A few weeks ago, OnePlus teased it would show off a concept smartphone at Mobile World Congress 2023. A few days ago, it released some teaser images of that smartphone, which made it look like it had blue LED lighting in the back. As it turns out, that wasn"t exactly the case. Today at MWC 2023, the OnePlus 11 Concept was fully revealed, and it"s actually more interesting than just a light show in the back.
The phone is a standard OnePlus 11 with a new active cooling system similar to what you might find on a higher-end gaming PC. OnePlus calls its cooling technology Active CryoFlux. It uses cryogenic liquid circulated in the phone by two piezoelectric micropumps. OnePlus says:
The two industrial-grade piezoelectric micropumps are placed in a limited space of less than 0.2cm³, while the thickness of the liquid pipelines is only increased by 0.2mm. Through this unique multi-level channel structure, it is now possible to achieve uniform heat dissipation, allowing users to play longer, more efficiently, and with greater comfort.
The result is that this cooling system can be put into the OnePlus 11 Concept without significantly increasing the phone"s weight or dimensions. OnePlus claims that Active CryoFlux can reduce the phone"s internal temperature by 2.1 degrees C (about 3.6 degrees F). In theory, that should allow for faster frame rates for mobile gaming and between 30 to 45 seconds less time charging the phone.
The back of the phone is transparent so that people can see the cooling liquid. There Is actually some extra lighting in the back as well, as the phone"s rear camera is circled by a blue light when the cooling system is turned on.
While the OnePlus 11 Concept device is not going on sale, the company says it is "actively exploring Active CryoFlux cooling technology" for use in upcoming OnePlus smartphones. While the benefits of an active cooling system inside a phone are obvious, we wonder how much it will add to the cost of the phone overall.