Smartphone tech we are dying for is real and it's not from Apple or Samsung

Apple just had its WWDC 2019 keynote and while many people may consider it a success, we feel that it has lost its lustre from years gone by where they would introduce a new iPhone. For this, we usually have to wait for September for an iPhone launch and this has become the norm. Samsung, on the other hand, introduces their main products at the beginning of the year and then its next flagship, the Galaxy Note 10 gets introduced by August. This is usually the timeline for Apple and Samsung products and we can expect new launches in this timeframe with near certainty. However, while these brands are patiently waiting for their release cycles, other lesser-known brands are taking the initiative to continuously tease new technology; and some of these advancements are wanted by tech enthusiasts for years on end.

OPPO, a brand that’s rapidly making its name for itself as one of the biggest players in the smartphone space along with Xiaomi, a brand in India, that needs no introduction have both flaunted smartphones in the space of a few hours with some technology that we expect to be the standard for years to come.

OPPO and Xiaomi have both taken to their social media accounts and teased smartphones with the highly anticipated under-display camera technology. While we have been waiting for the big boys such as Samsung and Apple to probably be the first to come out with this technology; these newer brands have swooped in and show that innovation isn’t just reserved for the bigger brands.

First teased on Weibo by OPPO’s VP Brian Shen, and then on Twitter, we see this prototype handset in action that comes with an under-display selfie camera. OPPO states, “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.”

The device that has been shown off has been placed in a protective cover but it’s pretty obvious that it doesn’t come with a notch or a pop-up camera; features which OPPO already have in their arsenal. As of now, there is no word on when the handsets will launch but since vivo and OnePlus belong under the same umbrella, you can expect a future OnePlus device to launch with this technology.

Over the past couple of years, OPPO has been at the forefront of tech innovations and have introduced features such as its VOOC fast charging and the periscope camera that can help greatly with zoom capabilities. As is the case with this under-display selfie camera, both those technologies were first a part of prototype teasers that later got mass produced.

Not to be lie in the shadows of OPPO’s glory, Xiaomi, a brand that has been one of the fastest growing smartphone manufacturers in the world have also shown off their handset with an under-display camera. The Xiaomi Mi 9 prototype with this feature was shown off by Xiaomi’s CEO Lin Bin and in a related tweet, Xiaomi states, “Do you want a sneak peek at the future? Here you go...introducing you to Under-Display Camera technology!”

According to the brand, Xiaomi patented a procedure to make the display transparent without reflecting any light in any way when the screen is black and the diodes are off. While the OLED has to act as a plastic layer, Xiaomi states that they can add a 20MP selfie snapper with athe 5P lens under the screen.

While there is no word on when the OPPO and Xiaomi under-display camera handsets will become a reality; it’s pretty obvious that the brands are flexing their muscles on the day of the WWDC 2019 keynote in order to take some of the shine off Apple. Also, the situation with Huawei and the US also poses as an advantage to the brands and so is the Samsung Galaxy Fold fiasco that doesn’t seem to have an end in sight.

With that being said, having a working prototype is one thing and it is something totally different when it comes to mass producing handsets that will be commercially available that fans can appreciate. If the under-display selfie-camera technology isn’t as good as what’s currently available in regular selfie cameras, then this new tech may fail drastically before it even has a chance to fully take off.