Huawei files a patent for under-the-screen camera smartphone

While pop-up selfie camera is a clever solution to get rid of the “notch design,” the risk of getting it broken is always there. The best solution that can be thought of is the under-the-display camera and that’s exactly what Huawei and a few others Chinese smartphone manufacturers like Xiaomi and Oppo are working on.

Huawei filed a patent for its under-the-display camera smartphone back in 2018 and it was published by WIPO(World Intellectual Property Office) on August 29, 2019.

Titled ‘Mobile terminal and display method thereof,’ Huawei’s patent showcases how the company is planning to nail the under-the-display camera technology in a smartphone.

Huawei envisions a smartphone that features a partially transparent display and the upper of it which is usually occupied by status icons like battery indicator, is where all the magic happen. Huawei placed under-the-display-camera at the level of the status bar (via Letsgodigital).

Interestingly enough, components like the LED indicator, light emitter, and even the flash has been placed under the screen.

When the selfie camera is not in use, everything stays as normal — the status bar icons can be displayed as they get displayed in today’s smartphones. The display remains semi-transparent(between 50-99%) during this time.

And when the selfie camera is in use, the portion of the display where the cameras and components like LED indicator are located turn into a completely transparent display. You’ll literally be able to see through it! According to Huawei, this will ensure good quality selfies. Further, you’ll be able to control transparency.

The patent also talks about the possibility of extending the transparent part to other parts of the display.

Again, we’re not aware of whether or not Huawei is going bring such a technology to the market, but if ever Huawei launches a smartphone with technology that has been discussed in the patent, it’d be revolutionary, to say the least.