OnePlus just showed off an all-black Concept One and we’re drooling over it - Android - Canadian apps and news

OnePlus just showed off an all-black Concept One and we’re drooling over it - Android

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Yes, it's stunning, but don't expect to get your hands on it.

OnePlus Concept One black rear cameras OnePlus forums

OnePlus unveiled its latest concept device — aptly named the Concept One — at CES this year. And though that device is beautiful, a recent interview with Kevin Tao of the company’s Industrial Design team posted on OnePlus’ forums revealed an arguably more stunning early prototype of the device.

We don’t see the front of the device in these pictures, presumably because there isn’t anything different. What we do see is that same leather back on the Concept One we recently got our hands on. Instead of that device’s orange and black design, this one is completely blacked out, featuring a subtle carbon fiber design around the camera sensors.

OnePlus Concept One hands-on: OnePlus has a new vanishing trick

I've seen a lot of concept phones over the last few years, and generally, they're all pretty similar. Usually, a company makes a phone so weird that no one will ever really want to own …

OnePlus Concept One black face down OnePlus forums

As it stands, not even the official Concept One will make it to market, let alone this early prototype. According to Tao in the interview, we might see OnePlus experiment with environmentally friendly leather alternatives in the future that achieve a similar look and feel to the Concept One.

Related: What is the Concept One’s electrochromic glass and how does it work?

“We believe leather is a material that achieves the premium build quality we strive for, providing a soft touch, while also create a thinner handfeel when compared to glass,” said Tao. “In future, if we intend to apply similar back design, we will look into alternate materials that can achieve the same look and feel with leather, while being more environmentally friendly and easier to keep clean in the long run.”

That’s far from a promise, but we sure hope Tao and the rest of the Industrial Design team go that direction. We would love to see OnePlus experiment with new designs and materials in future devices, especially if they look this good.