Apple’s transition from Intel to its own ARM chipset for Mac products is going smoother than expected. Adobe has now released Photoshop for Apple’s M1-based Macs adding an important piece of software for creative professionals; while Visual Studio has also begun supporting the new silicon.
Adobe says that the newly made Photoshop software for the M1 runs natively and is 50% faster compared to Intel-powered equivalent laptops. As per Photoshop product manager Pam Clark, “Our internal tests show a wide range of features running an average of 1.5x the speed of similarly configured previous generation systems.” These tests included applying editing filters, opening and saving files, and using automated tools for filling in regions and selecting subjects. A new Super Resolution feature will also be available via the Adobe Camera Raw plugin which uses machine learning to boost the resolution of an image with a single click, producing higher quality results than before.
Additionally, Visual Studio Code version 1.54, which was released last month, is also supported by Apple Silicon. “We are happy to announce our first release of stable Apple Silicon builds this iteration. Users on Macs with M1 chips can now use VS Code without emulation with Rosetta and will notice better performance and longer battery life when running VS Code. Thanks to the community for self-hosting with the Insiders build and reporting issues early in the iteration,” the company said in a post.
Users can grab the default download of Visual Studio Code for macOS, which is now a Universal build capable of running natively on all Macs. One can also find more links under the downloads section to get architecture-specific builds for Intel or Apple Silicon, which are notably smaller compared to the Universal package.
These new additions mean that Apple is heading in the right direction with its in-house chips. The company is expected to launch more Mac products later this year, with an even more powerful version of the M1 chip launched last year. Expect new MacBooks, iMac, and Mac Pro to soon launch with Apple’s ARM-based chips.
Chrome on desktop will soon give users greater control over how websites access their location. Right now, when a site requests access to your location, Chrome only gives you two options: Allow or Block. If allowed, the site can essentially access your location information anytime, even while in the background, from that point forward — unless, of course, you go to the Site settings, find that site, and revoke the access manually. Many sites don’t make it explicitly clear why they want our location in the first place. That’s the reason why whenever a site asks for location, our mouse pointer springs to life and inevitably ends up on the “Block” button. But thankfully, Google is making it harder for shady websites to track your location in the background.
As spotted by our ever-reliable tipster Some_Random_Username, Google Chrome is testing a revamped model for location permission that will allow users to give location access to websites on a per-session basis or single time. The feature is live in the Chome Canary 91.0.4442.1 and works out-of-the-box without having to enable any flag.
When a site requests for location, the user will now see a pop-up in the left corner with three choices instead of two: “At every visit,” “Only this time,” and “Block.” Selecting “At every visit” will presumably allow websites to access your location only while it’s open and running in the foreground. Meanwhile, “Only this time” should work the same way Android 11’s one-time location and microphone permissions, granting the site location access only for that single session. Here’s how the new permission dialogue (on the right) looks compared to the current dialogue (left) we see in Chrome stable 89.0.4389.82.
This is indeed a great improvement that we would like to see make its way to the stable Chrome as soon as possible. We’ll keep an eye out and will sure to let you know when it finally arrives in the stable channel.
Gmail for Android is getting new buttons to help you copy and paste email addresses easily. The new buttons replace the old gesture, which required you to long-press email addresses to bring up the copy prompt.
The new buttons were first spotted by Android Police, who shared the following screenshots highlighting the change. As you can see in the attached images, long-pressing on email addresses in the To, CC, or BCC fields while composing a new email brings up a new window. The window includes the name associated with the email address, the email address itself, and two buttons — Copy and Remove.
New copy and remove buttons
As you’d expect, the Copy button copies the email address to the clipboard and you can then paste it into any other field. The Remove button, on the other hand, deletes the selected email address from the current field. It’s worth noting that the Remove button doesn’t delete the selected email address from other fields. So if you have an email address in both the To and BCC fields, and you remove the one in the To field with the new button, the other one won’t be removed.
Old copy button
Android Police further notes that the new buttons don’t seem to be available for all Gmail users at the moment. This suggests that the feature may be rolling out with a server-side update. It’s also possible that the new buttons are part of an A-B test, which may be why they’re only showing up for some users. The new buttons were available on my Galaxy Note 20 with version 2021.02.05.357775197 of the Gmail app. However, the buttons weren’t available on my Mi 10T Pro with the same version of the app.
Over the last several months, Google has introduced some much-needed changes in Gmail, like the ability to edit Office attachments without downloading them first. We’ve also spotted a couple of upcoming features, like Search Chips for filtering messages, that will offer more utility to advanced users.
Twitter is not typically known for imitating features from other social media apps. Even for the features that Twitter does replicate or has replicated in the past — such as Fleets, it has not been as prompt as Facebook. Twitter Spaces, however, is an exception, and the company did not waste any time before jumping the gun with this feature that resembles the viral voice-networking app, Clubhouse. It even beat Facebook when it comes to making a Clubhouse clone. While Spaces is officially limited to iOS and being tested on Android, Twitter is adding new ways to engage more users. These new ways include a new card-style layout for Spaces links and an upcoming Tip Jar for creators.
Twitter apps for Android and iOS now automatically convert links to a Twitter Spaces conversation into interactive card previews, as first spotted by TestingCatalog. Twitter users who have access to Spaces, i.e., those using the iOS app or Android beta, will be able to tap on the cards to see the information about the host, speakers, and the listeners in that Space. These cards can also be shared via Fleets in full size.
Card UI for Twitter Spaces links; Image by TestingCatalog
Besides the new card view, the upper half of the Space window is reserved for speakers’ tweets during the live interaction. Clicking on this shared tweet will minimize the Space window and open the tweet normally.
While the ability to host Spaces is limited to a handful of lucky users as of now, The Verge reports everyone will be allowed to host Spaces starting April. Even though there was no written communication, the announcement came directly from the company’s developers during a recent Space roundup talk hosted by the official Twitter Spaces handle makes a lot of sense.
At the same time, app researcher and reverse engineer Jane Manchun Wong also discovered that Twitter is working to enable a “Tip Jar” feature for Spaces. This feature will allow hosts to accept tips during a Space conversation. Wong also identified that users would be able to use popular payment services such as Bandcamp, Cash App, Patreon, PayPal, and Venmo for tips. The feature is yet to go live.
letting you enter your usernames on Bandcamp, Cash App, Patreon, PayPal and Venmo, allowing people to tip you directly there pic.twitter.com/xhCxCTjWnO
After launching the Aspire 7 in India, Acer has now launched its mid-range gaming laptop. The new Nitro 5 gets a slight bump from last year by adding the new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card. The company claims that it is the first gaming laptop in India to rock the new GPU from NVIDIA. While that is true, considering it is already selling the product, ASUS recently also announced the TUF Dash F15 featuring the option of an RTX 3060 or RTX 3070, which will be going on sale later this month.
Acer Nitro 5: Specifications
Specification
Acer Nitro 5
Dimensions & Weight
363 x 255 x 23.9 mm
2.3 kgs
Display
15.6-inch Full HD (1920×1080) IPS
144Hz refresh rate
3ms response time
Processor
Intel Core i5-10300H (2.5GHz / 4.5GHz)
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 (6GB DDR6)
RAM & Storage
8GB/16GB DDR4
250GB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD
1TB HDD 7200PRM
Battery & Charger
57.6WHr (10 hours claimed)
180W charger
I/O
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (Power off charging)
USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
HDMI
Ethernet
Power-in
3.5mm headphone/microphone combo jack
Connectivity
Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX201
Bluetooth 5.0
OS
Windows 10 Home
Other Features
4-zone RGB backlit keyboard
720p webcam
The new Nitro 5 looks very similar to last year’s model having a plastic chassis all around and a chunky-looking finish. The notebook weighs 2.3kgs and comes with a 15.6-inch display with large bezels on the top and bottom. The IPS panel offers full-HD (1920 x 1080-pixels) resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate with a 3ms response time. The laptop is powered by the 10th-gen Intel Core i5-10300H, a quad-core processor from last year offering boost clock speeds up to 4.5GHz. The Nitro 5 will be offered with 8GB of 16GB of DDR4 memory, which is expandable to 32GB. As for storage, you get dual-drives, including a 1TB 7200-RPM hard drive and a 256GB PCIe Gen 3 NVMe SSD.
Additionally, the laptop will come with Acer’s CoolBoost technology to help gamers manage system temperature, while the NitroSense software will help control fan speeds and performance parameters. There is RGB lighting on the keyboard, but instead of per-key, you only get a 4-zone implementation. The laptop also comes with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity, while I/O ports include an HDMI port, an RJ45 ethernet, a 3.5mm headphone and mic combo, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port with power-off charging. The battery on the Nitro 5 is a 57.5WHr unit which is claimed to last up to 10 hours, while the charging brick will be rated at 180W.
Pricing and Availability
The Nitro 5 is priced at ₹89,999 for the 8GB RAM variant and ₹93,999 for the 16GB RAM model. The laptop will be available via Acer’s exclusive offline stores and the Acer E-store and Amazon India starting today.
Hot on the heels of the Galaxy A32 launch in India earlier this month, Samsung is back with yet another smartphone. The company has just refreshed its budget-friendly Galaxy M series with the launch of the Galaxy M12. The Galaxy M12 is a direct successor to the Galaxy M11 and offers several notable improvements over its forerunner, including a 90Hz display, a 6,000mAh battery, and more memory on the base variant. With competitive specification and pricing, Samsung is pushing hard to give Xiaomi’s recently launched Redmi Note 10 some much-needed competition in the budget segment.
Galaxy M12: Specifications
Specification
Galaxy M12
Dimensions and Weight
164.0 x 75.9 x 9.7mm
221g
Display
6.5-inch LCD
1600 x 720 (HD+)
90Hz screen refresh rate
SoC
Exynos 850:
4 x Cortex-A55 @ 2.0GHz and 4 x Cortex-A55 @ 1.6GHz
8nm
ARM Mali-G52 GPU
RAM and Storage
4GB/6GB RAM
64GB/128GB flash storage
MicroSD card support
Battery & Charging
6,000 mAh battery
15W fast charger (inside the box)
Rear Camera
Primary: 48MP ISCOCELL HM2
Secondary: 8MP ultra-wide
Tertiary: 5MP depth sensor
Quarternary: 2MP macro
Front Camera
8MP
Ports
USB Type-C port
3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity
4G LTE
Bluetooth 5.0
Type-C port
WiFi 802.11.b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz + 5GHz)
Security
Side-mounted fingerprint reader
Software
One UI 3.1 Core with Android 11
The Galaxy M12 features a 6.5-inch HD+ LCD display with a 90Hz screen refresh rate and is the most affordable Samsung phone yet to offer a high refresh rate panel. Under the hood, the phone is powered by the home-brewed 8nm Exynos 850 chipset, paired with 4GB/6GB RAM and 64GB/128GB storage. The back of the phone houses a quad-camera setup comprised of a 48MP ISOCELL HM2 primary sensor, an 8MP ultra-wide shooter, a 5MP depth sensor and a 2MP macro lens.
A 6,000mAh battery keeps the show running and you also get a 15W charger inside the box. On the software front, the Galaxy M12 comes running the latest One UI 3.1 Core based on Android 11. Other highlights of the phone include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth 5.0, USB Type-C, a 3.5mm audio jack, dual SIM support, and a microSD card slot.
Pricing & Availability
The Galaxy M12 comes in two variants: 4GB + 64GB and 6GB + 128GB. The base model is priced at ₹10,999, while the top model is priced at ₹13,499. As a limited introductory offer, users paying with ICICI credit or debit card can avail up to ₹1000 cashback. The Galaxy M12 will go on sale starting March 18 from Amazon India, Samsung.com, and select retail chains.
2020 was a monumental year for OnePlus. The company started it off with the launch of its first “true” flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 8 Pro, which was followed by the company’s first mid-ranger in five years — the OnePlus Nord. OnePlus then further expanded its portfolio to include a couple of budget-friendly devices in the Nord lineup, and the company even dipped its toes in the TWS earbuds space. This year, we’re expecting the company to dial things up a notch and bring some much-needed refinements to its wide range of products, starting with its flagship lineup for 2021 — the OnePlus 9 series.
OnePlus is expected to unveil the OnePlus 9 series sometime next month, and the series is rumored to feature three devices this time. Over the last few months, we’ve seen plenty of leaks about these devices, and here’s everything we know about them so far!
OnePlus 9 series: Release Date
Shortly after the launch of the OnePlus 8T last year, we saw the first leak about the OnePlus 9 series. The leak revealed that OnePlus was planning on launching its next-gen flagship devices four weeks ahead of schedule. If that is, in fact, the case, the OnePlus 9 series could be unveiled sometime next month. While OnePlus has neither confirmed nor denied this rumor, Samsung’s move to launch the Galaxy S21 series much earlier than usual gives OnePlus plenty of reason to prepone its timeline as well.
As expected, OnePlus has now confirmed that the OnePlus 9 series will be unveiled on March 23rd at 10:00 AM EDT, 14:00 PM GMT, and 19:30 PM IST. The launch event will be live-streamed on OnePlus’ website and you’ll be able to watch it by following this link.
OnePlus 9 series — Regular, Pro, and Lite variants
Unlike previous years, OnePlus is expected to launch three new devices as part of the OnePlus 9 series — the regular OnePlus 9, the flagship OnePlus 9 Pro, and a more-affordable OnePlus 9 Lite/9E/9R. While we’ve already seen plenty of leaks confirming the existence of the OnePlus 9 and the OnePlus 9 Pro, details about the OnePlus 9 Lite have been scarce so far. Rumors suggest that the affordable flagship will either be called the OnePlus 9 Lite or the OnePlus 9E and that it will feature similar hardware to the OnePlus 8T. The latest leaks reveal that the affordable flagship may be called the OnePlus 9R.
It’s also worth noting that the OnePlus 9 series is, most likely, codenamed “lemonade,” according to evidence spotted in the Settings APK from Open Beta 3 for the OnePlus 8 series late last year. The lineup will include five variants, including lemonade, lemonadev, lemonadev, lemonadep, and lemonadept. Based on our understanding of OnePlus codenames, we believe that these devices would be:
lemonade — OnePlus 9
lemonadet — T-Mobile OnePlus 9
lemonadev — Verizon OnePlus 9
lemonadep — OnePlus 9 Pro
lemonadept — T-Mobile OnePlus 9 Pro
The existence of five variants has also been confirmed by a separate leak, which lists the model numbers of the devices. According to the leak, the OnePlus 9 will go by the model numbers LE2110, LE2117, and LE2110, and the OnePlus 9 Pro will go by the model numbers LE2120 and LE2127. As of now, we haven’t been able to confirm the codename or model number of the OnePlus 9R.
It’s worth mentioning that when information first started popping up about the OnePlus 8 series last year, we saw plenty of leaks and rumors about a third, more affordable, device in the lineup. While this device did exist, it wasn’t launched alongside the OnePlus 8 series and it debuted as the OnePlus Nord later in the year. Therefore, it’s possible that the alleged OnePlus 9R is nothing but a OnePlus Nord successor that may not launch alongside the OnePlus 9 series next month.
Along with the three devices, OnePlus will also launch its first smartwatch at the upcoming event. The OnePlus Watch has leaked extensively over the last few months, and you can read more about it by following this link.
Design
Over the last few months, we’ve seen several leaked live images and renders of the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro that have given us a good look at their updated design. Here’s a brief overview of everything we’ve learned from the leaked images so far:
OnePlus 9
We got our first look at the OnePlus 9 in November last year when leaked renders of the device first popped up online. The renders revealed that the OnePlus 9 would feature a new back panel design, more in line with other phones that we’ve seen in the last couple of months. As you can see in the attached image, the device features a new rectangular camera island in the top-right corner with 3 sensors and an LED flash.
Over on the front, the OnePlus 9 features a flat display with a hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera in the top left corner. The leak also revealed that the OnePlus 9 would feature a 6.55-inch display that will offer a peak refresh rate of 120Hz. It’s worth noting that while a prominent OnePlus leaker had expressed his doubts about these leaked renders, the design was confirmed shortly thereafter when we first saw leaked live images of the device.
The live images shed more light on the design, showcasing the glossy back panel finish, Ultrashot branding on the camera module, and an unusual logo instead of OnePlus branding. The live images also revealed that the device would feature a secondary noise-canceling mic on the top edge, a USB Type-C port at the bottom sandwiched between the speaker grille and SIM card slot, and the usual button layout on the left and right edges.
Furthermore, the report revealed that the device would feature a 6.5-inch hole-punch display with a peak refresh rate of 120Hz and FHD+ resolution (2400 x 1080p). It’s also worth mentioning that a prototype of the OnePlus 9 5G was sold on eBay for a whopping $6,000 late last year. The listing included a couple of live images of the device, which appear to be the same as those attached above.
OxygenUpdaterrecently unearthed information about all OnePlus 9 series color variants that will be available at the time of launch. According to them, the vanilla OnePlus 9 will be available in three colorways — Astral Black, Arctic Sky, and Winter Mist. The T-Mobile version of the device, on the other hand, will be available in two colorways — Astral Black and Winter Mist — and the Verizon version will be available in Gloss Black and Gloss gradient purple variants.
Just weeks ahead of the OnePlus 9 series launch, high-quality renders of the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro have surfaced online. The renders give us a clear look at the design of both devices, and here’s what the vanilla OnePlus 9 looks like:
Credits: WinFuture
The renders give us a clear look at the triple camera module on the back, all three color variants, and the flat screen. The leak also reveals that the device won’t feature a metal frame, which should help OnePlus keep its price low. While it isn’t clear if the device will have a glass back or not, it’s quite possible that OnePlus takes the Samsung Galaxy S21 approach and offer a plastic back on the vanilla model.
OnePlus 9 Pro
Renowned leaker OnLeaks first shared renders of the OnePlus 9 Pro back in November last year. The renders revealed that the device would feature a design similar to the OnePlus 9, albeit with a larger camera island containing an additional sensor and a rectangular LED flash. We also learned that it would feature a larger 6.7-inch curved display with a left-aligned hole-punch cutout.
Recently, YouTuber Dave2D gave us our first look at live images of a OnePlus 9 Pro prototype with Hasselblad branding on the camera module. The video confirmed that OnePlus’ flagship model would feature a curved display with a left-aligned hole-punch cutout for the selfie camera, a quad-camera setup on the back with two large and two small sensors, a circular LED flash (unlike the rectangular one seen in the previous renders), a laser AF sensor, and a rear-facing microphone in the camera island.
The live images also confirmed that the device would feature a QHD+ 120Hz display, a slimmer metal frame, and the same glossy gray finish like the one we saw in the leaked OnePlus 9 live images.
The leaked information shared by OxygenUpdater suggests that the OnePlus 9 Pro will launch in three colorways — Stellar Black, Forest Green, and Morning Mist. However, the T-Mobile variant of the device will only be available in the Morning Mist colorway.
OnePlus has now officially showcased the camera module and back panel of the OnePlus 9 Pro in a teaser video called OnePlus – Lunarland. The device makes a brief appearance towards the end, giving us a good look at the Hasselblad-branded camera module that we had seen in previous leaks. The image also shows that the device will retain the beloved alert slider, and it will feature a power button on the right edge and a volume rocker on the left edge.
Like the OnePlus 9, leaked renders of the OnePlus 9 Pro in all colorways have also surfaced online. Here’s what OnePlus’ next-gen flagship looks like:
Credits: WinFuture
The leak reveals that that unlike the OnePlus 9, the OnePlus 9 Pro will retain a metal frame with curved glass on the front and back. It gives us a good look at the Hasselblad-branded quad-camera setup on the back and all three color variants of the device.
OnePlus 9R
We currently haven’t seen any leaked renders or live images of the OnePlus 9R. We’ll update this post as soon as they surface online. The only bit of information we have about the OnePlus 9R’s design is that it may feature a plastic back panel and a “more mainstream design” to differentiate itself from the OnePlus 8T.
As mentioned earlier, the OnePlus 9 allegedly features a 6.55-inch HD+ display with a peak refresh rate of 120Hz. The device will, most likely, feature Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 chip, which will be paired with at least 8GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage. A recent leak from reliable OnePlus leaker Max J. suggests that it will pack a 4,500mAh battery, with a leak from late last year revealing that it will support 65W wired fast charging, 30W wireless charging, and even reverse wireless charging. The leaker also claimed that the device will ship with a 65W charger in the box.
While information about the camera setup on the OnePlus 9 has been scarce so far, a report from 91mobiles claims that it will include a 48MP primary camera with a focal length of 6mm, a 48MP ultra-wide camera, and an unspecified third sensor. We suspect that the third camera could either be a monochrome sensor or a macro sensor. Currently, we haven’t seen any details about the selfie camera.
An APK teardown of the OnePlus Camera app has also revealed that the company may introduce several new camera features with the OnePlus 9 series. These include a Tilt-shift mode, Focus peaking, a Moon mode, and more. You can read more about these features by following this link.
A separate leak from TechDroider has shed more light on some of the key specifications of the OnePlus 9. The leak confirms that the device will feature Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 888 chip, coupled with 8GB of RAM, a 6.55-inch FHD+ display that will offer a peak refresh rate of 120Hz.
The leak also reveals some details about the camera hardware, claiming that the device will sport a 12MP rear-facing camera and a 4.1MP front-facing camera. However, based on previous leaks, we suspect that these numbers signify the output resolution of these sensors and not the resolution of the sensors themselves. The OnePlus 9 will likely employ quad pixel binning to deliver the aforementioned 12MP and 4.1MP images, meaning that the device will feature a 48MP rear-facing camera and a 16MP front-facing camera.
OnePlus 9 Pro
The flagship model in the OnePlus 9 lineup will feature a larger 6.7-inch QHD+ curved display with a peak refresh rate of 120Hz. As with the OnePlus 9, the 9 Pro will most likely feature the Snapdragon 888 SoC. However, live images of the device suggest that it will come with up to 12GB of RAM. As far as the storage is concerned, OnePlus will probably include at least 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage on the device, and it may go up to 512GB on the top model.
Surprisingly, the OnePlus 9 Pro is rumored to feature the same battery capacity as the non-pro variant — 4,500mAh. If that’s the case, the device may struggle to last a full day with its QHD+ display running at 120Hz. However, the rumored 65W wired fast charging support will address this to a great extent. As with its predecessor, the OnePlus 9 Pro will also feature wireless charging support. But this time around, it’s rumored to include support for much faster 45W wireless charging.
While we don’t know much about the OnePlus 9 Pro’s camera hardware, we can expect it to be better than what the company will offer with the OnePlus 9. For now, we only know that OnePlus is working with Swedish camera manufacturer Hasselblad to develop the camera system for its upcoming flagship. OnePlus’ CEO Pete Lau has inadvertently confirmed the Hasselblad partnership via a post on the OnePlus Community forums. The post, which has since been deleted, reveals that it was posted via a “OnePlus 9 Pro co-developed with Hasselblad.”
A new leak from prominent OnePlus leaker Max Jambor reveals that the OnePlus 9 Pro may feature an LTPO display, instead of the standard LTPS AMOLED panel used on older models. For the unaware, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra and the Galaxy S21 Ultra also feature an LTPO display, which draws less power and supports adaptive refresh rates without requiring additional hardware. Therefore, we can expect to see variable refresh rate support on the OnePlus 9 Pro.
OnePlus has now officially confirmed that the OnePlus 9 Pro will feature a new camera system developed in partnership with Hasselblad. The new camera system will include both hardware and software improvements, including a new color solution called Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad and a Hasselblad Pro Mode. OnePlus has also revealed that the device will feature a custom Sony IMX789 sensor, 12-bit RAW support, 4K 120fps video capabilities, and even 8K 30fps video support. The device will also offer improved HDR recording and a freeform lens that will eliminate edge distortion in ultra-wide photos.
OnePlus 9R
Back in December last year, an Android Central report revealed that the OnePlus 9R will feature similar hardware to the OnePlus 8T. The report claimed that the device will come equipped with a Snapdragon 865 chip, a 90Hz or 120Hz AMOLED panel, and 65W fast charging support. It further added that the device would feature the same camera setup as the OnePlus 8T.
Although we can’t confirm or deny the display and fast charging specifications at the moment, we have reason to believe that the OnePlus 9R will come equipped with the new Snapdragon 870 chip. The new chipset, which is merely a faster version of the Snapdragon 865, was unveiled earlier this year, and during the launch announcement, Qualcomm had revealed that it will make an appearance on a OnePlus device later this year. This, coupled with information shared in the aforementioned report, leads us to believe that the device will pack the newer Snapdragon 870 chip and not the Snapdragon 865.
OnePlus 9 series leaked wallpapers
The talented folks over at OxygenUpdater have managed to unearth a new set of live and static wallpapers designed for the upcoming OnePlus 9 lineup. The leaked wallpapers are from OnePlus’ Wallpaper Resources APK and while we don’t have access to the APK itself, we do have download links for all the wallpapers. The set includes 8 new static wallpapers and here’s what they look like:
OnePlus will also ship 4 new live wallpapers with the OnePlus 9 lineup, which are essentially just animated versions of the static wallpapers seen above. Check the video embedded below to see the animated wallpapers in action:
The attached wallpapers are compressed versions of the original, with lower file size and resolution. If you want to download them for your device, we’d recommend getting them in their original resolution from the link above.
OnePlus 9 series: Price & Availability
The price of OnePlus phones has crept up steadily over the years, and we expect the same to happen this year. While we haven’t seen concrete leaks about the pricing yet, OnePlus may launch the OnePlus 9 around the same price as the OnePlus 8T. The device will likely go on sale at a starting price of around $750 for the 8GB/128GB variant.
The OnePlus 9 Pro, on the other hand, might be slightly more expensive than the OnePlus 8 Pro. The device could launch around the $950 mark, given the fact that it’s expected to feature a premium camera setup. The OnePlus 9R will be priced around $600, according to a report from Android Central.
OnePlus’ CEO Pete Lau has confirmed that the OnePlus 9 series will ship with a charger in the box, unlike some of the other flagship smartphones launched in the last few months.
Noted leaker Evan Blass has revealed that the OnePlus 9 series will be available for pre-order starting March 23rd and those who pre-book a OnePlus 9 will get a free pair of OnePlus Buds Z with the device. Those who pre-book the OnePlus 9 Pro, on the other hand, will get a free pair of Buds Z Steve Harrington Edition with the device.
Based on the leaks and rumors that we’ve seen so far, the OnePlus 9 series is shaping up to be quite a compelling lineup. While I am looking forward to testing the new camera system on the OnePlus 9 Pro, I’m most excited about the OnePlus 9R. It’s expected to usher in a new breed of affordable flagship killers that OnePlus fans have been clamoring for over the last few years, and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
What’s your opinion of OnePlus’ upcoming flagship lineup? Is there any particular feature or improvement that you’d want to see on the devices? Let us know in the comments section below!
