OnePlus Concept One introduced with a disappearing camera

OnePlus has officially unveiled its Concept One. It was teased earlier this month and hinted at a McLaren co-branded product with a disappearing camera. The main thing about the concept is… well… the camera that play's peek-a-boo behind the glass.

The hardware itself resembles a OnePlus 7T Pro down to the placement of the keys, cameras, and even the pop-up selfie snapper. The Concept One is wrapped in McLaren’s signature Papaya Orange colored leather.

The concept’s standout feature is a camera that disappears behind the glass that protects them. This is thanks to electrochromic glass which can turn opaque when a current is applied. This was inspired by McLaren’s current use of it in some of its sports cars which turn the sunroof opaque to block out the sun.

The camera sensors on the back are hidden until the camera is activated – switching between opaque and transparent states takes only 0.7 seconds. The electrochromic glass doubles as an ND filter for the cameras. In photography, such a filter blocks light so that it can enable the smartphone to capture scenes that would have been too bright and overexposed otherwise. Alternatively, it can enable longer exposure shots for some dramatic effects of scenes such as running water.

We don’t think OnePlus would begin introducing the “Invisible Camera” in flagships anytime soon. The company has been known in the past to exclude any features on its phones whose cost outweighs the benefit. In any case, we think the photography aspect of the Invisible Camera has great potential even if it is just for filtering highlights.