Xiaomi regularly launches new smartphone models. A new flagship was unveiled last month, the Xiaomi Mi 9T with a pop-up camera. Subsequently, the Chinese manufacturer introduced the Mi CC phone series for young people, with the Mi CC9 as the first model in this new series. This device is equipped with a flip camera. Last week, Xiaomi also presented a new Android One smartphone, the Mi A3. The smartphone has a small, drop-shaped notch behind which the selfie camera is hidden. Till date, no Xiaomi smartphone has been released with a punch-hole camera.
Nevertheless, the company intends to introduce such a phone in the (near) future.
A special variant followed in April this year that has patented various models in which the selfie camera was incorporated at the bottom of the screen. Also, an even more exotic model came in that had a reverse notch, the dual camera was placed on top of the device.
Xiaomi smartphones with a punch-hole camera
In the meantime, Bejing Xiaomi Mobile Software has filed a design patent with the Global Design Database of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) for a series of smartphones with a punch-hole camera. The patent was applied for on March 2018, after which the approval and publication took place on 5 July 2019.
The design looks less exotic this time, but that makes it all the more likely that Xiaomi indeed intends to develop a smartphone model with a hole in the screen for the selfie camera. Finally, the company usually pays a lot of attention to the front camera.
There are 19 sketches included, on which a series of models can be seen. It can be seen from the brief description that a double front camera is integrated with all cases. This is placed at the top in the middle, or in the left or right corner.
Remarkably, the Xiaomi model where the punch-hole camera is located in the upper left corner (model A) is positioned higher than the other two variants (models B and C). The patent also speaks of the integration of ‘sensors’, but these are not further specified. It does mention ‘structured light’, which gives the impression that it is a 3D face sensor.
Smartphones with a punch-hole camera
Various manufacturers now have a smartphone in the portfolio where the selfie camera is integrated into the display. It started with the Samsung Galaxy A8s and the Huawei Nova 4, both were introduced in December 2018. Honor, Motorola, Vivo, Nokia, and Hisense also released a smartphone with a punch-hole camera.
Although Xiaomi published a video last month in which an under-screen camera was demonstrated – where there is no longer a camera hole visible – the company does not yet have a smartphone with a hole-punch camera in its range.
The quality of an under-screen camera is not yet sufficient to be applied, this will probably take some development time. In the meantime, it is quite possible that Xiaomi will also present a smartphone with a punch-hole selfie camera. We’ll keep an eye on it for you!
