We, have already compiled a list of the Best 2020 Smartphones and Best 2020 Wearables. Among this, I am privileged to cover the most exciting topic that one could wait for – Concept Smartphones. Despite the rollercoaster ride the industry had, we saw some cool concepts of Smartphones in 2020. From the retracting cameras to rollable displays, companies have come a long way in experimenting with new technologies.

Although many of these concepts never see the light of the day, they do give a glimpse at what’s in store in our future. One such example would be foldable displays which, in 2021, is definitely going mainstream across different price points. That said, let’s look at some of the best concepts that came out this year.

Xiaomi Retractable Camera concept

At the MIDC 2020, Xiaomi unveiled a concept by which a Telescopic Camera physically retracts (when not in use) inside a smartphone. This wide-aperture lens technology is inspired by conventional cameras in the market. This mechanism has two major advantages- more light, and videos without shake.

Precisely, such a wider aperture increases the amount of light by 300%(better for night mode) and produces a 20% crispier and stable image using the anti-shake feature. As you can see above, the retractable optical structure allows the lens to lodge in just like any point-shoot camera, and its response time is supposed to be quicker as well.

OnePlus McLaren (Concept One) / 8T Concept

Back in January, OnePlus showcased it’s Concept One smartphone at CES 2020. This product is developed in collaboration with McLaren. It’s typically an OnePlus 7T Pro but has color shifting glass technology on the camera layout which is an Electrochromic Glass. Simply put, the glass changes from transparent to translucent (here it occurs in 0.7sec) if you vary the current/light through it.

You can spot these glasses on the sunroofs of some premium cars, Aeroplanes and buildings’ windows, etc. However, the significance of using it here is, it acts as a neutral density filter to capture the best shots in bright light scenarios.

Recently, OnePlus also revealed what could have been a cool addition to the tally of the OnePlus 8T models. This concept phone has a rear glass with a metal oxide film underneath. Similar to the concept above, the glass changes color (dark blue to light silver) as you vary the voltage across it.

Inspired by the hot springs of Pamukkale in Turkey, the concept, when paired with a radar module (based on mmWave) on the camera housing, responds to gestures like waving hands (for call accept/reject), sense breathing, etc. Precisely, it transmits/receives EM waves and works in conjunction with CPU, DSP to locate and track objects.

EDITOR’S PICK: Gizmochina’s Best Android Smartphones of 2020 / Best Mid-Range smartphones of 2020 (India)

Vivo Apex 2020 / Color Changing panel concept

After the cancellation of MWC 2020, Vivo showcased its Apex 2020 Concept in February. The portless-smartphone has a 6.45-inch FullView Edgeless Waterfall display. Precisely, the display has a whopping 120° curved edges. The device also features an under-display 16MP selfie camera by increasing light-transmittance to that portion of the display by 6x times.

Vivo didn’t skimp on the cameras either. The rear layout has a 16MP active moving lens which Vivo coined as the “continuous optical zoom”(5x to 7.5x Optical) feature. Additionally, the device has a 48MP Gimbal-like camera (200% more stability than OIS), 60W wireless charging.

Just like OnePlus, Vivo also tapped into the peculiar property of the Electrochromic Glass tech in a color-changing panel concept. That is, the rear panel adopts the concept of Electrochromism where the color/opacity of material changes when the voltage is varied.

As you can see in the video below, the color changes from Blue to Silver to a Gradient of Purple colors. This is made possible by sandwiching two transparent electrodes and Glass sheets with an Electrochromic film in the middle. Nevertheless, this tech has all the possibilities to make it to commercial devices in the form of dynamic rear panels.

TCL rollable/ tri-fold concept

TCL, a brand famous for Smart TVs, out of nowhere, showed two Concept renders of smartphones in March 2020. One has a rollable screen and the other is a tri-foldable display design. The displays, which are from the in-house TCL-CSOT, feature a flexible AMOLED technology.

Further, the tri-fold device helps a 10-inch tablet contract into a smartphone with a 6.65-inch screen. It has an aspect ratio of 20.8:9 and a 3K resolution. The company also had two types of hinges- DragonHinge and ButterflyHinge. The former is like Galaxy Fold while the latter resembles Huawei Mate X.

Besides, the highlight of the two concepts was the rollable display. Accordingly, the AMOLED display extends sideways to a 7.8-inch screen and retracts to a 6.75-inch display on pushing a button. However, unlike the tri-fold above, it uses a motorized mechanism so you don’t have to push it manually.

TCL, in a video(as shown below), showcased that the display adapts to either of the given screen real estates in real-time. This makes additional features like multi-tasking, split-screen windows a joy to use.

OPPO X 2021 Concept

Last, but not least, and my personal favorite, is the OPPO X 2021 extending display Concept. Although TCL was like a front-runner of sorts, OPPO unveiled a working prototype of the tech making it a first of its kind. At the INNO DAY 2020, OPPO showcased a device whose display extends from 6.7 to 7.4-inches.

The display is obviously an OLED screen and it rolls into the frame via a 6.8mm Roll Motor and a proprietary rollable concept design. Additionally, you can also see a 2-in-1 support frame plate inside for taking care of the rolled-up screen. Apart from this, OPPO also used a 0.1mm Warp Track laminate to protect the screen.

That’s it! Those were some of the coolest smartphone concepts of 2020. Heading into next year, we expect some of these ideas to evolve into a whole new array of explosive out-of-the-box products from the brands. And we are as excited as you are.

Perhaps, if we ask you whether you would’ve imagined the feasibility of these at the beginning of this decade, what would have been your answer? Let us know down in the comments below!

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In recent years, OnePlus has cemented its spot in the smartphone industry. The relatively young smartphone manufacturer has grown significantly in Southeast Asia and is seeing growth even in the European regions as well. One of the company’s many strong suits was undoubtedly its flexibility and quick adoption of new trends and technologies, with none other than camera technology being an important part of it.

A passionate OnePlus fan on Weibo who goes by the name of Xiao Kanmei (@小侃妹) shared a video on the Chinese microblogging website that presented every OnePlus smartphone ever launched. It showcased the company’s different designs and the changes over the years and the post was even recognized by OnePlus as well. Looking at the video, OnePlus smartphones ls starting from the OnePlus One to the latest OnePlus 7T Pro and the Concept One device can be seen.

Changes in Functionality

Starting from the first ever released smartphone to OnePlus 3/3T, the company had launched handsets with a single camera on the rear. A few notable inclusions in the technology used was the OnePlus 2‘s laser autofocus and OIS on the OnePlus 3 series. After the 3rd generation, however, the company rapidly shifted to the dual camera setup, with the OnePlus 5 featuring the telephoto lens. The additional sensor opened the doors for portrait photography that has since become a staple in the company’s offerings.

Oddly, the devices that followed OnePlus 5 never featured a secondary camera that offered a separate function since, until the OnePlus 7 Pro launched back in 2019. The smartphone arrived with a triple camera module, a first for the company, and featured a primary sensor, ultra wide angle lens, and the telephoto lens as well. From then on, other releases like the OnePlus 7T and 7T Pro also offered a similar setup, apart from the base OnePlus 7 variant that offered just a depth sensor, similar to the ones found in OnePlus 6/6T.

Editor’s Pick: Xiaomi 5G smartphone with 33W fast charging passed certification; could be Redmi K30 Pro

Design

When looking at the design, the early years of OnePlus had the company experiment heavily with its format and structure of a smartphone. Each generation had a very different design from the last, with the camera going from the center middle, top left, just the middle and more. But with the recent generations from the OnePlus 6 series to the 7 and 7T series, a mature and recognizable design of stacked cameras in the middle can be observed.

However, the company is known to be flexible with its design and that might soon change in the upcoming 8th iterations. One particular smartphone that stood out was the OnePlus Concept One. The handset isn’t a commercially available product from the OEM but was developed to tease a new vanishing camera technology. In other words, the lens at the back disappears when not in use.

All in all, OnePlus has grown impressively as a smartphone brand, especially in India where it is the market leader in the premium smartphone segments. Furthermore, its 2020 lineup is also expected to arrive with various improvements and we are looking forward to seeing what new features and designs OnePlus has in store for us.

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(Source)

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At CES 2020, OnePlus unveiled its first concept smartphone – the Concept One. The phone’s unique feature is its “disappearing” rear cameras. OnePlus was able to achieve this by covering the cameras with a piece of electrochromic glass which can change its transparency when a charge is applied. The glass is designed to become transparent when the camera app is launched and revert back to opaque when the app is closed.

OnePlus already said the phone will not be mass-produced. However, it has announced a world tour so fans of the brand can have a look and hands-on experience of the device. The world tour begins on February 5 and will be held in Europe, North America, and India. Below are the details for the world tour:

North America

• Seattle, US
  February 6, 2020, at 6:30 pm.
  Block 41, 115 Bell Street, Seattle WA 98121.

Europe

• Paris, France
  February 5, 2020, at 6:00 pm.
  Station F, Paris 13e.
• Cologne, Germany
  February 7, 2020, at 5:30 pm.
  Bogen 2, Gladbacher Wall 5, 50670
• Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  February 12, 2020.
• McLaren HQ, Woking, UK
  February 13, 2020.
• Helsinki, Finland
  February 17, 2020, at 5:00 pm.
  OnePlus Exclusive Service Center (ESC).
• Denmark
  More information will be available soon.

India

• Delhi
  February 8, 2020.
• Mumbai
  February 8, 2020.
• Bangalore
  February 8, 2020.

No information has been provided regarding the time and location for Denmark and India.

UP NEXT: OnePlus 8 Pro could be coming with wireless charging support

(Source)

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At the CES 2020 in Las Vegas earlier this month, OnePlus showcased its OnePlus Concept One smartphone with a unique technology that hides the camera module on the smartphone. While the phone may never get commercial launch, there’s a possibility that the technology could make its way to other phones from the company.

The OnePlus Concept One smartphone that was showcased at CES has Papaya Orange color. Now, the company has shared an early all-black prototype of the OnePlus Concept One smartphone that the company made during early development and it looks stunning.

The design of this prototype smartphone is almost same as the one showcased earlier this month. The only difference is the choice of color. While the showcased model features Papaya Orange color, this one is in the classic Black color.

The company has also said it is looking to use the leather backplate cover design for its future flagship phones. Kevin Tao from OnePlus Design Team has also said that usage of leather on any upcoming device will be done utilizing “environmentally friendly” materials.

EDITOR’S PICK: OnePlus CEO Pete Lau believes that foldable smartphones are not good enough right now

Coming to the OnePlus Concept One, the phone has a vertical triple camera system that is neatly tucked under an electrochromic glass. When a current is applied to glass, it can swiftly change from opaque to transparent. This special type of glass is used for sunroofs of some luxury cars, airplane windows and also for buildings.

The triple-camera setup remains invisible under the electrochromic glass. However, when the camera is turned on, the sensors become instantly visible. When the camera app is closed, the triple cameras again become invisible. The company says that it takes only 0.7 seconds for the glass to transition from transparent to opaque or vice versa.

Further, the glass can also become semi-transparent and can act as a neutral density filter that can assist in capturing better shots in very bright sunlight. It comprises of two 0.1mm glass panels between which is the organic material. The combined thickness of both glass is only 0.35mm and it uses negligible power to function.

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(Source)

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After building the hype around the Concept One smartphone, OnePlus has finally announced it at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020. A recent teaser had suggested that the Concept One is a product built by OnePlus in collaboration with McLaren that is well-known for making supercars. Some rumors had claimed that it could be a foldable device from the company, but the concept model appears like a regular smartphone from the front and it sports a leather rear with invisible triple cameras on the rear. Being a concept model, the company may never sell OnePlus Concept One smartphone.

The OnePlus Concept One looks like the OnePlus 7T Pro as it features a notch-less display and a pop-up selfie camera. The only two major features of the Concept One is its color-shifting glass technology for the triple cameras and its leather rear.

The rear design of the Concept One is inspired by McLaren 720S Spider sports car. The backside of the device features Papaya Orange stitched leather and it features an aluminum alloy frame. The latter is built with a new vapor deposition process which allows to sport a shiny gold finish.

Editor’s Pick: OnePlus to begin assembling smart TVs in India soon

Above the OnePlus logo on the rear, there is a vertical triple camera system that is neatly tucked under an electrochromic glass. When a current is applied to glass, it can swiftly change from opaque to transparent. This special type of glass is used for sunroofs of some luxury cars, airplane windows and also for buildings where it used as a walls and windows.

On the OnePlus Concept One, the triple camera setup remains invisible under the electrochromic glass. However, when the camera is turned on, the three sensors become instantly visible. When the camera app is closed, the triple cameras again become invisible. According to the company, it takes only 0.7 seconds for the glass to transition from transparent to opaque or vice versa. As it can be seen in the official video, the electrochromic glass only covers the triple cameras, while the rest is covered by stitched leather.

The other good thing about this technology is that the glass can also become semi-transparent. In this state, it can act as a neutral density filter that can assist in capturing better shots in very bright sunlight. OnePlus claims that the Concept One make use of the most advanced electrochromic ever manufactured. It comprises of two 0.1mm glass panels between which is the organic material. The combined thickness of both glass is only 0.35mm and it uses negligible power to function.

Flagship phones these days come with four to five rear mounted cameras. A phone with too many cameras on its rear may appear less appealing. With the technology that was showcased by OnePlus on the Concept One, the multiple lenses of the phone can remain invisible.

According to OnePlus CEO and founder Pete Lau, “This concept phone is a significant experiment into the future form of smartphones. OnePlus started this initiative with the goal of bringing the “burdenless” user experience to the next level. The invisible camera stands as a new form of camera design, one that spares the user from the compromises of current camera layouts.”

What’s your take on the OnePlus Concept One? Share us your views by posting your comments below.

Checkout this link for more news from CES 2020

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Yesterday, OnePlus released a teaser video showing a feature of the OnePlus Concept One smartphone it wants to show off at CES 2020 next week. A part of the video showed the triple rear cameras of the phone invisible at first and then visible the next second. OnePlus said they were able to achieve that using color-shifting glass technology. Now there is an explanation of how the technology works.

How it works

In an exclusive story by Wired, we learn that the technology actually uses electrochromic glass. This special type of glass changes from opaque to transparent when a current is applied to the glass. It is used to make the sunroofs of some luxury cars, airplane windows and can even be found in some buildings where it is used as walls and windows. Now, OnePlus is bringing it to phones with help from McLaren.

The OnePlus Concept One has taken a piece of this special glass and used it to cover up the rear cameras of the phone. So at first look, the phone appears not to have cameras on the back but when you launch the camera app, a charge is sent to the glass that makes it transparent and then the sensors become visible. When you exit the app, the glass becomes opaque.  It sure makes for a nice party trick, however, there is a lot of work behind it as well as challenges.

Challenges

First, OnePlus had to work on the time it takes for the glass to change between opaque to transparent. You don’t want to miss out on that perfect shot because the glass is yet to shift. For a company obsessed with speed, this is definitely a big deal but OnePlus’ CEO, Pete Lau, says the OnePlus Concept One is able to shift between opaque and transparent in less than a second.

Second, the glass requires power to function, so another thing they had to work on was how to minimize power consumption, so there is no impact on battery life.

Pete Lau said another challenge was the thickness of the phone as the electrochromic glass is said to require the addition of another material on the rear glass of the phone. They were able to do so successfully with just an increase of 0.1 millimeters to the overall thickness of the phone.

Last but definitely not least is reliability. No one wants a phone whose cameras can’t be used probably because there is an issue preventing the glass from shifting. It has also been reported that electrochromic glass can degrade after a number of years when switching between modes and is also not easily replaceable. OnePlus doesn’t really have to worry much since it says this is just a concept device and it has no plans to go into mass production anytime soon.

EDITOR’S PICK: 10 Chinese (and Taiwanese) products and technologies that failed

Design

The Wired post also revealed details about the OnePlus Concept One. A model that was on display at a briefing in San Francisco last month is reported to be covered in leather that has the same papaya-orange color MacLaren uses. However, the one we saw in the teaser video appears to be all glass.

Based on some sketch diagrams of the product, the OnePlus Concept One appears to have a display unlike the curved one in the teaser video.

The OnePlus Concept One is said to have the same rear camera specifications as the OnePlus 7T Pro McLaren Edition. That means it has a 48MP primary rear camera paired with an 8MP telephoto camera and a 16MP ultrawide angle camera. The electrochromic glass technology covering the cameras is the same used as an option for the McLaren 720S and the 2018 McLaren 570GT.

According to Xi Zeng, creative director at OnePlus, it was the McLaren 720S they saw on a tour of McLaren’s headquarters that inspired them to bring the technology to phones. By the end of 2018, there was a dedicated group of engineers working on the project already.

It remains to be seen if the mobile industry will adopt the use of electrochromic glass but it is interesting to see OnePlus is experimenting with a new design.

UP NEXT: OnePlus rolls out Android 10 updates for OnePlus 6 and 6T for the third time

(Sources: 1, 2)

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OnePlus announced a few weeks to the end of 2019 that it will be attending CES 2020. This will be the manufacturer’s first official attendance at CES and they are ready to blow our minds away. Today, OnePlus has released a teaser video for the device which is called the OnePlus Concept One.

The OnePlus Concept One, as shown in the video has a curved display. However, the screen appears to be curvier than that of the OnePlus 7 Pro. The curved display meets a gold-painted metal frame which is home to the familiar textured Alert Slider.

Why all these do not seem out of the ordinary, it is the rear design that is actually quite magical. The OnePlus Concept One has triple rear cameras arranged vertically in the middle with an LED flash beneath the last sensor but they do not become visible at first and giving off the impression that they are invisible. This illusionary trick is as a result of OnePlus’ groundbreaking color-shifting glass technology.

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/elsV9DKctn

— OnePlus (@oneplus) January 3, 2020

There is no camera bump but there is a thin line that shows the perimeter of the camera housing which is shaped like a champagne flute. That is all the teaser reveals but we expect there will be more before the event next week.

When OnePlus announced that it will be showing off a concept device, we were already pretty excited but this video teaser takes our excitement level a notch higher.

What do you think about the video, meh or pumped?

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A few weeks ago, OnePlus teased a press event for early January at CES 2020 and we learned in reports that followed that it may be planning to launch a phone called the OnePlus Concept One. We had no idea what this concept device would look like, but recent reports indicate that the company might have something foldable up their sleeves this time.

According to The Korea Herald, market watchers (people who monitor stock markets) think that the Concept One is likely a smartphone with a foldable screen. Unfortunately, why they believe so was not explained and there has been no info about the Concept One so far; no design images or tech specs whatsoever. Considering how rampant leaks are these days, it’s actually quite surprising.

EDITOR’S PICK: The Most Underrated Smartphones of 2019

Having said that, we do believe that OnePlus will want to make a splash at the upcoming CES. There have been news of the OnePlus 8 Lite and 8 Pro lately, so it’s probably safe to think that those would be revealed at the event. As for whether the Concept One will be a foldable smartphone, we’ll just have to wait and see.

OnePlus has reached its sixth anniversary. It’s a huge milestone for the fledgling company, and the OnePlus Concept One is how the company plans to celebrate. Not much information has been shared, but we’re definitely hoping it’ll impress us. Perhaps it might even hit the heights if unique impressiveness that Xiaomi hit with the Mi MIX Alpha.

UP NEXT: OnePlus CEO Pete Lau touts OnePlus 8 as the most beautiful flagship series

(Source)

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OnePlus recently announced that the company will be hosting a ‘OnePlus Special Event’ from 7th January 2020 to 10th January 2020, during the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

When announcing the event, the company had not revealed what to expect from OnePlus at the event. Recently, Pete Lau, Founder and CEO of OnePlus revealed on Twitter that the company will showcase “something special” at the event.

Now, he has finally revealed what will be showcased at the January’s Special Event. Pete Lau confirmed that OnePlus will announce a new concept smartphone at its CES 2020 event in Las Vegas.

The company will be taking the wraps off OnePlus Concept One smartphone, which as the name itself indicates, is the first concept device from the brand. Apart from this, nothing is known about this upcoming device.

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While the company has not revealed what this product is, there are three possibilities — a mid-range smartphone, a true wireless earphones, and a foldable smartphone. Since the event is happening at CES and the foldable devices are going mainstream, chances of OnePlus showcasing a foldable concept phone is higher than the other two options.

This is just a speculation and the company could come up with something new and entirely different. To know for sure, we’ll have to wait for the ‘OnePlus Special Event’ to take place next month. However, we expect the company to teased the product in the coming days.

The Chinese brand, which started off with value-for-money smartphones, has been trying to diversify its portfolio of products. It has already launched Bluetooth wireless earphones and recently entered the smart TV market in India with the launch of OnePlus TV lineup.

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(Source)

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