Chinese smartphone maker ZTE will launch the world mass-produced 5G smartphone with an under-display camera next month.
The ZTE Axon 20 5G, which launches in China on September 1, will be the first under-display camera smartphone to be released to the market.
The so-called ‘under-display’ camera is completely hidden behind the screen of the phone, and does not need to make notches or small round ‘hole-punches’.
The design increases the amount of space on the screen of the smartphone, which is normally occupied by the black spot at the top that houses the camera.
Although the release date of the phone in the UK is yet to be announced, more details, including pricing, will be available at the launch event on September 1st.
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Leaking image of the ZTE Axon 20 Pro 5G, according to Specs Tech. The device will be the first mass-produced 5G smartphone with under-display camera
The new ZTE Axon 20 5G is rumored to run Android 10 and comes with a 6.92-inch (1,080×2,460 pixels) OLED display, according to a leak on Chinese regulatory body TENAA and detailed by Gadgets360.
However, the exact configurations have not been confirmed at this time and more details will be revealed next month.
“With the aim of continuously delivering unparalleled user experiences, ZTE is committed to accelerating the development of innovative technologies,” the company said in a blog post.
‘By launching the world’s first 5G smartphone with launch camera, ZTE will further promote the development of display technologies in the smartphone sector, bringing a revolutionary experience for all consumers.’
The company calls the new device a ‘milestone’ in its ambition to sell a ‘real full display smartphone’.
All major industry players have been working on the smartphone for under-display camera, ZTE said.
To keep the camera forward, smartphone designs have previously used the popular notch display – a cut of the device’s display, usually at the top.
Other designs include the pop-up selfie camera smartphone, featured on the Samsung Galaxy A80, which slides up to reveal the selfie camera.
The Chinese company is holding a launch event for the smartphone to reveal more specs and pricing details
The view of the hole punch has a small, round black hole, while the view of the drop with water drop, as on the OnePlus 6T and some Xiamoi models, is shaped like a drop of water falling from a window on the top.
However, as customers spend more time enjoying video content, smartphone makers are encouraged to keep the entire screen free of all imperfections and deliver a full screen display.
The under-display technology provides a way to do this without dispensing the camera.
Other Chinese companies including Oppo and Xiaomi have been working on their own under-display camera technology.
In June last year, both companies released their versions of the technology on social media, although neither has continued to launch an under-screen camera product.
“For those looking for the perfect, notchless smartphone screen experience – prepare yourself for amazement,” Oppo posted on Twitter at the time, accompanied by a short clip from an ‘invisible’ camera.
Chinese smartphone maker Oppo unveiled a glimpse of its hidden under-the-screen selfie camera technology (image)
Vice President Brian Shen wrote on Chinese social media site Weibo that there would be some loss of optical quality compared to normal cameras at this early stage
Vice President Brian Shen wrote on Chinese social media site Weibo that there would be some loss of optical quality compared to normal cameras at this early stage.
Chinese firm Xiaomi then tweeted a video showing their device, writing, ‘Do you want a sneak peek in the future? Por favor…’.
Xiaomi President Lin Bin posted a Twitter video of the Xiaomi Mi 9 with a front-facing camera, which is completely hidden behind the screen of the phone.
There was no indication when these two companies intended to make their under-display technology available to the public.
In 2019, ZTE launched the ZTE Axon 10 Pro 5G, one of the first 5G phones available in China, with a compact, unique curved display.
ZTE claims to have achieved several breakthroughs in the field of smartphone displays, including the pressure-sensitive display of the Axon 7 smartphone and its foldable dual-screen smartphone, the ZTE Axon M Z999.
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