OnePlus is teasing a new concept phone in a few images released today. It’s called the “OnePlus 11 Concept” and while the company refuses to confirm what exactly the images show (this is meant to be a “sneak peek” after all), it seems that the device is equipped with similar light strips to the Nothing Phone 1 from last year.
An official announcement isn’t expected until next week’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, but for now, here’s how OnePlus describes the “flowing back” being teased today:
“The images showcase the OnePlus 11 Concept’s technical breakthroughs by highlighting the icy blue piping that runs through the entire back of the phone, almost as if the OnePlus 11 Concept has its own set of blood vessels. The pipelines of the OnePlus 11 Concept are housed in a bold and futuristic unibody glass design, inspired by the calm stillness and enormous power of a glacial lake.”
So yes, it’s far from clear what purpose these “icy blue pipelines” will serve. But it would certainly be hilarious if OnePlus took inspiration from Nothing, which was founded by OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei after he left the Oppo sub-brand in 2020. As a reminder, the backlight strips of the Nothing Phone 1 can flicker and blink to indicate incoming notifications or show the phone’s battery level. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it helped the phone stand out in a sea of similar competitors.
OnePlus will probably make a big song and dance about its concept phone at MWC, but that doesn’t guarantee it will actually see a consumer release if its previous concept devices are anything to go by. We really liked the OnePlus Concept One the company showed off at CES 2020 – which featured fancy glass on the back of the device that could go opaque to hide the rear cameras – but it never made it to market. Same with this color charging handset shown later that year.
Expect the OnePlus 11 Concept to be officially unveiled next Monday, February 27.
