Now that we have become accustomed to cutouts and drilled holes for selfie cameras, some Android phone manufacturers are trying to eliminate front-facing cameras altogether. We first saw this with the ZTE Axon 20 5G, which was not a great example of this technology.

Now, however, Oppo has unveiled its latest technology and claims that its new under-display camera will solve the problems created by the previous iteration. While the company only has a prototype (which, as far as we know, no media outlet has seen), it claims that its latest advancements will avoid the display and image quality issues we have seen in the past.

Oppo's new approach does not reduce pixel density around the camera. Instead, the prototype uses smaller pixels while maintaining a density of 400 ppi. Oppo has also devised transparent wiring with a 50% reduction in width, both advancements should eventually allow more light to shine on the camera and thus reduce blurring. It will also keep the screen sharp around the camera.

One example of this technology in action is this photo of a prototype running an e-book reader application. Such applications require high pixel density to keep the text as sharp as possible, especially on a white background. If you were to notice the camera below the display, it would be in the e-reader application.

But for us end users, this new technology could mean the true realization of full-screen display phones without pop-up cameras, although devices like the Zenfone 8 Flip and OnePlus 7 Pro have tried to offer us a full-screen experience, introduced more stumbling blocks with the motors needed to drive the flip/pop-up camera.

Furthermore, if Oppo is correct, this new prototype could address the problems seen in previous attempts at under-display cameras. If Oppo's efforts are meant to solve the problem of display clarity and image quality, I am all for it.

Just imagine a future Galaxy S or OnePlus phone or, given Apple's near perfectionism, a far future iPhone with a true edge-to-edge display with no front camera cutout. It may sound far-fetched, but if Oppo and ZTE can figure out this technology, it is very possible.

For now, Oppo's announcement concerns prototypes only, so it's unlikely we'll see it on the Find X4 Pro or anytime soon. However, Oppo also usually moves fairly quickly when it comes to pushing new boundaries, so I could be wrong.

Of course, we also have to consider the ZTE Axon 30, which claims to have improved on the under-display camera technology seen on the Axon 20 5G (the Axon 30 Ultra we reviewed had a camera notch). It's a battle that I don't think many have asked for, but both the technology and its prospects are interesting.