Galaxy S21 (S30) could be the last Samsung flagship to sport a pinhole display
Back in 2018, Samsung reportedly discussed its progress on under-screen cameras during an event in China. Two prominent leakers hint that the technology is ready for commercialization and we may see it next year.
Under-panel cameras have their own challenges, largely because of lower light transmission rates which could affect image quality. There is also the problem of aesthetics because of the discrepancy between the pixel-per-inch (PPI) of the camera area and the rest of the screen. This is something that Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi's General Manager Lu Weibing has highlighted publicly. OPPO's prototype that it demonstrated last year had similar issues.
Ice Universe claims that Samsung is faring much better in this regard and its under-screen camera tech is a lot better than the implementations we have seen so far. The company is keen on improving the tech further, which is probably why we won't see it on the Galaxy S21 (S30).
Supply chain insider Ross Young also chimed in on the discussion and he is quite confident that Samsung's under-display camera will make a debut next year. If the company doesn't equip the Galaxy S21 with the tech, we will likely see it on the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
These speculations are also in line with a patent filing that illustrates a notch-less iPhone. The company is also said to be working on an in-display Touch ID. The iPhone 13 camera is also reportedly scoring lots of improvements.
Under-panel cameras have their own challenges, largely because of lower light transmission rates which could affect image quality. There is also the problem of aesthetics because of the discrepancy between the pixel-per-inch (PPI) of the camera area and the rest of the screen. This is something that Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi's General Manager Lu Weibing has highlighted publicly. OPPO's prototype that it demonstrated last year had similar issues.
2021 is looking good for UPC at Samsung. If not S21 then Fold 3...
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) September 11, 2020
Supply chain insider Ross Young also chimed in on the discussion and he is quite confident that Samsung's under-display camera will make a debut next year. If the company doesn't equip the Galaxy S21 with the tech, we will likely see it on the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
The iPhone notch is apparently also on its way out
Apple is another company that seems to be working on an in-display camera. If Apple cracks the code by next year, iPhone 12's successor will likely do away with the notch, something which famed Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had predicted in 2019.
On the surface, Apple has a soft spot for Notch, but in fact, it is working hard to overcome the under-screen camera and foldable technology. Maybe next year, Notch will disappear without a trace.
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) September 11, 2020
Ice's tweet also lends credence to a recent report about Apple's eagerness to bring out a foldable iPhone as soon as possible.
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