The annual Consumer Electronics Show is currently taking place in Las Vegas. During the event, OnePlus unveiled its much-hyped Concept One smartphone with colour-shifting glass technology which, when not in use, can make the rear camera invisible to the human eye.
This is the first time that we are witnessing the tech being used in a smartphone. To make this possible, OnePlus collaborated with car brand McLaren and used the same tech that the racing car company used in the sunroof glass of its McLaren’s 720S Spider luxury sports car.
During the launch event, CEO and founder of OnePlus, Pete Lau said,
The rear camera lenses are hidden by the dynamic electrochromic glass and only become visible when the camera is in use. This optimal solution is what OnePlus calls “Electronic CMF”, a new approach in industrial design.
Wondering how the rear camera disappears? Well, the glass of the phone uses special organic particles to make the rear glass opaque black or completely transparent.
This kind of glass also provides a practical benefit as it doubles as a built-in polarizing filter for the camera. This lets a user click sharper and more detailed shots under strong light.
The company also claims that the glass takes a mere 0.7 seconds to turn from solid black to fully transparent. However, don’t get too excited as we are not sure whether OnePlus will sell this phone or if it’s just a concept as the price of this phone has not been revealed yet.
