In a major shake-up to its smartphone strategy, OnePlus has officially ended its five-year collaboration with Hasselblad, the legendary Swedish camera maker. The move signals a bold new chapter as the brand prepares to launch its in-house OnePlus DetailMax Engine, a proprietary imaging system designed to redefine smartphone photography.
The partnership, which began with the OnePlus 9 series in 2021, saw every flagship model up to the OnePlus 13 feature Hasselblad’s color tuning and branding. During this period, OnePlus cameras evolved into one of the company’s standout strengths.
Confirming the split, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau shared a heartfelt note on the brand’s community forums:
“To Hasselblad: thank you for your craft, your trust, and for showing us the heights passion and precision can reach. This partnership has delivered on every promise, and as we wrap up this chapter, our respect remains as strong as ever.”
OnePlus Goes Solo With DetailMax Engine
According to Lau, the OnePlus DetailMax Engine is still in early testing but promises to deliver “the clearest and most real photos on a smartphone”. The system will leverage computational imaging to avoid over-processing, ensuring photos look natural and distortion-free. Lau believes it will “set a new standard for clarity in its class.”
Interestingly, while Oppo—OnePlus’ parent company—has extended its own partnership with Hasselblad, it also has a separate imaging solution called the Lumo Imaging System, introduced earlier this year. This sets up an intriguing comparison between Oppo’s and OnePlus’ in-house approaches.
What’s Next: OnePlus 15 With DetailMax Camera
Leaks suggest the first phone to debut the new imaging system will be the OnePlus 15, expected to launch in China by the end of 2025, with a global rollout in early 2026. Reports indicate that OnePlus will skip the “14” branding altogether, since the number four is considered unlucky in Chinese culture.
The OnePlus 13, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and boasting IP69 durability, already set a high bar for performance and imaging. Expectations are now sky-high for the OnePlus 15 to not just match but surpass that standard.
While the Hasselblad era is ending, OnePlus assures fans that the “refined aesthetic sense” of Hasselblad remains woven into its imaging DNA, influencing future camera design.
