OnePlus has confirmed plans to bring its interesting and somewhat quirky ‘invisible camera’ concept to a production smartphone in the future.
The intriguing tech, debuted this month within the OnePlus Concept One at CES 2020, effectively hides the rear camera lenses from view by using colour-shifting glass on the back of the device.
It’s not only provides an aesthetic benefit through a more seamless design, it also offers a theoretical advantage when taking photographs because of a polarising ND filter that will darken the lens and aid shooting in bright conditions.
Speaking to The Vergecast podcast (via Android Central), OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has vowed to deliver the invisible cameras to one of the firm’s next consumer handsets. He told the site the tech needs a little more testing, and did not promise a timeline, so it’s unlikely to be ready in time for the OnePlus 8 due this spring.
Related: OnePlus 8
We already know the OnePlus 8 (and likely Pro extension) will offer a 120Hz display rate and will likely be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor so there will be plenty for fans to shout about in 2020.
Our own Max Parker went hands on with OnePlus ConceptOne at CES 2020. He theorised “this new tech clearly does have some benefits. For instance, it could give OnePlus the option to fill the rear of the phone with camera lenses and for the whole phone to not look ridiculous as a result.”
Whether OnePlus should be focused on gimmicks when its camera tech is still deemed to be slightly below the top flagships is certainly up for debate, but you can’t fault the innovative spirit here.
In the same interview, Lau seemingly ruled out the prospect of a OnePlus foldable phone in the near future, claiming the drawbacks still outweigh the positives.
Via an interpreter, he said: “Only when the technology is able to get to the level where that folds can be really crisp and not impact the screen at where the fold happens is when it could be potentially usable or potentially applicable.”
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
