Android OEMs have been working on under-screen camera tech for the last couple of years, and we've seen working prototypes from Samsung Display, OPPO, and Xiaomi in the past. The technology is finally mature enough to make its way to consumers, and Chinese OEM ZTE has already confirmed that the upcoming ZTE Axon 20 5G will feature an under-screen camera. Just a few days after ZTE's announcement, Xiaomi has now released a video showcasing its third-gen under-display camera tech, and the company has confirmed that it will go into mass production next year.

Xiaomi first unveiled its under-screen camera tech back in June last year, alongside a similar solution from rival OPPO. However, earlier this year, Xiaomi explained that its under-screen camera tech was far from achieving mass production. The company seems to have overcome all hurdles over the last couple of months, as its latest iteration looks quite promising. As you can see in the attached video, Xiaomi's third-gen under-screen camera tech will help the company finally achieve the bezel-less look without using any moving parts.

In a blog post regarding the matter, Xiaomi explains that with its third-gen under-screen camera technology, the company has "greatly improved the full-screen effect through self-developed pixel arrangement, and through the optimization of the camera algorithm, allowing it to show the same performance as conventional cameras." The new pixel arrangement used in Xiaomi's latest solution lets the screen pass light through the gap between sub-pixels, allowing every single pixel to retain a complete RGB sub-pixel layout without sacrificing pixel density.

Xiaomi third-gen under-screen camera technology

When compared with solutions from other manufacturers, Xiaomi's under-screen camera tech makes use of double the number of horizontal and vertical pixels. This helps the company achieve the same pixel density above the camera as the rest of the display. Therefore, the area of the display above the embedded camera has the same brightness levels, color gamut, and color accuracy as the rest of the display.

The third-gen under-screen camera solution also adopts a unique circuit design that helps the company hide more components under the RGB sub-pixels, which further increases the light transmitted from the under-screen camera area. Xiaomi also claims that its optimization algorithm allows the under-screen camera to offer the same experience as a traditional front camera. In a separate tweet on the matter, Xiaomi has revealed that its third-gen under-screen camera solution will be ready for mass production in 2021, and we expect to see devices featuring the new technology next year.

Source: Xiaomi