The truth about smartphone photography through clothes: It's just basic science that we don't realize every day

Recently, a lot of people have been constantly sharing news about the smartphone with a camera that can see through objects or clothes, based on a specialized "color filter" of OnePlus 8 Pro similar to the feature of an X-ray camera: it can see through plastic and clothes. Many people after hearing are afraid of whether this feature is being used to do bad things.

So is it really true that OnePlus 8 Pro can do that? The truth is that the camera's color filter only allows you to see through "transparent objects you don't recognize" because your eyes can't see the same kind of light as the camera.

3 rear cameras of OnePlus 8 Pro

To make it easier to understand, the OnePlus 8 Pro's camera lens is designed to be able to absorb different types of light into the sensor, so when combined with the phone's filtering software, it can provide Color levels and effects are more impressive. Most specifically, this camera lens doesn't block infrared light, unlike most camera lenses that try to filter infrared light because it can cause image noise. 

Normally our eyes cannot see infrared. That is one of the main reasons why infrared is used in TV controls or sensors in smartphones. Basically, if infrared light can pass through a surface, the OnePlus 8 Pro's camera can "see" through that surface. For example, you can look at the top of the TV controller, the top cover is usually black plastic and this is the material that allows infrared to penetrate. 

If the sensor is perfect, this may be what an X-ray camera can do

So what about the clothes? Fabrics are materials that allow light to pass through the gaps between fibers, and in the very thin fabric field, it can allow more light to pass through. If a camera is designed to enhance its visibility of infrared light, it is clear that seeing through clothing is possible and not inferior to the OnePlus camera. 

Fortunately for anyone worried about privacy, the OnePlus 8 Pro's "color filter" camera is bad. It's a very weak camera sensor behind a lower quality lens, taking quite poor photos. So it is best to use only the main camera of the product to be able to take quality photos.