Samsung patents punch-hole camera with moving sub-display that hides when not in use
Samsung Galaxy S21 series is expected to be unveiled in mid-January 2021. As per the previous reports, these smartphones will feature a punch-hole camera display similar to their predecessors. Moving forward, a new patent reveals that Samsung is working to put the selfie camera under the display.
According to the latest info, Samsung applied for an ‘Electronic device including sub-display and method of operating same’ at the World Intellectual Property Office on June 19, 2020. Following this application, the filed documents by Samsung has approved and published by the WIPO on December 24, 2020.
The patent clips developed by LetsGoDigital show that Samsung is working on a smartphone that has quite narrow screen edges with a rounded display. Its display carries a transparent area at the center top and a secondary display has placed under the transparent area which brings capabilities to the phone to hide the dual-camera setup and the LED flash when not in use. Its first camera lens can be used as an iris scanner for biometric authentication while the second can take images and record videos.
Samsung has planned to implement a built-in driver that can move the sub-display from top to bottom as well as from left to right mechanically to hide/unhide the transparent area of the display. It is worth mentioning that the documents also hint that the screen can also be operated with an S Pen
It is still unclear whether Samsung will introduce this most advanced invisible selfie camera technology in its smartphone. But we can expect that the company will launch the first Galaxy A-series smartphone in the coming year with an invisible selfie camera. And, after the refinement, it might be installed in the 2022’s Galaxy S22 smartphones.
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Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is tipped to launch with 16GB RAM. We have been hearing about a significant RAM upgrade on the next Ultra flagship. Now, a credible source disclosed the possible storage configuration.
Leaker Jukanlosreve revealed that two Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra variants could have 16GB of RAM. The base variant of the Galaxy S25 Ultra may still get 12GB of RAM, but the pre-order promotion could address customer concerns about RAM upgrades.
The 256GB model could get 12GB of RAM, while the 512GB and 1TB variants may feature 16GB of RAM. It’s a notable upgrade that the next Samsung flagship is bringing as part of offering a more reliable and faster AI task processing.
- 12GB RAM / 256GB storage
- 16GB RAM / 512GB storage
- 16GB RAM / 1TB storage
Earlier this year, Samsung launched the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This flagship comes with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage variants. However, all models are paired with 12GB of RAM, and it was a big reason for Samsung to face criticism.
As AI and generative tasks demand more resources, upgrading to 16GB will significantly enhance multitasking and efficiency.
As AI and generative tasks demand more resources, upgrading to 16GB RAM will significantly enhance efficienc. Samsung’s flagships come with top-notch hardware and stunningly optimized software. 16GB RAM in the S25 Ultra will offer outstanding experiences.
Samsung could announce the Galaxy Unpacked in mid-January next year. The event is expected to be held in late January, while release is scheduled for early February. If you pre-order, Samsung could offer a free storage upgrade.
That said, consumers pre-ordering the 256GB model will get the 512GB model delivered. The same case with the 512GB model, bringing you the 1TB variant. So next year, you could get 16GB RAM model at the cost of 256GB variant.
Samsung is unlikely to use Exynos 2500 in the Galaxy S25 series. Qualcomm has increased the prices of the Snapdragon 8 Elite due to upgrades. However, MediaTek could help Samsung keep on evolving flagships as Snapdragon price soars.
Recently, it was reported that the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 could be pricier than the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Samsung Foundry is in trouble and there’s no hope for Exynos 2600 to be used in 2026’s Galaxy S26 flagship smartphones.
Chipset price makes a great impact on smartphone pricing. Samsung managed to freeze pricing by utilizing Exynos in previous flagships. However, the game has changed as consumers don’t want Exynos and Snapdragon continues to be pricier.
Korean media (via Jukanlosreve) believes that MediaTek could help Samsung flagships keep on evolving further amid pricier Snapdragon. If Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 is to be exclusively used in the S26 series, we may not see any display and camera upgrades.
Chinese phone makers aggressively utilize the Dimensity chips, that decently rival the latest Snapdragon chipset. Exynos is uncertain but MediaTek is doing a pretty good job with its flagship Dimensity chips.
In the case of no Exynos, opting for Dimensity in the Galaxy S series is a better alternative. MediaTek’s prices are way too lesser than Qualcomm’s. Meanwhile, flagship Dimensity chips offer better performance than Samsung’s Exynos.
Samsung skipped upgrading the display and zoom camera on the S25 Ultra, as far as the rumors are concerned. It could be forced to replace the same pursuit on the Galaxy S26 series otherwise, the price freeze would be unavoidable.
Global Samsung Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra surfaced on the FCC database. Earlier, we’ve seen the appearance of the US variants of the S25 series. The listing reveals the model number, connectivity specs, and some more info.
FCC listed Global Samsung Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra as model numbers SM-S931B, SM-S936B, and SM-S938B, respectively. The variants will be launched outside the US such as Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East.
The input solidifies that the vanilla S25 won’t feature UWB tech. The fast and secure connectivity feature will be limited to the Galaxy S25 Plus and S25 Ultra. The US variants listing revealed the UWB configuration on the upcoming flagships.
Supporting documents suggest that the S25 and S25+ were tested with the EP-TA800 charging adaptor and EP-DN980 cable. Support for Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n/a/ac/ax/be), GNSS, DP, and NFC are also mentioned.
The Galaxy S25 Ultra is also listed with S Pen support. It will be the only model in the lineup that will be supporting stylus input. As far as the charging speed is concerned, the S25 Plus and S25 Ultra will bring 45W fast charging support.
The flagship will also feature Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n/a/ac/ax/be), GNSS, UWB, DP, and NFC connectivity. The supported 5G bands include n1/2/3/5/7/8/12/20/25/26/28/38/40/41/66/77/78.
Galaxy S25 Ultra Release Date
Samsung hasn’t yet officially announced the release date for the Galaxy S25 series. South Korea is currently facing political tension as the President has recently imposed Martial Law (Emergency) and lifted it shortly after.
Korean media previously reported that the Galaxy Unpacked may be held in late January next year. If things continue to go as planned, we can expect the S25 series to be unveiled on January 22, while release could happen in early February.