Oppo Rollable Phone Spotted on Patent Site; Invisible Camera Design Hinted: Report

Oppo may introduce a new rollable smartphone to the market in the near future. A patent application from the company has reportedly been spotted on the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) website. The company has also launched the Oppo Find N2 Flip and the Oppo Find N2 foldable smartphones in December 2022. Oppo is also expected to launch the Find N3 model, expanding its foldable smartphone range, soon. However, the rollable smartphone, if and when launched, will employ a different technology than the existing foldable devices.

According to a 91Mobiles Hindi report, Oppo, the Chinese phone manufacturing company, has applied for a new patent for a rollable smartphone. The report states that the design images seen in the patent suggest that its main body will have a bar-shaped design, with the rear cameras and LED flash modules visible on the back panel.

However, the report adds that the front display does not show any front camera sensors in the images seen. It is therefore being speculated that the phone may come with an invisible front camera sensor.

The Oppo rollable phone is seen with the volume rocker and power buttons on the right-side edge of the device, as per the report. The edges are depicted as squared, with a flat front display panel, according to the images cited from the patent. The bottom edge shows that the phone will have a USB Type-C port and the speaker grill located there.

It is likely that the phone will be able to roll out from the right side, but the report adds that it is also possible for the handset to expand on both sides. A specific touchpoint or task will allow the phone to roll, according to the report. Since this is only what is seen in the patent application, it is likely that the commercial phone, if and when launched, may come with notable differences.

The patent filed in December 2022 with the CNIPA was approved on April 14, according to the report.