Four selfie cameras: Vivo's new patent redefines weird

2019 has been like one big battle against bezels, and hole-punch displays seem to be one of the winners. On the other side, dual-, triple-, and quadruple-camera setups grew more and more common. Perhaps Chinese company Vivo wanted to capitalize on these trends, because it’s released a new patent with four camera cutouts.

Yes, that’s right- not one, not two, not even three, but four hole-punch selfie cameras. The new patent, spotted by TigerMobiles, actually outlines three different ways a quadruple selfie phone could work.



One such model sports two cameras each in the upper right and upper left of the display, with a sliver of the display visible between the sensors. Another is similar, with each upper corner getting a cluster of two cameras, kind of like the Galaxy S10 Plus. The last one is the most bizzare, with a hole-punch in each of the four corners.

Vivo’s patent doesn’t actually say what functionality its designs may offer, which raises the question- why exactly would you need four selfie cameras? A few possibilities come to mind: the difference in position between the cameras could make for better 3D depth mapping, or perhaps some clever stitching software could make for pseudo-wide-angle groupies.

Unfortunately, the cause for multiple selfie camera seems like an uphill battle thus far. Current phones have no trouble with depth sensing, and even the S10 Plus’s double cutout doesn’t offer any special functionality.

Of course, the patent isn’t proof that Vivo is developing such a phone or ever will, it’ll likely be a tough sell. At the very least, it’s an interesting idea that pushes the boundaries of the current mobile landscape.