News

OnePlus 9 series: Rumors and leaks roundup

Three new models are slated to arrive in mid-March

Published

December 15, 2020

Kenrick Buduan

Now that the OnePlus 8T has been released, it is natural to speculate on what will the OnePlus 9 be. The rumors for the upcoming OnePlus flagship is already going strong, with leaks coming from sources left and right. So, here are some of what we can expect from the upcoming device.

Three new models upon launch

According to tipster Max Jambor, OnePlus will shake things up next year with the release of one new model. This new model will accompany the Pro and non-Pro model that has been the tradition with the brand’s non-T flagship. It will be supposedly called the OnePlus 9E, complementing the 9 and 9 Pro.

At this point, no concrete details are available for the new model. However, Max Jambor speculates on his own Voice page that this model is the brand’s response to Samsung’s flagship offerings. It is entirely possible that OnePlus will mimic Samsung’s strategy for its upcoming flagship, offering different models at different price points.

As such, it is highly likely that the OnePlus 9E will be a lower-tier flagship with some features omitted from the non-Pro and Pro models. This strategy is most in line with the recent rumors surrounding water and dust resistance ratings for the OnePlus 9 series. In a post on Voice, Max Jambor speculated that only the OnePlus 9 Pro will have an IP68 rating, leaving the remaining two without it.

A brand-new processor to power the device

This one is a bit obvious. OnePlus is expected to use the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor for the OnePlus 9. Now that the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 has been announced, it is not a stretch to think that this will be the processor of choice for the upcoming flagship.

However, Qualcomm’s latest and greatest is only a sure thing for the non-Pro and Pro models. At this point, it remains unclear if the OnePlus 9E will also use the Snapdragon 888. Other processor options could be on the cards for OnePlus. So, it is entirely possible that it could pack a MediaTek processor for cost-saving measures if the rumors that it is a lower-tiered flagship turns true.

Refined design inspired by the OnePlus 8T

Recent leaks of the OnePlus 9 suggest that the brand will continue to refine the current design found on the OnePlus 8T. That is, the upcoming flagship will have a prominent camera bump to its top-left. The camera bump for the non-Pro model, however, is much refined than its predecessor.

PhoneArena was able to obtain a pre-production unit suggesting that this is the case. One obvious difference against the OnePlus 8T is that the camera bump now matches the color of the phone. Elsewhere, the non-Pro model carries over a flat display with a punch-hole on the top-left for the selfie camera and a glass back on the rear.

Photo by PhoneArena.com

To differentiate itself, the OnePlus 9 Pro could feature a curved display like the OnePlus 8 Pro. Elsewhere though, it will carry over the punch-hole, the signature alert slider, and the camera bump design found on the OnePlus 8T.

Render of the OnePlus 9 Pro.

Launching earlier than usual

A report by Android Central suggests that the OnePlus 9 series could launch around mid-March, which is a bit earlier than the usual release schedule for the non-T flagship.

The move could mimic Samsung’s strategy for its Galaxy S21 series. Usually, Samsung’s flagship gets launched in February but recent rumors point to an earlier January release schedule. OnePlus could do the same for its upcoming flagship to boost its sales. It remains to be seen, however, how an earlier release could also affect the launch of other OnePlus devices.

Other features that may make the cut

For now, details regarding the OnePlus 9 cameras are scant and few. However, quad-cameras are likely to make a return for the OnePlus 9 Pro, considering that its Pro predecessor has them. At the very least, one can expect wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle cameras comprising the whole rear setup.

The OnePlus 9 pre-production unit obtained by PhoneArena suggests a triple-camera setup for the non-Pro model. What cameras consist of this setup is still unclear at the moment, however. There’s an “Ultra Shot” branding on the camera bump, though it is unclear what it pertains to exactly.

A closer look at the Ultra Shot branding. Photo by PhoneArena.com

Since a faster 65W charging already debuted on the OnePlus 8T, the OnePlus 9 series could carry over the charging technology. Battery capacities for the different models are unknown but one can likely expect at least 5,000 mAh and more for the non-Pro and Pro models.

Finally, memory and storage capacity. Traditionally, OnePlus flagships started at 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage so the brand’s upcoming flagship could follow suit. A 12GB + 256GB variant could also be in the cards following the footstep of its predecessor. OxygenOS 11 based on Android 11 will ship out of the box for all models.

Overall, the OnePlus 9 series is shaping up to be another great offering from the brand. The upcoming flagship will also reflect the new strategy and identity of OnePlus, which diversified into more market segments this year with the launch of the Nord series.

Related Topics:OnePlus 9 OnePlus 9 Pro OnePlus 9 series

Finance

HONOR, Fidesmo partner for contactless payments across Europe, Middle East

Enabling contactless payments on the HONOR Watch 6

Published

September 16, 2026

GadgetMatch

HONOR and Fidesmo have partnered to launch contactless payments across Europe and the Middle East on the HONOR Watch 6.

Powered by Fidesmo Pay, the integration enables users to connect an existing Mastercard or Visa card to their watch and complete contactless transactions directly from the wearable device.

This brings Fidesmo’s network of over 900 banks and financial institutions to HONOR’s customers. Users can connect an existing card to the HONOR Watch 6 instantly through the HONOR Health App, which installs a unique token directly onto the watch.

Acting as a secure reference to the payment method, this token allows customers to pay without storing their actual payment details on the device. Once installed, users can tap the watch at any
contactless terminal to pay, just as they would with a card or phone.

HONOR joins a group of device partners that already includes Swatch, Polar, and Mondaine as Fidesmo continues to build momentum across categories.

Entertainment

Max vs 100 will feature Max Verstappen race against 100 go-karters

The live event will stream at midnight on September 17.

Published

September 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

As a child, one of my favorite thought experiments is to imagine who would win in a fight between my favorite characters at the time and a number of other random beings. For example, will Superman prevail against 100 Magnetos? Those are the ways I kept my young mind occupied. Now, as a former child, I still do the same thing but with more realistic people, like imagining if Steph Curry can win against 100 high schoolers. This week, ESPN and Disney+ are making one of those imaginary fights real: Formula 1 legend Max Verstappen versus 100 go-karters.

In an upcoming live event streaming exclusively on Disney+, Max vs 100 will pit the four-time world champion against 100 go-karters from everywhere in pop culture. This gaggle of 100 will include popular content creators such as Twitch streamer ExtraEmily, car photographer Larry Chen, and NBA shooting coach Chris Matthews.

All 101 drivers will race around one of the most iconic tracks in Formula 1 history, Silverstone in England. The track will be reconfigured to match the special race.

Of course, this is more than just a parade of go-karts. Max Verstappen will start at the back of the grid, meaning he has to overtake all 100 racers to win. Now, the Dutch driver is no stranger to winning from the back. In 2024, he won the Sao Paulo Grand Prix despite starting from P17 (out of 20 racers). Max vs 100, though familiar for the driver, presents a different challenge. Can he overtake 100 times to win the race?

Max vs 100 will stream live through Disney+ on September 17, 12:00am PHT.

Apps

Apple’s best feature to cure motion sickness is finally on Android

Google copies a good page from Apple’s playbook.

Published

September 15, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

As an Android user, I’ve been jealous of iPhone users for a while now, but it’s not for the reason you might think. See, I’m ridiculously prone to motion sickness when I’m not driving. So, when I discovered that Apple has a software-based cure called Vehicle Motion Cues, I wanted it immediately. Now, Android does have third-party apps that do the same thing, but they’re not as good as a fully native version. Well, those dark, nauseating days are about to come to an end. Android 17 is finally getting a similar tool called Motion assist.

Before that, let’s rewind for a bit. What do these features do? How can they cure motion sickness?

Whenever you open Vehicle Motion Cues or Motion assist, the interface spawns a series of dots on the screen. These dots respond to movement. For example, if the vehicle turns to the left, the dots also go to the left, mimicking the movement. Without cues like this, the stationary nature of the screen clashes with our brain’s perception of movement. The disparity creates that feeling of nausea. Basically, our eyes are desperately trying to focus on the static screen, but our brains are telling us that we should be seeing motion. Having moving dots reorients our brain and places the phone inside our perception of movement.

Now, you can enable the same feature on your Android 17 device through Settings > All services > Motion assist under Personal & device safety. You can also set it so that the feature turns on automatically when the phone detects that you’re in a moving vehicle. Finally, you can also tweak the shape, color, and opacity of these dots.

Android 17’s Motion assist is rolling out now to compatible devices.