OPPO was among the first OEMs to showcase an under-display camera technology for smartphones back in 2019. The company has now showcased its third-gen under-display camera technology.
The company has solved several issues with under-screen cameras through a number of technological advancements and breakthroughs, all to deliver better imaging quality and an immersive full-screen experience.
Technological Advancements to Improve Under-Screen Camera Experience
Under-display cameras in their current form cannot deliver the same image quality as a regular selfie camera on smartphones. OPPO is trying to close this gap as much as possible with its latest iteration of under-display camera technology. The company has come up with an innovative new structure design and proprietary AI algorithms for this.
There’s a new pixel geometry that shrinks the “size of each pixel without decreasing the number of pixels to ensure a 400-PPI high-quality display even in the camera area.” OPPO has also replaced the traditional screen wiring with a transparent material that’s 50 percent slimmer than existing solutions.
For improved color, screen accuracy, and brightness, OPPO has developed a new 1-to-1 pixel circuit solution where one pixel circuit drives one pixel on the display in the camera area. This helps ensure that the uniformity of the display brightness is maintained, with OPPO reporting a deviation of about 2 percent.
Coupled with other optimizations, OPPO claims it has managed to increase the display lifespan by up to 50 percent.
AI Algorithms to Improve Image Quality
OPPO is using several proprietary AI algorithms—diffraction reduction, HDR, and AWB—to work around the technical limitations of under-display cameras. These AI algorithms will help reduce blurry images and glare and allow the under-screen camera to capture more natural-looking photos.
In a nutshell, OPPO’s third-gen under-screen camera technology fixes inconsistent display quality around the under-screen camera, improves the display reliability and fixes the poor and blurry image quality caused by the display obstructing the camera.
Phones With Under-Screen Camera Are the Future
OPPO does not make it clear if it intends to launch a smartphone utilizing its third-gen under-display camera technology. The company, however, promises to further develop this technology, with its ultimate goal being to bring a “more immersive, true full-screen under-screen camera system” to its customers worldwide.
ZTE is so far the only company to have launched a smartphone with an under-display camera. Samsung is also rumored to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 3 later this month with an under-screen camera. Going by all the advancements in this area, phones with under-display cameras could become mainstream in the next couple of years.
