“You can see the icy blue pipelines that run through the entire back of the phone,” OnePlus wrote in a press release. “It’s like [the] OnePlus 11 Concept has its own series of blood vessels.” But before we go on, we figured that it’s best to address the elephant in the room first. In regards to its design, we wouldn’t blame you if you presumed that OnePlus may have drawn inspiration from the Nothing Phone (1). Moreover, the company’s first look of this concept arrived in such a timely manner as well, about a week after Nothing boss Carl Pei (who was formerly a founding member of OnePlus) criticised the OnePlus 11 for lacking a “real identity”. While this may seem like a clear response, it’s very likely that the timing is purely coincidental. As emphasised by the brand, this version of the OnePlus 11 is merely a concept and may not be released as an actual product. At least, not yet. The idea may be similar, but the design approach for the OnePlus 11 Concept clearly differs from the Nothing Phone (1). Instead of glyphs, the device presents its lighting system to resemble a flowing pipeline, arranged in a circuit-like layout that runs across its rear panel and omits a blue light. As revealed by teaser images, the lights are actually part of a multi-layered structure that sits in between the OnePlus 11 Concept’s glass back and rear components. Whether the company would go with this approach for its future devices remains to be seen, perhaps as a special edition of some sorts. After all, some competition and variety is very much welcomed. In any case, we’ll find out more about OnePlus’ interesting concept phone when its fully unveiled during MWC on 27 February. (Source: OnePlus press release)
