Just hours after Oppo revealed the world’s first under-display camera, Xiaomi has hit back with its own take on the new technology. Xiaomi president Lin Bin has posted a video to Weibo (later re-posted to Twitter) of the Xiaomi Mi 9 with a front facing camera concealed entirely behind the phone’s screen. That means the new version of the handset has no need for any notches, hole-punches, or even pop-up selfie cameras alongside its OLED display.
It’s not entirely clear how Xiaomi’s new technology works. The Phone Talks notes that Xiaomi recently filed for a patent that appears to cover similar functionality, which uses two alternately-driven display portions to allow light to pass through to the camera sensor.
Days of the front facing camera may be over as Chinese smartphone makers race for under display selfie sensors.
Even if availability dates are uncertain - like for foldable screens -, it is interesting to watch the hardware tech innovation shift towards China.