Teardown: OnePlus 9 series could get a host of new camera features

OnePlus is aiming to up its photography game this year, although this has felt like a constant refrain for a while now. Nevertheless, the OnePlus 8 Pro showed that the company can deliver a great camera experience.

Now, XDA-Developers has conducted a teardown of the OnePlus Camera app (version 6.4.23), discovering a host of features that the BBK brand is working on. It’s likely that these features are coming to the OnePlus 9 series, although there’s no guarantee that this is the case.

The first feature spotted by the outlet was a tilt-shift mode, allowing users to take tilt-shift photos. This mode essentially results in scenes that look like miniature models. OnePlus wouldn’t be the first to offer this option though, as the likes of Xiaomi have previously implemented this function. But we do get screenshots of OnePlus’s take courtesy of XDA user Lossyx.

The second major feature uncovered in the teardown is a moon mode. Unlike HUAWEI’s moon mode however, it seems like the OnePlus option focuses on offering different filters for the moon. More specifically, the app contains references to Black and White, Matte, and Vivid filters for the moon.

Another feature discovered by XDA-Developers is a so-called starburst mode. The starburst effect refers to the visual effect seen when pointing at a strong light source, such as the sun. And the app teardown notes that a light source is indeed recommended when taking a shot in this mode.

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Hyperlapse is yet another mode discovered in the teardown, and this is pretty self-explanatory. We’ve previously seen rival manufacturers and third-party apps offer this mode, allowing you to film a stabilized video time-lapse while moving. So this could be an overdue addition to the OnePlus video arsenal if it lands inside the OnePlus 9 series.

Finally, the last feature discovered in the OnePlus Camera app is focus peaking functionality. This feature is common on cameras and on phones from the likes of LG and Samsung, essentially highlighting focused areas in a scene so you can get the sharpest results.

We’re glad to see OnePlus working on all these features, with options like focus peaking in particular being ideal in a number of situations. But hopefully the OnePlus 9 series steps up in the image quality department too.