An under-display camera (UDC) sits behind a phone’s screen, so the scene’s light has to pass through the display before it reaches the camera sensor. The screen area above the lens is modified to let more light through, and software tries to correct the resulting image. That can hide a camera cutout, but the display remains an optical obstacle: image quality depends on the screen, camera hardware, lighting, and processing.
How does an under-display camera work?
A UDC uses a camera module positioned beneath the display rather than in a notch or punch-hole. The screen area over the lens still shows content, but it is engineered to transmit more light toward the sensor. On the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Fold5, Samsung says the camera region has lower pixel density to increase light penetration; under some viewing conditions, that area may show a cross-hatch pattern. Those details apply to those models, not every UDC phone. Samsung’s Fold4 and Fold5 support page explains the feature and its model-specific specifications.
The design has competing goals. A display needs to produce a bright, high-quality image, while a camera needs scene light to pass through that same structure. Pixels, wiring, and other layers block some light; the remaining light is diffracted as it passes through the display pattern. It is therefore not optically equivalent to placing a camera behind an open hole. Samsung engineers describe the Fold4’s UDC engineering, and Microsoft Applied Sciences outlines the display-camera tradeoff.
Why can UDC photos look soft, hazy, or noisy?
Less transmitted light means the sensor receives a weaker signal relative to image noise. Diffraction also spreads light from bright points across neighboring sensor areas, mixing detail and softening the image. Samsung engineers identify flare, saturation changes, blur, and haze among possible artifacts. Their severity varies with the panel’s materials and pixel layout, camera module, lighting, and processing; no single light-transmission figure describes all UDCs.
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In dim or high-contrast scenes, the combination of reduced light and optical artifacts can make the image harder to clean up. A bright light in the frame may contribute flare or haze, while fine detail may appear less crisp than it would through an unobstructed camera. These are possible effects of the optical path, not a guarantee that every phone will show every artifact to the same degree. The CVPR 2021 paper “Controllable Image Restoration for Under-Display Camera in Smartphones” also identifies low light transmission and noise as challenges.
What image processing can—and cannot—fix
Phone makers use computational photography to compensate for the degraded signal. Samsung says the Fold4 uses AI image restoration and multi-frame processing, with restoration applied to preview and video and NPU acceleration for real-time preview work. OPPO’s 2021 announcement described a prototype using diffraction reduction, HDR, and automatic white balance. These are descriptions of particular products or prototypes, not a shared specification for all UDCs.
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Microsoft Applied Sciences describes a restoration system trained with paired images: one captured through sample displays and one captured without a display in front of the camera. On its project page, Microsoft reports results across its research dataset of a 200% contrast gain, 97% image restoration, and a 10 dB signal-to-noise-ratio gain. The page does not state a publication year for those figures. They refer to specific tested sample displays and a research restoration system, not measurements of current commercial phones, and they should not be read as a promise that processing restores every lost detail. Software can improve apparent sharpness, contrast, or noise, but it cannot be assumed to recover all information removed or scrambled by the display.
What image quality should you expect in practice?
Judge the specific phone and the way you plan to use it. A UDC may suit someone who values an uninterrupted inner display and mainly uses the camera for video calls. For carefully composed, high-detail selfies, a conventional front camera may be the better choice. Compare samples from the exact device, especially in the lighting where you expect to use it; there is no supported controlled ranking that establishes one brand’s UDC as better than all others.
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Samsung says the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Fold5 UDC is intended primarily for video calls and facial recognition, and advises using the cover-screen camera when a slightly clearer image or video is wanted. Samsung lists the UDC on those two models as 4 MP, f/1.8, and fixed focus. These are model-specific specifications and guidance, not category-wide UDC characteristics. Samsung also says its Fold users in consumer research preferred the cover camera for capturing photos and selfies; that preference is Samsung’s reported research, not an independent market-wide finding.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to compare a UDC with a punch-hole or conventional front camera
When choosing or evaluating a phone, check the tradeoffs that matter to your use rather than treating “under-display” as a guarantee of better or worse photography:
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- Screen continuity: Is the uninterrupted viewing area valuable to you, and can you see or notice the camera region when the display shows content?
- Selfie detail: Look for sharpness, fine detail, flare, haze, and color changes in photos from the actual model.
- Calls and preview: Consider whether the UDC’s image is adequate for your video-call use and whether the preview looks representative of the processed result.
- Lighting: Check examples in dim light and in scenes with bright sources, where reduced transmission and diffraction may be more apparent.
- Alternative camera: Find out whether the phone has another front-facing camera, such as a cover-screen camera, and whether the manufacturer recommends it for clearer stills.
The best tradeoff depends on whether the clean display matters more to you than front-camera image quality. Product-specific advice and sample images are more useful than assuming all UDCs perform alike.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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