Xiaomi demoes its third-generation solution for under-display front camera

28 August 2020
First, it was tested in labs, then used on a demo unit, but now it is fully functioning and ready for mass production.

Sort by:

Anonymous, 28 Aug 2020security and privacy are the things of past Privacy advocate huh? Nice to see your opinion about as much here - seriously. Handset privacy, has been an uphill battle thus far, but keeping a positive outlook on this topic is paramount for privacy enhancing developments - ideally.

    Note to 'Xiaomi': please consider(reconsider?) selling your handsets in the u. states.

      dyslexic alien, 28 Aug 2020Balanced micro bezels on the top and bottom or bezel less. ... moreFor one handed use I don't mind that the bottom bezel is slightly thicker. The Redmi K30 Ultra seems to have slightly slimmer bottom bezel than my Mi Mix 3.

      Either that or better palm rejection.

      Thick bezels all around (like iphone x/xs, espcially compared to screen size) is a no go for me. It looks like a Fischer-Price device for kids :P

        dyslexic alien, 28 Aug 2020Seriously, where does it end with you guys? 9.8 inch? 12.4 ... moreWhere does it end? It depends on the aspect ratio. My current device is 6.39" at 19.5:9, and it is not large enough screen wise, it is indeed tall, but way too narrow and hence feels too small. I really liked the width of my screen when it was 6.4" at 16:9. So it seems it's a width of about 80mm for the :9 portion of the display for me.

        The Z Ultra had huge bezels so it was more than 92 mm in width. The Mi Max had same screen size and aspect, but smaller bezels so it was less than 89mm thick. The display itself would be about 80mm wide, and add 3mm bezels on each side it should be possible to make it only 86mm wide, when held vertically as one typically does during one handed use and not watching a video/movie.

        At 18:9 it seemed as 6.9 - 7" was pretty good. Very comparable to 6.4" at 16:9, only taller.
        The display would be 160mm tall + bezels so 166-170m tall. Very manageable indeed :-)

        Seeing as 21:9 does seem to be where we're going, I'd say around 8" in 21:9 should be about perfect. The screen would be about 80mm wide + bezels and you have 86mm from edge to edge (when held vertically in one hand) :-)
        The other dimension would then be about 190mm + bezels, so around 196-200mm tall.
        Which is quite tall, maybe even too tall.

        Just for fun, since 19.5:9 is quite widespread, that would make it a 173.33x80mm display, hence around 180-185 tall and 86 wide with bezels. Also quite great if you ask me :-)
        Significantly smaller than say a Asus Zenfone 3 Ultra (186.4x93.9), an old device with huge bezels.

          • A
          • Az
          • pYP
          • 31 Aug 2020

          AnonD-909757, 29 Aug 2020@chad @Mihai @Namb When was the last time you or anyone yo... moreThat contraption is the ugliest and clumsy device I've ever seen. You sir have no clue what you are talking about.

            • A
            • AZ
            • pYP
            • 31 Aug 2020

            AnonD-909757, 30 Aug 2020Again, I am NOT talking about just no front camera, I am ta... moreSorry I don't fancy reading an essay today thanks

              • D
              • AnonD-909757
              • pZQ
              • 30 Aug 2020

              bbbcomrade, 29 Aug 2020Unfortunately with the age of social media and "influe... moreAgain, I am NOT talking about just no front camera, I am talking about not front camera AND a solution to make up for it, literally it isn't the few times per day/week/month you start video call or any other use where you have to look at your face and at the display at the same time that will make an easily one click unfolding and one finger retraction camera mirror thing annoying to use.
              Also, back then, privacy wasn't a concern, it also had a quite basic design at a time where funny opening, twisting, sliding and other crazy designs were out there (at a time where peoples didn't complained about moving parts or wear by the way) and where all others like the Nokia
              6233 who shared the same basic shape had way better design with rounded curves and nice colors separation.
              It also had no camera at all, not just not a front camera, but no camera at all, I know, it wasn't the only one.
              But combine all that, and it isn't surprising why it haven't been the crazy trending phone.

              After my Samsung Wave, my proper first smartphone was the Acer E700 Trio, it was at that time a quite reasonably priced phone, with a 200€ pricetag while comparing with 300€ phones, it had a big battery, triple sim, it was one of the first phablet, those huge phones that are now normal, it had everything to please, yet, I never seen anyone else even owning another Acer phone, does it mean the idea of early high mid range killer with large battery, large format and triple sim bad ?
              It was funnily enough released the same year of the iconic flagship killer, the OnePlus One.
              It even had a really practical button on the back that I remember using a lot.
              https://www.gsmarena.com/acer_liquid_e700-6420.php

              Also around 2005 when the E60 was released, many other phones didn't had front camera, many also didn't had any camera at all, and video call was certainly not a popular thing back then, actually when I saw the first ads about video call, I really loved the idea and wanted it, but NO ONE ever did it, except in movies.
              So you can't blame lack of front camera for this phone unpopularity.

              Regardless of the year, the 3.5mm Jack is probably way more important for a vast amount of peoples than the front camera, I am sure if you ask peoples to choose between the Jack and the selfie camera (again, as USB to Jack adapters are available, I talk about no front camera with a solution to make up for its absence), quite a lot will prefer the Jack.
              It is one of the most versatile port with so many peripherals that are compatible with it, there isn't any USB-C or Micro USB headset available (or if there are, they aren't popular), and the ONLY reason to remove the Jack, is to justify selling costly Bluetooth things with it.
              Yet, many peoples buy phones without the Jack, I am sure everyone have Jack earphones at home, and more importantly, it allow to plug high quality headsets that Bluetooth things can't ever dream to match, just because there are many peoples that don't wan't things IN their ear, but prefer headphones, the Jack is still justified, by that alone.
              The issue with the adapter, other than having to carry it around, is that there are great chances you use it to watch things during commute, which could be long and require you to charge your battery with power bank or transport's plug.
              Also, in a time where we criticize wireless charging to waste energy, are we really gonna consider it normal to have to use battery draining connection AND battery powered earphones/earbuds ?

              If anything, the Front camera (which often take more space than the Jack and always cause issues) is the one thing to be removed, not the Jack, but since we leave in a dystopian twisted version of the reality where every possible wrong decision are taken in the smartphone industry...

                AnonD-909757, 28 Aug 2020I am still waiting for smartphones with NO front camera, wh... moreUnfortunately with the age of social media and "influencing" there is no way any company will make smartphone with no front camera. I remember back in the day when every phone start to have camera Nokia release E60 as business focused phone with no camera but i never seen another person using it other than me.

                  • S
                  • Stop
                  • 3DR
                  • 29 Aug 2020

                  afronoia, 29 Aug 2020The useless idea of 'enhancing' front camera was ... moreStop

                    Android.Master, 29 Aug 2020What world do you live in? Plenty of people use video call... moreThe useless idea of 'enhancing' front camera was already there before the pandemic, from notches to punch hole to popoup to swivel up and now under display camera. While as @Demongornot said, the solution was available many years ago. Not exactly seamless and a bit of hassle to buy & carry around that adapter, but if you're SERIOUSLY using front camera that much, you can at least do that to have high quality photo & video. In my case, that's the least I can do in terms of 35mm jack, and bring wired headphone everywhere to have quality sound instead of the practical wireless one.
                    It's true the use of video call increased lately, but when people also stuck at home it means you don't have to use phone for that, right? Almost all laptop have a webcam, or you can get separate webcam to use with pc for cheap. I work remotely even before pandemic, and I never need to have videocall.
                    It really comes to what people need, but the supply should be at least proportional so that people who don't need front camera like me can also enjoy decent performance phone.

                      • D
                      • AnonD-909757
                      • pZQ
                      • 29 Aug 2020

                      Android.Master, 29 Aug 2020What world do you live in? Plenty of people use video call... moreI didn't say there were not many, it isn't just something peoples do constantly, nor done regularly by the majority.
                      I also didn't say it shouldn't be done, but it clearly isn't enough to justify all the drawbacks of the front camera when solution to still do video call exist.
                      I have been way more in situations where I the 3.5mm Jack would have been useful haven't it been removed from the OnePlus 6t than situation where I needed or did any video call, yet they remove the 3.5mm Jack, and many idiots actually encourage it "BeCaUsE tHeY pReFeRe BlUeToOtH", and that despite the Jack port being literally harmless, it take little space and doesn't cause any issue, unlike front camera where we did get as far as making damn holes in the display in order to put them, so why not remove the front camera, as some say to use adapters for the Jack, use an external solution for the selfie camera.

                      The funny part is that, not only there are 3.5mm Jack camera, but also despite the Jack being harmless and having to handle an adapter to get it available, the front camera is really harmful and source of many issues and the solution I talked about wouldn't be cumbersome as it is integrated into the case.
                      Should have been the other way around, ditching the front camera and leaving the Jack alone, that's where we see we are living it a totally messed up dystopia...

                        AnonD-909757, 29 Aug 2020@chad @Mihai @Namb When was the last time you or anyone yo... moreWhat world do you live in?
                        Plenty of people use video calls regularly.
                        They have exponentially increased during the pandemic.

                          • D
                          • AnonD-909757
                          • pZQ
                          • 29 Aug 2020

                          chad, 28 Aug 2020try videocall using rearcam lol@chad @Mihai @Namb
                          When was the last time you or anyone you know did a video call ?
                          This isn't that common of a thing, funnily enough that the exact reason why front camera were introduced, and for a while nearly no one did do it, but suddenly, when it come to removing the front camera, everyone is obcessed with that...
                          This excuse is a cheap constantly used one.

                          Also, why would a phone without selfie camera prevent you from doing proper video call?
                          Exemple :
                          Remove the camera, but instead, on the provided phone case, put a compact, retractable and spring loaded version of this :
                          https://walyou.com/wp-content/uploads//2010/12/OneMoreFace-1.jpg

                          Problem solved, it is cheap, even if it break you don't need any repair on the phone and it would cost pennies to replace, also you use the superior main camera while still seeing your display, the cost of a front camera is gone, the extreme cost of underdisplay camera is also gone, you get privacy and it is a quite simple solution.
                          Mix it with LiDAR on the back for photography, AR but also for 3D facial recognition.
                          That can be easily done with sensors on the back by flipping your wrist, as if you were taking a selfie to looking at your watch (totally removing the need of any sensors except ambiant light and proximity while giving advantages of what the iPhone notch provide with 3D facial recognition), making the camera directly aimed at your face, also since the gyros will detect the motion, it will be quite seemless and would be ready before you have ended the motion, making it even faster, and more reliable since by moving it get a constant offset of perspective, allowing more details to be captured, and because of the motion, it can be easily combined with fingerprint scanner to get better security.

                          Also, considering the underdisplay camera probably have heavy image compensation by software, you'll be better using my idea than video call anyway.
                          Also it leave more room for more interesting sensors, like better main camera setup, or fulldisplay fingerprint scanner.

                            MrWong, 28 Aug 2020The Chinese copies stuff until they have enough budget. Pro... moreand which country did not do that?
                            USA was copying UK
                            Japan was copying USA
                            Taiwan island & Korea were copying Japan
                            why everybody lose their mind when China was copying others?

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • MSJ
                              • 29 Aug 2020

                              iOS Never Again, 28 Aug 2020The Chinese brands are taking over. Chinese companies are ... moreNo doubt. The old days of Samsung, Nokia, Sony/Ericsson... A huge difference in bringing advanced new technology to people for a price today.
                              (even though I realize all aspects)

                                The Chinese brands are taking over.
                                Chinese companies are on the Innovation hot bed in the smartphone market right now.
                                Imagine how stuck we'd be without them.
                                No one can make Samsung bow, Xiaomi did that.
                                Super Impressive!

                                  • c
                                  • chad
                                  • sxs
                                  • 28 Aug 2020

                                  AnonD-909757, 28 Aug 2020I am still waiting for smartphones with NO front camera, wh... moretry videocall using rearcam lol

                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • 7xY
                                    • 28 Aug 2020

                                    The end of the chase is almost here in 2020 for the elusive "under-display-camera". The inherent merit of the technology and the large enough market demand drive the competition forward among the tech companies. Love to see so many companies, Vivo, ZTE, Oppo, Xiaomi, Huawei, Meizu and others, are all openly in the chase, with significantly different technologies addressing the same issue.

                                    In several recent market research reports regarding features most desired for inclusion in a smartphone, "under-display-camera" is given way higher priority over some other features such as "IP68". The exclusion of "IP68" in some phones and the inclusion of "under-display-camera" in some other phone are both triumphs of the market.

                                    With "under-display-camera" and "curved frontal display" both in favor, we are witnessing a very modest "aesthetic movement" of 2020 in the smartphone world.

                                      • M
                                      • Mihai
                                      • aj%
                                      • 28 Aug 2020

                                      AnonD-909757, 28 Aug 2020I am still waiting for smartphones with NO front camera, wh... moreVideo call.

                                        • ?
                                        • Anonymous
                                        • yAL
                                        • 28 Aug 2020

                                        MrWong, 28 Aug 2020The Chinese copies stuff until they have enough budget. Pro... moreApple copied how the walkman work too and even Sony culture, until they have enough money they can innovate. Everyone does the same thing.