Smartphones underwent from huge bezels to full-size displays.

In this transition, front

cameras annoyed us all in the form of notches. It looks like we have found a
permanent solution for it rather than temporary ones like pop-up cameras. Under-
display cameras are going to become a thing in the future.
A basic OLED screen is made of three layers, the cathode, the light pixels and the
anode. The reason why companies use notches for cameras is that the camera lenses
need a clear view in front of them so that light can pass through it. This lens couldn’t
be placed under the display because the cathode and anode layers are not
transparent, which means light cannot pass through them.
For better understanding, imagine the display as a sandwich. The two bread slices are
the cathode and anode layers and the stuffing inside is the light pixels. The camera
lenses cannot be placed under the sandwich because light cannot pass through the
sandwich.
But what if, the sandwich becomes invisible? Then even if the camera lens is placed
under the sandwich, light can pass through the transparent sandwich, and at the same
time, the sandwich tastes the same! What I mean is phone manufacturers have come
up with a new technique in which they would make the cathode and anode layers
transparent. So, how’s it gonna work?
This job will be done with customized displays. A small portion of the screen under
which the lens has to be placed will have a transparent cathode and anode layers with
low reflective glass. During normal usage, the display will work normally, though a
little dark spot is slightly visible as of now. And when the selfie camera is turned on,
the screen above the lens goes lightless, i.e. dark so that light rays can fall directly
from the outside to the lens. Though companies have admitted that the image quality
is not the best and the images experience problems of glaring, blurring and reflection.
This technology was assumed to have launched around 5 years later, but it seems the
companies to have become tired of the notches. Two companies, Oppo and Xiaomi
have come forward with their under-screen camera technology. Oppo showed the
concept in Mobile World Congress 19 and Xiaomi has started R&D Production.
Nevertheless, it is the go-to tech to get rid of the ugly notches, and the transition
towards a new trend seems imminent.
KUSHAL RAUT
F.E. (EXTC)