There should have been a lot on the mind of the individual(s) who came up with the idea of a smartphone. As simple as it may look to you today, it must have been a complex innovation to make back then, probably in the 90’s.
The most significant device to the transformation to smart devices was the very first iPhone unveiled in 2007. With a 3.5 inch display, and coming in two variations of 4GB and 8GB costing $499 and $599 respectively. Yet, you could not email nor type using two fingers on it.
Fast forward, in 2019, the average display of new entrants on the smartphone market is 6 inches, close to doubling the original iPhone. They come with a lot more memory, stronger battery and processing, faster internet access, and High Definition cameras; though accessible at precisely the same price as the iPhone.
The trends in the industry have kept on pushing for larger screens while demanding for less bezels. This has prompted manufacturers to come up with innovative designs to put this into action, without compromising performance; by offering large screen area while smartly positioning the front camera, the speakers, and microphone.
It is for this reason that we have seen the advent of the notch – in all forms, such as the iPhone X notch, the medium-sized one, the water-drop, and the teardrop – as well as the punch hole for the guys that found the notch dis-interesting.
Then, there are some manufacturers that wanted to keep the screen purely bezel-less, with nothing else on the screen but itself. These have opted to include a pop-up camera, sometimes referred to as sliding, to give a true full screen experience.
Devices like the Samsung Galaxy A80, Vivo V15 Pro, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, the Lenovo Z5 Pro, and the Oppo Find X have all experimented the use of pop-up cameras while enterprising high-tech mechanisms in them. The A80 is designed even more beautifully with a triple camera array that doubles as a selfie and rear camera in just a flip over.
The entire experience gives you the edge-to-edge display you can hope to have on a phone, while letting you feel the premium attribute attached. But the bigger question is: Are they the best way to go completely bezel-less?
You ought to know that these kind of innovations come with technical pros to them. The camera is typically a movable part, and this makes it vulnerable to damage anytime. Finding someone to repair or replace it might not be an easy task to accomplish.
Then comes the need for a phone case. Where will you get one that can fit in your pop-up camera? Unless you are going to keep putting it on and off. There is a likelihood that these phones are not water and dust resistant, and thus can easily accumulate dust and dirt particles on the move.
But nonetheless, innovation never stops. The solutions could be seen in the next flagships bearing even smarter pop-up sensors. What do you think?
