OnePlus just announced OnePlus 8T Concept, the company’s second concept phone ahead of CES 2021. The first one was the OnePlus Concept One with color-shifting glass technology (electrochromic glass technology) that was introduced at the CES 2020 earlier this year. The new concept also uses electrochromic back and also combines Electronic Color, Material and Finish (ECMF) and mmWave.
Features of OnePlus 8T Concept
- Uses a combination of natural design inspiration and advanced technologies to create a more natural interaction between users and the device.
- Inspired from colors from the multi-hued flowing water in the hot springs of Pamukkale, Turkey.
- Electronic Color, Material and Finish (ECMF), allows the physical design of a device work dynamically with the user and software features.
- In the 8T Concept ECMF takes the form of a color-changing film that contains metal oxide in glass, the valence state of the metal ions varying under different voltages. That means that when the metal oxide activates, the color of the glass changes from a dark blue to a light silver.
- ECMF design becomes truly interactive by working in combination with mmWave, and changes the way we interact with our technology
- The Working principle behind this technology, borrowed from 5G, is that the mmWave radar module transmits and receives electromagnetic waves. When receiving electromagnetic waves, the digital signal processing (DSP) and CPU perform signal and information processing, allowing the device to perceive, image, locate, and track objects.
Combining the shifting colors on the electrochromic back of the OnePlus 8T Concept with mmWave sensing technology, OnePlus says that this is the first step in opening up a wide range of possibilities for how people interact with their smartphones. In the near future, it expectes more uses for Reactive Sensing.
For Touchless notifications, ECMF could flash colors for an incoming call, and users could accept or reject the call with a simple gesture without even touching the device.
For breathing monitor, the mmWave technology can register a user’s breathing, enabling the color to change in sync and effectively making the phone a biofeedback device
OnePlus has established OnePlus Gaudí inspired from renowned architect Antonio Gaudi aiming to empower creative minds with meaningful and playful technology, while solving unsolved problems in a better way. It has multi-cultural, diverse team of 39 designers based in Shenzhen, Taipei, New York and India, the team believes that art challenges technology and technology inspires art.