The OnePlus 8 Pro offers the best camera we’ve seen on a handset from the company, but it appears there’s a weirdly cool feature that wasn’t advertised on the official spec sheet – X-ray vision.
According to videos shared to Twitter, the OnePlus 8 Pro camera offers the ability to see through some plastics (specifically those without an IR shield) thanks to the Photochrom filter within the camera app.
The hidden feature came to light thanks to concept designer Ben Gaskin who posted this video of the current Apple TV model, with the filter enabled.
One of the best examples ?#OnePlus8Pro Color Filter Camera can see through some plastic pic.twitter.com/UkaxdyV6yP
— Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) May 13, 2020
While that’s probably the best example, the Oculus Quest game controllers also look really cool with the Photochrom feature turned on. In fact, we’re hoping for a redesign of the controllers based on this imagery.
OnePlus 8 Pro – Color Filter Camera – See through plastic ?https://t.co/OhZ9SHcET2 pic.twitter.com/GELEBylX33
— Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) May 13, 2020
We’ve asked OnePlus whether its aware of this covert skill and whether it’s a deliberate element of the filter and will update this article if we hear back.
Either way, it’s interesting and it might be something we see more mobile manufacturers add on purpose.
In our review of the OnePlus 8 Pro, our own Max Parker wrote: “I have been quite impressed with the camera on the OnePlus 8 Pro. It edges on the punchier, more saturated, side of images with skies looking particularly blue, but this does lead to pleasing shots that are captured quickly.”
The device earned a 4.5/5 star review from Trusted Reviews, rewarding its great screen, processing power and wireless charging. X-ray vision didn’t come into it.
While browsing Ben’s Twitter feed we also saw this neat slow-motion video, also shot on the OnePlus 8. Pretty cool, huh?
#ShotonOnePlus pic.twitter.com/1hlmvbTJJf
— Ben Geskin (@BenGeskin) May 12, 2020
Just last week we saw a much more in-depth x-ray photo of the iPad Pro’s Magic Keyboard, showing all of the internal components. Of course, something like that wouldn’t be possible with this filter, but it’s interesting nonetheless.
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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.