OnePlus Concept One concept smartphone will be showcased at the CES 2020 show this week. While rumors indicated that the phone will be a foldable device, the company has now confirmed that it is something different and unexpected.
The OnePlus Concept One will come with a “groundbreaking” invisible camera setup. A new teaser video posted on Twitter reveals a phone with extremely curved edges and alert slider. The vertically-arranged triple rear camera setup on the back is hidden under the glass and is only visible when needed.
This is made possible thanks to a colour-shifting glass technology. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said that the company is working with McLaren to bring the colour-shifting glass tech that is typically found in high-end car sunroofs and aircraft windows to the OnePlus Concept One.
The electrochromic sheet of glass can switch between tinted and transparent when an electrical signal triggers it. This means the camera lens will be visible on the back when the camera app is opened and will be hidden when the app is closed.
We’re bringing the #OnePlusConceptOne to #CES2020, but you don’t have to wait: you can get a sneak peek at it right here, along with its groundbreaking “invisible camera” and color-shifting glass technology. pic.twitter.com/elsV9DKctn
— OnePlus (@oneplus) January 3, 2020
While the smartphone with this tech will be showcased at the trade show, the company has said that it has no plans to ship the device anytime soon. Lau said, “Bold exploration for OnePlus, and is also a representation of overcoming a lot of [engineering] challenges. With this approach, we’ll be able to produce smaller amounts of the product and, with feedback from a small group of users, look at the possibility of making a device that’s available for users more widely.”
It’s known that OnePlus Concept One will have the same triple camera setup as the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition phone. OnePlus creative director, Xi Zeng, and a dedicated engineering team from McLaren have been working on this glass technology for the smartphone since late 2018.
