Source: LetsGoDigital
What you need to know
- A new patent may have revealed the design of Xiaomi's first smartphone with an in-display selfie camera.
- Xiaomi and OPPO had shown off their in-display camera tech last year.
- Xiaomi doesn't expect phones with in-display selfie cameras to become a reality this year.
In June last year, popular Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi showcased a Mi 9 prototype featuring an in-display selfie camera. While Xiaomi isn't likely to launch its first phone with an in-display selfie camera anytime soon, a new patent discovered by Dutch tech site LetsGoDigital has revealed two designs that the company could be working on.
Source: LetsGoDigital
As can be seen in the image above, the two designs are nearly identical, with the only difference being the location of the in-display selfie camera. The design sketches reveal a phone with a flat display, instead of the curved screens seen in Xiaomi's Mi 10 series phones. As described in the patent filing, the screen area above the selfie camera becomes transparent when it is in use. When it is not activated, the area is displayed normally like the other parts of the screen.
While it is certainly possible that Xiaomi's first phone with an in-display camera could feature a very similar design to the sketch above, it isn't guaranteed. Even though Xiaomi has been working on in-display cameras for a long time now, the company's Vice President said in March this year that it might take a long time for the first phone with the technology to become available. Thanks to the high pixel density of displays on modern phones, in-display cameras do not receive enough light to deliver acceptable image quality.
Xiaomi isn't the only smartphone maker currently working on in-display cameras. OPPO and Samsung are also working on the technology, although neither of them has confirmed any plans of commercializing it yet.
The Snapdragon 888 is here to turbocharge 2021 Android flagships
The Snapdragon 888 is now official, and the chipset boasts incredible gains across the board from the last-gen Snapdragon 888. The flagship chipset will make its way to phones from 14 manufacturers next year, but Samsung is a curious omission.
Here's your most detailed look yet at the Samsung Galaxy S21+
More renders of Samsung’s Galaxy S21 Plus have appeared online, giving us a better look at the design of the upcoming flagship phone. Like the Galaxy S21 and S21 Ultra, the S21+ will feature an Infinity-O display and a redesigned rear camera array.
What do you prefer — light mode or dark mode?
Light mode or dark mode? It's a timeless debate in the Android space, and we want to know which one you prefer.
These are the best rugged cases for the Samsung Galaxy Note 9
With the Note 9 ranking as one of the most expensive phones on the market in 2018. Whether you ended up buying one back then or just got your hands on one today, the last thing you want is some unsightly cracks or scratches from a hapless drop.