- OnePlus will unveil its Concept One smartphone at CES 2020 that uses special glass technology to hide the camera lenses when you're not taking a photo, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau told Wired.
- The phone uses "electrochromic glass" to hide the lenses, which is the same technology used in high-end supercar sunroofs like the $300,000 McLaren 720S and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to tint the windows against the sun.
- The Concept One is just a concept at this stage, but OnePlus is testing the waters for electrochromic glass for future smartphone models.
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OnePlus will introduce a futuristic new concept phone at the 2020 Consumer Electronics Show.
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau told Wired that the company will unveil its Concept One smartphone, which uses special glass technology to hide the camera lenses when you're not taking a photo.
The technology is called "electrochromic glass," and it can tint or alter the transparency of glass when charged with an electric current. It can be found on high-end supercar sunroofs such as the $300,000 McLaren 720S and aircraft like the latest Boeing 787 Dreamliner, where the glass acts like a pair of sunglasses against the sun.
This teaser video from OnePlus should give you an idea of how the camera lenses will disappear:
OnePlus worked with McLaren for the Concept One, and you'll find McLaren's signature papaya orange color and car-seat-style stitching on the leather back of the phone. But the design, and even its specs, don't really matter at this stage - the Concept One is a concept phone, which means it likely won't appear on store shelves. However, OnePlus is testing the waters with electrochromic glass, and it could feature in a future smartphone model from OnePlus.
OnePlus faces a number of challenges with electrochromic glass, like how it'll affect battery life; the phone's overall thickness, reliability, and cost; and whether the tech has more pros than cons.
Indeed, the benefits can seem superficial and surface-level. Visible camera lenses aren't necessarily components that people are clamoring to hide, although the Concept One doesn't have a camera bump, which some smartphone users dislike. And when the lenses are hidden, it'll likely make for an ultra-clean, modern, minimalist design.
As long as vanishing camera tech doesn't get in the way or cost more, smartphone users will surely embrace technology and innovations that makes their gadgets look sleeker and more futuristic.
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