OnePlus Unveils A New Concept That Can Change How We Interact With Smartphones Altogether
OnePlus unveiled a new concept OnePlus 8T phone that is somewhat odd as it features a new type of colour-shifting glass that is slightly different from the Concept One. OnePlus’ previous concept phone used an electrochromic glass that would hide the camera module from the back of the phone and only become translucent when the camera app would be launched. However, in this case, the new colour shifting glass makes use of 5G mmWave technology for some nifty new features that will change how we interact with smartphones altogether.
The smartphone uses a multi-hued glass material that OnePlus likes to call Electronic Color, Material and Finish or ECMF. The colour changing film contains metal oxide in the glass where the valence state of the metal ions varies under different voltages. In practice, the colour of the glass changes from a dark blue hue to a light silver whenever the metal oxide activates. This has been best demonstrated from the gif below that shows the transformation. While this colour change is more of an aesthetic transformation, there are some other uses that OnePlus is making use of with 5G mmWave technology.
OnePus claims the ECMF design can change how users interact with their smartphones by using the mmWave radar. This module can transmit and receive electromagnetic waves which can be used to perform signal and information processing. Each time the module received an electromagnetic wave, the device can perceive, image, locate, and track objects according to OnePlus.
The smartphone company believe it can open “a wide range of possibilities for how people interact with their smartphones.” The companies believe there can be many uses for something they call “Reactive Sensing.”
In the press note, OnePlus claims, “ECMF could flash colours for an incoming call, and users could accept or reject the call with a simple gesture. That will allow users to control the OnePlus 8T Concept using gestures without even touching the device.”
The second use case OnePlus claims that this new technology can transform the phone into a breaking monitor.
“The mmWave technology can register a user’s breathing, enabling the colour to change in sync and effectively making the phone a biofeedback device. The OnePlus 8T ECMF breathes with you.”
It seems like OnePlus is trying to push the boundaries of how smartphones can be used in the near future. However, we still don’t know how it will work in practice. While this new technology still remains a concept, it would be interesting to see if OnePlus makes this a legitimate feature in future smartphones. We still haven’t seen OnePlus translate its electrochromic glass tech to smartphones yet and the case might remain the same for the concept as well.