OnePlus Concept One smartphone has ‘invisible’ rear cameras
Now you see them… now you don’t
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Wealready knewthat we’d see the OnePlus Concept One smartphone atCES 2020, and we now know what its party piece will be - hidden rear cameras.
The Chinese phone manufacturertook to Twitterahead of its big reveal in Las Vegas on January 7, to post a teaser video of the new technology in action.
Accordingto Wired, the OnePlus Concept One uses electrochromic glass. This is an electronically tintable glass, which can hide the rear camera lenses behind the flush glass rear of the handset, revealing the trio of sensors only when they’re in use.
We’re bringing the #OnePlusConceptOne to #CES2020, but you don’t have to wait: you can get a sneak peek at it right here, along with its groundbreaking “invisible camera” and color-shifting glass technology. pic.twitter.com/elsV9DKctnJanuary 3, 2020
OnePlus has partnered once again with British high-performance car manufacturer McLaren (with whom it’s previously released a couple of special edition handsets) to use the same glass as found in some of the latter’s vehicles.
A smartphone first
While the cameras will disappear from view, you may still be able to see a faint outline as the glass transitions from transparent to translucent, rather than fully opaque.
This is the first time we’ve seen this technology feature on a smartphone, with handsets previously hiding cameras via pop-up mechanisms or sliders, as seen on theOnePlus 7 Pro,Oppo Find XandXiaomi Mi Mix 3.
It’s not clear whether the OnePlus Concept One will feature any other new features, but we will be checking out the handset during CES to bring you everything you need to know.
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John joined TechRadar over a decade ago as Staff Writer for Phones, and over the years has built up a vast knowledge of the tech industry. He’s interviewed CEOs from some of the world’s biggest tech firms, visited their HQs and has appeared on live TV and radio, including Sky News, BBC News, BBC World News, Al Jazeera, LBC and BBC Radio 4. Originally specializing in phones, tablets and wearables, John is now TechRadar’s resident automotive expert, reviewing the latest and greatest EVs and PHEVs on the market. John also looks after the day-to-day running of the site.
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