MoneyINC Logo
25+
Years of
Trust
13,000+
Articles
Written 
10M+
Annual 
Readers
300+
Global
Mentions

What Are Pop-Up Cameras and Are They The Future?

Pop cameras are cameras built into electronic devices that won't come out until the user chooses for them to come out. For example, Huawei's new laptop has a pop up camera that is concealed as a key on the keyboard. When the user chooses for the pop up camera to come out, the key rises up to reveal the pop up camera, which is interesting but comes with a significant issue in that the position of the key means that the pop up camera is at a rather awkward angle. Likewise, Vivo has come up with something similar in that its pop up camera slides out of the top of its new phone, which is much the same concept but in a much better position. Regardless, while pop up cameras are not a particularly innovative idea, they are interesting in what they say about the future of camera design on phones, laptops, and other electronic devices.

What Do Pop Up Cameras Mean For the Future of Camera Design?

In short, the existence of pop up cameras means that manufacturers have recognized a couple of serious problems with how cameras are currently integrated into their products. First, standard cameras are a huge security hazard. Second, standard cameras necessitate a bigger screen bezel. It is clear that pop up cameras are intended to combat both of these problems.

For those who are unfamiliar with the problem, cameras on phones, laptops, and other electronic devices are a serious security threat because hackers can use them to spy on the users. Moreover, hackers are capable of turning on cameras in a remote manner without turning on the light, thus enabling them to spy without alerting the user to what is happening to them. Considering the sort of thing that can be captured by the camera, this can be rather unpleasant to say the least. As a result, it is no wonder that more and more people have been choosing to cover up their cameras until they are needed, whether they choose DIY solutions such as a piece of tape or something more complicated such as one of the numerous products out there that can be used for said purpose.

As for the second problem, the screen bezel is the area that surrounds the screen. It might not be a huge problem for some, but it is nonetheless a waste of space. As a result, manufacturers that can minimize the screen bezel can instead put that space to much better uses, with an excellent example being increasing the size of the screen itself. This is one of the main reasons that Vivo's new phone is notable, seeing as how it comes closer to being a full-screen phone than most of the other makes and models that can be found out there.

Pop up cameras handle these two problems in a simple and straightforward manner. First, the fact that they pop up means that they are less of a security threat because they can just be concealed when they are not in use. Second, the fact that they pop up instead of being built into the screen bezel means that there is less need for the screen bezel. As a result, while pop up cameras are far from being perfect solutions to these two problems, the examples that have been seen so far make it clear that the manufacturers are thinking about those issues, which is perhaps unsurprising when the consumers are thinking about those issues as well.

Further Considerations

It is unclear whether pop up cameras will become the future of camera design. They meet a real need when it comes to the cameras integrated into phones, laptops, and other electronic devices. However, their current forms are far from perfect, as shown by the rather awkward angle of the pop up camera built into Huawei's new laptop. As a result, it seems probable that while pop up cameras will go on to influence camera design, they may or may not reflect their current forms. After all, it is not unreasonable to speculate that manufacturers will continue to innovate, which in turn, means that they will continue to come up with new solutions to the stated problems. For that matter, even if pop up cameras manage to become the future of camera design, said trend will take time to spread, meaning that the chances of a total takeover in the near future are not that particularly high.

Garrett Parker

Written by Garrett Parker

Garrett by trade is a personal finance freelance writer and journalist. With over 10 years experience he's covered businesses, CEOs, and investments. However he does like to take on other topics involving some of his personal interests like automobiles, future technologies, and anything else that could change the world.

Read more posts by Garrett Parker

Related Articles

Stay ahead of the curve with our most recent guides and articles on , freshly curated by our diligent editorial team for your immediate perusal.
As featured on:

Wealth Insight!
Subscribe to our Exclusive Newsletter

Dive into the world of wealth and extravagance with Money Inc! Discover stock tips, businesses, luxury items, and travel experiences curated for the affluent observer.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram