In the year 2020, 5G technology has become a norm for smartphone and most of the high-end devices as well as mid-range phones come with support for this next-generation communications technology.
However, people rely more on the Wi-Fi network for data consumption, more than 5G or 4G. This is also getting updated as the next-generation Wi-Fi 6 is now being included in flagship smartphones.
Now, based on a report by LetsGoDigital, OPPO seems to be working on a new smartphone that supports Li-Fi technology, which is much faster than the Wi-Fi. The Li-Fi technology has been in development for years as an alternative to Wi-Fi.
Instead of relying on radio waves like Wi-Fi, the Li-Fi technology uses light through an LED lamp and thus, its name — Light Fidelity. OPPO filed for a patent of a phone with Li-Fi support, which has now been published.
The patent shows a smartphone with a full-screen design and narrow bezels. There’s no front-facing camera visible, which could mean that it has a pop-up mechanism for the front camera sensor.
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It also shows possible placements for the Li-Fi sensor — right next to the camera module on the back, or at the top edge of the phone. The sensor is square in shape and is likely to be a photodetector that converts the change in amplitude to an electrical signal to enable Li-Fi communication with a smartphone.
Currently, there’s no information available about how OPPO is planning to implement this technology on the smartphone. We are not even sure if the company is seriously considering this option for a commercial device. And if it is, then we don’t expect the company to launch it anytime soon.
PureLiFi, a UK-based startup that is working on incorporating this technology on laptops and smartphones, had showcased the same during Mobile World Congress last year. At the time, it had predicted that we could see phones using Li-Fi somewhere around 2022.
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