Skip to main content

The OnePlus 11 Concept has PC-like liquid cooling, and it looks incredible

OnePlus is no stranger to pushing the envelope for innovation in the smartphone industry, and its latest concept device — the OnePlus 11 Concept — is aiming to do just that once more.

Announced at Mobile World Congress, the OnePlus 11 Concept sports the same internal specs as the OnePlus 11, which launched earlier this year, but includes a new active cooling technology dubbed Active CryoFlux. More important than that, it’s also just stunning to look at.

Product render of the OnePlus 11 Concept.
OnePlus

Active CryoFlux is meant to keep the OnePlus 11 Concept cool while it’s charging or being used for GPU-intensive gaming. It speeds up charging times by 30 seconds to 45 seconds and can keep a game’s frame rate and overall performance consistent without significantly increasing the device’s weight or size. It does so by pumping cooling liquid through the pipelines on the back of the OnePlus 11 Concept, which can reportedly lower the phone’s temperature by over 35 degrees Fahrenheit while gaming.

You can see the liquid cooling moving through the phone’s clear rear backside, and the blue liquid even flows around the circular camera housing. And not only that, the camera is also surrounded by “Guilloché etching.” OnePlus describes it as a “very precise decorative technique usually found in luxury timepieces,” and it’s the first time the technique has ever been used on a smartphone.

But, like the name suggests, the OnePlus 11 Concept is precisely that — a concept device. Obviously, the hope is that OnePlus utilizes the PC-like cooling system in a future device, but as of right now, there aren’t any definitive plans to bring this to a phone you can actually buy. OnePlus has shown off similar concept phones in the past that haven’t amounted to anything tangible, so while it would be nice for Active CryoFlux to be the next big thing that OnePlus has up its sleeve, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for it.

Although it’s not something to put much mental stock into right now, Active CryoFlux is an interesting technology that would be beneficial, especially for gamers who do a lot of their gaming on their phones. Based on what can be accomplished using similar cooling tech in PCs, it feels like Active CryoFlux’s internal cooling pipes are a logical next step for mobile gaming. The light-up pipes are really sleek, making the OnePlus 11 Concept reminiscent of something made by Nothing.

Hopefully, OnePlus does something with the ideas used in the OnePlus 11 Concept since they are so promising and the phone isn’t just a flex for MWC. Maybe it’ll pop-up in another OnePlus phone later this year? Maybe in the OnePlus 12? It’s hard to say for sure, but we can certainly cross our fingers and hope.

Editors' Recommendations

Peter Hunt Szpytek
A podcast host and journalist, Peter covers mobile news with Digital Trends and gaming news, reviews, and guides for sites…
OnePlus surprises us with dazzling Android tablet and smartwatch
A press image of the OnePlus Watch 2 Nordic Blue edition.

OnePlus has launched a new Android tablet and a desirable special edition of the OnePlus Watch 2, both in beautiful color schemes that make us want them both right now. Unfortunately, that won't be easy if you live in the U.S.. The company has announced the OnePlus Pad Go tablet and OnePlus Watch 2 Nordic Blue edition smartwatch at an event in Helsinki, Finland, and both are currently only destined for a European release.

If you recognize the OnePlus Pad Go's name , it’s because the tablet was released in India last year, and it comes in the same stunning Twin Mint color scheme, which is as trendy as it gets. Although the company hasn't been forthcoming with all the details about the tablet, the specifications are unlikely to have changed from the model released in India. It has an 11.3-inch screen with a 2.4K (that’s 2408 x 1720 pixels) resolution, which it claims is currently the highest available on an Android tablet, and a 90Hz refresh rate.

Read more
I did a OnePlus 12 vs. OnePlus 12R camera test, and there’s a big difference
Genshin Impact Edition OnePlus 12R (left) and Flowy Emerald OnePlus 12.

OnePlus has had a very solid start to 2024 with the release of the OnePlus 12 and the OnePlus 12R. While both phones look very similar, one is a flagship, while the other is a more budget-friendly option with slightly lesser specs.

Though both devices' cameras appear similar at first glance, they’re actually quite different. In addition to different specs, only the OnePlus 12 has Hasselblad branding, meaning that it has better color calibration, white balance and exposure, and more. In short, photos you take with the OnePlus 12’s Hasselblad camera are probably going to look better.

Read more
The OnePlus 12 is the OnePlus phone I’ve been waiting for
A person holding the OnePlus 12.

Since it arrived, the OnePlus 12 has been sitting on a shelf, unused, behind my desk. Apart from a few days when I tested out the camera, battery, and performance, I haven't had a chance to really dig into the phone.

Don’t mistake this for indifference, though. I’ve been itching to use it for more than just those early few days, but due to various reasons, it hasn’t been possible until now. Was it worth the wait?
Why did it have to wait?

Read more