It seems that smartphone manufacturers are on a quest of completely eliminating bezels around the displays of their mobile devices. It’s the sole reason why notches have become the unfortunate reality of smartphone market today.
However, that’s not to say that OEMs aren’t working on solutions that would enable full-screen smartphones without any unsightly indentations in the displays. The new ‘waterdrop’ notches are quite unobtrusive, and smartphones like Oppo Find X and Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 completely do with notches by using slider mechanisms. And now, it seems LG is also planning to do something different to realize the dream of all-screen smartphones.
According to a report by LetsGoDigital, the South Korean technology major has filed a patent for a new display design that places the front-facing camera under the screen, thus eliminating the need for any notches.
As per the images accompanying the patent application, LG’s design details two types of screens – one flat and one with curved edges (like the display on Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S and Note line-ups). Both these designs feature an oval-shaped cutout in the screen, under which (at least) two front-facing cameras can be housed. Along with that, the cutout can also house hardware like ambient light and proximity sensors.
While the solution seems interesting, it’s not exactly an ideal one. Although the display cutout eliminates the need for notches, it’s still going to get in the way when the screen is being used, whether for watching videos or for anything else. Moreover, a permanent hole in the display means that UI elements will have to be arranged in the area around the cutout.
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All said, it’s too early to hope for a smartphone having this type of display. For now, LG has just filed for the patent, so there’s no telling whether one would actually be granted or not. Even then, not all patented designs and technologies end up being used in actual products.
