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Samsung has 'perfect full-screen' phones in the works, but they're not coming very soon

By Adrian Diaconescu

Published: Mar 14, 2019, 8:39 AM

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Samsung Android

Samsung has 'perfect full-screen' phones in the works, but they're not coming very soon

Hole punch designs are not going anywhere for at least a couple of years

Like many other smartphone manufacturers, Samsung has been working for years on two things expected to consolidate the company's supremacy in the global mobile industry. But even though we're definitely getting closer to the age of ubiquitous foldable devices and "perfect full-screen" handsets, both these revolutionary designs need further refinement work.

Unlike the foldable form factor, which is pretty much ready for primetime (with all the inherent flaws of an immature and largely experimental technology), smartphones that are all displays, with no bezels, holes, or cutouts, will apparently not be released anytime soon. That's at least according to Yang Byung-duk, VP of Samsung's Mobile R&D Group Display division, who recently told Korean media a "full-screen smartphone" is not planned for the "next 1-2 years."

Obviously, it's not that Samsung doesn't want to achieve that "perfect" design as soon as possible. But for the time being, making an "invisible" camera hole simply cannot be done. It also remains unclear if the technology will "move forward" fast enough to produce a handset with a screen-embedded camera and sensors in two, three, five, or ten years. Until that happens, Samsung is naturally proud of how the Galaxy S10 family looks, with Yang describing the so-called Infinity-O display as a "milestone."

The method used to punch a hole (or two) in the screen of the S10 (and S10+) is labeled as a "very challenging technology", as well as a "noteworthy achievement in terms of the display technological advances." But what comes next is infinitely harder, as Samsung needs to find a way to put the front camera out of sight, beneath the display of future flagship phones, without impacting its functionality and performance.

At the same time, the company is "considering" following LG's suit and implementing "Crystal Sound OLED display" technology to eliminate the need for a physical earpiece. Like the G8 ThinQ, the Galaxy Note 10 (presumably) would be able to use its entire screen as a speaker, which is something the Galaxy S10 was actually expected to debut.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.

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