OnePlus Concept Phone Changes Color - Breathing Design

OnePlus initially presented its inaugural concept phone earlier this year in January. The appropriately titled Concept One featured glass capable of shifting colors, creating the illusion of a concealed camera system on the phone’s back. The concept’s practicality was limited; it primarily served as an engaging departure from standard phone improvements.

The OnePlus 8T Concept follows a similar approach. It doesn’t offer substantial benefits in terms of smartphone functionality—and, crucially, there’s no assurance that this technology will ever be incorporated into a commercially available device. As before, the most prominent aspect of the technology concerns the phone’s appearance rather than its performance.

The core innovation lies in a technology known as ECMF, which stands for Electronic Color, Material and Finish. Essentially, it’s a color-altering film applied to the phone’s surface. This film contains a metal oxide that responds to electrical current, causing the glass to transition from a dark blue hue to a lighter silver shade.

According to OnePlus, “The colors for this design were inspired by the varied, flowing waters of the Pamukkale hot springs in Turkey. Nature provides many perfected designs, and by taking cues from Pamukkale and other natural sources, we can develop new interaction methods that feel more organic, instinctive, and simple.”

Regarding the potential applications of this technology, OnePlus proposes a color-changing outer layer for a garment that could alert the user to incoming phone calls. Even more unconventional is the idea of utilizing mmWave technology to monitor a user’s breathing, “allowing the color to shift in rhythm and effectively turning the phone into a biofeedback tool.”

In the context of new phone capabilities, this feature falls squarely into the category of experimental possibilities.