Samsung introduced their "under display" (Selfie) camera (UDC) with their Galaxy Z Fold back in August 2022. Little known Axon introduced one that was reviewed by Marques Brownlee. Xiaomi has presented prototypes of this feature since 2020 and has yet to deliver this feature. and Google has filed for a patent covering this feature that consumers want.

While Apple's advanced True Depth Camera system used for Face ID complicates providing an under display camera feature to kill the notch, Apple continues to work on this feature via filing and updating patents to protect this likely future feature.

Today the US Patent & Trademark Office published yet another update to their under display camera patent.  Apple refers to this as "a front-facing camera disposed behind a front-facing display."

Apple's patent FIG. 2 below illustrates the current iPhone Notch design and FIG. 3 illustrates a future iPhone design with the TrueDepth camera system hidden behind the back of the display imagery.

Apple's patent FIG. 4 above illustrates a future operating environment #400 wherein the camera system is behind the display imagery. Apple notes that "although the camera #420 does not necessarily contact the display #410, the camera is closer to the back surface (#418) of the display than the front surface #417.

Apple's patent FIG. 12 below illustrates a functional block diagram of a device (#1200) including restoration optics #1220 configured to reduce image distortion caused by a display #1210.

In various implementations, the restoration optics include a bandpass filter #1222. For example, if the camera #1230 includes visible light sensor elements, the bandpass filter filters light to the visible wavelength range. As another example, if the camera includes infrared light sensor elements, the bandpass filter filters light to the infrared wavelength range.

Apple has added 20 new patent claims to support their under display camera system that applies a digital filter to the captured image to reduce image distortion caused by the display being under the display. To review its rich details, review Apple's updated patent application 20230409075. Apple began working on this project in 2018 or earlier with three updates thus far.

Apple could take the approach that Samsung has by presenting users with a full display and no notch or hole when the camera isn't being used. When the camera is needed for Face ID when a user starts-up their iPhone or just wants to take a selfie, the pixels covering the notch would appear to clear so as to not distort the image, which is particularly important for Face ID.