OnePlus has confirmed what that mysterious CES 2020 poster was all about, but it has raised more questions than answers. Tech enthusiasts are curious as to what the innovative tech brand has in store, but there are a lot of innovative ideas flowing in that actually make sense.
OnePlus CEO Pete Lau said that the company would be launching "something special" at one of the biggest tech shows in the world, CES 2020, taking place in Las Vegas from January 7 to 10, 2020. Everything from a smartphone to a smartwatch and truly-wireless earbuds were suggested, but the company put rest to those rumours by confirming that it would be launching its first concept smartphone.
OnePlus Concept One
OnePlus tweaked the CES 2020 poster with new content, which says "Alternative Design, Alternative Future. OnePlus calls its first concept phone, OnePlus Concept One. It looks like the company is remembering its roots by adding the word concept to its first-ever phone, OnePlus One.
It has been six years since the company came into being and these years have been generously in favour of the brand. With positive feedback towards its products from critics and excellent sales, the company gave one hit product after another. The company delivered a total of 13 smartphones, complimenting accessories and two smart TVs.
OnePlus is celebrating its sixth anniversary with the launch of its concept smartphone. Talking about the phone, the company said: "The name itself, Concept One, is a clear promise that this device is only the first in a series to come and shows OnePlus' commitment to applied, innovative technology - bringing users an ever smoother, faster, and more "burdenless" experience. The OnePlus Concept One, demonstrates a vision of both new technology and alternate design approach for the future of smartphones."
Deciphering OnePlus quote
It's clear that the Concept One is going to be first of its kind from the brand. The familiar choice of words, smoother and faster, kind of reflects on the 90Hz refresh rate in the screens of its latest flagships and the flagship configuration using the latest chipset, GPU and highest RAM. What came next is something entirely new.
OnePlus mentions "alternate design," which naturally means it is going to something different from what we are used to. We've seen OnePlus and other brands fully explore the full-screen bar design in smartphones and if we have to guess, "alternate design" could either mean a foldable phone or a wraparound screen.
Foldable vs Wraparound
Samsung and Huawei have shown us what foldable phones can look like, but Motorola showed a different possibility. The Galaxy Fold, which we reviewed recently, presented a wholesome package and what the future of smartphones could look like. Moto Razr, however, played a nostalgia card to woo consumers.
But foldable phones have been considered the next big revolution in the smartphone space and it is fitting to see OnePlus test the waters there with its concept phone.
As exciting as a foldable phone from OnePlus sounds, it's hard to ignore Xiaomi's Mi Mix Alpha, which was almost entirely made of screen with a thin bar to accommodate the camera module. Let's take a look at the OnePlus CES 2020 poster again.
The background looks like a wallpaper of a smartphone screen. If it was a foldable phone, OnePlus could've given a subtle hint of it (may it has and we can't see it yet). But considering it looks like a screen, it won't be too crazy to assume OnePlus Concept One could get a wraparound display.
Regardless, it is exciting to see OnePlus set its sight on the future. It shows the company is ready and the Concept One is going to be proof of that.
