For the OnePlus 9 series, OnePlus partnered up with the Swedish camera maker Hasselblad. This partnership did pay off as both the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro finally delivered a flagship-level camera performance that OnePlus fans have been asking for many years. Since its launch, OnePlus has continued to tweak and improve the camera performance of the OnePlus 9 series with various software updates. With the latest OxygenOS update, OnePlus is going a step further.

OnePlus finally gets the camera right on the OnePlus 9

OnePlus has just announced a new OxygenOS update for the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro which, among other camera improvements, adds a brand new camera mode: XPan Mode. XPan Mode, developed in close collaboration with Hasselblad, tries to mimic the camera experience of the Hasselblad XPan camera by allowing users to shoot panoramic images in a 65:24 format.

Photos taken with XPan Mode have an aspect ratio of 65:24 — similar to the original Hasselblad xPan camera. The camera mode outputs 20MP images, cropped from the 48MP sensor and 50MP ultra-wide sensor. OnePlus notes that images are cropped from the respective camera's native resolution — 48MP and 50MP — rather than the pixel-binned 12MP mode.

Xpan Mode offers two film simulation profiles, a color mode, which offers a rich and realistic color profile, and a classic black and white profile that mimics the tone and style of a classic black and white film used in XPan cameras.

“Working with Hasselblad on XPan Mode has helped us recreate their legendary experience of viewing your photographs in a 65:24 format before shooting a wide, panoramic image in 30mm and 45mm. Using XPan Mode on the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro will let our users see the world around them through a unique lens,” said Hsiaohua Cheng, Head of Imaging at OnePlus.

The new Hasselblad XPan Mode offers the following features:

  • Aspect ratio of 65:21 – offering the same cinematic look as the actual Hasselblad XPan camera
  • Very wide mode – 2 focal lengths
  • Two of the classic focal lengths seen on the XPan, 30mm (cropped by UW) and 45 MM (main camera)
  • With over 20 megapixels, the camera is able to maintain a high-resolution photo, even after cropping in their images
  • Preview Box – In phone preview, users will see the same frame lines seen through the lens of an actual XPan camera
  • Animation of developing negative film after taking a shot
  • Two film simulation effects
  • Color and black & white – co-worked with Hasselblad to bring a unique B&W film

Apart from XPan Mode, the new OxygenOS update packs the following camera improvements and system optimizations:

  • Camera
    • Optimized HDR frame retrieving algorithms and reduced noise in multiple scenes
    • Fix the over-sharpening issues in auto mode scenarios
    • Improved stability of auto white balance in auto mode
    • Optimized auto white balance when shifting between the main and ultra-wide camera
    • Reduced over-brightening of images on Nightscape Mode
    • Improved the dynamic range in low-light conditions
    • Improved success rate when shooting moving objects
    • Updated the memory optimization solution and reduced the launch time of the native camera app by up to 50%
    • Reduced lag in camera preview and optimized the shutter lag in some scenarios
  • Security
    • Updated Android security patch to September 2021
  • System
    • Optimized the wireless charing experience
    • Fixed known issues and improved stability

The new OxygenOS update with Hasselblad XPan Mode has started rolling out to the OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro units.