OnePlus 8 Pro Update to Temporarily Disable Color Filter Camera Thanks to Privacy Concerns

The new update for the OnePlus 8 Pro will arrive within a week.

By Jagmeet Singh | Updated: 19 May 2020 14:10 IST

OnePlus 8 Pro Update to Temporarily Disable Color Filter Camera Thanks to Privacy Concerns

OnePlus 8 Pro was found to see through certain materials using the Color Filter camera

Highlights

OnePlus 8 Pro would be able to use only three rear cameras post update
The update rollout is yet to be detailed
OnePlus 8 Pro provides effects and filters through Color Filter camera

OnePlus 8 Pro users will receive an update that will temporarily disable the Color Filter camera, OnePlus announced through a post published on Weibo. The new move by the company comes as a result of the recent reports that claimed “see-through” capabilities of the fourth camera sensor that was originally meant for enhancing images. Also, it suggests that despite having a quad rear camera setup, the OnePlus 8 Pro would only be able to use the three rear camera sensors and drop the Color Filter camera for the time being.

As per the basis of a machine translation of the Weibo post, which is originally in Chinese, OnePlus will push a software update for the OnePlus 8 Pro within a week to disable the Color Filter camera. The company has decided the release of the update to put the recent privacy concerns at rest that emerged due to the reports showing see-through capabilities of the camera.

Gadgets 360 has reached out to OnePlus to get clarity on the update and will update this space as and when the company responds.

OnePlus Reveals India Sale Date, Offers for OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro

Although the camera wasn't able to replicate an x-ray scanner, which is something falsely projected in some reports, it seems to have the ability to allow visibility to certain materials — especially the ones that don't have infrared shielding. Some people recorded videos that showed internals of devices such as an Apple TV and a TV remote control. However, all that was apparently due to the fact that those devices have an infrared transmissible plastic.

Meant for lighting effects and filters
OnePlus offered the Color Filter camera on the OnePlus 8 Pro to enhance images with lighting effects and filters. However, as noted by Android Police, it is mostly a gimmick as you can only use it in the single camera mode and can't add effects while zooming into any subjects or objects.

By temporarily disabling the Color Filter camera, OnePlus is somehow reducing the operational count of OnePlus 8 Pro rear cameras from four to three — at least for the time being. This could be something major for customers who look for a quad rear camera smartphone. But nonetheless, the company may address the concerns and bring the fourth camera back to its operations through a future update.

Will OnePlus 8 series be able to take on iPhone SE (2020), Samsung Galaxy S20 in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

OnePlus 8 Pro

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Excellent build quality, IP68 rating
Bright, fluid display
Very good rear cameras
Solid overall performance
Great battery life
Fast wireless charging

Bad
Selfie camera could be better
Excessive rear camera bulge

Read detailed OnePlus 8 Pro review

Display 6.78-inch

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 865

Front Camera 16-megapixel

Rear Camera 48-megapixel + 8-megapixel + 48-megapixel + 5-megapixel

RAM 8GB

Storage 128GB

Battery Capacity 4510mAh

OS Android 10

Resolution 1440x3168 pixels

More OnePlus mobiles OnePlus mobiles price in India

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.