OnePlus revives black & white mode again on Smartphone

OnePlus will debut the Project One, a prototype that will demonstrate some of the handset manufacturer’s cutting-edge technologies in the works. However, before the official announcement, the firm posted a brief promotional video demonstrating an interesting concept an ‘invisible camera’ that can be covered by the phone’s glass backing. 

Could it really live up to my hopes and kick-start a second period of authentic mobile black and white photography? Not exactly, but it’s also a welcome return as additional cameras on phones go. 

Let ‘s look first at the camera of the OnePlus 8T. The primary cameras are the 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 and the ultra-wide 16MP Sony IMX481, paired with a 5MP macro camera and a 2MP monochrome camera. Yeah, 2MP only, but just don’t look away yet. Technically, the monochrome camera is there to improve the main cameras’ performance, but if you know how to do it, it can be used on its own. 

OnePlus says the Concept One, as well as the secret cameras, would use colour-shifting glass technology. However, the Concept One does not seem to be foldable, which was what some observers predicted from a prototype unit. 

A filters returns a black-and-white photo impression. It’s similar, but since the influence has been artificially produced, there’s still a degree of understanding involved. There is less interference with a camera, and the result is nearer to “real” black-and – white. 

There are no plans to bring the Prototype One into development at present, but it might provide some insight to what we might expect in the future from OnePlus products.