Oppo patents show alternate ways to workaround a punch-hole camera
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Samsung's first phone to employ a front-facing punch-hole camera is the Galaxy A8s. Swiping down from the hole opens the camera app with an animated flourish included. We do expect the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 line to offer the same feature. Based on a pair of patent applications submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) by Oppo, there are another ways to make the punch-hole useful.
The first Oppo handsets to include a front-facing punch-hole camera are expected to be unveiled next month during MWC 2019 in Barcelona. Those models are believed to be the Oppo F19 and the Oppo F19 Pro. Both of those phones could also come with the company's 10x optical zoom technology, and an in-display fingerprint scanner that can be accessed anywhere on the handset's display.

The second patent includes a method for opening more than the camera app from the top of the display
Things that are NOT allowed: