OPPO and Xiaomi are reinventing the selfie camera

Chinese smartphone companies seem to be in the driving seat of developing a new wave of the selfie camera technology.

OPPO and Xiaomi are leading in altering the position of the selfie camera on a mobile phone’s screen display, in turn perhaps helping to change how smartphones look forever.

While it is not a stretch to have the screen as the entirety of the mobile phone display, OPPO and Xiaomi are on the forefront of introducing the under screen camera technology to the mainstream.

What that means is that the Chinese smartphone makers are pushing the boundaries of full screen technology, as well as innovating the mobile phone camera.

In developing under screen camera technology, the position of the screen camera is being revolutionised by not having it as an indentation or protusion from or on the screen. Instead, the camera is located “under the screen” (as the name suggests) meaning the whole screen works as a touch screen until the moment one picks the camera option.

OPPO's brand new solution for full-screen display – Under-screen Camera (USC) has just been unveiled here at #MWC19 Shanghai! 🤯 #MoreThanTheSeen pic.twitter.com/c1FUEbXS0P

— OPPO (@oppo) June 26, 2019

Therefore, when one picks the selfie mode, a circular animation will activate briefly on the screen display to indicate where the camera is.

The new technology was first introduced to the world by OPPO via social media, before rivals Xiaomi also previewed their own under screen tech phone. It points to the possibility that many other smartphone firms could be developing the tech, and the probability that if it succeeds, it will be adopted by other smartphone companies.

[Read: Sanofi rolls out online training on diabetes management in Kenya]

In a statement on June 21, OPPO said, “The under-screen camera isn’t just an idea on paper; it’s a functional feature. Users will see a short animation highlighting the position of the front-facing camera during selfie mode.”

But how about interference of the under screen camera when one is using their phone regularly, or when watching videos?

“It’s invisible while watching videos, playing games, reading emails, making video calls with friends and family,” OPPO said.

However, doubts linger as to the quality of the images captured by under screen cameras. Already, OPPO Vice President Shen Yiren has commented on Weibo, a Chinese social media account, that pictures taken by the camera aren’t as crisp and clear as those taken by a protruding camera.

Xiaomi though also have their own innovation, with a pop up selfie camera in-built into one of their smartphones.

The geeks in our lab put on their lab coats to discover the pop-up selfie camera is built to last 300,000 times. #PopUpInStyle to unlock your #Mi9T.
*Duration tested by Xiaomi's internal lab. Actual results may vary based on individual conditions. pic.twitter.com/0kBVjIPsAH

— Xiaomi (@Xiaomi) June 27, 2019

The camera, as the name suggests, is activated when the selfie mode is chosen by sliding up from within the mobile phone, before then sliding down into the phone when not needed.

[See Also: Nairobi moves up in expensive cities ranking]