It's finally here, folks, OnePlus has announced the launch date for its latest series flagship, the OnePlus 9, and on March 23 we'll hear all about the new device, including the fruits of its partnership with renowned photography specialist Hasselblad.

The two companies are partnering to usher in the next generation of smartphone photography. The two companies have already announced a new camera system for the OnePlus 9 series, the Hasselblad Camera for Mobile.

OnePlus and Hasselblad have committed to a three-year partnership, with OnePlus investing $150 million in photographic R&D. The partnership will focus first on software, color tuning and sensor calibration. As Google and Apple have proven, the superiority of smartphone photography ultimately comes down to software. If you need proof of that, just look at the $349 Pixel 4a - that single-lens smartphone is one of the best camera phones we've tested in the last year.

The Hasselblad Camera for Mobile project also looks at advanced color calibration; this solution, called Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad, allows photos taken with OnePlus phones The solution, called Natural Color Calibration with Hasselblad, aims to provide more accurate and natural colors for photos taken with OnePlus phones.

Not only that, the OnePlus 9 series will introduce the Hasselblad Pro mode for professional photographers (or at least those who know what they are doing). Like the other pro modes, it allows you to adjust ISO, white balance, focus, exposure time, and more. Photos can also be output in 12-bit RAW for better color and dynamic range in post-processing.

OnePlus' $150 million R&D investment will take place over the next three years. This includes the opening of four new laboratories, one of which will be based in the United States. The labs will seek to create new innovations in smartphone photography, including a panoramic camera with a 140-degree field of view and a quick-focus front-facing camera using T-lens technology.

While we wait for official specs on the latest OnePlus model, OnePlus has leaked information about the camera setup: the OnePlus 9 Pro (and possibly the OnePlus 9) will use a custom Sony IMX789 sensor in the primary camera. The Hasselblad Camera for Mobile will also allow for HDR video recording at up to 8K and 30 fps.

The OnePlus 9 launch event is set for Tuesday, March 23 at 10 a.m. ET/PT, and we are just as excited as you are about what OnePlus is up to for 2021.