No More Notch? Oppo, Xiaomi Show Off Under-Display Selfie Cameras
Smartphone displays keep getting bigger, but your hands aren’t. That leaves engineers to figure out new and sometimes infuriating ways to cram in all the necessary sensors and hardware modules without making a phone gigantic or awkward to hold. Many phones have adopted a display notch in the last couple of years, but that may be a flash in the pan. Oppo and Xiaomi have just shown off their upcoming under-display camera technology.
Some device makers have gone to extremes to avoid using a display notch. For example, the new OnePlus 7 Pro has a motorized pop-up selfie camera, and the Asus Zenfone 6 rotates the rear cameras around to the front. Meanwhile, some Chinese Android phones have a slider design to hide cameras when not in use. These all get you a full, uninterrupted display, but they add another component that could break.
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
The holy grail is a front-facing camera that sits underneath the display, and that’s what Oppo and Xiaomi are working toward. In a pair of tweets, the companies show off prototype phones with invisible front-facing cameras. There’s no notch because the cameras are under the OLED panel. The idea is similar to the optical fingerprint sensors embedded in some current smartphone displays, but getting a usable photo is much harder than scanning a fingerprint.
Do you want a sneak peek at the future? Here you go…introducing you to Under-Display Camera technology!#Xiaomi #InnovationForEveryone pic.twitter.com/d2HL6FHkh1
— Xiaomi #5GIsHere (@Xiaomi) June 3, 2019
When you’re taking a photo with these phones, the section of display over the camera becomes transparent, allowing light to pass. Xiaomi notes that its prototype phone uses special low-reflectivity glass as well. These demo videos are of low quality, so it’s hard to see how well the cameras perform. According to Oppo, it’s going to take time to match exposed cameras.
It’s likely Chinese OEMs will roll out a few phones later this year and next year with under-display cameras, but the photos will be potato quality. That’s a market that allows rapid and sometimes ill-advised innovation. When the technology is more mature, we might see it come to global brands like Samsung. For now, get used to the notch.
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