Going Behind the Scenes: Designing the OnePlus 6 Mirror Black

An early sketch from Hope Liu, Director of Innovative Industrial Design at OnePlus

W e started with a simple challenge: to create a OnePlus 6 color variant that highlights the best qualities of the OnePlus 6’s glass build. Glass can be a particularly tricky material to work with, as it transforms under different lighting conditions.

With so many options to choose from, we painstakingly catalogued several types of glass in order to determine whether we could incorporate different processes into the OnePlus 6. Some of the glass materials we took inspiration from are outlined below.

The key properties we looked for when creating the Mirror Black

Through our research, we were confident that we could develop a strong glass back with an ultra-premium finish.

In the end, we chose from over 70 glass prototypes before settling on a build that reacted to the light reliably and faithfully, without sacrificing strength and impact resistance.

The glass assembly process requires scientific precision and a lab-like, dust-free environment

Once the transparency and degree of reflectivity had been dialed in, we were left with the perfect starting point from which we could take the material further.

The Mirror Black transforms under different lighting conditions

Our goal was to create a material that was like ceramic, but with an added durability and premium hand-feel. We conceptualized a dark mirror coating with a subdued polarization effect. The color variant would need to endure both physically and visually, so we created five layers of nanotech coating, each darkening the rear surface of the phone by fractional degrees. The layers of nanotech coating also helped prevent unwanted color shifts across the surface of the phone, creating a smooth, uninterrupted finish with a breathtaking level of depth.

Photo Credit: Vishal_Adventurolic. Read his review of the OnePlus 6 on the OnePlus Community Forums.

To preserve the clean appearance of the phone’s rear surface, we applied a layer of anti-fingerprint (AF) coating that resists the appearance of fingerprints on the surface of the glass. After sustained use, a gentle swipe with a microfiber cloth is all it takes to wipe any fingerprint marks or oil off the phone.

A characteristic S-curve appears when the OnePlus 6 Mirror Black catches the light.

The result? A color variant unlike any other, with an eye-catching mirror effect and an enduring appeal. The OnePlus 6 Mirror Black is the perfect device to take with you on life’s adventures. For more information, head on over to the OnePlus 6 page to see all four available colors, including Midnight Black, Silk White, and OnePlus Red.