The photography arms race that is currently taking place in the smartphone market has managed to eclipse almost every other aspect of hardware that the latest handsets offer. While the past couple of years have seen manufacturers rush to add more and more lenses to the primary array on the rear, 2019 seems to be all about addressing the front-facing selfie camera and doing more to make it both more powerful and discrete than ever before. This is most apparent in the latest offerings from brands such as Xiaomi, which feature selfie cameras that are entirely disguised within the display, rather than having to monopolise any part of its area with a notch. Now Samsung has apparently shown its hand and decided not to get involved with such apparently high tech wizardry. So what will its upcoming devices have to offer?
Death of the Notch
Tech Radar reports that a leak from within Samsung suggests it is somewhat sceptical about the current generation of in-display camera technology. This could mean that the Korean giant believes there is some degree of compromise, either in terms of the quality of the images taken or in the screen itself.
The upshot is that Samsung will continue to leave its selfie cameras visible and obvious for the next couple of years at least, as it waits for improvements to in-screen cameras to arrive.
Thankfully this does not mean that it will be opting to embrace notches and retain a feature which has been the subject of quite a bit of controversial coverage since first arriving. Instead, insiders now expect that Samsung will be adopting a punch hole approach to selfie cameras for upcoming handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.
Punch hole cameras are surrounded by the pixels of the display yet remain distinct from the panel, poking through like a pinhole camera of old. This will no doubt make display assemblies far more complex and costly, meaning that having mobile phone insurance to cover repair costs may be wise.
Reputational Wrangling
Another driving factor in Samsung’s decision to steer clear of in-screen selfie cameras for the time being must be the recent debacle surrounding the Galaxy Fold.
This flexible phone was the first of its kind, but had its release pushed back after early units were found to suffer from a variety of faults associated with the foldable screen. Samsung may have learned a lesson and could now be looking to avoid jumping on technological bandwagons before all of the early adopter issues have been ironed out.
Analysts expect that it could be up to 3 years before Samsung starts building phones which have selfie cameras that are seamlessly integrated beneath the surface of the display, giving devices a completely clean and uninterrupted aesthetic that users will no doubt love. In the meantime its rivals could get bragging rights with their initial offerings, but if technical problems arise, then Samsung may very well have the last laugh.