There is every indication that OnePlus will be bringing this attention to detail to its newest product range, OnePlus TV.It might deliver products at surprisingly affordable prices as compared to the competition, but OnePlus also has a formidable record when it comes to product design. The brand believes in not just providing top notch hardware and software to its users, but also encasing it in a design that is every bit as, if not more, premium. Even with its very first product, the OnePlus One smartphone, OnePlus grabbed attention with its sandstone textured back, which gave the device a look and feel that was very different from other phones. More recently, the brand surprised people with the curved display and subtle gradient finish on the OnePlus 7 Pro, which turned heads not just with its spec sheet and its performance, but also with its appearance.
And there is every indication that OnePlus will be bringing this attention to detail to its newest product range, OnePlus TV. Of course, we do not yet know what the television will exactly look like, but there have been plenty of indications that it will definitely speak a very premium design language. OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has shared two images of the television and its remote on his official twitter handle, and well, even though they do not show the television in all its glory, they are enough to make us realise that what we will be seeing later this month will be a very carefully and differently designed product.
The picture of the television shows a part of the back of the product. And no, it does not show any ports or speakers. What it does however reveal is a Kevlar textured and slightly curved back. Both are unusual. Kevlar is not a material that one associates with televisions but OnePlus has a record of using it, especially in the McLaren edition of the OnePlus 6T last year. Kevlar not only has a unique texture but is also known for being extremely resilient while not being very heavy – in fact, many bulletproof vests are made using Kevlar, and if you are a superhero fan, well, Batman’s costume is made of Kevlar. It is also rare to see the sort of curved finish on the back of a television that is seen in Pete Lau’s tweet. Finally, there seems to be a stand of sorts attached to the back of the television. It seems metallic, tall and very solidly built, and a far cry from the tiny stands on which many televisions are precariously balanced.
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Which brings us to the remote. And at a time when most television remotes, especially those on smart televisions, tend to look like complex engineering calculators, OnePlus seems to have brought its trademark minimalism to this device. The remote seems to have a brushed metal finish (no plastic) and has a touchpad-like surface on the top, followed by a total of just five pads. The touchpad is likely to help you navigate through different menus and options. Of the five buttons, one is definitely a Google Assistant button, which is not surprising given the close association between Google and OnePlus over developing Android TV software. There is also a OnePlus button, which might indicate the presence of special OnePlus apps. Interestingly, the volume buttons are in the shape of a rocker (just like on a phone) on the side, and right on the base of the remote is a USB Type C port.
A Kevlar-textured back, a minimalistic remote, and that is just scratching the surface of the design wonder that is likely to be OnePlus TV. Yes, the 55 inch QLED display, the special Gamma Color Magic chipset, and Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound might grab the spec headlines, but going by what we have seen so far, the OnePlus TV will not just be something you want to see content on, but something you want to see for its own beauty. Yes, even when it is switched off.
