Oppo teases a phone with a selfie camera built into the screen – CNET

With phone makers struggling to differentiate themselves in a crowded market, the question often asked is how to best evolve the selfie camera. Right now a notch atop the display is the most common way of incorporating a front camera while taking up minimal screen space.

Oppo on Monday offered another route: a camera built into the display. This means you get a phone with a clean, unencumbered screen, unlike the iPhone notch or the Samsung S10 hole punch.

Oppo brought the tease through its official Twitter account. “You are taking a very first look at our under-display selfie camera technology,” the post read.

For those seeking the perfect, notchless smartphone screen experience – prepare to be amazed. 📲

You are taking a very first look at our under-display selfie camera technology. RT! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/FrqB6RiJaY

— OPPO (@oppo) June 3, 2019

The video was also posted to Weibo, China’s equivalent of Twitter, by Oppo Vice President Brian Shen. He noted (via Google Translate) that it’s difficult to make in-screen cameras as effective as the shooters we have on our current phones, but that this is a worthy step in the right direction.

Oppo’s most recent phone, The Reno, also enjoys a notch-free screen, with its selfie lens attached to a pop-up camera. The company, following the likes of Samsung, will soon release a 5G version of the Reno. Oppo didn’t say when we’d see the in-screen camera on a buyable phone.