The OnePlus 9 is now touted to have dual 48MP rear cameras

The OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro are now suspected to get rather direct successors in 2021. These putative phones have been leaked in the form of renders showing a relatively restrained main camera housing. Then again, the images are eye-catching in that 2 of the 3 rear shooters in question seem to be much larger than usual. A new leak purports to reveal why this might be.

91Mobiles now claims to have heard from its sources that one of them is a 48MP main shooter. However, it is not to be the Sony IMX586 seen time and again in phones including the OnePlus 8 (and Nord), but a completely new sensor. However, it has yet to be identified.

The second "OnePlus 9" large rear camera may be at least equally interesting: it is now touted as a telephoto lens that is also 48MP. This implies the potential for considerably improved zoom modes compared to the 8 series.

Meanwhile, another prolific OnePlus leaker, Max Jambar, has retracted remarks to the effect that the CAD models backing up these new claims are fake. Therefore, it is more likely than ever that the 9 really does look like the images, which may in turn mean its display is larger than that of the 8T. However, this panel is now also thought to be as flat and as 120Hz as in that late-year refresh.