The long-awaited technology that allows you to hide the front camera behind the screen is finally here. ZTE, the Chinese manufacturer of smartphones and telecom equipment, recently launched the Axon 20 5G model, the first to use Visionox screens, which has a section at the top that allows the camera to “see” through the screen. Of course, there are already videos in which it is disassembled and on this occasion we can see what is found inside and how the components differ from an ordinary phone.
The ZTE Axon 20 5G is a normal mid-range phone, despite its unusual screen
JerryRigEverything dismantled the new Axon model and came to an interesting conclusion. It seems that we are not dealing with a significantly different construction. ZTE has built a regular smartphone, which uses a new display assembly instead. It actually uses two OLED panels in a single assembly built by Visionox. The main one, large, occupies almost the entire surface, while a smaller one, square, hides the room. The latter has a lower resolution, the space between the pixels allowing light to reach the front camera. But the room is no different from the traditional ones, which are traditionally hosted in “notches”.
Of course, this solution is not perfect. First, the light passing through the screen is dimmer and has a yellowish tint. Thus, the camera must compensate for the strange colors with the help of image processing. Then the images are not very clear. There is an immediate difference from an ordinary front camera, everything is more detailed. However, this is a compromise you have to make if you want a phone with a “hidden” camera in 2020.
The ZTE Axon 20 5G is not even a high-performance or very expensive phone. It seems to be a kind of technological demonstration from the Chinese manufacturer, probably following a high-end model, better equipped in terms of hardware and with a second generation screen to probably solve the problems we see now.
Even so, this launch is an important step towards the adoption of this technology and we will probably see it in 2021 on other devices.
Robert J. Smith is still early into his career as tech reporter but has already had his work published in many major publications including JoyStiq and Android Authority. In regards to academics, Robert earned a degree in business from Fordham University. Robert has passion for emerging technology and covers upcoming products and breakthroughs in science and tech.
