OnePlus bezel camera or under-display camera: Here’s what you prefer

Over the years, smartphone manufacturers have tried tucking the selfie camera in a variety of locations. We’ve seen everything from pop-up modules to notches of various sizes and shapes, tiny pinholes, and even tricks with cameras under the display. However, a recently discovered OnePlus patent showing a new placement for the selfie camera seems to be attracting a lot of attention.

Last week we reported that OnePlus had applied for a patent for a smartphone display with a selfie shooter in the top bezel. Not only did the OnePlus patent promise an uninterrupted experience, it also stated that the camera in the front bezel would be covered with a transparent panel, possibly making it even darker and undetectable.

That’s why we asked you, our readers, whether you prefer the latest OnePlus trick or if you think that cameras under the display are the way to go. This is how you voted in our survey.

Do you prefer cameras under the display or the OnePlus bezel solution?

Results

We received over 7,400 votes in our survey on the OnePlus bezel camera. The majority of you – 42.8% – prefer the OnePlus solution over selfie cameras under the display. You probably voted against the latter because the technology isn’t exactly very reliable right now.

Just over 24% of you said sub-display cameras are the way to go. Finally, they also offer the option of getting rid of the bezels.

Even so, almost the same number – 23.5% – of our readers voted for pop-up cameras to be the best tried and tested trick for hiding selfie cameras in the book.

8.9% of respondents thought all of the above solutions were bad. According to them, there has to be a better place for the selfie shooter.

Your comments

Wongwatt: Just put the damn bezels back on! Sony has reduced it to 6 mm in the Xperia 1 II with two front-facing speakers. It looks like the Xperia 1 III will have even narrower ones. Why are these companies looking for solutions to a problem that never existed? Put … the … bezels back …!

Paul: I never understood why people were willing to compromise cameras, sensors, audio, games and usability just for looks. But with media sites quick to condemn everything with bezels, it was inevitable, and now we have companies pushing crap solutions. I still remember the old HTC U11 and how the first reviewers raved about the breathtaking colors, the excellent camera, the frame functions, the breathtaking audio, the perfect touch response and the beautiful screen … until Michael Fisher berated the bezels.

Demongornot: With bezels as slim as the ones in the Meizu 16 or Nubia Red Magic, it’s crazy that people are still complaining about it. There are literally hole or notch phones that have thicker bezels (mainly the lower one) than the actual bezel that the camera rests on. The OnePlus solution just markets the good old bezel differently, but slim like others already. It’s still a normal bezel IMO.

Shizuma: Anything that doesn’t have a hole or notch in the screen is the best solution, but honestly, keeping screen-to-body ratio tracking is because annoying reviewers decided to harp on pointless, stuck big, thin displays even fixed 16: 9 is IMO too big. I’d rather 16:10 or 4: 3.

THE ALPHAKKA: Popup. I don’t use selfie cams very often so I’m pretty happy that they are hidden until I need them. I still love the A80’s “flip-over” camera.

Joe Black: Anything that doesn’t break the screen is good.