A couple of years ago, OnePlus applied for a so-called magnetically rotating camera patent. It is not a pop-up camera as the company has applied in the past, including the OnePlus 7 Pro. Instead, it is a 180˚ rotating camera that is placed on the back of the phone. There are guesses as it will appear on the OnePlus 11 Pro.
The patent documentation was approved in June 2021 and also submitted to the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) for the worldwide protection of the patented technology.
As we can see, it is a OnePlus smartphone with one large camera on the back. The latter is a rotating camera that allows the user to take photos and videos under a unique viewing angle.
To better visualize the patented technology, graphic designer Parvez Khan, aka Technizo Concept, made a series of product renders for LetsGoDigital. The 3D images are made on the basis of OnePlus’ patent documentation.
The camera only protrudes slightly from the housing. The camera rotates around its own axis so that it does not protrude further from the housing during rotation. The phone uses several magnets. They ensure that the camera system can rotate 180˚.
The 180 rotation of the camera allows the user to easily change the composition to shoot from difficult angles. The idea seems to come from mirrorless cameras with tilting screens.
The rotating camera also enables additional options in the field of videography and panorama photography. To make these features possible, OnePlus will develop a special rotating recording mode, as described in the documentation.
Apart from a rotating shooting mode, this unique OnePlus smartphone also comes with a normal shooting mode. In standard mode, the camera module will be able to shake in an axial direction, acting as an image stabilization system to prevent unintended camera shake.
It appears to be a similar image stabilization system to Apple’s sensor-shift OIS, which debuted with the iPhone 12 Pro Max and is also found in the newer iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max.
The image stabilization system also should bring a slow shutter speed for enhanced evening and night photography. A slow shutter speed can also help when capturing streaks of light or water.
It is also worth noting that the OnePlus 10 Pro has one less camera than its predecessor. Instead of a quad-camera, the company used a triple camera. The 2MP monochrome camera has been removed.
