result.And as a final note, the OnePlus 8's camera mode defaults to 4:3 resolution which needs to be toggled in settings, which we couldn't do for this one. comparison and rest assured it irritates us endless but the color and sharpness of the photo comparisons are still valid thanks for supporting usImage 1 of 3
OnePlus 9
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OnePlus 8T
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OnePlus 8
Park landscape comparison
Starting with a basic park landscape showing a mix of green grass/blue sky/pink flower reflections, the OnePlus 9 displays the sharpest image: check out the grass in the foreground and the leaves behind. -Plan, which retains more variable colors than the 8T. The landscape in 8 is vivid, but the trees take on a more orange hue than in the other photos. The clouds are all beautifully detailed by the amount of haze in the air. Image 1 of 3
OnePlus 9
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OnePlus 8T
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OnePlus 8
Park twilight
The same twilight scene shows a little more saturation in photos on the 8T (and a lot more on the 8): the grass is an unusually brighter green, which certainly makes it easier to see, but less realistic. . Notice the sun crossing the tree line to the left, which is a moderate yellow at 9 and so bright it illuminates the branches. To be clear, none of these photos are great shots, but at least all 9 capture a more consistent color palette, which we personally prefer. Image 1 of 3
OnePlus 9
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OnePlus 8T
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OnePlus 8
Fountain twilight
Another footage showing how the supersaturation of the 8T and 8 brings out colors, but in a cartoonish way compared to 9. Check out the loss of sharpness in the mossy orange stripe in the corner of the concrete fountain edge, as well as the foliage on it, the trees in the background. Image 1 of 3
OnePlus 9
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OnePlus 8T
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OnePlus 8
Flower macro
Well, very important the 9 wins in a landslide because we managed to focus on what we wanted. But keep in mind that the other two phones have a dedicated macro camera and the 9 has always taken a superior picture with its 50MP ultra-wide lens (just tap the flower icon in the camera app for 'macro mode' ''). But even beyond the focus issue, 9 has the best color balance, displaying pale white stamen filaments and light yellow anther tips that contrast with the light pink petals, which appear more vibrant than on the 8T and less overheated than the 8. Great clarity on the next sheet, too. Image 1 of 3
OnePlus 9
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OnePlus 8T
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OnePlus 8
Depth effect
9 has slightly better color (less vivid green) and shadows, as well as better layering of depth - look at the flower in the foreground vs. the blurred flower behind vs. the completely blurred pine branches in the background. Image 1 of 3
OnePlus 9
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OnePlus 8T
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OnePlus 8
selfie
As we mentioned in our review, the 9 takes extremely close selfies, just like the 8T, but the big difference is the muted reflection that glares off shiny surfaces (like, uh, my forehead). There are also slightly richer colors in the 9's photo, making the 8T's image look a bit washed out, whereas the 8 has a lot of compressed detail in the same shades in the shadows. It's the least we've seen Hasselblad color correction come into play. Image 1 of 3
OnePlus 9
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OnePlus 8T
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OnePlus 8
Selfie portrait
The 9 was clearly the winner, though the 8T apparently took the plunge by not focusing at all for depth effect, but it shows how the front cameras of OnePlus phones can be destroyed if accidentally focused on a subject that's too white. (the clouds, not me, I swear). Still, the 9 has a good color balance and less blinding glare (look around the eyes, where there's still some color on the highlighted cheek compared to the all-white cheek in Photo 8). Image 1 of 3
OnePlus 9
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OnePlus 8T
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