Oppo might have a solution to the need for higher-res cameras on smartphones for things like Facetime and video conferencing: Simply flip the camera around.
The company has patented a modular camera design for smartphones that allows users to remove it and basically flip around on the opposite side of the phone, giving the user access to the higher-res front-facing camera for things video for calls and online meetings, among other things.
As PetaPixel points out, the module could also be detached for more dynamic picture angles, selfies at a distance, or video. This is enabled theoretically by the phone’s Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC connectivity capabilities. Beyond that, however, a modular design makes it so that components are upgradeable or even allows for other manufacturers to make other add-ons.
Yet none of this means that this will become a reality. Patenting a design and bringing it to market are two different concepts entirely. Nonetheless, it does give us some insight into what Oppo is thinking about when it comes to the future of smartphone camera technology.
And we’ve seen major manufacturers struggle with novel phone designs once they hit market. One prominent example is the Galaxy Fold that Samsung released. Initially, it was not Samsung’s best hour though the model has since come a long way from its original incarnation.
You can check out the patent for yourself here.
Does Oppo’s modular camera design for smartphones sound like an innovative idea or more like a gimmick? Let us know what you think this change to the form factor of one of the world’s most ubiquitous devices would mean and whether you would want such a phone or not.
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