Oppo shows prototype smartphone with front camera behind screen

Oppo has shown a prototype of a smartphone with a front camera that is behind the screen at its own event. Earlier, the manufacturer already showed a video of this. It is not yet clear when the technology will hit the market.

Oppo demonstrated the phone with a camera behind the screen at its Inno Day 2019. There are several hands-ons on Twitter and on websites like cnBeta and Android Authority. The front camera is located at the top in the middle and is placed behind the screen. As a result, the camera is virtually invisible when the screen is on. From certain angles, a rectangle can be seen at the part where the camera is hidden.

In June, Oppo and Xiaomi already showed videos in which they show smartphones with a camera behind the screen and Samsung is also working on the technology. It is now the first time that a manufacturer shows a device with a camera behind the screen at an event with an audience. Manufacturers have been working on placing camera sensors behind the screen for years. That makes phones possible without a notch or camera hole.

Nothing is known about the quality of the camera. It is also not clear which screen type Oppo uses in the prototype. It is likely that it is an OLED screen, because they can be made transparent and it is possible to see between the pixels. Optical fingerprint scanners also work behind the screen of smartphones.

It is likely that the quality of a front camera behind the screen is worse than when the camera is not hidden. The screen is not completely transparent and therefore the sensor cannot capture all the available light. That could be a limitation, especially in dark conditions. It is not yet clear when smartphones will actually appear with a camera behind the screen. Oppo has not yet disclosed concrete details about its device.

Oppo with camera behind the screen (in the middle at the top) Photo: Android Authority