The race to a truly fullscreen display has not really ended. There have been many solutions but not one can be perfect. We don’t think the ultimate display can be achieved but something almost perfect can be reached. One quick solution that is being implemented by several mobile OEMs includes having a punch-hole for the selfie camera. For some, it’s an elongated hole (pill-shaped) for the dual selfie shooters. Others use the pop-up camera but that seems to be complicated.
An under-screen camera may be the best solution but the technology isn’t fully ready yet so we’ll settle for the punch-hole. The design can actually be used to have an additional status indicator. The idea is nothing new as we’ve heard of a similar idea with the OnePlus 8’s selfie cutout also being used as battery and notification indicator.
As for Samsung, the punch-hole may be enough, at least, for now. It is easier to apply, work on, and improve. It’s being used on several Samsung Galaxy phones like the Galaxy Z Flip and the Galaxy S20 series. Now Samsung is believed to be working on a new feature that will turn the punch-hole into a status indicator.
Nothing is final yet but some patents have been filed by Samsung Electronics last year with the CNIPA (China National Intellectual Property Administration). The five patents give focus on the front-facing camera. The idea is to present a graphical interface around the selfie shooter that can tell the status of something.
The punch-hole could show a timer diagram that can be used when recording to show the progress of the time. It could also show the status of a download. Status of other functions or features may also be presented but we’ll have to wait before it becomes a reality. We’ll see if Samsung can implement the feature on the Galaxy Note 20.
