OnePlus has officially
unveiled its Concept One. It was teased earlier this month and hinted at a
McLaren co-branded product with a disappearing camera. The main thing about the
concept is well the camera that play's peek-a-boo behind the glass.
The hardware itself resembles
a OnePlus 7T Pro down to the placement of the keys, cameras, and even the
pop-up selfie snapper. The Concept One is wrapped in McLaren’s signature Papaya
Orange colored leather.
The concept’s standout feature
is a camera that disappears behind the glass that protects them. This is thanks
to electrochromic glass which can turn opaque when a current is applied. This
was inspired by McLaren’s current use of it in some of its sports cars which
turn the sunroof opaque to block out the sun.
The camera sensors on the back
are hidden until the camera is activated – switching between opaque and
transparent states takes only 0.7 seconds. The electrochromic glass doubles as
an ND filter for the cameras. In photography, such a filter blocks light so
that it can enable the smartphone to capture scenes that would have been too
bright and overexposed otherwise. Alternatively, it can enable longer exposure
shots for some dramatic effects of scenes such as running water.
We don’t think OnePlus would
begin introducing the “Invisible Camera” in flagships anytime soon. The company
has been known in the past to exclude any features on its phones whose cost
outweighs the benefit. In any case, we think the photography aspect of the
Invisible Camera has great potential even if it is just for filtering
highlights.
