OnePlus 9 launch details coming March 8 — what you need to know

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By Marc McLaren
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The OnePlus 9 launch is getting closer, and we'll know even more next week

OnePlus 9 Pro renders
(Image credit: Lets Go Digital/Concept Creator)

The OnePlus 9 is due to arrive very soon and we now know when the launch date will be announced.

Yes, rather than just tell us when the launch event will actually take place, OnePlus has kept us guessing by revealing only that we'll know more on March 8. We suspect the event itself will happen a week or so later.

OnePlus CEO Pete Lau tweeted the teaser earlier today, saying only "Stay tuned for March 8" above a link to a OnePlus webpage where you can register for updates.  

The tweet also featured an image of the Earth seen from the Moon, plus the text: "Something new is on the horizon."

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Given that a Hasselblad camera was used to take that image from the Apollo 11 spacecraft in July 1969, it also appears to confirm that at least one of the OnePlus 9 range will feature a Hasselblad-branded camera — a detail that was first leaked a few weeks ago.

The OnePlus 9 is expected to be one of four devices launched at the event, alongside the OnePlus 9 Pro, the budget OnePlus 9R and the long-awaited OnePlus Watch.

The first renders of the OnePlus 9 Pro

(Image credit: OnLeaks)

Both the OnePlus 9 and 9 Pro are expected to pack Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 888 chip, as seen in the Samsung Galaxy S21. Both will also have smooth 120Hz displays. It has been suggested that the Hasselblad tie-in would only apply to the 9 Pro, but we'll have to wait and see on that one.

The OnePlus 9R, meanwhile, is what we now think the OnePlus 9 Lite will be officially known as. This is expected to sit between the OnePlus 9 and the cheaper OnePlus Nord, with a 6.5-inch 90Hz display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 690 and 8GB RAM.

OnePlus Watch incoming

OnePlus Watch

(Image credit: The Score)

And then there's the OnePlus Watch. Lau has already confirmed that it's definitely on the way, and hinted that it would run Wear OS. 

“What we're trying to do is work with Google to try to improve the connectivity between the Wear OS ecosystem, Android TV, and Android smartphones to create this ability for better device interoperability across the ecosystems,” he said.

We could see the OnePlus Watch get revealed alongside the OnePlus 9 phones, especially as information around the rumored smartwatch has been ticking along recently. 

Rumors have indicated it'll have a round watch face, as per the render above, but we’re yet to learn much more about it beyond the fact that it is real.

Expect to find out more on March 8, and stay tuned for the full details of all the new OnePlus devices as soon as they're announced.

Marc McLaren
Marc McLaren

Formerly Editor in Chief (U.K.) on Tom’s Guide, Marc oversaw all gaming, streaming, audio, TV, entertainment, how-to and cameras coverage, and was also responsible for the site’s U.K.-focused output. He is now U.K. Editor in Chief on TechRadar. Marc previously edited the tech website Stuff and has tested and written about phones, tablets, wearables, streaming boxes, smart home devices, Bluetooth speakers, headphones, games, TVs, cameras and much more. He also spent years on a music magazine, where his duties mainly involved spoiling other people’s fun, and on a car magazine. An avid photographer, he likes nothing better than taking pictures of very small things (bugs, his daughters) or very big things (distant galaxies). When he gets time, he also enjoys gaming (console and mobile), cycling and attempting to watch as much sport as any human can. He's also fallen in love with Wordle over the past six months and is the author of our today's Wordle answer column, in which he supplies hints and strategy tips for the mega-popular word game. Given he's completed every single Wordle so far and only lost once, and analyzed every Wordle answer in search of patterns, he's well qualified to help you safeguard your streak.