How did Samsung manage to put a camera behind the screen on the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G?

In the last week, the folding line of Samsung officially arrived in Brazil. both the Galaxy z fold3 as much as Z-Flip3 were two of the most anticipated releases of the year by tech fans. Among all the features and specifications of the devices, one point drew attention: the layout of the camera behind the screen, a resource present in the ZFold3.

To understand how this feature was implemented, as well as what were the reasons that led Samsung to opt for it, the showmetech talked to Renato Citrini, Senior Product Manager at Samsung Brazil. The representative told a little about the advantages of not having the lens opening over the screen and the impact of this inclusion in the catalog of smartphones of the company in the long term.

Recap the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G

Recalling a little more about the device, the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is the new version of Samsung's flagship foldable, officially announced at an event next to the Galaxy Z-Flip3 and Galaxy Watch4. The device has a 6,2” Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen, with an HD+ external panel and a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.

With a robust and very modern design, the device opens and closes on its sides, giving several possibilities for multitasking organization and customization of the system interface to the user. With IPX8 certification (against water and dust), the Z Fold3 also features a triple rear camera of 12MP each and two 4MP front cameras, one on each screen — and one of these being the first to be embedded behind the screen in the line of smartphones from Samsung.

The big question about this company's choice is whether, in practice, it is really efficient as it is said and how it can transform Samsung's vision of lens technology in its future releases. From the point of view of the company's representative in Brazil, it is indeed possible to have the best experience with the novelty.

The question about the camera behind the screen

Contrary to what many Samsung consumers and enthusiasts may think, the camera placed under the display of the ZFold3 it is not a technology developed exclusively for folding models. The so-called UDC, Under Display Camera, (or simply “Camera Under the Screen”, in translation) was developed by the company as a separate feature, which ended up debuting in this release. Samsung also calls it the UPC (Under Panel Camera), which, in practice, represents the same concept.

Renato Citrini states that the reason why this front camera was arranged in this way is due to a field research with Samsung users, who ended up pointing out a common issue: the appearance of the front lens over the .

was notified to big tech that consumers were experiencing some discomfort, albeit minimal, regarding the front camera's relief during various activities, especially those aimed at entertainment. As a form of feedback, Samsung decided to test the UDC on a device that delivered a complete experience, as it promotes the Z Fold3.

In this way, users can watch videos, series and movies, play games and enjoy other content with 100% use of both screens, before and after folding the device.

From a technical point of view, Renato revealed that the Samsung studied and created this technology by decreasing the pixel density in the margin where the camera is positioned. Consequently, there is a greater spacing between one point of light and others. The super-fine adjustment makes, for example, images cover the entire screen when opened while the camera is able to capture the light beams when activated, without canceling functions in between.

On the other hand, this implementation cost some of the quality of this front camera, since it needs to collect the record behind a crystal-clear screen. Although the loss is inevitable, Renato justifies it with a correction pack of with , released for update on the cell phone system at launch, and also states that there is still great use of image and video. That's mainly because this camera was not created for intense use. “The use of this camera is much more limited, much more occasional”, he explains, using as an example the use in everyday video calls or unpretentious selfies.

This is also reflected in the target audience of the product. When asked about the lack of innovative resource in the Z-Flip3, the Samsung representative states that while the user of the ZFold3 looking for a more complete professional experience, the Z Flip3 customer is looking for versatility and practicality. This point can also be endorsed in the design of both devices, one being larger and more robust than the other more compact.

Either way, as the behind-the-screen camera isn't something intentionally intended for the foldable line, it's very likely that consumers will see the feature in other company products in the future. “The user's taste will remain, request and want to continue with this functionality, and naturally we will expand (The technology) for other devices in the portfolio”, he adds.

With three colors available, the new Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is now available for purchase in Brazil, at the price of R$12.799,00, in the 256GB version, and R$13.799,00, in the 512GB version, on the official website of Samsung.

See also other features

Also access other related content on Showmetech. stayed out of the Samsung launches? Check out all about the arrival of the Galaxy Z Fold3 and other products in Brazil.