The Galaxy S10 hasn’t even been out a week yet, but Samsung is already looking toward the future. In a briefing this week, Samsung made it clear that while the Infinity-O display of the S10 is a “milestone,” it’s also a stepping stone on the path to a true full-screen display — one unimpeded by hole punches or bezels.
“Punching a hole in the OLED display is a very challenging technology,” explained Yang Byung-duk, vice president of Samsung’s Mobile Communication R&D Group Display, according to Yonhap News Agency. “We tried the technology for Galaxy’s 10th anniversary model and think the strategy worked as a result.”
The Galaxy S10 represents the limits of smartphone design in 2019, but Samsung’s plan is to eventually bury all of the sensors and cameras underneath the display, leaving nothing but a perfectly preserved screen. Yang admits that it won’t be possible to build the true all-screen phone of the future for at least a few more years, but says it should be possible to hide the camera beneath the display within the next year or two.
Yang also revealed during the briefing that Samsung is considering building a Crystal Sound OLED display, which allows the screen to double as a speaker. LG used similar technology in its G8 ThinQ last year.
While the smartphone industry is steadily marching toward the total elimination of bezels, notches, and holes on the front of the phone, the technology hasn’t quite caught up with the vision of the phone makers yet. That said, don’t be surprised if the Galaxy S11 or S12 has a camera tucked under the glass display.
