OnePlus’ latest concept phone changes color to ‘breathe’ with the user

Back in January, OnePlus showed off its first concept phone. The aptly (if plainly) named Concept One sported color-shifting glass, giving the effect of an “invisible camera” on the rear of the device. The concept wasn’t particularly useful — if anything it was a fun diversion from boring old phone updates.

From that standpoint, the OnePlus 8T Concept is more of the same. It’s not particularly useful as far as smartphone updates go — and more to the point, there’s absolutely zero guarantee this technology will ever make it onto an actual phone. Once again, the headlining technology has more to do with how the phone looks than how it actually functions.

The big thing here is something called ECMF, or Electronic Color, Material and Finish. Basically it’s a color-changing film that coats the phone. It has metal oxide, which activates when voltage is applied, changing the glass from dark blue to light silver.

OnePlus says, “Our designers took inspiration for these colors from the multi-hued flowing water in the hot springs of Pamukkale, Turkey. Nature has perfected many designs, and by drawing inspiration from Pamukkale and other natural elements, we can craft new interaction experiences that are more natural, intuitive, and effortless.”

As for the utility of such technologies, OnePlus suggests a coat that changes color to notify the user of incoming calls. Weirder still is a future that uses mmWave technology to capture a user’s breathing pattern, “enabling the color to change in sync and effectively making the phone a biofeedback device.”

As far as new phone features, this one is firmly in the “why not” column.

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