Cameras on phones are becoming bulkier and bulkier, these days often taking up an island of their own. Front-facing ones also get in the way in the form on notches and cutouts. In what looks like a workaround, OPPO has a patent to let you partially deal with them.
The patent depicts a detachable camera module. And it’s the size of the average camera island you find at the back of phones these days. You can pull it out of the back of the phone for when you take selfies, or even use them for video calls. This nature also makes them usable remotely to an extent. You can take shots at different angles while keeping your phone in front of you to see what you’re actually shooting.
Of course, this means the module has its own lithium battery separate from the phone’s. Also allowing it to be used while detached are its many connectivity options, from USB-C to Bluetooth, NFC and WiFi. Its own USB-C connector can be tilted 90 degrees. This allows it to fit both its own port at the back, or at the charging port when used as a front-facing shooter.
This OPPO patent could in a sense mark the return of modular-ish phones. That being said, it all depends on the company actually making something out of the patent. As is usually the case with patents, this doesn’t guarantee a product that can ultimately be bought from shelves.
(Source: 91mobiles)
