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Under-display cameras make the screen look more continuous; punch-hole cameras generally have the clearer optical path for selfies and video calls. A UDC places display material in front of its lens, reducing and diffracting the light that reaches the sensor. A punch-hole leaves a small visible opening instead. The better choice depends on whether you value an uninterrupted display or front-camera clarity more—and on the specific phone’s camera hardware and image processing.
That distinction is the useful starting point, not a promise that one design always produces better photographs. The comparison involves two different priorities: how the front camera sees the scene and how uninterrupted the screen looks when you are not using it. Phone-specific hardware, display construction, processing and lighting still matter.
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How the two camera designs work
Punch-hole cameras leave an opening in the display
A punch-hole camera sits behind an aperture in the display panel. The surrounding screen remains active, but the camera opening is visible while you use the phone. Because the lens does not have the full display pixel stack in front of it, light can reach the camera without passing through that layer.
The opening still creates a display-engineering challenge: the pixels around its edge must appear consistent with the rest of the panel. Samsung Display described efforts to maintain image uniformity around camera holes in its account of OLED hole displays: Samsung Display’s camera-hole OLED announcement. The point is that a punch-hole avoids one particular camera-path obstruction; it does not mean the display area around the aperture has no design or manufacturing considerations.
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Under-display cameras look through a modified screen region
An under-display camera (UDC) is placed behind a part of the display designed to admit light. Its lens is covered by display material, with light passing through gaps between pixels; the OLED pixels themselves reduce the light that reaches the sensor. The CVPR 2024 workshop paper UDAC: Under-Display Array Cameras describes this optical path.
To let more light through, manufacturers can modify pixel density, layout, wiring or materials in the camera region. Samsung says the UDC area on the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Fold5 uses lower pixel density to increase light penetration. That creates a trade-off: less obvious camera hardware during screen use, but a specially constructed display area and a more obstructed path for image capture.
In practical terms, the UDC is not simply a regular camera placed behind an otherwise unchanged screen. The display over the lens has to be designed differently enough to let some light through, while still serving as part of the screen. The result is a compromise between viewing appearance and the amount and quality of light reaching the camera. A punch-hole makes the opposite compromise: it accepts a visible aperture rather than placing that display material over the lens.
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When other factors are comparable, a punch-hole design has an optical advantage because the display does not sit in front of the camera. A UDC’s display layer can attenuate and diffract light, and cause spatially varying blur and noise. In images, those effects may appear as softer detail, flare, haze, glare or changes in color and saturation. The technical discussion in Controllable Image Restoration for Under-Display Camera in Smartphones and the CVPR 2024 workshop paper explains these challenges. Samsung Research also identifies low light transmittance and diffraction as key UDC problems in its Galaxy Z Fold4 UDC interview.
Those effects help explain why a camera looking through a UDC screen can have a harder job: less light reaches the sensor, and the light that does arrive may be altered by the screen. They are potential image-quality problems, not a guarantee that every UDC photo will show every artifact. Their visibility depends on the particular camera, display design, processing and scene. Likewise, “punch-hole” describes the location of the camera opening, not the quality of the sensor or lens behind it.
That does not mean every punch-hole phone will outperform every UDC phone. Sensor size, lens quality, focus, exposure, image processing and lighting all matter. There is no neutral, cross-device measurement here that establishes a universal gap for current phones, so treat the design as one factor—not a substitute for judging the particular camera you plan to use.
For a fair personal comparison, look for photos and video from the specific models you are considering rather than relying only on the camera configuration. Compare the front cameras in conditions relevant to you, such as video calls or selfies, and pay attention to detail, color and any haze or flare. This is especially important if low-light use is a priority: the UDC display reduces transmitted light, but the cited sources do not provide a controlled, current cross-phone measurement that quantifies how much worse any particular UDC performs in low light.
Processing can improve a UDC image, but it does not remove the trade-off
Image processing can compensate for some defects introduced by the display. Samsung describes AI image restoration and multi-frame processing on the Galaxy Z Fold4, including restoration in preview and video use. OPPO’s 2021 prototype announcement described diffraction reduction, HDR and automatic white balance algorithms: OPPO’s under-screen camera announcement. These are manufacturers’ descriptions of their techniques, not independent proof that the resulting images match those from a comparable punch-hole camera.
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Processing is relevant because the UDC’s difficulties are not limited to a simple reduction in brightness. Diffraction and spatially varying blur can affect how the image is formed, while flare, haze, noise and color changes can affect how it looks. Restoration and multi-frame approaches are intended to address such degradation. However, a description of an algorithm or a claimed improvement does not establish how well it works across scenes, or how its result compares with another phone under controlled conditions.
Samsung’s account includes restoration in preview and video, so the processing is not described as applying only to a still image after capture. OPPO’s cited announcement is about a prototype and its stated algorithms. Neither manufacturer account should be read as an independent test showing parity with a punch-hole camera. If selfie quality is a deciding factor, sample results from the exact device remain more informative than the presence of processing alone.
What you see on screen
A UDC’s main advantage is visual continuity: there is no obvious circular opening interrupting content. That can matter when watching video, gaming, reading or working on a large display. It does not mean the camera area is always invisible. Samsung says the Fold4 and Fold5 UDC region can show a cross-hatch pattern on a bright screen or when the display is off. Samsung also says it optimized the Fold4’s sub-pixel arrangement to make the camera area less noticeable after feedback about the Fold3.
This makes “uninterrupted” a relative description. A UDC removes the conventional visible hole, but the modified region may still look different in certain conditions. If you are sensitive to local display patterns, inspect the screen rather than judging only from a product image or a dark video clip. In particular, Samsung identifies bright screen content and the screen-off state as conditions in which the Fold4/Fold5 camera region’s pattern may be visible. The extent to which that matters is personal and depends on what you tend to display.
A punch-hole is a visible cutout, which can be distracting against some content. In exchange, the display does not need the specially modified pixel region used to let a UDC camera see through the panel. The area around the opening still needs to look uniform: for the Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G and Galaxy Z Fold2 5G, Samsung Display reported a UL assessment sampling color, brightness and saturation at 12 points around the hole, with deviations of two or less Delta E. That is a manufacturer-reported result for those specific older panels, not a general measurement of all punch-hole displays.
The two kinds of screen concern are therefore different. A punch-hole leaves an opening that can interrupt content; a UDC avoids that obvious opening but has a specially modified camera region that may show a pattern. Samsung Display’s reported Delta E result addresses the sampled area around named holes on specific devices. It should not be used to claim that every punch-hole display is perfectly uniform, just as Samsung’s cross-hatch note should not be generalized to every UDC.
What the named phones and figures show
| Example | What is documented | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy Z Fold4 and Z Fold5 UDC | Samsung India lists 4MP resolution, f/1.8 aperture and fixed focus for the inner-display cameras. The camera area uses lower pixel density to increase light penetration. Samsung says the cover-screen camera can provide a slightly clearer image or video. Details: Samsung India’s Fold4 and Fold5 UDC overview. | These are specifications and guidance for the named Fold models, not a specification for UDCs in general. The cover camera is an option if you want a clearer capture. |
| OPPO under-screen camera prototype | OPPO announced a camera area with 400 PPI and claimed its compensation approach held chromaticity and brightness deviation to about 2%. | These are vendor claims about a prototype and its display technology, not independent camera-quality comparisons or evidence about a retail phone. |
| Samsung Display camera-hole assessment | For the Note20 Ultra 5G and Z Fold2 5G, Samsung Display reported deviations of two or less Delta E at 12 sampled points around the camera holes. | This is a manufacturer-reported assessment of specific display areas, not a result that can be applied to every punch-hole panel. |
| ZTE Axon 20 5G | ZTE announced the Axon 20 5G as an under-display-camera smartphone in 2020, describing special materials, display circuitry, a pixel matrix and selfie algorithms: ZTE’s Axon 20 5G announcement. | This is a historical manufacturer announcement, not a current availability or buying recommendation. |
The Fold4 and Fold5 figures are especially useful as a concrete example of the compromises behind a UDC. The listed 4MP resolution, f/1.8 aperture and fixed focus describe those inner cameras; they do not establish what another UDC will offer. The lower pixel density is a display-side measure intended to increase light penetration, not a statement that the entire screen uses that density. Samsung’s recommendation to use the cover-screen camera for a slightly clearer image or video is also specific to those Fold models. If you are evaluating one of them, it gives you a practical alternative to consider rather than a reason to assume all foldables have the same camera arrangement.
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OPPO’s 400 PPI and approximately 2% deviation figures likewise need their context. The PPI figure describes its announced camera-area display technology; the chromaticity and brightness figure is the company’s claim about its compensation approach. It is not a controlled camera test against a punch-hole phone, and the announcement concerned a prototype. These figures illustrate the engineering effort to make a camera region that both transmits light and looks like a display, but they do not provide a general performance benchmark.
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ZTE’s 2020 Axon 20 5G announcement is another historical example of a manufacturer describing an under-display camera. Its account discusses special materials, display circuitry, a pixel matrix and selfie algorithms. It documents the company’s approach at that time; it does not establish how current phones compare, or whether that particular model is currently available. The same caution applies to older named display tests: useful specifics should remain tied to the device and test that produced them.
How to choose between them
Choose a UDC when viewing continuity matters most
- You watch video, play games or read on the screen where the camera opening would otherwise sit.
- You use the front camera occasionally rather than relying on it for frequent selfies or important video calls.
- You are considering a foldable and can use its cover-screen camera when you want a clearer capture. Samsung specifically recommends that option for a slightly clearer image or video on the Fold4 and Fold5.
A UDC is most compelling when removing the obvious hole improves your everyday experience more than the camera-path compromise matters. Think about how often you use the front camera, but also which screen it sits behind. On a phone with an inner UDC and another front-facing camera on its cover display, the answer may depend on whether you normally take calls or selfies with the device open or closed. The Fold4/Fold5 cover-camera advice is an example for those models, not a universal foldable rule.
Choose a punch-hole when front-camera use matters more
- You take frequent selfies or depend on the front camera for video calls.
- You prefer an unobstructed optical path, especially when detail and low-light performance matter.
- You are comfortable with a small visible cutout in exchange for avoiding the display layer in front of the lens.
The punch-hole is the more straightforward fit if you would rather accept a visible aperture than have display material in the optical path. That is a design-based expectation, not a guarantee of better results than any named UDC device. Check the phone’s actual camera quality and features; the hole alone does not tell you about its sensor, lens, focus, exposure or processing.
Compare the actual phone, not just the label
Before choosing, check the camera you will really use and look at sample images or video from that model under the conditions that matter to you. On a foldable, compare the inner UDC with the cover-screen camera rather than assuming the inner camera is the only option. Also inspect the display area with bright content if you are sensitive to patterning or unevenness. A design label alone cannot tell you how well a manufacturer’s camera hardware and processing perform.
A useful comparison has two separate parts. First, assess the front camera: look at detail, color and signs of flare or haze in stills and video, keeping in mind that no neutral cross-device statistic establishes the result for current phones. Second, assess the screen: decide whether a visible punch-hole bothers you more than the possibility of a patterned UDC region. For the Fold4/Fold5, Samsung specifically notes that the UDC pattern may be visible on bright content or when the screen is off, so those are sensible conditions in which to inspect the display.
Also establish which camera is active in the situation you care about. On the named Samsung foldables, the inner UDC is not the only option: the cover-screen camera may provide a slightly clearer image or video. If your main use is calls or selfies, that difference may matter more than whether the inner display has a camera opening. Do not infer an unlisted specification, price or availability from these examples; the cited sources do not establish current stock, regional availability or buying value.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the evidence does not establish
The cited product specifications, vendor announcements and engineering descriptions explain how these designs work and what particular manufacturers have reported. They do not amount to a controlled, independent comparison of representative current UDC and punch-hole phones. Nor do they establish current stock, price or regional availability for the examples. The defensible general conclusion is about the trade-off: the punch-hole avoids a display layer in the camera’s optical path, while the UDC prioritizes an uninterrupted-looking screen.
In particular, the available figures should not be treated as interchangeable benchmarks. Samsung’s 4MP, f/1.8 and fixed-focus specifications belong to the Fold4/Fold5 inner UDCs. OPPO’s 400 PPI and approximately 2% figures are vendor-reported prototype claims. Samsung Display’s Delta E result covers named older panels and specified sample points. Each is evidence about a particular product, prototype or assessment—not a universal score for one design.
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No special accessory, replacement part, tool or consumable is needed to explain or use either configuration. The practical purchase decision is about the phone itself, the camera you will actually use and the screen appearance you prefer. If you need current stock, prices or regional product information, check current listings separately; these sources do not verify them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are under-display cameras better than punch-hole cameras?
They are better at different things. A UDC avoids an obvious aperture in the viewing area, while a punch-hole keeps display material out of the camera’s optical path. When other factors are comparable, that generally favors the punch-hole for image capture, but camera hardware, processing, lighting and the individual phone still matter.
Which one takes better selfies?
A punch-hole camera has a less obstructed optical path, so it has a general design advantage for clarity. A UDC’s screen can reduce and diffract light, contributing to softness, haze, flare, noise or color changes. There is no neutral, current cross-device test of available current phones that establishes a universal result for every phone.
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They remove the obvious camera opening, but the camera area may still look different. Samsung says the Fold4/Fold5 UDC region can show a cross-hatch pattern on a bright screen or when the display is off. Its visibility can vary by screen and viewing conditions.
Can software fix the image-quality problems of a UDC?
Processing can reduce some defects. Samsung describes AI restoration and multi-frame processing for the Fold4, while OPPO described diffraction reduction, HDR and automatic white balance algorithms for a prototype. Those manufacturer descriptions do not independently prove that a UDC matches a comparable punch-hole camera.
What should I compare on a foldable phone?
Compare the inner UDC with the camera you can use on the cover screen, and consider which one you will actually use for calls or selfies. Samsung says the cover-screen camera on the Fold4 and Fold5 can give a slightly clearer image or video. That advice applies to those models, not every foldable.
Are the 4MP Fold4 and Fold5 camera specifications typical of UDCs?
No. Samsung India lists 4MP resolution, f/1.8 aperture and fixed focus for those specific inner-display cameras. Those figures should not be generalized to other under-display cameras.
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Choose a UDC if an uninterrupted-looking screen matters more to you and front-camera use is occasional; choose a punch-hole if front-camera clarity is the priority and a small visible aperture is acceptable. The punch-hole’s open optical path generally favors capture when other factors are similar, but the specific phone’s camera and processing matter. On a foldable, compare the inner UDC with its cover-screen camera before deciding.
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