OnePlus To Disable ‘X-ray’ Camera Feature Over Privacy Concerns

The other day we reported that it was discovered one of the features of the OnePlus 8 Pro’s camera is the ability for it to gain “X-ray vision” through one of the filters. This basically utilized the camera’s infrared sensors to create an effect, in which one of the side-effects was that it could see through very thin pieces of plastic and clothing.

We stated then that we weren’t sure if this was an intended feature of the filter, or if it was perhaps an unforeseen side-effect, but we have a feeling it might be the latter. This is because OnePlus has since announced that in an upcoming update, they will be disabling the feature for phones running HydrogenOS.

In case you’re unfamiliar, OnePlus has two versions of its operating system. There is OxygenOS which is used for OnePlus handsets all over the world, and HydrogenOS which is exclusive to China. The report claims that the feature will only be disabled for China, meaning that the rest of the world will still be able to continue using this feature.

OnePlus claims that this is due to privacy concerns. “While we think this camera gives users the ability to get more creative with smartphone photography, we also understand the concerns that have been raised. Therefore, we are already working on an OTA that we’ll push out in the coming weeks to offer the Photochrom filter while limiting other functionality that may be of concern.”

Tyler Lee
Categories: Cellphones
Tags: China, OnePlus, oneplus 8, Privacy