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Samsung to Delay UCD Until Z Fold 2 Release
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 may be brand new, but the Z Fold 3, will likely improve the selfie camera. Samsung is ditching the punch-hole camera design and using an UDC making the Z Fold 3 the company's first all-screen display. According to The Elec, Samsung originally hoped to implement this in the Samsung Galaxy S21, but due to "low production yield" had to abandon their plans. The Galaxy S21 is projected to launch in February 2021, while the Z Fold 3 isn't due out until the latter half of 2021. As a more niche product than the flagship S21, and with more time to develop the technology, the Z Fold 3 is expected to first use the feature. Along with Samsung, Xiaomi also has plans for under-display selfie cameras for its 3rd-generation phones in 2021, as does ZTE with its Axon 20 5G smartphone. Samsung smartphones already have in-screen fingerprint scanners, but implementing an in-screen camera presents more challenges. Samsung has attempted several methods to achieve this:
Whatever method they choose, the holes need to enable light to pass through, but not be large enough that they impact the feel or functionality of the touch screen. Because flexible OLED screens have a yellow polyimide for the substrate, the cameras may also need to have software color correction, so that photos don't look like they have an unpleasant yellow filter applied.
The next top-tier Samsung phone could be called the Galaxy S30 or the Galaxy S21,
Whatever the name of the handset, early reports indicate the high-end Ultra version of the phone is going to come packing a battery with a rated capacity of 4,855mAh, as per digging and model number matching done at MyFixGuide. That equates to a typical capacity of around 5,000mAh, which is the figure that manufacturers usually use for their marketing and specs lists: that would put the Galaxy S21 Ultra battery exactly on a par with the one in the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which doesn't mean actual battery life would be the same though – screen size, power efficiency and various other factors all play a part. We're hoping Samsung would be able to make some internal tweaks to eke out more life from the same capacity. If Samsung sticks to its traditional annual schedule, then the Galaxy S21 phones should be making an official appearance around February time – though like everything else at the moment, the tech calendar is in a state of flux.
Samsung has managed to check off a few items on its to-do list, from under-display fingerprint scanners to foldable displays. There is still one item, however, that remains elusive and might not yet see the light of day anytime soon. Unfortunately, neither method is yielding the volumes that Samsung requires to put the display into production. According to sources, that has forced Samsung to delay its UDC plans for the Galaxy S21 and push the feature back to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 which adds another complication. Samsung’s flexible OLED panels employ a yellow-ish Polyimide (PI) substrate which would tint the light that passes through the screen. In other words, such flexible screens with UDC will require a custom camera sensor that has the software and hardware to restore the true colors of an image. Samsung will also change its OLED material configuration, M11 to M12, and replace the green and red phosphorescent configuration with material designed by Samsung.
To enhance the hinge on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Samsung is evaluating the use of an LED strip down that spine, that would notify users when neither of the two displays is within view. This could be when the foldable phone is in a bag or if it’s lying on its Cover Screen face (which would mean risking scratching that external screen). The downside is that with LED modules in the hinge as well as an opening for that light to shine through, could introduce a structural weakness in an otherwise sturdy and whole component.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 may be brand new, but the Z Fold 3, will likely improve the selfie camera. Samsung is ditching the punch-hole camera design and using an UDC making the Z Fold 3 the company's first all-screen display. According to The Elec, Samsung originally hoped to implement this in the Samsung Galaxy S21, but due to "low production yield" had to abandon their plans. The Galaxy S21 is projected to launch in February 2021, while the Z Fold 3 isn't due out until the latter half of 2021. As a more niche product than the flagship S21, and with more time to develop the technology, the Z Fold 3 is expected to first use the feature. Along with Samsung, Xiaomi also has plans for under-display selfie cameras for its 3rd-generation phones in 2021, as does ZTE with its Axon 20 5G smartphone. Samsung smartphones already have in-screen fingerprint scanners, but implementing an in-screen camera presents more challenges. Samsung has attempted several methods to achieve this:
- Its current Hole in Active Display 2 or HiAA 2 equipment that it got last year was meant to punch micro holes in the area where the camera would lie under.
- Increasing the transparency in that area over the camera
- Reducing the pixel density in the area over the camera
Whatever method they choose, the holes need to enable light to pass through, but not be large enough that they impact the feel or functionality of the touch screen. Because flexible OLED screens have a yellow polyimide for the substrate, the cameras may also need to have software color correction, so that photos don't look like they have an unpleasant yellow filter applied.
The next top-tier Samsung phone could be called the Galaxy S30 or the Galaxy S21,
Whatever the name of the handset, early reports indicate the high-end Ultra version of the phone is going to come packing a battery with a rated capacity of 4,855mAh, as per digging and model number matching done at MyFixGuide. That equates to a typical capacity of around 5,000mAh, which is the figure that manufacturers usually use for their marketing and specs lists: that would put the Galaxy S21 Ultra battery exactly on a par with the one in the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which doesn't mean actual battery life would be the same though – screen size, power efficiency and various other factors all play a part. We're hoping Samsung would be able to make some internal tweaks to eke out more life from the same capacity. If Samsung sticks to its traditional annual schedule, then the Galaxy S21 phones should be making an official appearance around February time – though like everything else at the moment, the tech calendar is in a state of flux.
Samsung has managed to check off a few items on its to-do list, from under-display fingerprint scanners to foldable displays. There is still one item, however, that remains elusive and might not yet see the light of day anytime soon. Unfortunately, neither method is yielding the volumes that Samsung requires to put the display into production. According to sources, that has forced Samsung to delay its UDC plans for the Galaxy S21 and push the feature back to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 which adds another complication. Samsung’s flexible OLED panels employ a yellow-ish Polyimide (PI) substrate which would tint the light that passes through the screen. In other words, such flexible screens with UDC will require a custom camera sensor that has the software and hardware to restore the true colors of an image. Samsung will also change its OLED material configuration, M11 to M12, and replace the green and red phosphorescent configuration with material designed by Samsung.
To enhance the hinge on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Samsung is evaluating the use of an LED strip down that spine, that would notify users when neither of the two displays is within view. This could be when the foldable phone is in a bag or if it’s lying on its Cover Screen face (which would mean risking scratching that external screen). The downside is that with LED modules in the hinge as well as an opening for that light to shine through, could introduce a structural weakness in an otherwise sturdy and whole component.
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