OnePlus 9 release date: Specs and design changes that have been leaked and anticipated from the upcoming flagship smartphone

Smartphone fans can count on OnePlus to announce its annual lineup of flagship, premium smartphones. For next year, people are already building expectations on the upgrades that could be included in the OnePlus 9. Meanwhile, a few leaks have also made it in the wild helping fans manage their expectations.

What OnePlus 9 specs upgrades to expect

Nothing much has been reported about the OnePlus 9 specs and features. However, it is expected to sport the usual specs boost every year. This smartphone line is always equipped with the latest Snapdragon 8-series chipset. In this case, there is a good chance that the OnePlus 9 series will be powered by the anticipated Snapdragon 875.

One thing that smartphone fans will likely look forward to is to see if the 120Hz refresh rate will become more widely available in the OnePlus 9 series. In the case of the OnePlus 8 lineup, the base model only has a 90Hz refresh rate while the higher display specs were reserved for the Pro-branded model.

Another thing that OnePlus fans can most likely expect every year is the general battery improvement for the newest OnePlus devices. OnePlus 8 sports a 4,300mAh battery, so its successor OnePlus 9 could benefit from a few hundred milliampere boost next year.

OnePlus 9 design changes focused on rear cameras, leak shows

The most interesting leak that has been reported about the OnePlus 9 lineup is the supposed design of the next Pro model. Based on the image renders released by OnLeaks, OnePlus is changing the way the rear cameras are placed. Instead of the typical oval-shaped compartment in the middle, the new design will reportedly put the sensors to a rectangular camera bump on the left side.

Based on the designs of previous premium OnePlus lineups, the rear camera designs usually look the same. While OnLeaks has specifically mentioned the above design as pertaining to the Pro-branded model, there is a chance that it could be used for the other variants in the series.

OnePlus 9 release date

So far, there is no reason for OnePlus fans to worry about a delay. The same report from OnLeaks even mentions the likelihood of an earlier than usual announcement schedule as the OnePlus 9 lineup could be unveiled as early as March next year.

Featured photo by Denis Cherkashin on Unsplash