OnePlus and Hasselblad have officially ended their five-year partnership, signalling a shift in its approach to mobile photography. The collaboration, which began with the OnePlus 9 series, brought Hasselblad’s branding and image tuning to every flagship since then. Now, the smartphone maker is striking out on its own with a proprietary system known as the DetailMax Engine.
In a blog post, OnePlus did not provide a reason for the split but offered high praise for Hasselblad. The company credited the camera maker’s “obsession with precision and detail” and claimed that its “refined aesthetic sense” has become part of OnePlus’ “imaging DNA.” CEO Pete Lau added that while the partnership has ended, its influence will continue to live on in future devices.
The DetailMax Engine is being positioned as the start of a new era in computational photography for the brand. According to Lau, the system has been “designed from the ground up to deliver the clearest and most real photos on a smartphone.” He also revealed that he is already testing an early prototype that leverages new algorithms for improved depth, realism, and light balance.
While OnePlus has parted ways with Hasselblad, the latter’s partnership with the smartphone maker’s sister company OPPO is continuing. The two even extended their collaboration back in July this year, confirming that Hasselblad imaging will feature on OPPO’s upcoming Find X9 series.
This is not the first time a smartphone maker has unveiled its own imaging system after ending a collaboration with a major photography brand. In 2022, Huawei introduced its in-house XMAGE platform after parting ways with Leica. The system debuted on the Mate 50 series and remains a cornerstone of the company’s flagship cameras, including the new Pura 80 line-up in 2025.
(Source: OnePlus [official website])
