Smartphone design has always moved towards one ambitious objective: creating a display that occupies the entire front of the device without interruptions.
| Image credit: StarklyTech
Smartphone design has always moved towards one ambitious objective: creating a display that occupies the entire front of the device without interruptions. Every generation has chipped away at bezels, thick borders, and visible camera cut-outs. The journey began with wide bezels, progressed through waterdrop notches, evolved into punch-hole displays, and eventually reached a far more ambitious concept—the under-display camera.
The idea is undeniably appealing. Imagine watching a film, playing a game, reading an e-book, or editing photos on a screen that appears completely uninterrupted. No notch. No hole punch. No pop-up mechanism. Just one seamless display stretching from edge to edge.
The answer is more nuanced than a straightforward yes or no.
Manufacturers have pursued this vision for years, but turning it into reality has proven far more difficult than expected. Cameras need light to produce high-quality photographs. Displays, on the other hand, are designed to block and manipulate light so images can be seen clearly. Combining these two opposing requirements inside the same space creates one of the biggest engineering challenges in smartphone history.
Early attempts showed tremendous promise aesthetically but struggled where it mattered most: image quality. Selfies appeared soft, videos lacked clarity, colours looked washed out, and low-light performance often disappointed.
Several years later, the technology has matured considerably. Better display materials, improved pixel arrangements, advanced image sensors, and artificial intelligence have transformed under-display cameras into something far more capable than their earliest versions.
The question remains simple:
Are under-display cameras finally good enough to replace traditional front-facing cameras?
What Is an Under-Display Camera?
An under-display camera, often abbreviated as UDC, is exactly what the name suggests. Rather than placing the front-facing camera inside a notch or punch-hole, the camera sits completely beneath the smartphone display.
That seemingly simple concept required years of innovation.
When the display is active, the camera becomes nearly invisible.
When the camera is needed, a specially designed portion of the display allows light to pass through to the image sensor beneath.
Unlike pop-up cameras, there are no moving parts. Unlike hole-punch displays, there is no permanent interruption to the viewing area.
Everything happens beneath the screen.
Why Traditional Cameras Cannot Simply Be Hidden
Understanding the challenge begins with understanding how cameras work.
Every camera depends on light.
Light enters through the lens, reaches the sensor, and forms an image.
Displays complicate this process.
Modern OLED displays contain several layers:
- Protective glass
- Touch-sensitive digitiser
- Polarising materials
- OLED pixels
- Thin-film transistor layers
- Adhesive materials
Each layer reduces the amount of light passing through.
By the time light reaches the hidden camera, only a fraction of the original illumination remains.
That creates several problems.
- Reduced brightness
- Increased image noise
- Lower sharpness
- Colour distortion
- Lens flare
- Reduced dynamic range
Traditional selfie cameras avoid these issues simply because nothing blocks incoming light..
How Under-Display Cameras Actually Work
The display above the camera is not identical to the rest of the screen.
Manufacturers redesign that specific section.
Several techniques are used.
Lower Pixel Density
The area directly above the camera contains fewer pixels.
This creates microscopic spaces where more light can pass through.
The challenge is maintaining visual consistency so users cannot easily notice the difference.
Transparent Pixel Structures
Some OLED materials allow greater transparency than conventional displays.
Improved transparency enables more light to reach the camera sensor without making the display appear noticeably different.
Special Display Algorithms
The display dynamically adjusts brightness and pixel behaviour whenever the camera is activated.
These adjustments help maximise light transmission..
The processor race has become one of the defining economic battles within the smartphone industry.
Computational Photography
Perhaps the most important element is software.
Artificial intelligence reconstructs images affected by the display layers.
The software removes haze, sharpens edges, corrects colours, reduces reflections, and compensates for lost detail.
Without computational photography, under-display cameras would remain impractical.
The History of Under-Display Cameras
Several manufacturers attempted to eliminate visible selfie cameras.
Motorised pop-up cameras briefly became popular.
Sliding phones appeared.
Rotating camera modules followed.
Each solution solved one problem while creating another.
Moving parts introduced mechanical complexity.
Water resistance became harder to achieve.
Durability concerns increased.
The under-display approach offered a cleaner long-term solution.
Early commercial implementations appeared around 2020.
The first generation proved that the concept worked.
It also revealed how much refinement remained necessary.
Why Early Under-Display Cameras Received Criticism
The earliest models looked futuristic.
Photographs, unfortunately, often looked outdated.
Common complaints included:
- Blurry selfies
- Soft facial details
- Low contrast
- Poor low-light images
- Ghosting
- Colour shifts
- Visible display texture
Users loved the uninterrupted screen but disliked sacrificing selfie quality.
For many buyers, the compromise felt too significant.
Why Image Quality Suffers
Every camera requires clean optical input.
The display behaves almost like looking through frosted glass.
Although modern OLED panels are highly advanced, they still scatter light.
This scattering reduces image precision.
Small imperfections become amplified because smartphone sensors are already physically tiny compared to dedicated cameras.
Every percentage of lost light matters.
The camera therefore begins with an inherent disadvantage before software processing even begins.
Artificial Intelligence Has Changed Everything
Artificial intelligence has arguably become the biggest reason under-display cameras continue improving.
Rather than relying solely on optical performance, modern smartphones increasingly reconstruct images computationally.
Algorithms now perform tasks including:
- Dehazing
- Face restoration
- Noise reduction
- Colour correction
- Exposure balancing
- Detail enhancement
- Lens correction
Machine learning models trained using millions of photographs recognise facial structures and compensate intelligently for lost information.
The final image often appears dramatically better than the raw sensor data.
Display Technology Has Also Improved
Camera improvements receive most attention, but display engineering deserves equal recognition.
New OLED manufacturing techniques provide:
- Better transparency
- Smaller pixels
- More efficient light transmission
- Reduced diffraction
- Improved consistency
The display itself has become less of an obstacle than it once was.
Each generation increases the amount of usable light reaching the sensor.
Can You See the Hidden Camera?
Sometimes.
Sometimes not.
Visibility depends on several factors.
A bright white screen may reveal a faint square where the camera sits beneath the display.
Dark wallpapers generally conceal it almost completely.
Viewing angles also matter.
Under certain lighting conditions, attentive users may notice subtle differences in pixel density.
For everyday use, however, many people quickly forget the camera is there.
Selfie Quality Compared With Hole-Punch Cameras
Traditional hole-punch cameras still maintain an advantage.
Reasons include:
- More light reaches the sensor.
- Images retain greater sharpness.
- Colours appear more accurate.
- Dynamic range improves.
- Night performance remains stronger.
Modern under-display cameras have narrowed the gap considerably.
Good lighting produces surprisingly respectable results.
Poor lighting still exposes their limitations.
Video Calls Tell a Different Story
Interestingly, video conferencing demands less perfection than photography.
Applications compress video significantly.
Resolution is often limited.
Minor softness becomes far less noticeable.
For:
- Video meetings
- Family calls
- Online classes
- Live streaming
Modern under-display cameras perform comfortably well.
Many users would struggle to notice meaningful differences during ordinary video conversations.
Social Media Changes Expectations
Most selfies today undergo several stages before anyone sees them.
Images are:
- Cropped
- Compressed
- Filtered
- Shared
Platforms reduce image quality automatically.
Viewed on relatively small smartphone screens, slight differences become less obvious.
For casual social media use, today's better under-display cameras often prove entirely adequate.
Photography Enthusiasts May Feel Differently
People who frequently take selfies for professional purposes maintain higher expectations.
Creators producing:
- YouTube videos
- Instagram content
- Fashion photography
- Promotional material
often demand maximum image quality.
Traditional front cameras continue providing greater consistency.
Professional users may therefore prefer visible selfie cameras until under-display technology matures further.
Gaming Benefits Significantly
Gaming perhaps demonstrates the greatest advantage of under-display cameras.
Nothing interrupts the display.
No punch-hole distracts during gameplay.
No notch intrudes upon interface elements.
The entire screen becomes usable.
For competitive mobile gamers, immersion improves noticeably.
Watching Videos Feels More Cinematic
Films benefit enormously from uninterrupted displays.
Black bars disappear naturally.
Subtitles remain unobstructed.
Visual composition feels cleaner.
While a punch-hole occupies relatively little space, removing it entirely creates an unexpectedly satisfying viewing experience.
Many users appreciate the difference immediately.
Long reading sessions become slightly more comfortable.
Reading Also Improves
Readers often overlook one practical advantage.
Whether reading:
- Books
- News articles
- Documents
- Comics
continuous text flows naturally across the display.
The absence of cut-outs reduces visual distraction.
Are Under-Display Cameras More Durable?
Generally, yes.
Unlike pop-up cameras:
- No motors exist.
- No sliding mechanisms.
- No gears.
- No moving components.
Fewer mechanical parts reduce potential failure points.
Simplicity often improves reliability.
Manufacturers can also maintain stronger water and dust resistance more easily.
Battery Life Is Not Affected
Some buyers assume the technology consumes more power.
That assumption is largely incorrect.
The camera itself behaves much like any conventional front camera.
Minor display adjustments occur during camera use, but their impact on battery life is negligible.
Security and Face Unlock
Face recognition depends heavily on image quality.
Lower camera clarity can affect facial recognition accuracy under difficult conditions.
Manufacturers compensate through improved software, infrared sensors, or hybrid biometric systems where available.
Manufacturing Costs Remain Higher
Creating displays with transparent camera regions remains expensive.
Manufacturers must redesign display structures while maintaining colour accuracy and brightness consistency.
Production yields also matter.
More complex manufacturing generally results in higher costs.
Why More Phones Still Use Hole-Punch Cameras
If under-display cameras exist, why aren't they everywhere?
The answer is straightforward.
Hole-punch cameras remain:
- Less expensive
- Easier to manufacture
- Optically superior
- Better understood
- More consistent
Most consumers currently prioritise selfie quality over a perfectly uninterrupted display.
Will Artificial Intelligence Eventually Close the Gap Completely?
Possibly.
Computational photography continues advancing rapidly.
Future improvements may include:
- Larger sensors
- More transparent displays
- Better neural processing
- Superior optical materials
- Advanced image reconstruction
Eventually, software may compensate so effectively that differences become negligible for most users.
Optical physics, however, still imposes limits.
Should You Buy a Phone With an Under-Display Camera?
That depends entirely on your priorities.
An under-display camera is an excellent choice if you value:
- A completely uninterrupted display
- Immersive gaming
- Better movie viewing
- Modern industrial design
- Premium aesthetics
A traditional selfie camera remains preferable if you frequently:
- Take high-quality selfies
- Create video content
- Depend on excellent front-camera photography
- Shoot regularly in low light
There is no universally correct answer.
The right choice depends on how you use your smartphone.
The Future Looks Promising
Under-display cameras have travelled an impressive distance in only a few years.
What once seemed like an ambitious experiment has become a genuinely usable technology.
Image quality continues improving with every generation.
Displays have become more transparent.
Sensors have become more capable.
Artificial intelligence has become dramatically more sophisticated.
While conventional selfie cameras still lead in outright photographic quality, the difference is no longer as dramatic as it once was.
For many users, today's under-display cameras are already "good enough."
For perfectionists and content creators, there is still room for improvement.