‘All-Screen’ iPhone Under-Display Camera
Apple’s Korean suppliers have started developing under-display cameras (UDC) for smartphones, potentially leading to the first iPhone with a true “all-screen” design.
‘All-Screen’ iPhone Under-Display Camera
Apple is also in the process of developing iPhones with under-display cameras to make for an all-screen device. Their Korean suppliers have begun to develop this new technology.
An under-display camera, as mentioned by The Elec, is something that LG Innotek is building from scratch at the moment. Unlike other front cameras a UDC does not have a protruding hole in the screen where the front camera lens is housed when not in use. But it transmits less light, which degrades image clarity as well as brightness in the final output.
Therefore, to rectify this, LG Innotek working on a new multi-lens solution to enhance the image quality and brightness. They have been preparing patents for this since December of the previous year and only now beginning the development.
Another related company namely, LG Display which forms part of the LG Group under which LG Innotek falls is also developing UDC. Their goals for the 2023 model will see the light transmittance of the camera reach 20% while for models after 2024, it will be 40% which is even better than Apple’s target. Apple already tried a sample of a UDC bought from another vendor and was dissatisfied with the result.
Apple is still working on developing the under-display camera before perfecting it and completely removing the front camera notch for the 2025 iPhone 17 Pro, the company says it will integrate the under-panel Face ID technology. The fully under-screen camera will first be introduced in the “Pro” iPhone models of 2027, claims Ross Young, an analyst at Display Supply Chain Consultants.