The Pixel 6 series is still fresh out of the hardware oven, but there have been some leaks concerning the Pixel 7’s successor. Our friends at LetsGoDigital have discovered an intriguing patent that suggests an under-screen solution for the Pixel 7’s selfie camera.
Google LLC filed the patent in question with the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) on 31st August 2021, and it was published on 16th December 2021. The entire text is 16 pages long and explains how to increase the screen area without increasing the phone’s size.
As numerous manufacturers aim to utilise the under-display selfie camera idea, the hunt for a full-screen, continuous mobile display experience appears to be nearing its figurative Holy Grail.
ZTE pioneered the concept with the Axon 30, while Samsung improved it with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 devices. Under-display cameras appear to be the next big thing in mobile technology, much as foldable phones are.
Let’s return to the patent in question. As per the docs’ photos and descriptions, Google is attempting to conceal the front camera as well as all of the sensors beneath the display. Google has previously submitted a patent for a phone with an under-display camera, but the technology used a prism to reflect light onto the section above the camera and sensors.
The solution detailed in the current patent is far more cost-effective, and it is similar to the technology used by other brands. The display above the camera can be polarised and switched on or off to allow light to pass through, allowing the selfie camera and all of the sensors to function.
LetsGoDigital discovered another link to the technology used by Samsung in its Z Fold 3 model. As per the patent, Google has poached an ex-Samsung display engineer named Sangmoo Choi, who is identified as a co-inventor. When looking over Choi’s LinkedIn résumé, one particular bullet item stands out. “Panel architecture for new form factor/applications (e.g. transparent displays).”
The Google Pixel 7 could be the first phone to feature the new technology.
A patent, after all, is just a stack of paper with some bright ideas and a few of stamps and signatures on it. There’s no assurance that any of this will make it into a production device, but given the current state of the mobile industry, we’d guess the next Pixel phone will almost certainly include an under-display camera.
After all, the Pixel 6 series was released late last year, and there’s still plenty of time before a successor is released, so we could see a Pixel 7 with a full edge-to-edge front display. There are several limitations to this technology right now, and you can read about them in our Axon 30 review and our Galaxy Z Fold 3 piece. To summarise, these cameras are still visible under certain settings, and the display above them is not up to level with the main unit in terms of quality.
Nonetheless, as additional tech behemoths attempt to use this technology, all of the millions spent on R&D will likely evolve and refine future under-display cameras. That’s great news for everyone who despises punch-holes and notches. All that is left for us to do now is wait.
