Before punch-hole displays became mainstream in the smartphone industry, we had phones with pop-up cameras, in addition to devices with various types of notches. However, Samsung did not release a single pop-up camera handset but did launch a rotating camera mobile called Galaxy A80. But now, the company has patented a unique pop-up camera module for smartphones.

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According to LetsGoDigital, Samsung Electronics filed a patent titled ‘Electronic device including camera module’ with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) in mid-2020. This patent got approved and published on January 14.

This design patent demonstrates a rotatable pop-up camera module. According to the documentation, the module may house at least three cameras. In the normal state, all these sensors will face backward.

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung confirms it’s got rollable and slidable displays in the works

But in the selfie mode and video calls, this cylindrical module will rotate to face the front and will slightly pop-up out of the phone’s body to expose a single sensor at the top. The documentation also mentions an option to disclose the second sensor as well by rising the module even further.

This system uses a motor, two gears, and a long propeller shaft. It also includes a movable frame that shifts to the void place when the camera module rises. This frame house a flexible printed circuit board.

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Having said that, we don’t expect Samsung to release a commercial smartphone with this solution. Because it sounds more fragile than the regular pop-up camera system. That said, the above renders are created by Jermaine Smit (Concept Creator) for LetsGoDigital.

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The post Samsung patents a smartphone design with rotatable pop-up camera module appeared first on Gizmochina.

Samsung is the market leader in the foldable smartphone category. The Galaxy Z Flip is the world’s best setting foldable handset. Its successor is reported to launch in spring 2021. Ahead of it, the company has patented a design for a similar phone with improvements.

According to LetsGoDigital, Samsung Electronics filed a design patent titled ‘Foldable electronic device’ with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) in June 2020. After its approval, the documentation for this patent got published on December 10.

The clamshell foldable smartphone in this design patent is similar to the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Flip 5G but with a larger cover display, more cameras, and a better hinge. Hence, we can expect the same elements in the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 2.

The cover display in this design is located at the center like on the Motorola razr 5G but it seems to be comparatively smaller. Anyway, it is larger than the tiny screen present in the current-gen Galaxy Z Flip.

Further, it features a triple camera setup instead of a dual-camera module along with an LED flash. Interestingly, there’s no punch-hole camera in the inner display. It looks like one of those circular things on the top bezel could be for the front-facing camera.

Lastly, but most importantly, this design sports a redesigned hinge that not only supports Flex Mode but also shuts the phone with zero-gap.

UP NEXT: Google, OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi to launch foldable phones in 2021

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