Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has reportedly patented a futuristic smartphone that features an under-screen camera that can rotate internally for use as a selfie as well as a rear camera.

Citing a patent granted last week by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), LetsGoDigital reported on Monday that the “flip camera module” is housed at the back surface of the screen and serves as a rear lens by default. When the selfie camera is turned on, the camera, using a magnetic/motorized module and a processor, rotates internally.

According to LetsGoDigital, the camera module under development will preferably use a magnetic module that is cheaper and more durable than a motorized drive module that can easily break.

The under-screen flip camera module is said to eliminate the need to install a separate selfie camera on a smartphone. It also has advantages over today’s pop-up camera module as it will not come into contact with dust and dirt and more photo and video functions can be linked to it.

Xiaomi, currently the world’s fourth-largest smartphone brand, unveiled the third generation of under-display camera technology in 2020, saying that it will officially commence mass production of smartphones featuring this technology in 2021. Eschewing punch holes and dot drops, the new technology is claimed to perfectly disguise the front camera under the phone’s screen without ruining the edge-to-edge display effect.

Xiaomi’s New under-screen camera technology

Xiaomi’s third-gen under-display camera technology is expected to debut in the Mi Mix 4 later this year. As for the internal flip camera module, it’s still unclear whether and when the company will integrate this technology into its future smartphone models. Meanwhile, other leading smartphone vendors like Samsung, Vivo, Oppo are also reportedly planning to launch smartphones with under-display selfie cameras in the near future. So far, ZTE Axon 20 5G is the only smartphone to feature an under-display camera.