A phone with a PC-like liquid cooling tech that offers incredible performance combined with a visual appeal that no other smartphone offers. That’s OnePlus's promise with its new concept phone being showcased for the first time on Monday at the opening of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The prototype device, which OnePlus is showcasing at the world’s biggest mobile tech show, has a gaming PC-type aesthetic with the use of LED lighting on the back as well as the advanced liquid cooling tech implemented. One of the biggest problems with the existing smartphone hardware, however, is that it produces a lot of heat after a prolonged gaming session. That’s where liquid cooling comes into play. Think of liquid cooling like a radiator in your car. The tech dubbed -Active Cryoflux—claims to reduce the temperature up to 2.1℃ and improve the frame rate by 3-4 fps during gameplay. As for the rest of the smartphone, it seems to be identical to the OnePlus 11 (review). The brand has fitted the concept phone with the same 6.7-inch 2,048 × 1,080 OLED screen that can reach up to 120Hz refresh rates, Qualcomm’s flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and ultra-fast charging. The concept phone, however, does look more premium, thanks to the translucent back highlighting the icy blue pipelines which run through the entire back of the phone. Unfortunately, OnePlus has no plans to manufacture and sell the concept phone with liquid cooling tech. The idea is to show off new technologies that could be incorporated into next-gen flagships. Over the years, OnePlus has seen dizzying success with its flagship smartphones, especially in markets like India. The BBK brand now aims to go global and is possibly looking at innovative designs and technologies to keep up with more established players like Apple and Samsung. The showcasing of the concept phones at the Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest event dedicated to smartphones and telecom, will help OnePlus to demonstrate its R&D muscle. OnePlus has been increasingly bringing its concept devices to big tech events such as CES and MWC to create buzz around its brand. “Mobile phones will still be a hot topic at MWC but they’ve become a mature, iterative and almost boring category. The only excitement will come from the slew of foldable designs and prototypes, but the real size of the market for these premium products remains unclear,” said Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight. MWC, also known as the Mobile World Congress, is the biggest tech trade show of the year, kicking off Monday and setting the stage for tech trends, announcements, and upcoming categories we’ll see throughout the rest of 2023. The show will give us an early look at the latest developments in smartphones, 5G, policy and much more.
