“Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 3, Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Buds 2 at the August 2021 Unpacked event. We’ve got all the details you need to know about with our hands on reviews”
Samsung has reportedly been forced to drop rumoured plans to fit the Galaxy S30 (or S21) smartphone with an under-display selfie camera.
According to the South Korean publication The Elec, Samsung is postponing the feature due to a low production yield.
The sources say the feature was originally intended to debut within the recently-announced Galaxy Fold 2. However, it’s now more likely to be the Galaxy Fold 3 which isn’t scheduled to arrive until the second half of 2021.
If the report is accurate, the poor yield will likely be a disappointment for Samsung as it looks to bring noticeable improvements to its annual Galaxy S-series update. The under-display camera, which Samsung has been working on for multiple years, may have moved the needle in terms of encouraging updates.
The report details Samsung’s issues with perfecting the technology. The sources say Samsung attempted to use a laser-based technique called ‘hole in active area’ – specifically HIIA 2, which “punches many micro holes” in the display.
Samsung also attempted to create a transparent area of the display for the camera to peek through. However, both methods failed to yield the requisite success rate to move forward. The report also points out that Samsung has been seeking to develop a specific camera module to bring the feature to fruition.
The report says (via SamMobile): “Flexible OLED panels uses yellowish polyimide (PI) substrates, which causes lights that passes through the hole to be distorted in colour. The camera must have a software that restores the colour to normal. The camera module must also become thinner to fit in under the display.”
As a result, the Samsung Galaxy S30 range, likely to arrive around February 2021, will feature the same punch hole cameras it has for the last few years.
Will the reported lack of a UDC affect your decision to upgrade to a Samsung Galaxy S30? Let us know @trustedreviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.