TL; PhD
- Oppo demonstrated a new generation of under-screen selfie camera technology.
- This technology allows for a sharper screen, including the area above the camera.
- The manufacturer said it has also implemented multiple algorithms to reduce blur and glare.
Oppo was one of the first brands to showcase off-screen selfie cameras on smartphones, and demonstrated its adoption of this technology as early as the end of 2019. Since then, we have seen ZTE released two devices using this technology, while Samsung tends to be fast on the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
Now Oppo has taken another step towards commercial products revealed Its next-generation Selfie camera technology under the display. The Chinese manufacturer said it solved the problems of inconsistency with the screen quality in the area above the camera, and poor image quality caused by the screen blocking the camera.
Clearer display

One of the biggest challenges of an under-screen selfie camera is that the screen cannot be too pixel-intensive, because the light still needs to adapt to the pixel gap and illuminate the camera below. We have seen some phones provide fewer pixels in the screen area above the camera, but this can cause the appearance to look like haze.
However, Oppo reduced the pixel size on the display without reducing the actual number of pixels. This can achieve a 400 PPI display, even in the area above the camera.
Another major hardware adjustment is that the brand has replaced the traditional screen wiring with thinner, transparent wiring. This should result in “finer display quality and smoother visual experience.”
Oppo said that it has also introduced a one-to-one pixel circuit (rather than the one pixel circuit of two pixels seen in the industry) to obtain better screen accuracy, color and brightness. In addition, it said that after many adjustments, the life of the monitor has been extended by 50%.
How is the picture quality?
Image quality is the main issue for selfie cameras under the display, because we saw before that ZTE Axon 20 provides selfies similar to cameras with smudged lenses. But Oppo said it has developed AI algorithms for HDR, white balance, and diffraction reduction to reduce blur and glare.
The company claims: “Oppo has also used tens of thousands of images to train its AI diffraction reduction model to control the problems caused by light source diffraction, allowing users to capture clearer and more natural images.” It also released the use of include Sample images taken by a prototype mobile phone with the new technology. Take a look below.

The sample looks sturdy enough, although we did notice a little lens flare on the top. Hope this is not an ongoing problem in broad daylight. However, we do believe that the real test will take place under mixed lighting conditions, because at that time the ZTE Axon 20’s under-screen selfie camera seemed to crash.
Oppo did not disclose any specific plans to launch commercial phones using this technology, only that it will continue to develop hardware and algorithms. Therefore, you may not want to hold your breath for a short time.
Which selfie camera do you prefer? Tell us by voting below.