Xiaomi Shows 3rd Generation Under-Display Camera Technology; Mass-Production in 2021

Nobody likes a camera notch in a smartphone’s display. Xiaomi, in particular, wanted to get rid of those holes and they apparently came up with a way to do it. On Friday, the third-generation under-display camera technology by Xiaomi  has been unveiled. It will will reach the mass production stage as early as 2021, possibly with the Xiaomi Mi 11.

The new development came almost a year after the Chinese base company initially showcased its under-display camera technology. Unlike their first-generation, which was limited to testing labs and the second iteration with only a prototype, the third-generation under-display camera technology is advertised to be having mass production potential. It is safe to say that although there have been prototypes in the past, Xiaomi finally has the version ready for the world.

It is designed in a manner so as to place the selfie camera right under the phone’s display. Moreover, this third-generation under-display camera technology uses a proprietary pixel arrangement, which allows the screen to pass light through the gap area of subpixels, consequently letting each pixel on the display retain a complete RGB subpixel layout, without sacrificing pixel density. Furthermore, if the camera is turned on, the display can disable pixels covering the image sensor in order to capture photos just like a normal camera.

That being said, Xiaomi third generation under-screen camera looks quite promising, and it will most certainly help the company achieve the bezel-less look without using any moving parts. Although the new technology is still under testing, its mass market debut is scheduled for next year, and could possibly even be seen in Xiaomi’s Mi 11 lineup.

Xiaomi may not be alone in under-display camera tech

However, it is possible that Xiaomi might not end up being the first smartphone manufacturer to bring the technology to a mass-market device after all.

While Xiaomi confirms a launch date of 2021 for its under-display camera, earlier this month, ZTE said it would be launching a smartphone with an under-display camera on September 1st, called the ZTE Axon 20 5G.

Apart from ZTE, Oppo is also testing a similar under-display camera technology and it could also come out in 2021.