The new Apple iPhone X makes use of Samsung OLED screens, with which they have managed to take advantage of the front of the phone with good solvency. However, in the upper part, we have the black strip, known as “notch “, which makes the aesthetics of the device very bad in order to have a front camera, sensors (including Face ID) and the speaker for calls. A new patent filed by Samsung shows that it would allow all of that without the “notch”.
The LCD screens, used in almost all phones on the market today, did not give much room to introduce things behind them because when needing a backlit panel cannot put anything behind because it is covered, nor may be bored or bent. That is why in order to use the new Clear ID of Synaptics to have the fingerprint reader under the screen you have to use an OLED screen: between its holes, it is possible for the sensor to read the information of the fingerprint, while the light that emitting the screen is what illuminates our footprint.
This is one of the many advantages of using OLED, among others that Samsung has shown to register a patent. It describes a method to make holes in OLED screens, which would go the camera, the speaker and light and proximity sensors.
This patent has appeared two months after Samsung patented a mobile 100% screen on its front. What was not detailed in it is how the company could get it, and now we can get an idea. Google is also on the same path of wanting to take full advantage of the front of mobile phones, especially after buying a company that was working on turning the screens of mobile phones into speakers through vibrations.
While it would be easier to remove sensors such as the proximity sensor or the speaker to put them on the screen, the camera itself needs its own hole. For this reason, instead of dedicating an entire strip to insert the camera and the sensors, it would only be necessary to make small holes in the screen where the camera would go.
Delete the notch or make it tiny to the Essential Phone
This can be seen in a second patent that reminds the Essential Phone with the “mini notch” at the top. Apple itself is also working on a reduced notch for its following devices, integrating the Face ID into the camera itself. As in the iPhone X, the user could choose to have the screen expand completely, or leave a strip to avoid having to see the holes inside the screen.
Apple has solved the removal of the front button with the gestures, while in Android simply use the virtual buttons, as they have been used for years and Samsung has incorporated this year. Therefore, this design would continue to make use of these virtual buttons.
What is clear is that every time we are going to see more elements included on the screen itself or below it. This year everything will start with the fingerprint sensor, which is not noticeable when the screen is on, and when it is off, it can only be seen below from a certain angle.
