Are mechanical camera sliders the answer to the notch?

Ever since Apple introduced the iPhone X, which sported a display cutout on the top coined as a “notch,” many other smartphone manufacturers have followed suit on its design. While the purpose of the trend is to create a bezel-less phone, it still fails to do just that as the earpiece, front camera and sensors are getting in the way. There has also been a divide on whether the notch is truly the future of the smartphone, given that major companies are already adopting it.

Two smartphone manufacturers, however, are challenging this idea and finding a way around this dilemma. Oppo’s Find Xand Vivo’s Nex are two new Android smartphones with a feature that no other major company has done before: a mechanical camera that pops up above the screen. While this idea adds a fancy new touch to how smartphones work, it is likely to create more issues than solve them.

For one, the Oppo Find X adopts glass on the front and back of the device. With this fragility in consideration, owners will likely want to protect it with a case, and the pop-up camera will make this tricky, if not impossible. Also, with constant use, the mechanical slider will gather lint, dust and liquid inside, which will likely break the components.

Moreover, according to designer Philippe Starck when interviewed back in 2009 about the Nokia N97’s slider keyboard, “anytime you add a mechanical component, no matter how good or impressive, you’re making your product less durable”. There’s also the possibility of the module refusing to open for some other mechanical issue, making it even more difficult for users to utilize the camera.

It can easily be seen how manufacturers like Oppo and Vivo are trying to be the pioneers for a truly bezel-less smartphone. However, this new concept might seem to be more of just a flashy new idea and not something that could become mainstream with other phones. Consumers and volume importers alike can expect that smartphones will continue to evolve in form factor, but a mechanical slider to house the camera and sensors might not be on the horizon.