OnePlus 8T Concept phone announced with color-changing design, mmWave reactive sensing

OnePlus has announced its second concept phone the OnePlus 8T Concept ahead of CES 2021. The first concept phone was the OnePlus Concept One with color-shifting glass technology (electrochromic glass technology), which is introduced at the CES 2020 earlier this year. The new concept also uses electrochromic back with combines Electronic Color, Material, and Finish (ECMF) and mmWave.

The designers inspired by the multi-hued flowing water in the hot springs of Pamukkale, Turkey. They identified the fact that nature has perfected many designs, and by drawing inspiration from Pamukkale and other natural elements, which can craft new interactive experiences that are more natural, intuitive, and effortless.

• ECMF (Electronic Color, Material, and Finish) allows the physical design of a device to work dynamically with the user and software features. The OnePlus 8T Concept ECMF uses a color-changing film that contains metal oxide in the glass. The valence state of the metal ions varies under different voltages so when the metal oxide activates, the color of the glass changes from a dark blue to a light silver.
• The ECMF design becomes truly interactive by working in combination with mmWave to change the way we interact with technology. The working principle behind this technology has 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 is just the first step in opening up a wide range of possibilities for how people interact with their smartphones. In the near future, which is expected more uses for Reactive Sensing.
• Touchless notifications, the ECMF could flash colors for an incoming call, and users could accept or reject the call with a simple gesture, which allows users to control the phone using gestures without even touching the device.
• 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 a permanent global R&D team called OnePlus Gaudi, a multi-cultural, diverse team of 39 designers based in Shenzhen, Taipei, New York, and India. OnePlus Gaudi believes that art challenges technology and technology inspires art. Bringing some of the Never Settle to the OnePlus 8T Concept, they saw a chance to take the technology further by integrating a new kind of more natural, biologically inspired interactivity for smartphones.