OnePlus will use CES to unveil its first-ever concept phone which uses electrochromic glass, just like the McLaren 720S and Mercedes SL.
In automobiles, the electrochromic glass is used to either block out light or let it into the cabin. The Chinese phone-maker though is using it for a different reason as the Concept One smartphone will use electrochromic glass to create an “invisible camera.”
The conceptual mobile device will be unveiled next week and OnePlus says the glass will “cloak the rear camera lenses behind a clean glass body and reveal them only when they’re in use.” In order to do this, the lens are covered by a screen which features organic particles that change between transparent and translucent depending on the voltage applied to them.
Also Read: OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition Smart Phone Launches In UK From £799
Since the cover is translucent until the camera is activated, the phone has a “clean and unbroken back” that delivers a “premium and unobtrusive hand-feel experience to its users.”
Needless to say, this is a pretty crazy idea and the Concept One is the first smartphone to feature electrochromic glass. Of course, it also raises of a lot of questions with the biggest being how much of a hit will battery life take.
Photo via Wired
While we probably won’t get an answer to that question, Wired says OnePlus’ creative director, Xi Zeng, got inspired to create the phone after seeing electrochromic glass on a 720S during a tour of McLaren’s headquarters. He then wondered about the possibility of using the glass on a smartphone and a team of engineers were tasked with exploring the possibilities in late 2018.
Little else is known about the phone at this point, but it will reportedly use the same cameras as the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition. Of course, the phone is simply a concept and you shouldn’t expect to find electrochromic glass in your pocket anytime soon.
