Weekly poll: under-screen cameras vs. pop-ups and flip-ups

This week, Oppo showed off the first under-screen camera. It’s the perfect solution as it not only avoids problems, it will actually improve how people use the camera.

First off, notches and punch holes are an unsightly compromise that contorts the screen and UI of the phone. And people have made it clear in previous polls that they are not a popular option (not a deal-breaker, perhaps, but still better avoided if possible).

Then there are pop-ups and flip-ups, both of which enable a full-screen design. The downside is that a pop-up mechanism takes more room inside the phone than a simple camera module, room that could have been used for a bigger battery or better cooling.

Flip-ups have the advantage of pointing the main camera (and its large sensor and high-quality optics) forward – the best selfie cameras on the market are flip-ups. It’s an even larger mechanism, though and there are concerns about the durability of any moving part.

That said, pop-up cameras may prove more durable than flip-ups as they are often mounted on a spring, so pressing down on them does no damage. Also, they are smaller and retract quicker if you drop the phone.

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. RT! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/FrqB6RiJaY

— OPPO (@oppo) June 3, 2019

An under display camera doesn’t take up much room and has no moving parts – or just one if it has autofocus (which most selfie cams don’t). And, of course, it improves the looks of the phone.

Better still, it makes things feel more natural. We alluded to that in last week’s poll – the human brain is wired to look at faces, so it takes some concentration to look away from the face on the screen and into the camera. This is true both for video calls and for taking selfies, we think.

Oppo’s design places the camera in the middle of the top row of the screen. That’s not a bad place to start for a first-gen product. Still, in-display fingerprint readers are closer to the center of the screen and that would be an even better placement for the front camera.

It’s not quite as simple, however. Oppo itself warned that the first under-screen cameras won’t have the best image quality. We haven’t seem camera samples yet, so it’s hard to tell how much of an issue this is (current selfie cams are not perfect either, even on some flagships).

But until then, what would you prefer – an under-screen camera, whatever the quality, a pop-up, flip-up or notch/punch hole?

Under-screen cameras

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