With phone makers struggling to differentiate themselves in a crowded market, the question often asked is how to best evolve the selfie camera. Right now a notch atop the display is the most common way of incorporating a front camera while taking up minimal screen space.
Oppo on Monday offered another route: a camera built into the display. This means you get a phone with a clean, unencumbered screen, unlike the iPhone notch or the Samsung S10 hole punch.
Oppo brought the tease through its official Twitter account. "You are taking a very first look at our under-display selfie camera technology," the post read. Recently, Vivo revealed a concept phone called the Apex 2020 with an under-screen camera.
For those seeking the perfect, notchless smartphone screen experience – prepare to be amazed. 📲
— OPPO (@oppo) June 3, 2019
You are taking a very first look at our under-display selfie camera technology. RT! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/FrqB6RiJaY
The video was also posted to Weibo, China's equivalent of Twitter, by Oppo Vice President Brian Shen. He noted (via Google Translate) that it's difficult to make in-screen cameras as effective as the shooters we have on our current phones, but that this is a worthy step in the right direction.
Oppo's most recent phone, The Reno, also enjoys a notch-free screen, with its selfie lens attached to a pop-up camera. The company, following the likes of Samsung, will soon release a 5G version of the Reno. Oppo didn't say when we'd see the in-screen camera on a buyable phone.
