The iPhone X popularized the notch as an essential design feature since almost all manufacturers of Android devices have imitated this year.
In the not too distant future, it seems likely that Apple will look for ways to place the TrueDepth and FaceTime cameras behind the screen, as well as the front speaker and other sensors. But before that happens, Apple and other smartphone vendors could use a totally new product to beautify screen notches.
Largan is developing a “pure black” coating for the front cameras that would allow smartphone makers to make the front camera invisible to the naked eye. Currently, it is possible to easily distinguish the front camera on any smartphone, not only on the iPhone.
The new pure black layer will allow the camera lens to be confused with the background. This is not a technology that allows Apple, or any other manufacturer, to place the camera under the screen. It will only make the lens invisible. If Apple ends up developing a screen that can be placed in front of the cameras, the black layer would not be necessary.
The technology is not official, and the first devices to make use of it could arrive in 2024, says MacRumors.
Because Apple is a client of Largan, Apple seems to be a likely candidate to use such technology in the new iPhones. But other companies could adopt it in 2024, the report says, without mentioning any brands.
Given that more and more Android manufacturers are launching phones with more than one front camera, it would not be surprising to see some of Apple’s biggest rivals make use of this coverage. After all, the front cameras are visible on any smartphone, whether there is a notch or not.
