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Tech News Vivo smartphone with a flying camera drone concept renders surface online; here’s how it could look |
The 3D concept renders
displayed above were created based on Vivo's patent image by Sarang Sheth
(Yanko Design) in partnership with LetsGoDigital. It is meant for illustrative
purposes only, as Vivo has not yet released such a product. ( Sarang Sheth/LetsGoDigital)
Over the past couple of
years, manufacturers have been trying their best to get rid of the camera notch
on smartphone screens, using motorised popup cameras like Redmi K20 Pro and
flip mechanisms like the Asus 6Z. Some manufacturers have begun experimenting
with in-display cameras, while others have been working on more radical
techniques, such as the recently revealed patent filed by Vivo for a smartphone
with a camera drone.
Last week, we reported that
Vivo had filed a patent for what might just be the most innovative way to get
rid of the notch - using a flying drone with a camera module. The drone is
expected to feature two cameras and infrared sensors. From Vivo’s patent
filing, it appears that the same drone could be stored inside the phone itself,
and exit the device when required.
While the patent images
have provided a good idea of how the module could work, designer Sarang Sheth
along with LetsGoDigital have now revealed new concept renders of the device
which helps users visualise how the module could work. The render shows a
module that slides out of the device in what looks like a large oversized SIM
tray. The renders are shared for illustrative purposes only, and it is
important to note that Vivo has not yet released such a product.
However, the biggest
question that arises from both the patent filing and the newly released renders
is the impact of the camera module on the battery life of the main device.
Considering the size of the module and the energy required to operate for
extended periods, it might draw a lot of power from the smartphone. The module
also appears to exit from the main body of the device, which could take up very
valuable space, which is usually reserved for the smartphone’s battery.
Also, another question that
arises from looking at the renders shared by Sheth and LetsGoDigital, is how
the drone module will return to the smartphone. While regular drone cameras are
perfectly capable of returning to their base stations, the tray retracting and
extending from the device is likely to be motorised, so the module would have
to land perfectly every time, or manually put in place by the user.
However, as with any
concept renders of devices that do not yet exist, it is better to take the
designs with a pinch of salt as the technology involved could change over time,
as Vivo continues to work on its initial designs. Even if the company was to
release a product featuring this technology, it could come with several changes
or improvements, something that is too early to predict or speculate about at
this point.
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