OnePlus 11 Concept flips the script at MWC 2023 – puts the back of its phone first
Look at this LED-filled smartphone that marries the OnePlus 11 with a more futuristic, gamer-friendly design
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: OnePlus 11 Concept begs to be real
📱 I got to preview the OnePlus 11 Concept at MWC 2023 – gamers would love it
🥶 Blue LED-filled back outlines the liquid cooling system with pulsating flashes
📸 Halo Lighting encircles the camera module for a cutting-edge design
🤼♂️ OnePlus 11 Concept instantly rivals Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro, Nothing Phone
I held the new OnePlus 11 Concept phone in hand today, and it’s completely different from almost every other device announced here at MWC 2023 – that’s refreshing.
The OnePlus 11 Concept is all about the stunning back of the phone, which marries everything I liked in my OnePlus 11 review with a dramatically more futuristic gamer-friendly design complete with pulsating LEDs. If you thought about buying the Asus ROG Phone 6 Pro or Nothing Phone, this concept shows that OnePlus is ready to compete for your attention in a big way.
The OnePlus 11 Concept phone begs to be carried around without a case
Its Clear Flow Cover begins at the blue Halo Light encircling the camera at the top and ends with a squiggly line outlining the liquid cooling, or “blood vessels,” at the bottom, according to OnePlus. You’re supposedly taking a peek at the micro-liquid that flows from the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, as tiny blue beads flash and “drip down” from the top to the bottom of the micro-pump.
Together, the Halo Lighting on the camera and internal Active CryoFlux on the back give the OnePlus 11 Concept a futuristic edge when almost every other smartphone design ignores the back. This concept phone – if it were to actually launch – begs to be carried around without a case.
Upon closer inspection of this unibody design, I found even more detail that I couldn’t quite see from OnePlus’ MWC stage: the big rear camera module features “Precise Guilloché etching” that will remind you of the artistry of luxury timepieces, and the deeply curved shape of the back allows an ultra-slim bezel on the front of the display.
From the reaction here in Barcelona, the OnePlus 11 Concept is already a winner before it has even entered the game
The OnePlus 11 Concept is a mesmerizing take on what many mobile gamers want from a smartphone: powerful specs for a good price (which OnePlus 11 delivers) with a gaming PC-grade shell that doubles as a cooling mechanism behind unibody glass. This more than makes up for the fact that there were only two OnePlus 11 colors.
There was no OnePlus 11 Concept price or delivery date announced at MWC 2023 – after all, this is just a concept phone unveiled alongside the forthcoming OnePlus Pad. It’s the same formula we saw from TCL this week – a concept phone and the very real TCL Nxtpaper 11 tablet (where the screen was the big focus instead). But, from the reaction here in Barcelona, the OnePlus 11 Concept is already a winner before it has even entered the game.