Oppo shows off its first under-screen camera phone

Fresh from the buzz off its pop-up camera phones like the F11 Pro and Oppo Reno 10x Zoom, the company is turning heads again with its latest innovation – under-screen camera technology (USC). During the 2019 Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai event, Oppo teased attendees with a full-screen mobile phone that houses an under-display selfie camera. In-display cameras are the permanent solution for creating bezel-less screens unlike pop-up cameras that are only "temporary fixes or band aids", per a GadgetMatch video.

During the MCW19 demo in Shanghai, Oppo showed various image samples to illustrate to the attendees that the display does not have any obstruction at all:

Oppo integrates and hides the front camera within the display using a special film made of transparent material. This material lets in as much light as possible every time the camera is used. The setup has a larger aperture, sensor and pixel size so that photos don't get too compromised. Tailored AI algorithms are also in place for auto fixes on the white balance, HDR and haze aspects on an image.When not in use, the portion above the camera module lights up and shows pixels.It which will allow for a full-screen display. These pixel tweaks on top of the image sensor is made possible through what Oppo calls as "zoning control" technology as cited in
VentureBeat.

But Oppo isn’t the only company working on in-display cameras. Xiaomi also tweeted a sneak peak of their own under-display camera in the works:

The video shows an already-working in-display camera phone taking a selfie. As expected, this tweet garnered much excitement on the future of smartphones. The in-display camera approach will eliminate the minor obstructing view that hole-punch displays created. It will also secure the phone from the potential wear and tear of having motorized parts in phones. Not to mention, water and dust resistance can be added features again since phones with motorized camera parts lack these protections.

But despite its massive potential, this technology is still a work in progress. In his Youtube video, tech reviewer Param explains why the in-screen camera design isn't popular yet. Given that this technology is currently costly, creating transparent OLED screens still proves to be quite a challenge. Furthermore, the image quality of these selfie cameras is yet to be seen if they are on par with today’s current front cameras.

Amidst the hurdle, manufacturers are still committed to creating the "perfect all screen smartphone." Oppo product manager Qiao Jiadong says that "USC [is] part of Oppo’s vision for the future that we hope will promote the industry's technological evolution from zero to one. We also view our technological innovation as a way to expand the imagination while opening up a wide range of application scenarios." Thefuture of USC in the mobile market is yet to be seen, but it is something to be watched out for.

While the trend isn’t mainstream yet, importers and consumers can buy current hot mobile phones, wearables and accessories. There are plenty of these gadgets from verified suppliers in Global Sources.