We saw some creative and at the same time, weird ideas to omit the front-camera notch from the phone makers. The Chinese phone brands are mostly seen using pop-up camera mechanism to obtain a no-bezel display. Similarly, Asus ZenFone 6 along with brands like Vivo and Nubia came up with an idea to use a secondary display on the back of the device just to avoid a notch on the display front for the selfie camera.
But now, looks like Chinese smartphone makers, Oppo and Xiaomi have found a way to house the camera inside the display or let’s name it an in-display selfie camera.
Vice President of Oppo, Brian Shen shared a short video clip in his Weibo post of what appears to be a notch-free smartphone prototype lying on a desk. In the video, the camera app was launched, and on the screen was a live view of the room’s ceiling and the front-facing camera was not seen on the phone at all. For credibility, the demonstrator also hovered a finger over a specific section of the display where the camera is believably hidden.
Later in a post, Shen also cleared that the under-screen camera technology is still in its early days. He said, “At this stage, it’s difficult for under-display cameras to match the same results as normal cameras, there’s bound to be some loss in optical quality.” He also added saying, “But, no new technology jumps to perfection right away.”
For those seeking the perfect, notchless smartphone screen experience – prepare to be amazed. 📲
You are taking a very first look at our under-display selfie camera technology. RT! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/FrqB6RiJaY
— OPPO (@oppo) June 3, 2019
While for now, there are no words regarding the use of an in-display camera in a mass-produced smartphone. What seems predictable is that Vivo might also be working on similar technology implementation on their phones; the Apex 2019 concept phone being a hint.
But the story doesn’t end here as yet another Chinese smartphone maker, Xiaomi came up with its own under-display camera demo. Xiaomi President, Lin Bin also shared a video clip, which looks like was shot in the last month that showed an under-screen camera added to a Mi 9 prototype. Other than that, there’s no other information.
